In a previous age of the world, before the coming of the Dark Lord Ayden, there lived in the lost kingdom of Arbythea a group of wanderers, whose names passed from story into legend, legend into myth, and now, as the world crumbles unders its own ancient weight, these names are once again merging with the all forgiving Aether, to be forgotten by the teeming races. If it were not for the bravery and fortitude of a small band of Protectors, the texts of Y'jinn and others would have been lost forever, and with them, the tales of that strange and merry band, the Circle of Emforre.

In the tradition of the winged bard himself, Vaderat Oddfellow, the cast of players in this cycle of tales will be introduced, before commencing.

Sir Jorg



Sir Jorg is beleived to have come from the distant port of Agshenn Ai, on the Eastern Edge, where the Fire Star holds sway. He entered into the Royal and Ancient Order of Belved, where he served as loyal squire to Sir Omit, who later was crowned King of Arbythea. Under the virtuous Sir Omit, Sir Jorg honed his fine swordsmanship and archery. It was Sir Jorg, along with his kinsman Omnus, who first discovered the verdant clearing in the forest of Rudd. He and the apprentic mage Omnus claimed it as their own abode, and it soon became a haven for newcomers to the strange land of Arbythea.

Omnus the Silent



Omnus the Silent was Sir Jorg's kinsman, from Agshenn Ai, although the oldest tales hint at a youth spent in the Blue Mountains, in the Deepest South. And the enchanted air from those mysterious hills seemed to follow Omnus as he wandered the length and breadth of Arbythea, searching for an ancient treasure he was fated never to find. He and Sir Jorge created a homely refuge in the secret clearing which was known as Emforre in the old tongue. But while Sir Jorg trained to become a Knight of the Order, Omnus became attracted to the whispered melodies of the mages in the north country. He often ventured to the wild and forbidding slopes of the Western Mukhs, where he encountered the Mendelus, Lord of the Wild. The Mendelus introduced Omnus to the ways of the Fire and Stone, and taught him the uses the fabled gangrass, which was said to have magical powers, and with these powers he learnt secrets from the Aether itself.

Ragputin the Wanderer



Ragputin is the very same character who is depicted in countless children's stories, with sparkling eyes, playing a fiddle and dancing a jig, although he is known by various names: Anglemaster, Funglestiltskin, Jingla La and Vonderrepool. His precise origins are shrouded in mystery. The Pandeans, who worship him as an incarnation of Radge Nickant himself, claim that he was born in Rode, in a tiny village. The Erskines of Iserbya call him the dark-skinned Erskine, for he loved the icy north, and wrote many an ode on the Land of Green and White. Some say he too came from Agchenn Ai, where he was a leader of the Esboah tribe. Known for his wandering ways and his gregarious nature, Ragputin was rumoured to know every soul that found its way into Arbythea. But he too made Emforre his home, and he would return there from his adventures with a sackful of trinkets and articles of uncertain worth. It is said that much of his vast knowledge was gathered from the brooding Omnus, and the light-hearted scribe Y'jinn.


Sir Valkleigh



Sir Valkleigh, like Sir Jorg, joined the Order of Belved, but perhaps reluctantly. He was from the Near Wastes, lying outside the boundaries of Arbythea. He had a Quirk of Spirit, as it was known in those days, which could allow him to be a most faithful Knight, but would also lead him from time to time along the Paths of Vei Lah. A tragedy befell him soon after he arrived in Arbythea. Like many Knights before him, he became enthralled by a Banshree, one of the beautiful enchantresses who wandrered the Meyncohr Plains in search of errant knights. Fortunately Sir Valkleigh saved himself from the utter pits of despair. Some scholars claim that he used old magic from the Order of Synnix, thereby making himself bitter at times, and ever wary of damsels.

Othma the Good



Othma was a merry adventurer and lover of the Aether, who arrived in the Arbythean realms from Otchkin, the bustling spice port on the Southern Edge. He had been taught an ancient spell of binding and goodwill, and when he strayed into the Circle of Emforre, he found a group of companions with whom to share this spell. He became a great friend of the wild men from the Western Mukhs, whose support he enlisted during his celebrated campaign to win the crown, after the death of King Sinh. His reign as King Verg II was an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity.

