For one of my kin, I have always possessed a certain amount of calm that eludes my people. I'm not quite sure why this is, but the bubbling bucolicness of my people seems to have slipped right by me. I am, I'm afraid, somewhat of an embarrassment to the rest of my Clan, the Tavartarr. Until you find a name you like better for me, you can call me Kappelheim.

I was raised, fortuitously enough, amongst the Gnome Clans of the Golden Hills, on Bytopia. Its an interesting life, growing up surrounded by Petitioners who were your ancestors, and I think it inclines a gnome to think about his history; where his people come from, and what they're doing in the worlds. I spent many a long hour in the halls of knowledge that the Lords of the Golden Hills keep for us, and many more questioning elders and petitioners long-dead for knowledge that might have never been written down.

Though I studied at wizardry, like many of my fellows, I never had the true knack for it; I was better than most, but I would never match our true masters of the craft. My fingers were fine and skillful enough to learn the lesser illusions of stage magic that I still enjoy, but I never really devoted as much time to that as others, either. It kept coming back to history for me. So, while others were working at forges or robbing sheep for their wool, I was sitting quietly, looking through storybooks and histories that would tell me more about who my people were in ages past.

It was during such a story-hunt that I came across a passage that would change my life. It was an old book. the oldest one I had found, and certainly older than most of the petitioners I had spoken to over my fifty years of life. The passage was a difficult one; the language was so old that it was almost half-dwarven, and there were some elvish roots in there, as well. However, it read:

"And the Lords of the Golden Hills, together with their sisters, worked great magics to drive back Urdlen and his brood. Garl's magic tricked them into tunneling downward for nearly a decade before they realized that they were not going up, and Flandal's fires sprung up wherever a tunnel drew too close to the surface. Where a gnome was injured, Shamil's touch would heal him, and no spawn of Urdlen could get past Duvamil to reach the children of the Gnomish Folk."

At first, I read quickly through the passage, thinking it was merely another recounting of the skills of the Lords of the Golden Hills. But, as I prepared to turn the page, the first line jumped out at me again.

"And the Lords of the Golden Hills, together with their sisters,"

Their sisters! The lost sisters of the Lords of the Golden Hills! I had two names, now. Shamil and Duvamil. two names of our lost Ladies of the Golden Hills. I started searching through more books, trying to find the names again, but they would only appear in tiny references in books long-forgotten. In other places, though, I would find torn-out pages, or blotted passages soon after the names appeared, or amidst books of ritual and lore of the Lords. Signs that our past had not just slipped away, but been obscured, been cast into the dark where no gnome would be able to find it.

Before I knew it, I was almost one hundred. I had spent fifty years following these two names through gnomish history, and found little more than snippets of information. I could not call the skills I had acquired a trade; too little magic to be a magician, no skill with crafts or weapons to speak of; only history and forgotten lore. Unlike other gnomes of my age, though, I knew what I wished to do; I needed to travel, to find other places where word of the Ladies of the Golden Hills might be hiding. I told my family that I was off to search for the lost sister gods. they smiled, thinking wanderlust had finally bitten me after so many years surrounded by books. But, unlike so many other gnomes who had spoken those words, I meant it. I was to find the lost sister gods, even if I must scour the Astral Plane to do so. I contacted my cousin, Niplipirious, and began to work for him, searching through the planes for objects people hired us to find, and at the same time for any lore that might relate to the Lost Ladies.

I hope to find them soon, and bring them home to their people. The Lords of the Golden Hills will always be our Lords, but I and others feel the loss of our Ladies. I hope they will remember us. I hope.

Uncle Vergadain, God of Wealth and Luck, the Merchant King, Kappelheim Tavartarr sends you greetings.

I know that this is a momentous time across the whole of creation, and that my request here is not one of great importance in this time of crisis. However, it is one I feel I must make in anticipation of a future in which the Multiverse is restored to its rightful balance. As you no doubt know, I have devoted much of my life to the search for the Sisters of the Golden Hills; the lost Goddesses who once watched over my people. My own Grandfathers, the Lords of the Golden Hills, will not speak of them, but all my race feel the sadness within them. As a God who has long been a friend to my people and their Grandfathers, I ask that, should this quest survive, you share with me what knowledge you have of my lost Grandmothers. I know that you have great resources, far-flung contacts, and close friendships, and I beg you to call upon them on my behalf, should this venture succeed.

I do not wish to cause my Grandfathers pain with the resurrection of this knowledge, but I feel that my people must know what has happened to our Grandmothers, to fill a void that is keenly felt in our souls.

In the name of Shamil and Duvamil,

Kappelheim Tavartarr, Gnome and Bard

Kappelheim Tavartarr
Gnome Loremaster, 15th level

Str: 11
Dex: 12
Con: 16
Int: 19
Wis: 16 (18 due to the Circle of Ages)
Chr: 15

Ht: 3'4"
Wt: 44#
Age: 127 (aging modifiers for middle age are included in stats above)

Description:
(If you have a copy of the game, Stone Prophet, and perhaps Menzoberranzan or Strahd's Possession, too, you'll be able to find the image I have of this character amongst the available male portraits).

