Intro

Five years ago, I published this article on using 28mm plastic miniatures for Runequest and other Gloranthan gaming, going through a good number of the suppliers at the time and giving my opinion on their quality and usefulness for use with RQ.

Time has flown by and a few things have changed, miniature providers have added a lot of plastic sets, my tastes and views have changed more than a little and I’ve got to try a whole pile of things out.

I’ve threatened to update the original article more than once, but decided an update on the kits released since then may be more straightforward but not much shorter.  Many of these kits I’ve plugged as they have been released in the group MIniature Adventures in Glorantha, but this gives me a chance to review and examine them in light of everything else.

I’m going to be considering how appropriate kits are, their quality, price, ease of use in kitbashing and just how much fun they are. I am mainly going to be looking at historics from antiquity and the early dark ages, but will cover some fantasy rangers i think could be useful

As regards look and feel i’m not looking for true bronze age miniatures ( because there are very few plastic options for this area.).  But i’m looking to avoid ubiquitous amounts of chainmail( so armoured Vikings and Saxons are out), styles which are too distinct (Romans) and I’m not covering mounted miniatures either.

I’m including physical sets which I have personally purchased, not covering STL and digital printing for now. I am going to mention buying by the sprue which is only a UK think atm, but a potential business opportunity for someone in the US. The focus will be on minis for the RPG’er rather than a wargamer, this means maximum figure variation will be important.  

Victrix 

In terms of both quality and range I believe Vicrtix to be the leading provider of historic miniatures, and they have been busy these last few years with a good number of releases.

Victrix miniatures tend to have a high sculpt quality, be well sized and have dynamic poses. One drawback is that many sets have one or both arms as part of the main body on the model, so miniature poses are going to be limited and figure repetition common if the same sprues are used too often. Also many different sets use the same body poses and proportions so Germans, Gauls and Dacians can end up looking similar.

The set most immediately useful to is the recently released Greek Hoplites, as they can be used as Lunars, Yelmalians, and other more civilised nations.  The bodies however with Breastplate, Scale Armour and Linothorax options create a great base for all armoured warriors with simple kit bashing. Parts added from Dacian, German and Gaul kits can get these bodies looking like Orlanthi very quickly.  Also the helmets dropped onto an unarmoured dark age warrior, or persian body can suddenly make the figure fit very well into a Gloranthan setting..

The Persian Armoured Spearmen has 4 figures per sprue 2 in Linothorax and 2 in padded or quilted armour, however 3 have arms moulded onto them in set poses so I would suggest only purchasing a limited number of these or else figures will get very samey. I find head options limiting, but do enjoy the good selection of weapons, quivers and shields found in the set.

The Persian Command sprue is common across all Persian boxes and is worth purchasing as it comprises three well armoured torsos that can be easily modified into hero figures. The Persian Armoured Archers is a sprue which has two armoured archers then two armless torsos that can be modified into melee characters if needed. It also contains a number of interesting options for archer figures including bow options.

The Persian Unarmoured Spearmen and Persian Unarmoured Archers are virtually the same sprue as the armoured spearmen, but with the bodies unarmoured which makes them significantly less appealing.  I would pass them over for other unarmoured figure options.

The Dacian Warriors set I find highly appealing for numerous reasons, the fact that all figures come without arms attached, we have 3 good cloak options, we have numbers of curved swords with the two handed falx and 18 great head options on the standard sprue.

But most importantly the Dacian Command Sprue, has some outstanding armour,  cloak, and head options. Giving bodies and many components for hero figures.

Their Vikings set is problematic for Gloranthan usage due to the significant amount of chainmail on all sprues, but there are some very usable heads that will work for wilder Gloranthan culture, mixed size target shields and one and two handed axes. There are some great figures on the command sprue but it is dominated by chainmail so I avoid using it for my figures.

Early Unarmoured Saxons is a recent set with a number of options which can fill the unarmoured Dark Age Warrior requirement easily, along with many other sets. Arms are fully detached and there are good head, weapons and shield options. Helmets may be too late in look for some tastes but I think they could work well if painted bronze.  A valid option for the unarmoured warrior figures you may want.

