Player Character: Aed

Player character from the Angharad Campaign (2012).

Warning - Player Character detail pages may contain spoiler information not known to other players.

Aed's History

Aed was born on a farm near the temple of Lugh outside Ceirin. Temple priests who bought from Aed’s family at the local market recognized his potential at an early age, and convinced his family to send him to the temple as an acolyte. Working earnestly and thriving under the priests there, especially the elderly Sorcha, he continued to study through his teens.

As Aed reached adulthood, rumors and accusations of cult activity in Fionn territory seem to increase. The Circle recognized that like any other fantastic tales, credulous folk had always traded stories about ancient dark religions and cults. But they also recognized that stories could turn into accusations, or worse yet mutual accusations, that could spread out of control. Hoping to prevent this, they consulted with Sorcha, who suggested they train Aed to investigate the problem as a Brehon inquisitor.

After completing the Circle training, Aed traveled the Brehon's circuit of small villages around Ceirin, judging normal mundane cases but also investigating any suggestions of dark religion. For years, the leads he found were all false leads: calves killed by "curses" actually died of obvious neglect, or teenagers "practicing forbidden magic" were falsely accused by those who resented them for being too beautiful, too intelligent, or too snide.

But, now Aed is investigating an apparent murder with cult-ish overtones -- arcane symbols drawn on the floor with charcoal, the lingering smell of brimstone -- that he can't write off as a village bumpkin's false accusation. Not sure if he's just spooked or onto something big, Aed has traveled to Ceirin to seek the advice of potential Circle benefactor, Sorcha's old friend Gllucan.

As a commoner from Clan Fionn’s territory, Aed is called just “Aed,” without a surname or title. As a priest of Lugh, he wears a kilt and carries a holy symbol -- a simply carved wooden sun painted gold.

Development Entry #1

Circle Politics

Aed's old teacher and mentor Sorcha belongs to a faction within the Circle called "The Green". The core members of the faction are "liberal-intellectual" students of the teachings of a controversial hierophant named Socrates. In recent years the Green faction has grown as other moderate members of the Circle have joined to counter-balance another faction known as "The Oak Court". The Oak Court is a "conservative-reactionary" faction that believes in promoting the spiritual purity of the Angharad and has an agenda for the creation of a single text containing the one official version of holy writ, teachings and rituals.

Within the Oak Court there have been some extremists, including a splinter group called the 'Brothers of the Spear', who were officially banned by the Circle due to several atrocities related to false accusations of heresy. The Green also have their extremists, in particular a group called "The Wild Priests" who openly preach a heresy that man actually created the gods.

Sorcha and other members of the Green have become concerned that 'spiritual purity' and accusations of heresy are being used as tools of politics rather than true concern for the will of the gods. Members of the Green have been quietly mentoring Brehons trained at the Sun Temple of Lugh and teaching their charges to use logic over doctrine.

Recently it came to Sorcha's attention through her old friend Gllucan that there have been an increased number of 'anonymous' accusations in and around Rhan Fionn (rumors and accusations of cult activity in Fionn territory seem to increase). Gllucan is an able and open minded priest, but he is also elderly and his mind wanders a bit now days.

Sorcha was able to facilitate assigning Aed as an itinerant Brehon to his old home territory in Rhan Fionn. He has asked you to investigate any rumors or accusations you come across looking out for both real malign influences as well as protecting innocents from false accusations. Sorcha was hoping that Aed's connection to the common folk of Rhan Fionn would be a benefit in his task as oftentimes commoners will seek out the opinion of a Brehon and settle their disputes based on the Brehon's interpretation of the law rather than escalate issues to Clan authority. This is especially the case with a common born Brehon priest such as Aed.

Aed has spent several seasons (not years), in the territory of Rhan Fionn, and it became apparent that many of the false accusations were the result of overzealous commoners stirred up after the preachings of another priest that passed through the territory who belonged more to the 'spiritual purity' faction. Your judgments and influence have helped to stabilize the area, but frustratingly there still seems to be something 'off' to you despite the lack of real evidence.

Inquisition in Ceirin

You were at the Temple of Lugh in Ceirin conferring with Gllucan about your decision to participate in the Fianna Competition when you were interrupted by an acolyte ushering in one of the town guard. After a brief explanation of the guard's concerns, Gllucan sent you with the guard to investigate.

The guard led you down to the docks district to a murder scene at a flophouse there. Along the way she explained that a normal crime would just be handled by the guards, and that when something 'supernatural' comes up, they would send someone to the 'main Temple' (The "main Temple" in Ceirin is a octagonal temple with shrines dedicated to each of the Angharad deities. The 'high priestess' of the territory is Merella Fionn a priestess of Dana. The Sun Temple of Lugh a smaller separate temple presided over by Gllucan), but the 'high priestess' was away to Tilith on business.

