View source for Ares Peoples and Persons

[[Category:Ares]]

Information is from [[Never Say Neverre]] unless otherwise stated, and has primarily been complied by [[WordSmith]] .

= Peoples =
== Fey of Ares ==
Humanoids living in or about the islands of the Candor Chaos on the planelet of Ares.  Some dwellings have been spotted on the Ceti & Baetis mensae & the Ophir Chasm (see map), but are believed to dwell dugong-like beneath the water.  They stand about 6 to 6 Â½ feet tall and have no eyes, thin slit-like mouth and have an odd shape to their body.  They wear only a skirt, and no discernible (mammalian) females have been seen, their hair is long, plaited or weird down their back and their skin is very pallid.  They can project their speech without speaking loudly.  All in all it feels like they have strong mind-talents.<br>
They appear to be similar to the "Alven" of the New Continent back [[Ares Places#Home|Home]], but even more spiteful, malicious, & uncivilised.  Not a threat if you leave them alone; although there are urban legends that some humans have traded with them beneficially in the past -- but the myths emphasise that the fey don't value the same things that humans do.  Major power seems to be sinking boats that stray into their territory.  It is not advised to visit with them.

== Tall Hobbits	==
The hobbits on Ares look like they have been stretched to 6 feet tall, but the arms stay the original length, which looks horrible.  They came from the 'Home' sub-plane by aetheric ship, but now cannot go back due to their 'long limbs'.  GTN = 'Hobbit'.  We think they visit the 'ruins' or monoliths (big stones) fairly frequently but without telling the authorities.  They are very careful about the monoliths. They effectively run [[Ares Places#Quorn|Quorn]], and have a semi-separate society from the Empire of Home.

== Tall Humans ==
Humans born on the plane of Ares appear to double in their size, to about 12 feet tall.  Many work in the mines.

== Living Dead ==
The dust of Ares is toxic, causing deep wounds to become infected.  Those affected fall into a zombie like state, and are probably hard to kill as they don't realise they are almost dead.  Brigands should therefore be avoided as they may be a band of Living Dead.  The infection requires a Remove Minor Curse, with a high MA and non college.

== Drow of Purple on Ares ==
Arrived on Ares a few months before the events in [[The War on Horror]]. Set up a city around the Illusion-boosting Monolith ~1000 miles SSE of the Empire capital, around 700 miles SE of the Michaeline Base, on land some 3-4 miles higher than the Michaeline Base. It is 600 yards tall, and 900 yards wide. At its centre is the monolith the hobbits have not being returning from. It is guarded by vampires/giant bats at night, and harpies at day - these appear to be using natural and magical flying. There are thousands of drow and hundreds of vampires (who are deferred to). 

=== Drow Cloud ===
Overhead, between 4 and 7 miles up, is a thick spiral of cloud that blocks the sunlight (connected to the centre of the city by a column). It is 80 miles in radius early on the first day it is seen, and by the next, it is 100+ miles in radius. Formed by boosted Illusion of Mist spells (Rank 20, MA 28, WP 38, Troubadour Rank 11) of permanent duration. At current rates, the cloud will reach Quorn in around 600 days. Our activity (specifically counterspelling some of the mist) increases the rate of casting significantly (normally more casters at night, some awakened in reaction to us?). We estimate we would have to stop the casting for 10.5 hours to break the link between the ground and the cloud above. 

=== Music of the Spheres ===

While under the cloud, we are affected by a magic akin to the Music of the Spheres (from Purple). This variant seems to make people varying from a height of 5-5Â½', of weight of 70-100 lb suffer disorientation in proportion to their difference. It is assumed prolonged or extreme exposure will lead to madness (as on Purple).

=== Crystal Observations of City ===
# Dorm 200' up from base
#* Irregular room ~100'x150', 50-60' stud
#* have bleachers on one side (adjacent magical walls?)
#* Some (half+?) walls are insubstantial
#* Some floor areas are also insubstantial
#* See a drow vampire, he has a charcoal-coloured shadowy clock and a mantle of peacock feathers (not like Purple ones).
#* Overall impression is that City was built by casting magic walls out from monilith.
# Upper defence room
#* 20' down from top of walls, 'wooden' platform/floor 10' wide ring around monolith.
#* narrow gap next to monolith for mist to flow up.
#* no roof from this side (could see one from above)
#* strange siege equipment incorporating magic on platform
#* There is a drow officer, several other drow, and various moving shadow-shapes.
#* They wear light tunics and boots, plus the cloaks - like the robes of the Chosen Ones on Purple?
#* Monolith ends in a point about 15' from top of walls.
# Unknown location at base
#* Absolute darkness, so enclosed or inside wall etc.
# Outer Wall
#* something was dragged into city through wall.
#* could be small ship? hit by bolt a week ago?
#* Wall was countered to allow entrance?