The older German Warrior set is a good option for Praxian and Balazaring figures, as well as Orlanthi characters with a number of bare chested figures differentiating the set from other options. Positives of a great range of unarmoured heads, mixed and varied shields are balanced out by all of the figures having at least one arm fixed in place. Rounded off by 3 cloaks and a good range of weapons.

The Vicrtix late romans releases really interested me in terms of the number of options available and how we could use these to add so many kitbashing options into a bits box, with numerous head, shield and cloak options.

However the Roman Armoured Infantry contains far too much chainmail for our usage, the archers may be great if you are building out an army, but are rather boring and we see nothing we have not seen elsewhere in this set. The only one i would consider for purchase is the Unarmoured Roman Infantry, with oodles of variations. The kit covers the late roman,  Authurian, Early Byzantine and Goth/Germanic period. Which is a little late for our needs and does actually feel so. Get a single sprue and see what you think of the head and cloak options. Your view may differ from mine.

In terms of future releases the Rus Unarmoured sprue looks to have some gorgeous head and weapon options, but many don’t quite fit our timeline. Avoid the full set as the armoured sprues are dripping in chainmail.

Wargames Atlantic

Though currently I think Victrix are probably producing the best individual sculpts and miniatures, I think wargames atlantic are my favourite company and produce the most useful and fun sets.

Though new plastic releases have slowed down of late. There are a number of kits that are really useful for creating Glorantha Minis.

Wargames atlantic figures for the most part can easily be kitbashed with Victrix and Gripping Beast miniatures with similar scaling, heads and construction.  The sculpting and detailing is close to the Victrix who I think are the best models in the genre atm, and the poses are usually both dynamic and practical.

Roman Citizens set releases for Gangs of Rome is a set which i’m glad to have just got my hands on and gives lots of options for urban gloranthans whether they be civilians, streetgangs, gladiators or unarmoured warriors.  I’m loving the options for conversions and how I can use this set in kitbashing going forward. I bought a full box and probably a couple of sprues is a better starting point for most RPG players.

The Persian Warriors set is a good set for creating light armoured figures and creates a perfect bases for a wide range of models, covering both hand to hand combat and archers, armoured and unarmoured persians. 

The body options are not specifically Persian and can easily be kitbashed and  painted up to represent other cultures. The selection of bodies on a sprue consists of 1 in scale armour, 2 in padded or quilted leather, one unarmoured and one unarmored archer. I’m not keen on some of the heads,arms and weapons options, and specifically wish there were more than 1 kopis per sprue. But it’s a good quality, cheaper, simple alternative to the Victrix Persian figures.

Another good option for unarmoured and lightly armoured warriors and fighters are Blood Oaths Irish Warriors. Distinct plus points for this set are warhounds that come 2 per sprue. The varied nature of the bodies covering bare chested, trousered and skirted options upon the sprue. Lots of options with 14 shields, 10 heads and plenty of weapons options. What I love about this set is probably two of the nicest cloak options available with historic figures at the moment, available on each sprue.  For me a must buy set at least a couple of sprues or a box level.

Goth Warriors is a nice set which offers a viable alternative to the many kits which will give you unarmoured dark age/ancient warriors. Simpler than the Victrix it gives more flexibility for kitbashing and with model stance, but does not quite match the sculpt quality or detailing. It  gives good melee and missile options on each sprue. However it’s only real stand out quality from the many other options is another great cloak.

Wargames Atlantic Skeleton Warriors are a good option, have nice shield choices, and do give that Jason and the Argonites vibe. However the one skeleton that needs a full body build is a pain and for that reason it’s not my favourite set. However I like to mix my sets up so I do use them.

I’ve not purchased or tried but the Bronze Age Chariots also look right up our street.

Recommendations:  I think 2 sprues of Citizens of Rome, and Blood Oath Irish Warrior are pretty essential. I like to vary body options for RPG fo so would use the WA Persians alongside the Victrix alternatives as body options

Frostgrave

In what appears to be a partner brand to Oathmark we have the frostgrave figures. The two relevant sets not mentioned in the earlier are Frostgrave Wizards, Frostgrave Wizards 2.

