 HeroQuest
 Copyright © 2005 |
Kirit
Nonius Agency
|
| Note! This is a fan contribution. The information may be contradicted by official material. |
Kirit Nonius was founded in the Fifth Wane, by an
Aronius Jaranthir worshipper named Kirit and an Etyries from Elz Ast
named Nonius; to provide reliable bodyguards, guards for caravans,
guards for private mail and packages, etc. It has since expanded
into private investigation and providing mercenaries. This agency
acts as an intermediary between bodyguards, mercenaries and spies, and
potential employers; it also runs a high speed courier service.
Members of the group usually wear a scarf with distinctive runes
resembling the ones to either side of the title, in either red or
black. Some members, mostly barbarians, prefer to wear the runes
on a belt.
| Common Names |
The Agency |
| Form: | Company of
bodyguards, investigators, thugs and spies for hire; which figures out
who is both good and reliable and who is not; and in exchange for this
service takes a cut. It also offers a courier service, to escort
people and small valuable items from one part of the Empire to
another. It carries mail for those who do not want to risk their mail being read. |
| Typical Homeland: | The Agency operates mostly in Carmania, Oronin, Karasal, and Silver Shadow; many of its members are mercenary Brolians or Talastari |
| Ideology: | "We are tough, and we’re trustworthy. We’re here to help you, if you can meet our price, of course" |
| Look and Feel: | Private
paramilitary company, with a sideline in investigation and courier
service. |
| Purpose: | Provide military
consulting services for anyone who can meet their price and will not
get the agency in trouble by involving them in anti-lunar
activity. |
| Headquarters: | They have a
central office, with shrines to Humakht, Aronius Jaranthir, Yanafal
Tarnils, Chagatishi Moon-Bow, Kastok, Seven Mothers, Tarumath, and
Yelamalio, in Joranit. It is an old palace, in the center of the
city, picked up cheap when a family that hired them for a big, risky,
expedition defaulted. Some senior person in the Agency can
usually be found there. They are rumored to store their money in
a tower (between Krarsht and the trolls, the founders felt that storing
wealth underground was unsafe). |
| Reactions: | Most of the
population sees them as a band of thugs, thieves and spies for
hire. They are widely feared, somewhat respected by those who admire tough guys, and very rarely loved. Many nobles and merchants are willing to be polite, since they are useful. Members of the combat cults mentioned above tend to like the Agency since it provides good employment for experienced fighters, and fighters for the Agency are known to take care of their own. The Blue Dragon mob regards them with a wary respect; and vice versa. The two associations have clashed on a number of occasions, neither is willing to admit to being afraid of the other, and each is willing to take the other on, but only if the price is right. Priests and devotees of cults tend to lack enthusiasm for the group, since it encourages its members to look at the world from a mercenary rather than religious/ethical perspective. Still, the members of this group do have a code. They will not knowingly attack the unarmed, make a living as pimps, make a living trading in slaves, etc. Agency members tend to look to other members as their peers, and ignore the views of outsiders. |
Resources
| Leader: | "Grandmaster"
Mahavir is a great-grandson of Kirit, and a minor heroquester who has
met both Antirius and Yanafal on some quests, and has visited the
Moon. He has mastered the bow, spear and shield, and kistien (an
exotic Pentan/Char-Un version of the Morningstar) and shield, and
dagger. At one point he was also a master of the scimitar and
shield, but a curse now causes scimitars to break whenever he hits
something with them. He is also proficient at riding and battle
command. |
| Renowned Members: |
Tacfarinas
"the Trader" runs the business operations of the Agency.
He is a master merchant and priest of
Etyries. Small and intense, he is very
of a drink, or maybe two drinks, come to think of it that third drink
looks
good. He is also an expert dancer He
barely meets the entry requirements for the group as a fighter, but
since Livia
sponsored him, they could hardly turn him down. . He
has a wife, Helladia, who is a Pelendan artist, specializing
in miniature paintings of religious subjects and manuscript
illumination She is a major
patroness of the Joranit
Natha, Hon-Eel and Great Sister temples. "Princess"
Livia is a beautiful but wild young woman, who inherited most of the
Nonius
family’s share of the Agency. She has
reddish brown hair, blue eyes, and a slightly taller and thinner than
average
figure. She wears the latest fashions
from Glamour, and loves well worked silver jewelry.