The guard further explained that the scene initially appeared to be a somewhat routine "drug deal gone bad" situation ("...at least more routine now'n thet Ex 'as been show'n up..."), but when searching the place they found something else...

Between review of the guard's statements and scene itself, Aed has come to the following conclusions:

It appears that some local thugs busted in on this resident little drug dealer to do a smash-n-grab, but there was an X party in progress and things quickly got out of hand. The drug dealer, one of the thugs and one of the party-goers were killed in the altercation that ensued. Everyone fled the scene taking with them most of the drugs and portable wealth, leaving behind only worthless personal and household items, some broken drug paraphernalia and dead bodies.

The story might have ended there, but the dead thug had died an unusually gruesome death (as evidenced by the lack of large physical wounds and the look of horrible pain frozen onto his dead face), and the accidental discovery by one of the guards of a secret cubbyhole.

Within the cubbyhole was an additional stash of the X drug, a handful of small gems (all of the same type) and some religious implements with a foul negative energy aura. This is what caused the guards to go seeking a priest. In addition, there was one odd bit of a broken broach or other small circular object that you found. It was created from some kind of brittle resin, probably carved, and may have had a gem or something else set into it. The only reason that you consider this as anything other than another bit of trash is that it also carried a whiff of the negative energy you found on the other items.

Advising the guards that it was good they sought out a priest, you invoked Lugh and channeled positive energy to neutralize the implements you found and you confiscated the following items:

• A Broken "Broach".
• Handful of small gems of Azurite (mottled deep blue stone) (approximately 5gp worth).
• Religious implements: A bowl and a knife (neutralized of their negative energy).
• A broken drug pipe.
• A small amount of the X drug.

Everything is now in safekeeping at Gllucan's office for the time being.

Development Entry #2

You pass a week or so of July where not much occurs. During these quiet times, you spend time on the following activities.

You spend time with the other party members in Ceirin and back at the Four Winds socializing and researching on the Ancients.

You are occasionally called upon to act in your role as Brehon. Commoners like Aed because he is from commoner blood and 'local' even though he was away for years at the Temple. Since returning to Rhan Fionn (before the competition) Aed worked hard at giving sound judgments and legal opinions and has earned respect for this. Now after winning the Fianna Competition, when going about the Rhan you are occasionally greeted by name by some well wisher and people will make sure your mug is filled at the tavern.

You attend to your martial training, sparring occasionally with the other party members, and a few times the group attracted attention when Nemsey and Drust spar due to the flashes and sparks given off by his scimitar. You also socialize some with Drust and Rowan at the Red Roof Inn in Ceirin in the evenings after your researches and watch them work with Bard Velan practicing their skills and a performance. When socializing you don't lack for feminine company, some are just sparked to interested in your recent fame, others see you as lucky and want a little of that for themselves. One woman in particular intrigues you as being neither of these and you enjoy her company on several occasions when the resident bard Velan was giving performances at the Red Roof Inn. It turns out that she is Adasse Fionn the second daughter of the High Priest of Fionn (Archdeacon) Keedon, a priestess of Dana.

Aed also seeks out additional information about the Ancients. Aed gains the following knowledge about the Ancients:

Knowledge of the Ancients

• There are places in the land where magic acts unusual and may be stronger or weaker.
• There are places in the land, places of dread that attract evil, where even normal creatures can become twisted into vicious abominations known as Fomor or foulspawn.
• The fey are attracted to these ruins and their magical emanations.
• The Ancients were around long before any of the known intelligent races.
• They suffered some catastrophe that devastated or wiped out their civilization. Their constructions show signs of damage from long ago, yet would hardly be scratched by steel hammer or pick swung today.
• They possessed knowledge of building materials that are unmatched by any of this age.
• There are no known depictions of what they looked like.
• Their writings that remain etched in stone are magical in nature and mostly indecipherable.
• Their system of magic is alien to that used now.
• The Ancients often created magic using a substance called Laen, which is a green glass like stone similar to obsidian, but incredibly tough.
• There are many ruins and remains of their structures around the lands. In particular, singular standing stones dotted across the land (called menhirs) and the six Angharad holy great stone circles.
• There are ruins of the Ancients which are still in use today. Most notable in Angtiria are the six Angharad holy sites with standing stone circles, five of which also are homes of the five Great Sacred Trees (These holy sites are: The Yew of Ross at the Lost Temple of Selene, Oak of Mugna at the Lost Temple of Silvanus, the Ash of Uisnech at the Stone Temple of Dana, the Ash of Dathi at the Sun Temple of Lugh and the Oak of Tortu at the Sanctuary of Arawn, and the Bones of the Great Dam at Lake Erada).
• Since Aed was trained at the Sun Temple of Lugh, you are familiar with the stone circle and the holy Ash of Dathi. It is forbidden for any to enter the glade of the stone circle except when there are ceremonies and rites being conducted. You are aware that there is restricted lore about the Ancients at the Temple libraries. You guess that your superiors at the Temple know more about the nature of the Ancients and their magic.