They are built with the same design principles as Oathmark and the swivel heads mean that they cannot be easily kitbashed with anything bar Oathmark and Frostgrave Figures. This has led me to have a separate Frostgrave/Northface bits box.  

The wizard sets are pricey with the figures coming in at around £2.00 per mini, but they are both designed and scaled to be Hero figures so present reasonable value for money. Also the sprues for these sets come with significant options and variations.

As always these figures are well made, but ‘chunky’, making realistic scaling against genuine historic miniatures impossible.  But this allows them to draw attention to themselves as hero or character figures on the table and that works for me. 

The figures designs are mediaeval fantasy and the characters are kitted up for a winter climate, but judicious choices and a thoughtful paint job can give these figures an Gloranthan feel, and these figures can be effectively presented as priests, sorcerers and other denizens of Glorantha.

Of particular interest is the Frostgrave Wizard 2 set which is Female Wizards, and with a dearth of both non combatants and good female plastic figures available, particular attention should be given to these as a viable option.

Combining sprues of Frostgraves Female Soldiers, Female barbarians and Female Wizards creates some nice variation and combinations, which gives a character class ambiguity that suits the RQ system.

Recommendations: If you can cope with some anachronisms and setting inconsistencies that come with these sets, I think a sprue of the Frostgrave Wizards 2(the ladies) combined with Frostgrave Soldiers and or barbarians is essential.  Frostgrave wizards could be a good addition but doesn’t combine with other sets in the same way 

Oathmark

A sister brand to frostgrave most Oathmark sets share design principles and the humans don’t kitbash well with other historics. However some sets are well worth a look for specific uses.

The Dwarf Heavy Infantry out of the box gives a look and feel that are Iron Dwarves, no kitbashing required. I just  love them.

The Skeletons are my favourite readily available kit at the moment. Again I would mix and match for figure variations. But easy to build, well scaled and also have a classic greek fantasy look to them.

I like oathmarks Revenant Infantry, i’ve no idea what they precisely are in Glorantha but these are a nice set of undead figures that could be used as zombies, revenants or some custom nasty from Delectis swamp. Each sprue also contains 5 shields that can work very well as stylised shields for other heroes and PCs.

I tried a sprue of the human infantry but they are just too classic fantasy for our purposes, and haven’t attempted to use other releases for the same reason.

RGD Gaming

A company who is new to me is RGD gaming, they have produced a number of kits that should be of interest to us. Focusing on mythic Greece as a setting. They have 5 kits that hit our criteria and unfortunately none have justified my initial level of interest.

The Amazons kit of 28mm female figures in the right time period was the one that excited me most, Unfortunately it did not deliver.  A couple of poses create acceptable miniatures but many create figures which are stilted, disproportionate or only work in unrealistic poses. The quality does vary significantly across the sprue.

Though I can create some useful figures, I find the spue repetitive and choices of a decent quality limited will not be able to build out all the figures in interesting and quality configurations. Also the design means getting a decent model build can be tricky.

The Scythians also interested me and they have delivered much better figures, the armour options really suits Glorantha and fits some of the gaps in what is available and I was hoping to use them as a base for lots of conversions and kit bashing going forward.

The figures are all in proportion with themselves and there are some nice options. However they are massive…. When compared to victrix and wargames atlantic models they are 15 to 20% larger.  This can add nice variation in model size when they are used together, but means it’s very hard to use them when kitbashing and converting them. The heads are also of a design that WA and Victrix heads don’t connect well with bodies in this set, due to the requirement for a neck.  The only real easy kitbashing is shield swapping which isnt alot.

Model poses are a little static, with the spear poses are good, but very samey. The hand weapons and shield combination deliver static poses and though nice figures, will not deliver variation needed for RPG models

I’m not going to mention detail on the The Faun and Centaur kits because they are so bad they border on unusable.  The Satyr kit is usable but of low quality and limited variation, they are maybe usable as broo, but are poor representations.