Kappel is an average-sized gnome of middle years. His eyes are a startling blue when seen against his dark skin, and his hair is white (though he still has a full head of it, thank you very much.) His nose is moderately sized (for a gnome); its not handsomely huge, but neither is it meekly miniscule. Kappel's eyes are starting to go a little bit, so he usually wears glasses, but he can get along fine without them, if he has to (he also thinks they look good on him).

Most commonly, Kappel wears a dark green overcoat with a high collar and gold trim. In addition to being a damn fine piece of clothing, it is also a magic item (see below for details). He has been working for his cousin for nearly 30 years and, though he could settle down now that he's older, he's still driven to find more information

Level: 15
XP: 1,178,324

HP: 78 (38 rolled, +20 Constitution, +10 for levels 11-15, +10 for the Circle of Ages)
AC: 3
ThAC0: 13
Saves:
P/P/D: 10
Rod, Staff, Wand: 4
P/P: 9
Breath: 13
Spells: 5 (+4 vs. mind affecting spells)

Weapon Proficiencies:
Dagger
Sling
Hand Crossbow
Two-Weapon Fighting Style
Quarterstaff

Non-Weapon Proficiencies:

Bonus:
Ancient History (Gnome) 20
Ancient Languages (Old Gnome) 19
Navigation 17
Reading/Writing (Modern Gnome) 20

Beginning:
Arcanology 16
Sage Knowledge: History (Gnome Specialization) 17
Research 19
Religion 18
Spellcraft 17
Engineering 16
Modern Language: Common 19
Reading/Writing: Common 20

Level Advancement:
Modern Language: Dwarf 20
Appraising 19
Local History: Sigil 15

Natural Abilities:
+4 save vs. Spells and Rod/Staff/Wands (already figured in)
20% failure with non-weapon, armor, shield, illusionist, thief, or bard items
+1 to hit Kobolds and Goblins
+4 AC vs. gnolls, bugbears, ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, titans
60' Infravision
Detect Grade/Slope 5/6
Detect Unsafe walls/ceiling/floors 7/10
Determine Depth 4/6
Determine Direction 3/6
Immune to 1st level Illusions

Class Abilities:
Pick Pockets: 56%
Detect Noise: 79%
Climb Walls: 80%
Read Languages: 95%
Legend Lore: 75%
Arcane Lore: Casts spells as if 1 level higher, Wisdom check to use magical item
Persuasion: Others suffer -5 on paralysis save when attempting to resist reaction modification
Etymology: Can make Read Language check twice if language is Ancient; Can decipher any ancient visual communication with check; with successful Ancient Languages check, can get elementary use (spoken and written) of an ancient language not known.
Bard Spell Points: 275 (183 *1.5 for Circle of Ages) (Can only cast spells available to Illusionists)

Equipment:

The Greatcoat:
Kappelheim's Greatcoat comes from a backwater Prime World that he visited many years ago. The client, a human, had commissioned Niplipirious to find the item, and was dismayed when he found out its actual size. Kappelheim was able to buy it from the disappointed customer at a very low price because of this. He has since found it to be a great boon in his travels, and considers himself to look damn sharp in it.
Magically, the greatcoat is quite potent. It confers an AC 5 to Kappelheim, and gives him a +2 to all saving throws. In addition, the many interior pockets make it the equivalent of a Pouch of Accessibility, and acts as a Ring of Warmth when worn. Non-magically, it is also fairly waterproof.

The Glasses:
Kappelheim's glasses are not as impressive, though he is rather fond of them. These small, gold-rimmed glasses attach neatly to a chain attached to his lapel, and close tightly across his nose when he's using them. They magically correct his vision to average gnomish vision, and also provide the effect of a Lens of Speed Reading. He found them on one of his first missions for Niplipirious, which involved a delve into a supposedly abandoned wizard's tower (the team received a substantial bonus for killing the lich that lived there, though Kappel has never told his cousin that it was actually the lich's fault; his fireball happened to collapse the tower, and the falling rock destroyed the phylactery. Kappel and his crew did nothing but grab the stuff and run.)

The Swagger-stick
Most of the time, Kappelheim can be seen to carry walking stick, perfectly sized for him. Made out of fine walnut, the wood is polished to a deep luster, and topped with a large crystal. This is a half-burnt out Gem of Brightness; it has no charges remaining, and only the first function (normal light) still works. He had this item specially made for him by a gnomish illusionist within Sigil, and when not in use (or he thinks its likely to get stolen), Kappel places the stick inside his coat.

The Circle of Ages -- Relic
The circle is made of diamond. It is a circle about 4 inches in diameter and about an inch and a half thick. It has a hole in the center. For lack of a better word its the same size and shape as a big donut.
Nip believed that the item itself dates to the creation of Sigil, whenever the hell that was. He never told you why he wanted it retrieved, or who paid him for its retrieval. You know that its not Nip's style to send you guys out hunting for items just for his own personal collection. He prefers to find what _other_ people want and then make them pay out the nose for it.
This item is one of the most powerful items Nip has ever tried to acquire, at least that's what he's told you.