Somehow, no one has ever felt like trying to
rob her. In spite of appearances, though,
she is an
excellent bargainer with a future in Etyries if she ever gets serious. She owns a ship, and is planning a trip to
the Northern parts of the White Sea to bag a distinctive white fur coat
Salman
"the
Sophist" is the group’s principal advocate. He
is tall dark and handsome, and very married
to a wife he actually
loves. He is a dapper dresser, and
usually wears a silver flute, which he can use as staff at master level. He is a member of the Society for the
Promotion of the Rule of Law; and has been an intermediary in obtaining
contracts for Kirit Nonius from that group. Salman
is known as one of the few advocates
ever to have beaten Rabirius
in a court case; and for having once successfully argued a case before
the
initial incarnation of MoonSon on the hero plane. He
is also a philosopher of some note, holding that it is very
difficult, perhaps impossible, to know that anything is true; and that
people
should avoid emotional commitment to beliefs to the maximum extent
possible. Alpiew "the
Odd" is a woman fighter from the Talastar area, stocky and strong, with
some
very down to earth attitudes. She
worships Tarumath and Seven Mothers, and has a number of abilities and
attitudes normally. Because Orlanthi
woman fighters are very rare, there is a rumor going around that at one
time she was a man, and experienced a sex change on the Hero Plane. There is another rumor going around that
she is really a member of Danfive Xaron, and her role in Severn Mothers
is merely a cover. She usually dresses as a barbarian, but speaks
perfect
Pelandan and New Pelorian. She has a small
entourage, effectively a hero band in itself, that she works with, and
is usually assigned to the toughest missions the group has to offer. Worod "Weaponmaster" is a Humakhti from Bindle. He is from a minor house, which disowned him
when he joined Kirit Nonius
and chose to focus on honing his fighting ability.
He lives austerely, like a common fighter,
except that he has a
superb magical straight sword sacred to Humakht, and excellent armor. He never discusses his life before joining
Kirit Nonius, and lives by a very strict code of honor.
As a Humakhti he can sense assassins, and is
the best, and most expensive, bodyguard Kirit Nonius has to offer. When not hired out as a bodyguard, he
teaches sword or scimitar (unusually for a Humakhti he knows both) and
shield
fighting; and how to spot ambushes, assassins and the like. He rarely leads groups, but has been
known
to act as bodyguard on quests to the Other Side. Worod
has a heroic teaching ability that allows him to train
others to a higher level in either sword or scimitar and shield combat. Kuridach "the
Kastok", served in an elite cavalry unit normally stationed in Glamour,
and is known to be of Dara Happan ancestry. Someone
has cast a spell, causing everyone who knew the clan and the identity
of his father and mother to forget this information.