RGD have a Wargames Atlantic feel in production values, but the miniature design falls well short of their collaborator..

Recommendations: Due to the unique and relevant nature of these figures 1 Spru each of the amazons & Scythians could build out your collection with some unique and distinct models. But for the reasons mentioned above don’t invest heavily and have limited expectations.

Gripping Beast

I’ve always had a soft spot for Gripping Beast Plastics, I love their Dark age warriors for their simplicity and versatility in conversions. Over recent years they have released three boxes celtic figures of Warriors  Dark Age Welsh, Dark Age Irish and Dark Age Welsh.

These three boxes come with sprues containing the 5 same base bodies and a limited but varied set of heads, arms, shields, weapons and cloaks!!!! to distinguish them from each other.  The parts kitbash perfectly with victrix and wargames atlantic.

These figures are basic and are unlikely to be developed into hero figures but for unarmoured warriors or the basis for non combatant conversions they are perfect.

The cost at around £0.50 per miniature is really good value. These sculpts are of decent quality, but not as well defined or dynamic as Victrix or Wargames Atlantic, but their simplicity gives them much more flexibility.

My favourites of the three sets are the Irish because of the quality of their Cloaks.

Recommendations: If you are looking for a volume of low cost figures for kitbashing, conversions, militia or civilians these are perfect. For Gloranthan figures id jump into the Irish and the Welsh first as they are most relevant, and would definitely have a number of sprues available for creating an expansive collection.

A short post here, for a new common runespell which is available to the vast majority of cults. It’s designed as a game mechanic to allow priests and other NPC’s to give magical aid to players in a setting specific manner.  However players may find a creative and interesting use for it.

I’m sure a gamemaster could just handwave it, but some of us do like the system to have a consistent mechanic for much of what NPC’s do

It would be referred to as Orlanths blessing, Ernelda’s blessing, Foundchilds Luck, Stormbulls Fury or other deity specific deviations.

This runespell is cast upon another cult member by the spellcaster. It calls forth the blessing of the specific deity to allow its follower to act in accordance with the deity’s character. It cannot be cast upon oneself.

For the duration of the spell it will give 5% point bonus per point of spell on all rolls which concern the use of any cult skills, spirit magic, rune magic spells or inspiration with cult runes and virtues. It does not affect spells and skills given by associated cults.

These bonuses can be stacked on top of other more specific spirit magic or battle magic bonuses.  It is often cast in conjunction with extension.

This spell is rarely used by adventures and tends to be the domain of priests, chief priests and high priests. It is not usually cast upon lay members.   

Older gamers and long term Runequest fans are all very aware of the beloved, classic and awesome RPG Sandbox Griffin Mountain, and the land of Balazar which it describes. More recent converts to the cause may be less aware as the latest release of Runequest has focused almost exclusively on  Dragon Pass though rightly so. However this classic location without a doubt is my favourite Runequest campaign setting, and the following notes try to get to the bottom of why.

Where and what is Balazar?

For those of you not in the know, Balazar is a land to the North of Dragon Pass and to the east of the provinces of the Lunar Empire. It is a land of semi-nomadic Hunter gatherer clans. It is dominated by large citadels which are virtually the only permanent settlements, around which its human hunter inhabitants gather into three distinct tribes. The Elder races loom large with trolls and elves dominating the adjacent Elder Wilds, the Dwarves hold up in their city of Greatway to the south, and colossal giants roaming through the mountains far to the east.

The land has a sparse open wild feel to it, population centres are rare and small, unlike Dragon Pass it is not the central crucible of the hero wars. Heroes exist but are more modest than Argarath, Hareck and Jareel; its people are primitive, traditional, and possibly more innocent.

So Why?
It is this land that has long been my favourite Runequest setting and i’m about to try to articulate why I love it so much. Let me be clear, I’m not saying it’s better than other Gloranth settings, it’s just one which I prefer.

