------------- The Second Silver Gryphon

It was before the final Fall of Lolth, under Lady Amanda of Gryphonmyr and her paramour, Kheldar Honglathor. It was a time of strife and battles against the forces of darkness. The War with the Wolf Hordes was new and the Revolt against the Pharaoh in the HSE had not begun. This was a height of the Olde Silver Gryphon. They were new to the name, though not untried. They had faced the undead of Vorhingaard, found the passages and discovered the existence of the Splinter Kingdom. It was this band that would go where no surfacer had, to the very gates of the Abyss and strike a dreadful bargain with Graz'zt and Lolth herself. In effect, they were the second Silver Gryphon, adventurers who had reclaimed the name three years after the founders had retired. They were formed from the remains of the Desert Wind venture company, so it's no surprise that many of them were desert born.

Their leader was the Mystic Priestess, Sarafina Beni-Isis. She was a natural for the Silver Gryphon. She had served Tabitha Hayes as the Acolyte of the Shrine of the Gryphon. Her diplomatic mission was second only to her holy crusade to see evil stamped out everywhere.

Her darker half within the Silver Gryphon was also her opposite number in the Symballan Church. Officially outlawed, but powerful nonetheless, was the Coven of the Dark Sister, Witches that served as the priestesses of Nephthys. Among their number was the Half-Drow niece of the Chairman of the Drovikallum, Triel Mallabane. Her magic was as dark and devastating as her beauty.

To guard them was a mentalist from the Deep Desert, a Frelenat from Chadrak, Ibis Selegan. In the Western UnderDark, she ensnared a Half-Ogre Gladiator with her mental powers. He became an immediate and loyal servant who would defy death to further her cause of freedom for her people. That was Whampar Stoneribs, but everyone just called him Rocks.

From the stars came an off-worlder, Lt James Kelowitz. He had trained as a marine, but had fallen for a young nurse and took up xeno-biology instead. When his ship responded to a distress call in a quarantined star system, he could not have guessed how his life would take another turn. After a few years on Arrallon, James had taken up the magic of the Sage, and applied his science to the expanding field of paratechnology.

From the War with the Wolf hordes came a Wolfen scout, a mercenary hired by the Carellonian army to infiltrate the Gnollak armies. At the First Battle of Vorhingaard, the ex-Viridian Gladiator, Bruticus, distinguished himself and earned the rank of Platoon Sergeant. With the Silver Gryphon, he was converted to the worship of Anubis and set out on a quest to become a Paladine.

Silver Summersett had been a Bard working sleazy bars along the Khang frontier when she met and married Brandon Chase, a human adventurer. He disappeared into the dark recesses beneath Old Calladon. She took up Magecraft and set out to find him. What she found instead was a new love, the love of her life, Darius Falcone. Darius had been married before to an elven bride, but she had been killed. He left the Carellonian Marines and heard the call of the Church of Bahamut. He set out on the draconic path, intent on becoming a Dragonmaster. Their love was as epic as their adventures.

Each would eventually find a fate larger than anything they might have dreamed possible. But at this time, they were just worried about rescuing Amanda Hayes from the clutches of Lolth and getting back to the surface alive.

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