= Persons of Interest =
== Duchess of Armede==
Ninishtar rules this province of [[Raniterre]].  A lady of discernment, although employer for [[Never Say Neverre]].  Dark skinned drow, being a separate race from the previous owners.  Cousin to the Drowkönig, King of Drowkönigreich – who is probably female as the court-form of drow is non-gender specific.  An Illusionist, unlike most royal drow, who are aligned to celestial or the moon goddess (which was archaic even in the time of drow rulership.<br>
She could have been drowkönig, but chose another to rule, and went off to have a life, by marrying the Duke of Armede.  She is likely to have a sexual child (which is odd as most drowkönig and close kin reproduce asexually).  She is second cousin to most of the Royal Drow.

== Religious Figures ==
Encountered during Never Say Neverre.
; Sir Cuthbert : Michaeline knight at hostelry near Quorn.  Bit of a gabbermouth.

; Sir Guthlac : Knight, somehow associated with the portal at Guido-city.

; Brother Leofrik : Urielite, permission holder for portal at Guido-city.  Permit has black border – some significance.

== Empire of Home Positions ==
; Legate : Senior military officer or representative, from a senior family.  They are senior to all military tribunes, who are appointed by popular acclaim.  The Legate who escorted [[Isil Eth]] to the Bretlond Ambassador is Publius Aversius Lexicon, who just happened to be Legate to the 3rd Cohort – which I think makes him the commander of six centuries or about 500 soldiers and 100 auxillaries – so he must be young as most legates would command an entire legion with the senior centurion or primus prior commanding the cohort.  The Bretlond Ambassador has the honorary rank of Legate.

; Praetor : The two praetors are magistrates appointed by popular acclaim from within the senior families.  Second in authority to the two Consuls.  One rules a capital, another rules the hinterlands, and others may rule a province as governor.  Duties are probably limited to only resolving litigation or judging serious felonies.

; Quaestor : The junior-most officer to be chosen by popular acclaim from the entire populace.  Quaestors joined the senior families in guiding the realm.  Their main function is fiscal, although they could be appointed to do anything (at an appropriate level) including auditing or resolving a specific issue.  Quaestors were often appointed to run the finances of a particular province.

; Tribune : Chosen by popular acclaim as a magistrate for a specific group (plebs, soldiers and possibly others).  They are senior to Quaestors but junior to Praetors.  

; Military Tribunes : were appointed by a general or the assembly of notables, to rank below Legates.

== Bretlond Ambassador ==
'''Count Don Jirraldo.'''  A true Carlosile: all quivering chins, grotesque moustaches, gothic jewellery of diamonds and pearls, large baroque single earring, and wearing a Michaeline uniform of black.  He is an hideous man of little merit with fawning or even groping manners and an execrable taste in wine, overwhelmed by his sense of self-importance and delusions of mediocrity.  Or possibly a man of tremendous power and erudition well hidden behind a faÃ§ade of licentious stupidity.  He has an aeir yacht.

== Tall Hobbits ==
; Mayor of Quorn
: Currently (and still, in 806) Veronica Speedwell.  The mayoralty is chosen on merit.  A better description perhaps is Guild Master, whose guild are guides and scouts.  This profession dominates the entire town.

; Fidelia Comfrey
: Assigned to the Never Say Neverre party as guide and informant. 
* Ranger Rk 9; Herbalist 8; Cook 7; Healer 6.
* Her acknowledged spells are 
** all Generals at Rk 6 except Enchanted sleep (10); Location (19); Invisibility (16).  
** The specials are Ventriloquism (sp); Enhancing Enchantment (11);  Enchant Armour (18); WizEye (16);  & Quickness (7).  She also has a spell that, at the cost of TMR, grants traction (cast on a voume or a person): it assists in surefootedness & leverage in combat, and even permits one to slide down clifs without reaching break-neck speeds.  
** Her E&E talents (including DA & Sense Danger) are reasonably ranked.  
** She also has Rank-11 Greater Ench & Rank-6 Crystal of Vision.