The first reason I would like to put forward is personal bias, the greatest campaign of my youth took place in the setting, my favourite most defining PC was and is based there. I had no poor and difficult gaming experiences in games based in Balazar. I am utterly and completely 100% biassed and that’s OK.  Our experiences often define out likes and dislikes, and I have many pleasant experience in playing and running games in Balazar

The setting is unique. Glorantha is a distinct and interesting setting within itself, but Balazar is a unique land within that setting. Wild, pared down and with its own distinct flavour, I cannot think of any other games written to be played with a neolithic hunter gatherer setting.

I love the scale of Bazalar, not in terms of miles and hexes, but Griffin Mountain was an intimate setting, the cast list was relatively small and players could interact with most of the movers and shakers in the region.

However, it is also a wild setting with an immense physical scale, the sense of wilderness, the unknown, an amount of space that you could drop a lot of things into without changing the feel and lay of the land. Its remoteness also means that whatever the players are doing will probably be the most notable activity in that locale.

Player centrality is something I think a game requires, if your players are hangers on to the stories of central and important NPC’s, just bit part players in their own game, the priorities of both the setting and the ref seems wrong.  In the Balazaring setting it is almost guaranteed that your players will take centre stage, and become driving characters within the story

Balazar is not defined by the Hero Wars in the same way as Dragon Pass is, it will be affected by going on in Sartar and the Lunar Empire but the setting is not defined by it. The story which will play out in Balazar is one of the storytellers and players’ invention. The sandbox format is key to allowing alternative and unique stories to be told without expectations of being on or off canonical storyline. 

One of the best and most difficult things about Glorantha is the depth and scale of the world’s law, it can be intimidating to even long-time RQ and Glorantha fans. The Balazar setting has a simplicity and a limited lore base that can be picked up and read though in a couple of hours( i may have altered that slightly), games can be run with little reading, but you still get the feel of a complete and immersive setting.

So for players or storytellers new to Glorantha, wanting to try an aspect not as detailed or as intimidating as Dragon Pass it’s a great place to start, and then characters can be moved over the mountains to more complex settings as players start to understand the world in a deeper way.

I like slow burn long campaigns which take their time and players can pace to suit their preferences. Balazar has a velocity which suits the playing style you want, without being bound to any external timeline. If your game in Balazar wants to spend the first 2 years just looking at clan life and players being rustic hunters that’s completely fine and your won’t feel pressured to get to certain milestones by certain dates on the fear of missing out on Key events.

I adore that Griffin Mountain is a sandbox setting, possibly the defining RPG sandbox setting. Nothing linear, giving complete freedom for players and storyteller.

No none of the above make Balazar better than other Gloranthan settings, i’m aware that many things that make Balazar ideal for me, wouldn’t be the preference of other players and refs. Runequest Glorantha has been written to intentionally put the Hero wars at the centre of the game, and that style of play will captivate many and is at least equally valid, so please don’t think I criticise.

Balazar just suits me and my style of play better, and I have many wonderful memories of the setting.  For some the rich, complex and multi layered lands of Dragon Pass suit, for others post apocalyptic Prax scratches an itch or the classic adventures paradise(?) which is Pavis fulfils a need. I love all of them, but for me Balazar is the palace in Glorantha which is my forever home.

If that has whetted your appetite can I recommend the wonderful Griffin Mountain which is still available from Chaosium and my own companion Back to Balazar which is available of Jonstown compendium and brings Balazar up to 1625 and uses the RQG ruleset.

Here are suggested titles for myths, tales and stories of Balazar to expand upon for your campaign. 

They will be told to children and over campfires late at night, sometimes they will be acted out by members of the clan. Some are sacred, some are folk lore, some morality tales for children and some are just funny stories to pass an evening. Many stories are well known across Balazar, others are known only to your clan, some are known across multiple clans with different names and details.

