The first thing that you need to realize is that I play pretend alot. The folks that are involved in creating these tales are real; I’ve seen them, eaten steak with them, let them sleep on my couch. The characters they play, however, are completely fictional. We made them up with our very own imaginations, and have given them lives of their own. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
The second thing you need to know is that Kuralia is an old place. With the help of my friends, I’ve been building Kuralia since 1991, and I still consider it a work in progress. Many characters have visited the ancient forests of the Alafalans, traveled to the shores of the Vast Opal Sea, or climbed the Thesh Mountains. I could spend time – a great deal of it – looking back at those who have come before (and you know, I may do just that someday), but I think I’ll start off with the current campaign.
So, to get right to it, I’d like to introduce the cast of characters that are playing in my current campaign. After you see who is immersed in the world, I’ll take you on a trip through what my players have lovingly dubbed “that nasty garbage the DM dreamed up.”*
Sho Tao, the Seeker, is Gi, that is to say, he’s a human from the Far Reaches. The Far Reaches is an archipelagos isolated from much of what I call Central Kuralia. He was orphaned at a young age, rescued and adopted by an agent of The Conclave. I’ll talk plenty about the Conclave, but rest assured, Sho Tao’s adoptive father is a member of a very powerful, very influential group. Sho Tao does not care anything about some political machinations of a cadre of powerful wizards, though. He’s more interested in dragons. No, let me rephrase that. He’s more interested in becoming a dragon. He’s dedicated his life to discovering and learning everything he can regarding the Five Great Dragons of Kuralia. It is this passion that led Sho Tao to meet Ark-amedes.
Sho Tao, Male Gi Dragon Shaman, level 8 . He would be considered the “meat shield” and backup healer in combat, and makes a decent living as a storyteller. He is as close as the group has to a woodsman, and is the group’s tactician.**
Ark-amedes, The Lost Child, met up with Sho Tao because of common ground. No, Ark-amedes doesn’t love dragons, and he’s not Gi. He’s actually a runaway adolescent Rock-Gnome. What he loves, though, is knowledge, and he’ll go to the ends of Kuralia for it. He’s hoping Sho Tao is successful in finding the Great Dragons. That would be very impressive to find such rare knowledge. Ark-amedes is amoral, hyperfocused, and a little bit like a pre-teen with Asperger’s. He is a consummate archivist, and is traveling central Kuralia in search of hidden truths and secrets.
Ark-amedes, Male Rock Gnome Telepath 5 Metamind 3. He is the “Glass Cannon”, using his ‘Path powers to bring down dangerous foes quickly. He is a scribe and tattoo artist, making a good living in at least three of the ports of call they have visited. He is a walking library, and also makes for a very good spy when the time calls for it.
Grant Stoneridge, the Wayward Priest, was travelling with Ark-amedes when they arrived in the city of Morville, meeting Sho Tao. He is a brazen, zealous dwarf, a diplomat from the Temple of Arguth (one of the two Creator Powers, and the chosen diety of most dwarves and gnomes). Grant is on his Wandering, where he is charged with making a lifelong friend, righting a wrong, and finding something to which he can devote his life. Even though his an invested priest, he’s still working on all three of these goals. He is a very opinionated man, and is very heavy-handed in his service to Arguth, but he is a dedicated and stalwart companion to Sho Tao.
Grant Stoneridge, Male Thwendar Dwarf Priest of Arguth 6 Earth Dreamer 2. He is the “tank” and primary healer. He comes from a clan of weaponsmiths, and makes fine weapons from scrap metal, donating any proceeds to his temple. He is a Journeyman in the Morville Guild of Craftsmen. He is also a religious scholar.
XaXa, the Reluctant Compass, met the group after they had traveled for a few months, tracking down a handful of leads regarding the group’s greater goal. A bit of an aloof wanderer, XaXa has a mysterious past, being a half-orc of noble human descent. She doesn’t ken to anyone telling her what to do, and her sense of independence is empowering. XaXa is the newest member of the group, but leads by example. She is quick to temper and a tough negotiator, but has a mind for picking out the truth. It is her critical mind that has kept the group in check on more than one occasion. She is a tremendous diplomat, and her social talents combined with Sho Tao’s tactical knowledge have forged the group into a keen tool for uncovering the dark secrets before them.
XaXa, Female 1/2 Orc Rogue 7 Nightsong Enforcer 1. She is the “sniper” and fast flanker of the group, hitting foes hard sight unseen. She is also the trap-springer and scout. She’s the de facto leader when it comes to the social machine.
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*Please note that I’ll do my best to keep this blog rated “PG”, because I know that I would like to use this as a resource for my own kids, and so I might expect the same for other gaming parents. Understand that the player who said the aforementioned did not have “garbage” on her mind.
**We’re still using the D&D Third Edition Revised (3.5) ruleset. We are planning on migrating to GURPS or perhaps the Savage World System, but not in the middle of an existing campaign.