Known Constant Powers:
Detect Magic
Continual Light at will
Read Magic
User +10 max hitpoints
User +2 wisdom
User 150% maximum spell points

Known Minor Powers:
Phantom Steed once per week
Fireshield once per week
Wall of Ice once per week
Know Alignment twice per day

Known Major Powers:
Legend Lore once per month
Heal once per week

Deep Red Sphere -- +1 strength
Pale Lavender -- No food or water required
Blue-Green Spindle -- airy-water in 10' radius at will
Clear Prism -- Stores 8 spell levels -- current contents unknown
Pale Green Ellipsoid -- absorbs spells 5th-8th level -- current remaining strength unknown
Pink & Green Ellipsoid -- absorbs spells 1st-4th level -- current remaining strength unknown
Silver Rod -- +1 to electrical saves
Pulsing Red Star -- +1 to fire saves

Rod of Security
Wand of Conjuration
Saw of Mighty Cutting
Spade of Collosal Excavation
4 potions of heroism
Staff of the Conjurer
Dagger -- the intelligent one that doesn't like giants
Girdle of Many Pouches
Bruknard's Everfull Purse
Stone of Controlling Earth Elementals
Mist Tent

Weapons:
Dagger +2, Longtooth
Hand Crossbow of Speed
Intelligent Dagger (Speak Common, Dwarven, and Giant; detects gems, precious metals, and traps; can cause paralysis to giants if they are hit by it)

Ring of Mind Shielding
Ring of Resistance (Illusion)
Bracers of Defense (AC 3)
Ring of Protection (+3, 5' radius)

20 Hand Crossbow quarrels
Winter Blanket
Flint and steel
Ink, ten sheets parchment (in scroll case), 3 wood pens
5 candles, 10 pieces chalk (never know when you might need an impromptu pentagram, after all)
Bell
Magnifying glass
Small metal mirror

Kapp's Spellbook (actually a collection of scrolls, stashed in the pockets of his coat)
Armor, Audible Glamer, Cantrip, Charm Person, Color Spray, Comprehend Languages, Conjure Spell Components, Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Enlarge, Feather Fall, Friends, Identify, Mending, Phantasmal Force, Read Magic, Shocking Grasp, Sleep Spook, Unseen Servant, Wizard Mark
Blindness, Continual Light, ESP, Forget, Invisibility, Knock, Levitate, Locate Object, Melf's Acid Arrow, Mirror Image, Rary's Aptitude Appropriator, Wizard Lock
Alamir's Fundamental Breakdown, Dispel Magic, Explosive Runes, Flame Arrow, Fly, Gust of Wind, Haste, Hold Person, Leomund's Tiny Hut, Melf's Minute Meteors, Slow, Spectral Force, Tongues
Charm Monster, Dimension Door, Hallucinatory Terrain, Improved Invisibility, Leomund's Secure Shelter, Phantasmal Killer, Polymorph Other, Shadow Monsters, Stoneskin, Summon Lycanthrope
Advanced Illusion, Conjure Elementals, Demi-Shadow Monsters, Monster Summoning III, Shadow Magic, Teleport
Control Weather, Enchant an Item, Invisible Stalker, Legend Lore, Geas

Nashur's Spellbook
Armor, Grease, Mount, Find Familiar, Spider Climb, Color Spray, Identify, Protection from Evil, Wizard Mark, Unseen Servant, -Conjure Spell Components, Burning Hands, Charm Person, Comprehend Languages, Enlarge, Phantasmal Force
Glitterdust, Melf's Acid Arrow, Summon Swarm, Continual Light, Strength, Invisibility, Alter Self, Detect Invisibility, Fool's Gold, -Irritation, Knock, Locate Object, Mirror Image, Protection from Cantrips, Pyrotecnics, Spectral Hand, Wizard Lock
Flame Arrow, Monster Summoning I, Phantom Steed, Sepia Snake Sigil, Watery Double, Dispel Magic, Explosive Runes, Fly, -Gust of Wind, Haste, Water Breathing, Infravision, Item, Leomund's Tiny Hut, Melf's Minute Meteors, Protection from Normal Missiles, Slow, Spectral Force, Vampiric Touch
Evard's Black Tentacles, Monster Summoning II, Summon Lycanthrope, Charm Monster, Dimension Door, Emotion, Enchanted Weapon, Fear, Hallucinatory Terrain, Improved Invis, Minor Creation, Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, Plant Growth, Polymorph Self, -Remove Curse, Stone Skin, Wizard Eye
Conjure Elemental, Khazid's Procurement, Leomund's Secret Chest, Monster Summoning III, Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound, Summon Shadow
Airy Water, Animal Growth, Chaos, Fabricate, Monster Summoning IV, Stone Shape, Transmute Rock to Mud
Conjure Animals, Ensnarement, Forest's Fiery Constrictor, Invisible Stalker, Anti-Magic Shell, Death Fog, Enchant an Item, Eyebite, Guards & Wards, Move Earth, Tenser's Transformation
Drawmij's Instant Summons, Intensify Summoning, Limited Wish, Monster SUmmoning V, Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion, Power Word, Stun, Prismatic Spray, Control Undead, Teleport Without Error