Y'sidro N'tansah  NG Isak Bard  [Jeff Levesque (and friend)]:  Jeff voluntarily assumed the task of playtesting the isak, a standard PC race of Minarra. Armed with nothing but a 20-page outline I had prepared a few words of encouragement from me, Jeff helped to define many of the mannerisms of this race of stoic and inscrutable nomads.  Perhaps his greatest contribution was his perfection of the hajkak--the sudden, explosive expression of all isak emotions.

     Y'sidro was one of the very few voices of reason in a party that was seemingly bent on fouling up by the numbers.  In fact, it was he who kept the party's own sponsors from killing the lot of them themselves in the early months of the quest. Indeed, had his advice been heeded a little more often, many an unfortunate incident would never have happened. (It was Y'sidro, in fact, who coined the term "Troublesome Companions," in a private letter to Malcolm.)

    Y'sidro's relationship with Dweomermist was cordial and mutually respectful, though the isak never forgot who he was dealing with. The bard was at ease in Dweomermist's presence, which afforded the Lord Governor the rare pleasure of entertaining a guest without worrying about a knife in the back. Both shared a love of music, and the isak once spent a happy afternoon poking in the innards of His Cruelty's pipe organ and listening to the gray elf perform.

     Jeff retired the character before the quest was completed (by the expedient of having his people summon him home), and introduced an equally competent and thoughtful PC, one Brother Darius.

     A role-playing sampler:

•      Through no fault of his own, the isak pretty much blundered into an enduring love affair with none other than Mierri Hirroven, the tempestuous Serenity of the Black Unicorn herself! A most unusual match, especially when one realizes that elves and isak usually mix like plastique and primer cord...
       During one romantic interlude on a remote tropical isle, the isak was introduced to his first coconut. This proved to be a real dome-scratcher, and at last Y'sidro decided the best way to deal with the stubborn foodstuff was to beat it to death with a rock...
•      At the behest of Malcolm, the bard performed a moonlight serenade—on bagpipes, mind—from the tower of the Temple of the Scroll at Thyrrist. The choice of locale was fortunate, since the hapless citizens of the slumbering city beyond could hardly storm the temple walls to wring his neck. (One local thought that someone was strangling a cat...)
•      Stranded with his fellows in Leander while sweating out repairs on their ship, the Companions found a remarkable means of escape: by some miracle, perched atop the spire of Dweomermist's temple, was the legendary Crystal Eagle of the Ashenbeard!  The magical bird could easily fly the entire group, possessions and all, safely out of Leander—but how to reach it?  "Well," Y'sidro ventured, "why not go up and ask him?"  So he did, and the Cruelty agreed...after a fashion.
        Now who says good manners aren't worth much these days?

 Darius, Brother of the Scroll  LG Human Monk

    The good Brother joined the Companions late in the quest, but his extensive scholarship concerning the Mikskek (including the ability to read their difficult language) served the party well.  Unfortunately, this character wasn't given the chance to be fleshed out as much as Jeff would have liked, but that's Real Life.

   Darius was a true believer in the quest, but in keeping with his otherworldly nature, he was perhaps the least demonstrative of the Companions.  Still, he could get his point across. Case in point: after the departure from an elfking's court of an unsavory duo of exiles turned ambassadors (and not very politic ones at that), the Brother's gesture was both subtle and profound. Taking a handful of flower petals used to sweeten the air of the throne room, Darius sprinkled them about the floor "to be rid of the stench, Your Majesty..."

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