The Company of Nine

Moshan - The Guide - Eldrych noble lord and spy. Wielder of the great black demonic blade. This spy, like all high born Eldrych lords, is a competent sorcerer. He specialises in the black arts of demonology and saw the black broadsword as a challenge as he took it from Anandar. His astute intelligence and almost suicidal bravery make him one of the Company's most exuberant characters. Unlike most of his Eldrych counterparts, this man is one of the few mortals to take the life of a dragon, the most feared and respected creatures in the Sundered Isles. His loyalty to the king, Mynan, is questionable, although the Prophecy drives him like all of his companions. By nature a devious man. Moshan bears no resemblance to the spies at the king's court or the road wandering ambassadors that infiltrate the realms of the Sundered Isles. His craft bears all the sophistication of a true artist. Information is his talent - be it gained by sorcery or the sheer weight of his intellect.

Kareel - The Thief - the lady of Malangor. A seeress and thief. Wielder of the Ring of Spirits. Her natural talent for the ways of the oracle she was born with. The talent born from the Academy of the City of Stone she learnt. Indeed, Kareel is one of northern Malangor's greatest stealers. Her escapades in that city have been well documented but it is her most infamous assignments have been in the throne rooms of both Mynan and the demon queen, Sithlaen. Such was her talent that she was able to steal from both monarchs, a feat not easily undertaken. her bizarre friendship with the demon, Beremoth aided her tasks and she is attributed with guiding the Prophecy into it's second phase - The Journey. Her fondness for the minstrel, Ilkien, is well known and their great friendship and love are a beacon of light in the darkest days of Promethian madness.

Mynan - The lord of Dragons - king of the Eldrych. One of the Sundered Isles greatest sorcerers and dragon lords. His charisma and sheer force of personality have driven the company of nine along the coast of his shattered kingdom as they head for the final battle in the long saga of Prophecy. He possesses the great Tome of Magic - a catalogue of Grayhawk's sorcery from the early, pagan days through to the more sophisticated period of the Eldrych magicians. Indeed, the king's skill is augmented by a ferocious heart and great sword skill. He is renowned throughout Eldrych as one of the Sundered Isles greatest warriors and his defeat of the great dragon has thrown his belief in the relationship between dragon and Eldrych into turmoil.

Jorkan - The Hunter - Malan bounty hunter. His repute within the noble circles of the Malangor court have gained him honour amongst his peers. A man who rarely loses his quarry he is the wielder of the blade of sorcery - the golden katana. His deep mistrust of the Ashandir assassin, Anandar, has mellowed as the needs of the Prophecy outweigh his own desire to profit from the death of his companion. Jorkan strives to slay the demons within his troubled mind. Dreams that have assaulted him since his childhood now haunt him and as the nightmares persist he must steal himself to defeat them and the impending final battle of the Prophecy. A deadly opponent with the blade and a first rate tracker.

Karim - The Swordsman - Darim swordsman, monk of the Red Moon. This man wields the Ring of Sorcery and his growing talent with sorcery is being guided by the wisdom of Mynan, the Eldrych king. His awesome talent with the katana is derived partly from his upbringing in Darim and partly by the influence of his ancestral heritage - the Red Moon. The death of Menrak, Sithlaen's right hand man, is attributed to karim's incredible swordplay. Growing with each day, his talent with both sword and sorcery is blending into a style purely his own, a style not seen anywhere for three centuries, a style that holds the key to the survival of the entire company. A man of vision and honour, Karim fears that the events of the Prophecy may lead to the greatest sacrifice - that of the soul...

Anandar - The Killer - An Ashandir assassin from Grayhawk. This dark killer is the son of a baron, himself a notable poisoner in the court of the king. Up until recently this man had been in the possession of the great demonic blade now wielded by the Eldrych spy, Moshan. Anandar kills without mercy and his reputation as a man of little patience and great ruthlessness is well earned. Stealthy, skilful and dangerous are several adjectives used to describe this black slayer. He wields the spiritual broadsword of the ancient warrior, Maltorb, one of the Prophecy's earliest known swords.

Sithlaen - The Demon Queen - Ruler of Asharok and queen of the darkest realm in the Sundered Isles. Her sorcery and demonlore are without equal and her kingdom is infested with demonic influence and evil cross-breeds and half-demons. She holds the Book of Souls and her anger at the young thief, Kareel, drove her almost insane in her futile quest to gain all the instruments of the Prophecy for herself. Now, her kingdom in tatters, she faces monsters on all sides and craves the company of her fellow prophecy wielders. With dark days looming she must join those she wished to kill for so long - a meeting bound by fate yet not relished by any party.

Jeran - The Mind of Steel - The Marraq race are the rarest of the elven races of Grayhawk. Their persecution by their warlike neighbours the Elenorians almost wiped them from the face of the earth. Their natural telepathic ability is considered the greatest in the universe and their liking for the lethal darkbow (cut from the branches of the lone Mara tree) is legendary. Jeran holds the Book of Spirits and his astute intelligence and common sense make him a man to whom all defer. His archery is renowned and his deep black arrows have sent many of their enemies to the murky depths of the Abyss.

Ilkien - The Man of Seas - Ilkien comes from an island kingdom ruled by pirates and sea lords. He wears the dreaded Ring of Souls because he is perceived to have the purest soul of all the company of nine. His songs and poems are a source of constant inspiration for the wielders of the instruments of the Prophecy. His great heart and seductive voice lead the party on a spiritual level and his love for the lady of Malangor is no secret. His great strength is the commitment to the cause of the Promethian Prophecy and his undying loyalty to those whom are lucky enough to be considered this man's friends. His verse is a chronicle of the Prophecy - a song diary of the events that will surely lead to a most terrible conclusion.