Strolojca and DraconiusStephania (Lawful 6 th -level Magic-User) is thefirst daughter <strong>of</strong> Bessarion Draconius andAdrianina Lastarthus. She was born in AC 974,and her mother died while giving birth to her.Her father has always loved her more than hisother children because she is the only legacy<strong>of</strong> his first wife - his one true love. Stephaniahas been doted upon by her father, and hasgrown a little spoiled as a result; she is alwaysused to the best standards, but not overlyhaughty or arrogant. In fact, she loves herfather as much as he loves her.After returning with her father from theirjourneys through the Known World,Stephania chose to learn arcane magic at heraunt Mildred’s suggestion. She soondiscovered she had some talent for it – andshe is much more studious than her aunt –becoming with time more accomplished thanMildred herself. Stephania’s arcane interestsmostly head toward divination and detectionspells; she studied under the tutoring <strong>of</strong> theTraladaran mage Claransa Tyrevic, known as‘the Seer’ (and a few years her elder).Stephania is very beautiful, with dark brownhair, and green eyes like her mother’s; poetsand courtiers claims that her beauty is rivalledonly by that <strong>of</strong> Marianna Vorloi, the daughter<strong>of</strong> Baron Philip Vorloi. She has received manymarriage proposals, but her father wants tolet her decide who her husband will be, andshe still awaits her love despite being wellinto marriage age (besides, this is anotherground <strong>of</strong> anger her half-sister Arcadia haswith her, because Bessarion instead plans apolitical marriage for her).Currently, Stephania acts as one <strong>of</strong> theDuchess’ ladies-in-waiting. She is rarely seenat the Magicians’ Guildhall <strong>of</strong> Specularum,even if she studied there, but <strong>of</strong>ten pays visitsto her father in Glucynthos or is visited byhim in Specularum. Stephania has had acouple <strong>of</strong> semi-secret love affairs in the lastfew years, but has since ended them both.She’s still awaiting for her true love – aknight or a noble adventurer whoperformed some spectacular deed for hermight even manage to win her heart.MEMBERS OF THE FAMILYDIOMEDES’ BRANCHDiomedes (Neutral 10 th -level Fighter,Expert with normal sword) is the third child<strong>of</strong> the Draconius family branch who ruledthe Barony <strong>of</strong> Clivus Draconis, in the Duchy<strong>of</strong> Retebius, Thyatis. A short man withthinning dark hair and a hawkish nose,Diomedes is one <strong>of</strong> the members <strong>of</strong> thelesser Thyatian aristocracy who answeredStefan <strong>Karameikos</strong>’ call in AC 970 for thecolonization <strong>of</strong> Traladara. A tribune with alimited but successful military experience onthe Isle <strong>of</strong> Dawn, Diomedes was put incharge <strong>of</strong> the new units <strong>of</strong> Stefan’s army, alight infantry force – while Desmond Kelvinwas in command <strong>of</strong> the cavalry, LuciusHyraksos <strong>of</strong> the navy, and finally ArturusPenhaligon in command <strong>of</strong> the Duke’sGuard, a heavy infantry unit. Diomedescould not take full part in the fights againstTraladaran rebels during the MarilenevRebellion – he was celebrating his marriagewith Romana in Vorloi at the time – butquelled the last uprisings in the countryside,and some time later contributed to thedefeat <strong>of</strong> the humanoid tribes in northern<strong>Karameikos</strong>.After those events, while his fellows earnedbetter positions and titles – Kelvin andPenhaligon received their own fiefs,Hyraksos became Minister <strong>of</strong> War -108THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1
Strolojca and DraconiusDiomedes was put in charge <strong>of</strong> the westerndivision <strong>of</strong> the Karameikan army, with therank <strong>of</strong> General. He was unsatisfied with this‘honor’, feeling he deserved at least as muchrecognition as Kelvin and Penhaligon, whohad had the opportunity to work with betterequipped and trained units. Diomedessuspected that Desmond Kelvin, who hadalways remarked on his absence from thefight against the Marilenev rebels in AC 971,was behind his unjusttreatment by Stefan.In the following years,Diomedes drove theimprovement <strong>of</strong> thefortifications at RiverforkKeep first, and thensupervisedtheconstruction <strong>of</strong> RadlebbKeep. Initially skepticalabout the need to build afort in the middle <strong>of</strong> theRadlebb Woods, Diomedessoon realized that theRadlebb Keep was key tothe survival <strong>of</strong> theKarameikan control overwestern Traladara –without its presence, thesheer number <strong>of</strong>humanoid tribes in thesouthern Radlebb Woodsand in the Cruth Lowlands,combined with Baron vonHendriks’ obviousambitions, would have ledto the loss <strong>of</strong> RiverforkKeep and almost the entirewestern part <strong>of</strong><strong>Karameikos</strong>.Nowadays, Diomedesspends most <strong>of</strong> his time in Specularum,lobbying for additional funds for the 5 thDivision without much success. He pays ayearly visit to both forts under hissupervision, usually in late spring. Onceevery five years, he journeys to his father’sestate in the Duchy <strong>of</strong> Retebius (or is visitedby members <strong>of</strong> his family in Specularum);the last <strong>of</strong> these family meetings, that had inthe past seen the participation <strong>of</strong> the109THRESHOLD: The Mystara Magazine Issue #1