• Ancestors of the Hearth Fire
• The Grey Owl & the Midnight Stag
• The Black Bear of Bent Mountain
• Three Flint Arrows for an Shaman’s staff
• The White Hound and the Infant
• Brother Dog and long hunt
• The Child and the Pup
• Foundchild and the Tigers Claw
• The Chief, Gelert and the Wolf
• The All Mother makes the first fire
• The Calm Nymph and the Angry Bear
• The Child lets the embers die
• The Lady hunts the Hunter
• Votank tracks the Lady of the Wild
• Votank and Drunken Giant
• Votank sleeps through the seasons
• Tulani jumps the River Seronde
• The Elder and the long rain
• Foundchild blinds the unnamed demon
• Faragi riddles the Dryad
• Mazra speaks the Forbidden Name
• Blueface hides a giant
• A lost Elf at Sea
• Having the Trolls for Dinner
• The Wise Giant confounds the Red Wyrm
• Taka rides the Angry Boar
• The Ghost of the Weeping Willow
• Baskus and the Black Eel
• Trilus Burns the Dwarf Lords beard
• Okki tricks the Chaos Goats
• Wings on a spear’s point
• The Red Witch and Old Shaman
• Gobi the Hungry eats the Bison
• Two halves of a rabbit’s tail
• Three red berries for a hunters heart
• A dryads song stills the soul
• Three dwarves and a lonely goat
• Talka dances on a trolls nose
• The hunters blood melts the ice
• Fresh Blood for the Dirty Old Crow
• The Fool of Elders Rock
• Listening for the ghosts of Firepoint
• Singing calms the Dwarf of Flinthill
• Healing of the Hearth Fire
• Three days from Redwyrm
• The Otter of Taksmound
• Three angry giants topple the stone
• Balazar and the Griffins Claw
• The Lady of the morning mists

Have fun making these into something more substantial.

This post is a sample character from Rubble Runners Vol 2 which can be found here .

Relic Hunter & Wildsage, Rune Priest of Lhankor Mhy Male, 43, From Nochet Resident in Pavis  

Clever, Intense, Creative. Lighthearted

Ristarl is a travelling Wildsage who has come to Pavis.  He believes the Rubble has opened now the Lunars have left and that there is opportunity from profit, knowledge, and fame. He seeks to exploit this opportunity with his wife and business partner Tarelis a follower of Issaries.

A charismatic man. He has ragged features, long hair and unkept beard. But what stands out about him is his restlessness, intensity, and personal energy. Both a trained sage and rugged adventurer he has told himself that this is his one last expedition before he settles down to a more subdued life. However, he is also aware has said that before.

A scholar and expert on the Empire of Wyrms Friends and is very keen to experience of the buildings, relics and artifacts of the EWF in which can be found in the Rubble.

The local Lhankor Myh priests and the sages at the Pavis temple are very frustrated at his presence, believing that he is encroaching within their territory. Neither will publicly act against him, but also neither see the need to make his stay in Pavis a comfortable experience.

He has developed a strange understanding of the world through an understanding of the dragon rune, he has become Left-handed in the process, but tries to hide it with strangers.

Has developed a way of using the find air spell to locate previous unfound rooms and chambers in ruins and complexes which is novel and has made him a good treasure seeker with the ability to find chambers previously undisturbed for centuries.

Characteristics

STR 11       CON  14    SIZ 12      INT 17     DEX 15 CHA 14     POW 18    

Hit Points: 14               Move: 8

DEX SR:  2                    SIZ SR: 2

Runes: Water 60%, Truth 95%, Harmony 67%, Man 78%, Dragon 24%

Rune Points: 8

Rune Spells:  Analyze Magic, Knowledge, Mind Read, Translate, Truespeak, Clever Tounge, Restore Health, Find Air

Traded Runespells: Path Watch, Lock

Spirit Magic: Farsee, Detect Magic, Detect Life, Detect Undead, Detect Trap, Extinguish, Fireblade, Befuddle, Demoralise

Magic Points:  43 (18 + 11 + 14)

Passions: Devotion Lhankor Mhy 87%, Loyalty Temple 69%, Hate Authority 68%

Reputation: 31%

Spirit Combat Damage: 1D6+1

Location	D20	AP/HP
Right Leg	1-4	6/5
Left Leg	5-8	6/5
Abdomen	9-11	5/5
Chest	12	5/6
Right Arm	13-15	6/4
Left Arm	16-18	6/4
Head	19-20	6/5