After a couple of drinks, Kuridach will often
vow to find a way to undo the spell, but by the next morning he will be
planning on
something else. He is tall, almost
incredibly
handsome, and something of a ladies man. A
master of several weapons, he could qualify as a devotee of Kastok,
but does not want to do so. |
| Membership: | There are several different types of members of this
association: Associate members are people who at one time were members of the Agency, but have gone on to become permanent workers for one of their clients. They pay a modest yearly fee to the group, to maintain their standing and the bond provided by the group; they can train under the prominent members above if space is available. To qualify for this status, a character must have been a member of the group in good standing at the time he left, and not assume any obligations which would conflict with being a member of the group. Fighters are the bulk of the group’s members. This includes bodyguards, etc. These are the rank and file mercenaries, they live a little better than they did in the army, get steady work which uses their skills as fighters, and join a group whose culture respects fighting ability. Investigators are the PI’s of the group. There are very few of these. Most of them are qualified fighters who have successfully completed at least one investigation. They collect information, etc, for the group as directed by the cadre. Consultants are loosely affiliated associates of the group, advocates, magicians, priests, etc. They are usually paid a yearly modest yearly retainer, supplemented by additional pay on as needed basis. Cadres are the core of the group, fighters who have mastered several weapon skills, and often the arts of bargaining and dealing with the lunar bureaucracy as well. They lead groups of more than ten people, decide what missions are to be undertaken, and by whom, etc. |
| Other Contacts: | Most of the noble houses in the Heartlands, Karasal,
Oronin and Carmania have used the services of this group and have at
least one associate in the ranks of their followers. This group has given extensively to the Aronius Jaranthir, Humakht, and Yanafal temples, and can readily obtain fairly large favors in return. They can get small favors from most other Lunar temples, which are known to use their services from time to time. There is a coven of Jakaleel witches, "Dark Delights", in Joranit which summons spirits for the group. In exchange, Kirit Nonius does investigations for them, covers for them, and sends its people out on quests to support them. This group also has what amounts to a standing alliance with "Empire Shipping", a transport line owned by Crassus the Crass. Empire Shipping hires its guards exclusively from Kirit Nonius; rumor has it that Empire shipping has also paid for undercover pirate attacks by this group. The "White Sea Lumber Association" provides timber for most of the cities in the heartland. It is a cartel formed from a number of small companies, many of whom have Crassus the Crass as a common investor. Kirit Nonius guards are often hired to protect expeditions into the Ashrill forests and Eol, to harvest timber. Black Star trading is a joint trading operations, monopolizing trading between the Empire and the Blue Moon Plateau. Though Crassus the Crass is not an investor in this group, Black Star trading hires most of its human guards from Kirit Nonius. The Glamour Silversmiths Guild, which provides a primitive form of banking services in Glamour, hires guards from Kirit Nonius. The Guild is not known to be influenced by Crassus, but has retained Kirit Nonius to guard its resources and keep the Blue Dragon Association out. The group has provided muscle for Countess Yolanella on occasions. In exchange, she has been known to help them. Various imperial security instrumentalities, including the Spoken Word, have been known to hire Kirit Nonius people to supplement their ranks when contract muscle was needed. |
| Other Resources: |
The
group owns a palace in Joranit, as mentioned above, and several
substantial buildings in Glamour. It has smaller buildings, which
are used as local HQ, in Harandash, Zern, Elz Ast, Yuthuppa, Birin,
Yukorvikoth and Kedevi. The group has a couple of hundred thousand lunars in cash, split about evenly between storage in the Palace in Joranit, the various other substantial buildings, and on deposit with the Silversmith’s guild in Glamour. The group has armor and weapons for all of its members, plus reserve armor and weapons for another 400 fighters. The group owns two Moonboats, one for carrying dispatches that can carry four people, and a larger one capable of carrying eleven people. These can sail under several different names and registries The group has access to a means of transporting individuals or small groups of 5 or less once per day by portal between the Palace in Joranit and either Glamour or Zern. The group has access to a number of valid cover identities, excellent forgery skills, etc. It also seems to have access to secret information from the Imperial archives. No one knows where it gets this information. It is thought that beneath the Palace there is a gateway to the Other Side, where members can meet a combat demigod unknown outside the group. No one has dared to try to verify this rumor. |
Organization
Day to day operations are fairly decentralized, with each of the local HQ’s mentioned above having authority to hire out a squad or two of fighters, arrange to carry a message, etc on its own. The group is held together by its policy of mostly hiring former army people, and putting them through a training program upon acceptance as fighters at “The Palace” in Joranit. Frequent inspections in the group’s two Moon Boats, by cadre members, do much to insure the various regional operations are in touch with HQ. Groups of squad size or higher are led by cadre or candidate cadre members; they tend to be semi-permanent and have their own distinctive style of operation.
