Anarea > Story > Lockdown in Mount Anar > Leading Figures in Fort Venture
The
following are the most significant persons in Fort Venture at this time, around
whom much of the politics in the Fort revolves.
There may of course be other secret figures behind the scenes.
As
Commander of Fort Venture, Aldor is seen as a leading contender for the Lion
Throne of Valdrea. The House of
Aven are traditionally leaders of the conservative faction in Valdrean politics,
and Aldor is nominally a supporter of the Emperor, Kyarlin of Heaven.
He is however generally considered to desire to restore pure Valdrean
Noble blood (i.e. himself) to the Lion Throne.
As Commander of Fort Venture, he is not a member of the Valdrean Privy
Council. He is a Paladin of SARAN
and active Adventurer in the Dungeons, often leading Expeditions to capture
specimens to restock the Training Dungeons.
Decus is
the rising star in the House of Aven, a SARAN Paladin and leading member of the
young conservative “Young Firebrands” group originally founded by Prince Kostof
II of Normeikl. Although a
conservative member of the House of Aven, he is part of the more radical
tendency in the conservative faction that proposes measures to make the Empire
even more Lawful for the greater glory of SARAN.
He is seen as being in Fort Venture to gain experience in the Dungeons
and knowledge of the workings of the Fort, in order to challenge for the Command
of the Fort when he rises high enough amongst the Champions of Aven, and then to
use that as a platform for his own challenge for the Lion Throne.
He is more interested in killing Monsters than capturing them.
Orlando
is a rival young rising star to Decus of Aven, a SARAN Paladin and one of the
founders of the young liberal “Saviours of SARAN” group, dedicated to protect
the Empire from extremist tendencies.
He and a group of friends are active on Dungeon Expeditions, and often
work with competent non-Valdrean Adventurers.
They capture specimens for the Alchemist and Training Dungeons when they
can.
A former
Champion of Tarm and a mentor of the former Commander of Fort Venture and
deceased Emperor, Arril of Tarm, Comus retired from active adventuring about a
decade ago and has since devoted himself to the Temple of SARAN in Fort Venture.
He is respected by many as a deep thinker on spiritual and political
issues, especially by supporters of the liberal faction in Valdrean politics,
although he is no longer actively involved in political life.
Even his political opponents respect Comus’ intellect and spirituality,
even if they disagree with some of his views.
Derrim is
a Valdrean Gentleman and one of the original Disciples of Harrek the Beserk from
Fort Venture. With Harrek now busy
as Lord Protector of the North, Derrim returned to Fort Venture to take up the
role of High Priest of ESCUS when the previous incumbent met with an unfortunate
end in the Dungeons. Derrim is from
the militant wing of the Church of ESCUS, believing in conversion by the axe,
but respecting ESCUS’ Alliance with the other Gods of Heaven.
Lotho is
Master of the Guild of Tradesmen of Fort Venture and a successful Kuntacian
banker and businessman. He defends
the rights of non-Valdrean businesses to trade in Fort Venture, based on their
long-established monopolies and franchises.
He also competes with the Temples to provide banking services to
Adventurers. The Temples typically
expect money left with them for safekeeping to be donated to them if the owner
dies, and to receive donations out of treasure hauls, so the Adamantine Bank
offers (low) interest on deposits and “only” a 25% fee if an heir claims the
deposit. Lotho is N/N and professes
KOROS-worship, although he rarely visits the Temple except on business.
Although
he styles himself “By Appointment to the Commander of Fort Venture, dealer in
Magic Items”, Nima has an uneasy relationship with the current Authorities in
the Fort. They value him as a
source of mithril-tipped and Magic weapons for the Noble Champions, but
disapprove of him selling them to non-Valdreans and the lower Classes.
He is also suspected of trading with the Underworld and other dubious
factions, and even of being involved in the distribution of anti-Valdrean and
anti-religious propaganda. Nima has
therefore moved his main shop to Kuntax (where they do not let such quibbles get
in the way of business) and operates his shop in Fort Venture as an order now
and collect later facility, open on Wednesdays only.
Nima himself is not always present, employing Lazlo, a N/N Valdrean
Gentleman sometime Adventurer as his assistant.
His associate Quázil the Dwarf is usually only present for Magic Item
identifications on the first Wednesday of each month.
Fort
Venture employs a team of Ratcatchers to control the pesky rodents, but there is
more to these humble servants than may at first appear.
They have two Guildmasters for the Fort: Dolores of Hapral and Buboe of
Kuntax (probably not their real names), both N/L Rat Cultists who are understood
(but not openly stated) to be the joint leaders of the Thieves’ Guilds in Fort
Venture. In the past the Rat
Cultist Thieves’ Guilds of Hapral and Kuntax fought a bitter war in the shadows
for control of the Guild’s Share from Fort Venture Thieves, but they eventually
agreed a truce which has held for many years now.
Dolores and Buboe are even believed to be romantically involved (as seems
obvious from the way they ostentatiously profess disdain for each other in
public). Thieves from other Guilds
are expected to pay their Guild’s Share to the Ratcatchers, as part of the
Inter-Guild Accounting Arrangements agreed by the Lawful Thieves’ Guilds.