After you exhausted those resources, Gllucan provides you a letter of introduction to Eldach the Sage. Eldach runs a small scriptorium here in Ceirin (providing copying and scribe services) and in addition he teaches on many subjects (but his specialties are Linguistics and Arcana). In addition, Eldach does have a library (where he usually conducts classes) which he may allow use of for a fee (1gp per hour). He can also conduct research at standard rates (approximately 10gp per day, time required depends on relation to his areas of expertise).

Development Entry #3

In his researches into the lore of the Ancients, Aed looks for specific information about their sites and ruins.

Further Knowledge of the Ancients

• Generally the sites and ruins of the Ancients are known to have strange effects on magic and vary in intensity and nature, and may attract creatures of various types. Magical effects known are those that augment the power of certain types of magic, or allow powerful rituals to be performed and many sites radiate and/or augment positive or negative or chaotic energy. Creatures are frequently found in the ruins of the Ancients are fey, undead and magical beasts.
• Most commonly encountered along traveled roads are standing stones that augment positive energy and aid in healing and recuperation. Most of these roadside locations have small shrines to the gods.

Angharad Temples

You are most familiar with the locations of the Holy Angharad Temples, primarily the four active temples and to a lesser extent the 'lost' temples.

• The Sun Temple of Lugh - Has a great stone circle and the Holy Tree of Dathi - Spells of Light and Fire are augmented here and among other things, the ritual to create Foundry Stones is performed here - a process that combines earth and fire elemental magic into a fuel source for industry (i.e. 'clean energy').
• The Bones of Erada - Located near the Great Dam at Lake Erada, this temple and stone circle is known to augment elemental magics and the ritual to create Foundry Stones is also performed here.
• The Earth Temple of Dana - This temple has a great stone circle and the Holy Tree of Uisnech. Protection and fertility magic is augmented here, and the ritual for Raise Dead can be performed there.
• The Sanctuary of Arawn - This temple has a great stone circle and the Holy Tree of Tortu. The temple augments animal and plant magics and the ritual to summon the Wild Hunt can be performed here.
• The Lost Temple of Selene - This temple has a great stone circle and the Holy Tree of Ross. The temple augments divination magics. It was lost around 300-400 years ago when it was overrun by magical beasts and is now the home territory of the Krissblade Goblins.
• The Lost Temple of Silvanus - This temple has a great stone circle and the Holy Tree of Mughna. The temple augmented enchantments and plant magics and also attracted the Fey. It was lost (about 1000?) years ago during the great Reformation as the last holdout of the Blood Druid heretics and is haunted by a terrible creature called 'The Eater of Men'.

Lesser Known Sites in the Region

• The Yellow Gorge - Located in the Gwynledden Hills, the Yellow Gorge is a sunken ruin covered by a yellowish gas and is inhabited by ghouls.
• The Tump - Located in the foothills of Mt. Aranthil in the Echoriath range, this mysterious area is thought to be a barrow or tomb and is always cloaked in gloom and darkness. Legends tell of a headless horseman that haunts the road between two rivers there.
• The Shadow Spire - Located deep in the Ostorath Mountains at the foot of Darken Peak is a shadowy tower on the side of a mountain that is only rarely seen as it is normally cloaked in perpetual darkness.
• The Battlemounds - Also located in the Gwynledden Hills this is thought to be an ancient battleground and it is definitely haunted by undead.
• The Lost Isle - Located in the foothills of the Ostorath Mountains this ruined city is thought to have magic that augments divination magic and is home to magical beasts.

Minor Sites in the Local Area

• The Gweddan Stone - Rumored to be located somewhere on Tor Gweiddan, the stone is rumored to augment magic and has been to attract lightning like a lightning rod (this may be the standing stone that you discovered through the owlbear cave).
• The Anvil of Lir - The Anvil of Lir is rumored to be an anvil used by the ancients to forge magical weapons.
• The Circle of Cynon located in the Cynon Hills is rumored to be a large stone circle that augments magic and is guarded by creatures that turn the living to stone.
• The Eternal Tower - A tower known to be a haunt of the undead. Legends tell that it has been destroyed several times but appears rebuilt at a new location by undead minions.
• The Orb of Shadows - This is a small site also said to be somewhere on Tor Gweiddan and is rumored to augment divination magics.
• There are various other minor sites unnamed, undiscovered, or forgotten.