Membership Keyword
| Membership Requirements: | Associate members must have been
members of the group for at least one year, pay a modest fee, and not
engage in conduct unbecoming a member of the Agency. In general, a Fighter member must be a member of a fighting cult, have mastered at least one style of combat useful to the group, be willing to swear an oath of allegiance to the Emperor and the group, in that order; and have either basic fluency in New Pelorian or be willing to achieve basic fluency with some support from the group. Members of the group must swear not to engage in conduct unbecoming to members of the group, in particular not to use weapons unlawfully. Investigator members are usually fighters who are smart, street wise, and when a job requiring investigation came along, were assigned to investigate. Success as an investigator usually leads to more investigative assignments, and acquisition of magic designed to increase investigative ability from the spirits known to the group’s Jakaleel allies. Consultants are reliable outsiders that the group will use for specific missions requiring their expertise. The Palace keeps a list of approved consultants. If something remarkable comes up, the Palace is consulted about who to hire. Consultants are not actually members of the group, and often have different personality traits than the ones typical of the group. Cadre and Candidate Cadre members are usually Fighters who have several years’ seniority with the group, distinguished service to the group, and a high degree of expertise in combat skills. There have been exceptions, these are mostly Etyries types who can fight and negotiate on behalf of the group at the same time. Cadre and Candidate Cadre usually have leadership and basic tactical skills as well as individual combat skills. New additions to the cadre are chosen by a committee of current cadre members at The Palace; new members of the Cadre must spend a year as Candidate Cadre members, who are not quite as well paid and lose their status as Cadre if they screw up in their year as Candidates. |
| Skills taught: | Scimitar and Shield combat, Intimidation, Street Wisdom, Speak New Pelorian and associated customs. |
| Typical Personality Traits: | Tough, Brave, Boastful, Proud |
| Magic: | Group members are usually also members of the cults of deities with combat affinities, most commonly Humakht and Yanafal, but group members may worship any deity whose worship is accepted in the Imperial army. Group members usually do not concentrate their magic. Many also have common magic associated with fighting, getting along in the city or adventuring; cadre members may have spirits summoned for them by the group’s allied Jakaleel worshippers. |
Kalvan the Kolde (Guardian)
Kalvan was a minor hero among the Arirae, from a time before the rise of the Goddess. Kirit allied him shortly after the group’s formation. He manifests by taking possession of a cadre member's body. To get him to do this, the cadre member sacrifices a small amount of magical power.Kalvan does not talk, unless the person being possessed happens to speak the language of the Arirae, and then he usually only says the equivalent of Hello. Kalvan is thought to be a spirit of Valind, so it is illegal to summon him outside the Palace grounds. In theory, he could be summoned outside the Palace grounds, but if this has been done, it is not known outside the group. He has been incarnated outside the palace on HeroQuests.
What Kalvan does do is fight as a very tough fighter in the grounds of The Palace. A cadre member once incarnated him on a quest, and came very close to beating one of the Star Twins in combat. Knowledge of his existence, and that he is available to defend the Palace, does much to defend the Palace against direct assault.
Another effect of being possessed by Kalvan is that it is the equivalent of going on a play session, in terms of hero points gained, so many of the cadre regard being possessed by Kalvan as a form of training. In the absence of an attack on the Palace, Kalvan will only possess an individual once per season. This experience may only be invested in combat related skills, feats, or affinities
| Method: | Possession
|
| Form: | Individual
possessed gains pale blue eyes, aura of cold as if from Valind’s
Glacier, and all clothing, armor and weapons appear to be covered in
ice. |
| Communication: | Can speak the language of the Arirae, usually does not bother. |
| Guardian Requirements: | To summon Kalvan,
a cadre member must be within the Palace in Joranit, and either the
Palace must be under attack or the cadre member must be supported by at
least seven fighters willing pray to support the attempted possession. |
| Functions: | Intellect: Teach
combat related abilities by direct example while possessing cadre
member. Defense function: Fights as a fairly tough hero. Blessing Function: None. |
