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Message: <blockquote data-quote="abri" data-source="post: 1258292" data-attributes="member: 1080">This campaign started as a way of testing the viability of some character concept as well as some new house rules/new feats. We quickly found that writting a story hour really helped visualize the campaign. So soon the test-campaign became a real campaign.The three PC are (not all were initially there):Caern Massud, important noble of the Krahl empire. He is known as the foremost scholar on ancient legends, but still take care of the familly's business (ie, weapon manufactures). In his heart he is an idealist, trying to help everyone. He starts as a hand to hand combat specialist (Kensai/monk) Shandrelle, a human raised by elves in the Laers world (where human kingdom are xenophobic and sexist...). She sees herself as a mercenary fighter, even though she hasn't had much success lately. (rogue with many combat feats and the animal cohort feat) Mandum, human cleric of Mieli, god of heroism in the Laers world. He is the typical example of the knight in shining armor. The city of Vaan, in which he was born, has been conquered by a horde of giant wolves. He is one of the leader of the resistance, organizing guerilla from hidden caverns in the nearby forest... The initial world (simply named Krahl by the players, but the locals don't have a name for it) is indian influenced for the style. Caste are extremly important and based on ethnic group. Caern for example belongs to the high nobility and has a paler skin, long straight hair and green eyes. Most castes have darker skin and brown eyes. Most of the world belongs to the Krahl empire, who governs these annexed country with an important and influent bureaucracy. The technological level is quite high, but magic is extinct. Psionics are present, with almost all psion beeing very low level. There are many stories of occult societies of psion-assasins who have develloped potent psychic powers.The second world is named Laers, is traditional-medieval, without feodality. But the story will describe it as it goes.The campaign alternate between the two worlds, with planar travel between the two becoming more and more frequent as level increase:Part IImagine a noble’s suite, each wall covered with silk tapestries, on the floor lies several furs. Several rooms, enough for a company of soldier to barrack, made for but one person. In the main room light shine from several balconies where flowers grow from climbing vines.In the center of the room stand two men, surrounded by several guards: they are practicing martial arts, both with very different style. One is dressed in the traditional style of an imperial officer, with tight linen clothes and no armor, a gold and leather headband sole proof of his rank. He stands tall, athletics, moving as a panther, with speed and strength, each of his strikes shows his training, precise and swift. The other man is of average size, average build and appears more relaxed: he wears loose dark silk clothes with no distinguishable mark, a noble training in an art he doesn’t need. The noble strikes are laced by instinct, feeling. While his opponent looks like a panther, the noble is a panther, anticipating every move, reading his opponent, his moves, his feelings, and his thoughts…In just a few seconds the officer lies on the ground unconscious. Most of the guards are cheering, they too bear dark clothes, a silver feline claw marking on their chest: guards of the Massud family.The tallest guard has a much darker skin than any one present in the room, the two gold stars under the silver claw making him the captain of the guards, he is laughing:“Lord Caern, one day your father is going to cut my tanned head! I’m supposed to be keeping an eye on you, make sure no harm comes to you… And you go and spar with experienced fighters.” “If I don’t spar I don’t improve. If I don’t improve I feel useless. You know that Anshu…” “Oh, Caern, few nobles could face you in combat. Kampa-kut is just supposed to be a ceremonial art for nobles. A polite way to show that they are not helpless, even without weapon in the emperor’s court. You have turned it from a courtly art into a real combat form.” “Libsan mest. Baolsan vinko, feh est!” “Ea eo tist, feh euh *Rical!” The rest of the guards left the room, the officer having awoken, only Anshu and Caern stayed, sitting at a white marble table.“You play a dangerous game Caern. You are popular in the court because people see you as an historian, the keeper of old legend, a kind and harmless scholar. But I fear some families my start soon to guess how dangerous you are.” “I know, and I have made so few progress. I need to find a way to speed up events. Our society is becoming gangrenous, bloated by too many conquests. Look at this suite, think at the amount of gold spend to build it. Think at how many people could be fed our housed with that gold. And then consider that by noble standard it is barely what is expected for a high noble!” “Change takes time, Caern. Without your father, the gangrene would have already killed this country. The emperor owes him his life and he has used this influence well.” “Yes but even the emperor cannot make drastic change in fear of the nobles revolting. The throne needs to grow stronger…” “You dream too much of the old legends. A just society is as extinct as magic and the creatures that came with it. Only strength and wit survives, and they don’t bring kindness” Caern was the first to smell something was wrong. Smell was the correct term: an increasingly powerful odor of sulfur. Anshu was the first to detect the women in the corner of the room.“Assasin!” He screamed and jumped at the women, drawing his great sword and aiming it at her neck in one swift move. She just looked at him and he was propelled flying across the room. “Stop, both of you! If this women was sent to kill me so directly she would much more experienced than even you, Anshu. But somehow I doubt she wants to kill me.”She wore a simple almost transparent white silk robe, typical for a cheap courtesan. She was beautiful and her moves showed no cheapness. The whole situation screamed of the killers employed by secret society or the imperial family. She was smiling:“I see: I choose you well.” “And what would that be for?” “You are the most famous expert on old lore, you know all that is to know about how magic worked in the old days. I think you might be able to understand it enough to activate an ancient magic artifact.”Caern noticed an ancient tome in her hands, he was sure it wasn’t there before. The book was bound in deep red leather, its surface covered in darker runes, each runes seeming to be made of smaller symbols. He knew magic did not exist anymore, but he didn’t have any doubt that this was magical. He could feel it in his guts and in his soul.“Since when has the barrier between planes weakened this much?” She laughed: “ So you know what I am! Most impressed!” She threw the book at Caern’s foot. “I’m giving two weeks to activate the book. By then I’ll come back and give you more instructions. You know what I can do, so I won’t have to insist on you obeying!” Suddenly she wasn’t there. All this had lasted but a minute.Anshu was still on the floor: “Lord what was that all about?” “She could stay just a short time…” “What?” “Oh! Sorry Anshu. She was not human. She came from another place and could only cross the barrier between words for a short moment.” Anshu was visibly shocked:“Are you telling, the age of magic is coming back?” “ No. She would not need me if this were the case. I think a darker time is coming. Gangrene might be the least of our worries. I need to activate this book but not the way she intended.” “But all the legends about magical tomes tell that they are lethal to use.” “I know and I know how to act. Leave me please I need to be alone.” Anshu was going to object but he saw the look on Caern’s face and knew there was no changing his mind. He left the suite.Caern was holding the book firmly. Preparing himself for the test of his soul.</blockquote>

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