Weapon	%	Damage	SR	Pts
Klanth	77	1D10+1	6	12
Large Shield	72	1D6	7	24
Staff	56	1D8	5	10

Armor: Heavy Scale Hauberk, Plate Greaves & Vambraces, Closed Helm

Skills: Evaluate 67%, Cult Lore Lhankor Mhy 94%, Dodge 65%, Draconic Lore 78%, Homeland Lore Pavis 71%, Homeland Lore Esrolia 93%, Celestial Lore 38%, Read Write Esrolian 93%, Read Write Old Pavic 45%, Read/Write Auld Wyrmish 54%, Dodge 65%, Jump 74%, Charm 56%, Customs Esrolian 67%, Customs Pavis 54%, Library Use 54%, Insight Human 65%, Spirit Combat 65%, Listen 58%, Scan 63%, Search 89%,

Languages: Esrolian 87%, Tradetalk 48%, Heortling 67%, Old Pavic 46%, Auld Wyrmish23%

Magic Items: Large Iron shield, POW Storage Crystal 11pt

Treasures: 45L carried with him, Letters of Credit worth 2400L with the Issaries Temple, 650 L of jewelry.

Ransom: 800L from Tarelis or 1250 from Nochet Lhankor Mhy temple

Seeker –Allied Spirit,

INT:  15 POW:  14 CHA: 13

Spirit Magic: Heal 4, Shimmer 4

Associates & Contacts

• Tarelis – (Rubble Runners 2 pg 19) Is both his lover and his business partner. He loves her deeply but worries about the age difference and how much she will love him when he no longer turns her a healthy profit.

• Hoftakt IronBeard – A quiet polite, reserved, educated and discrete individual. Hoftakt makes the perfect bodyguard for man of Ristarls Tastes. An esrolian yelmalian warrior who never served with the Sun Dome Templars, has looked after his master’s safety for the last 7 years.

• Kalste the Beardless – This young man works as Ristarls apprentice and personal servant. Embarrassed by his inability grow a proper beard, he is forced to wear a leather beard like a female sage. He is a somewhat lazy and dishonest individual out to line his own pockets at his master’s expense.

• Kenyr Quickstep – A charming and pleasant young lady who Ristarl employs to gather information about the rubble from local bars, adventurers, and other miscreants. A native of Nochete she is finding Pavis more difficult to navigate than she expected.

• Broosta – Responsible for exploring, retrieving, and recording the history of the rubble for the Pavis and Lhankor Myh temples. She finds Ristarls presence an affront and will find a way to be offended and upset by anything that he does.

• Wind Whistler – A Yelm worshipping venerable Wyrm that hunts the Zola Fell Valley and vultures’ country. Ristral has conversed with him numerous times over the years, but now goes out of his way to meet with him every season.

Plot Hooks & Encounters

• The players are hired to guard Ristral on one of his rubble expeditions the rubble. pay is good but loot shares are poor.

• The players are hired by Taleris to protect Ristral from a similar group of hired thugs employed by rivals in either the Pavis or Lhankor Myh temple.

• Vega Goldbreath wants the players to find everything they can out about Ristral, as she sees him as a draconic threat.

• Vega Goldbreath wants Ristral kidnapped and taken to Sun County for questioning.

• Priest from either Pavis/Lhankor Myh temple want him Ristral to leave town. The players are hired to help him decide to leave. A similar group will be hired to protect him from the PC’s.

• Players are sold a scroll by Ristral, which outlines a long forgotten Heroquest that will give a Yelmalain worshipper a magical advantage over the draconic.
  
  It is a fake created to draw Vega Goldbreath into a vulnerable position, where Wind whistler can attack her.  It is believed with good reason that Vega will do all within he power to Gain access to the scroll, and she will attempt the ‘ritual’ at which point she will be vulnerable.
  
  If the players have been the source of the scroll for Vega they will be in the firing line whatever transpires.