Maldost the Ungred



The origins of the Ungred are lost in the mists of antiquity. It is said that they carry with them the oldest magic of all, without which Arbythea would fade away. Maldost was a prophet of the Ungred tribe, which he joined sometime after his great journey Eastward, from across the Water. The Ungred were known for a passionate desire for the pleasures of the good earth, and a paradoxical slothfulness. They were faithful companions who never deserted a comrade. Legend had it that they could commune with the winged beasts. Some stories even claimed that the Ungred could transform into Balrogs. Omnus was the first to discover his murky powers, as they travelled to the Caravanserai, when the Soods gathered in secret. In the Serai and elsewhere Maldost taught Omnus the joys of channeling the Aether. It was Omnus who introduced Maldost to the homely refuge of Emforre.


Murmurlark



Murmurlark came to Arbythea from the Imperial town of Hranan Dahni. He came with a jester's spirit, but beneath it lay a probing wisdom. He could percieve the many layers of meaning, and could play with them as Ragputin might play on his fiddle. He was a scribe who was well-versed in the art of wordsmithy. Y'jinn, his fellow scribe, brought him into the Emforre refuge. Murmurlark was known to have difficulty making decisions,leading to the commonly used phrase "Murmurlark's Dilemma". When he encountered Ayna, the Iron Hand of Kylarre, he was in thrall, and for many a moon he sought her hand. His victory lead to another saying of the era : "the patience of Murmurlark". He became her right hand man, and divided his time between the Southern Rudds and the haven of Ivhar, in the realm of Kylarre.

Ayna, the Iron hand of Kylarre



Ayna's early days in Arbythea were wracked by troubles. While the Circle of Emforre was growing in quiet strength, she sought shelter in the Pidgies, the strange dwellings of womenfolk in Arbythea. She met the Emforre folk when they were together captured by the long-tongued rogue Ronbar Gav, who dragged them to his fortress in Aggerah. Ayna, Murmurlark, and another prisoner, Cherrian Ackshei, were drugged by the poisonous Mossock, and till their deaths maintained that the captivity was a glorious adventure. The others, Omnus, Jorg, Ragputin, Othma and Y'jinn recall the period of captivity with great sorrow. It was in Aggerah, near the ruins of the Mausoleum, that Murmurlark became enchanted by the Lady Ayna, and began his quest for her, which is immortalized in story and song.

Sssrth the Jukkah



After the Circle of Emforre had been well-established, an odd character made his appearance Arbythea. Omnus and Othma claimed to know him, but the extent of these bonds remained forever a mystery. Sssrth was a Jukkah, and therefore found the slimy swamps around the Western Mukhs to his liking. He revelled in telling stories, some true, and some false. He therefore earned then name Forktongue. But he was a bard of a kind, and could channel the Aether in diverse ways. In the early days he seemed obsessed with the quality of Mercy, but this soon faded, and he chased after other elusive ideals. He entered into the circle of Emforre with great ease, and became one of its most well-known figures. Tension, howeverm often surfaced between Sssrth and Maldost, arising from the ancient hostility between the Ungred and the Jukkahs. He often cast Maldost out of his swamp, using many an archaic word of curse. But Maldost, whose heart was large and forgiving, would always return with smiles and gangrass.

Y'jinn the Scribe



Y'jinn was from the faraway Blue Mountains, where he lived among the ruins of the Old Empire, teaching himself from fragments of the classical texts. He arrived in Arbythea through a series of chance occurences. He entered into the service of the Mendelus, to whom he owed a lifelong allegiance. In the Castle of the Mendelus, he met the kinsmen Omnus and Jorg, and they forged a fast friendship. The Aether blew strong in the Western Mukhs, where Y'jinn made his home, and it drew out of him the scribe's spirit. In the Circle of Emforre Y'jinn often played the role of mediator and go-between, soothing the tensions which arose from time to time. He developed a lasting love of gangrass, which sometimes drove him to greed. But his simple philosophy found a following among the newer Arbytheans, who became known in later times as th Yejinnites. His name has been forgotten by almost all the inhabitants of Arbythea, and lives on in corrupted form in the greetings of the few remaining Yejinnites: "May be the peace of the Djinn be upon you."