Kor
Prelude
I'm Kor. I'm a warrior of the Dragon Citadel, a sanctuary for my order. I was born to Myra, my mother, and Turik, one of the most respected grand drakes the citadel has had since the time of Tyas. I'm their only child.
My father wasn't just a grand drake because he fought well. He was honorable, experienced, and the citadel's champion of the Path of Tyas. There weren't a lot of followers of the Path of Tyas when I was born. Most of the masters felt the style was ineffective and obsolete. They believed that its demands on the warrior were too high and that it was too difficult to learn. Fortunately, my father, as the greatest living practitioner of the style, represented it well. As a result, he had high expectations of me, and that included mastery of the style.
As soon as I could walk and tighten my fist, I was directed to the courtyard to drill with the other children training to become warriors. We were all technically students in the sanctuary but managed to be mostly overlooked in that regard. We were still required to perform the occasional menial duties of a student, but overall we were treated more like warrior whelps. Life was better that way.
As I aged and became more capable of fighting, I was permitted to participate in competitions with the other would-be warriors in my general age group. I wasn't the strongest or most talented competitor, but I had excellent endurance, a result of strenuous personal training from my father. I found that I could outlast just about anyone in both delivering my attacks and receiving them. I also found that I was an extremely fast runner. I don't think I've ever met anyone faster than me.
It was fighting in those competitions where I began to learn about a significant rivalry between my father and another grand drake, Sek. He was the reason that so many masters looked down upon my father's style. At one point, he was a follower of the Path of Tyas. After deciding that it required too much for too little, he decided to forgo that training and focus elsewhere. In the process, likely to protect his ego, he successfully manipulated the majority of the masters into believing that the style is inferior to others. That, of course, almost completely destroyed any future training in it. Only a select few resolute warriors were permitted to continue in its ways.
Sek had a son, Riz, that was two years my senior. Largely because of the rivalry between our fathers, we also had a personal vendetta. Unfortunately for me, a two year age difference made him a lot bigger than me; he had a naturally larger frame, too. When we competed, I found his heavy-handed strikes very difficult to withstand. I think that's part of why my father trained me so hard in being able to take punishment. He, like Sek, had an ego.
My mother was a refugee that managed to escape the rule of the Dark King. She became a teacher within the sanctuary, but lacked the ambition to ever become anything more. She also believed the citadel would inevitably become a part of the rest of the world, so she added to my studies by teaching me about Inaria and many of the other cities that lined the coast. She schooled me on the Dark King, Dark Caste, and government of Inaria. She taught me about the different forms of slavery; forms like physical bondage, magical control, and subjection through fear. When I was younger, I sometimes wondered if I was my father's slave because I was so afraid him when he got angry.
My mother wanted more for me than the simple life of a warrior. Even as a child, I could always see that she greatly hoped conditions would change. She was no longer subject to the rule of the Dark King, but it was clear to me that she felt like a slave. She was only a member of the citadel because she had nowhere else to go. Raising me only made the situation more difficult for her. In her mind I, too, was a slave. Of course, it wasn't because of my father that she felt that way. It was because of what my future appeared to hold for me; very little.
The End of the Dark King
I was six-years-old when our wisest grand master, Harui, announced the death of the Dark King. He had a vision of his death, far, far away in the north. I distinctly remember the look in my mother's eyes at that moment. They were filled with wonder and hope, yet tainted with disbelief. She didn't respect the masters as much as the native residents of the sanctuary and, therefore, found it difficult to trust them. I can't say I blame her, either. Many of the masters were just blindly following traditions. Harui, however, was one of the exceptions. He was one of the few that didn't fall for Sek's deception, and he was the one that approved my learning the Path of Tyas when I would be ready.
That same day, a large meeting was arranged. Everyone was invited. Harui and the other leaders discussed his vision and debated over what the citadel should do. Several residents wanted to continue on as if nothing happened. Others wanted to make contact with the nearby lands. And then there were others that were so confused that they didn't know what to do. After hours of ceaseless debate, a decision was finally made to send a group of warriors to carefully investigate the condition of the nearby cities. My father was the leader of the investigation. He was dispatched the very next day.
Several long weeks passed. They were incredibly miserable for my mother. She tried hard to contain herself but it was obvious to me that she worried that Harui was wrong, and that my father had been sent to his death. I also heard her speaking to other former outsiders about how the expedition might invite an investigation from the Dark King, potentially ending the existence of the small sanctuary.
Finally, after about a month, my father returned with all of his warriors. He reported to the masters that Harui was correct; the Dark King had died.
A new life began for all of us at the citadel. The next couple of years were filled with exciting changes. First we established contact with a mining town, Sarlien. Then we constructed a reasonable route to connect our two lands. Next we began to trade with the town and eventually with the rest of the world. These events, of course, brought us more and more visitors and even some new residents. The death of the Dark King appeared to be the beginning of a bright future.
Not long after our new way of life had been set into motion, we started getting messages from Sarlien that their land was having bandit trouble. Knowing that we had warriors to protect the citadel, they asked if we'd be willing to use them to help keep the bandits under control. We complied with their request and deployed groups of warriors to fight what would be for many of them, their first real battles. Fortunately, most of the bandits weren't very formidable enemies.
Years passed and we became more accustomed to the new way of life. Meanwhile, banditry became more and more severe. We began to lose the lives of our warriors more frequently, and we found it continually more difficult to protect the lands between the citadel and Sarlien. As this was developing, my father spent less and less time at home. He was almost always gone leading skirmishes against the bandits.
Determined to help the warriors eliminate the bandits, I began to push myself more vigorously in my training. With their growing threat, my responsibility as a warrior now seemed meaningful. It wasn't just a tradition anymore. There was an actual need. In addition, I was officially made a warrior whelp, and I began the special training to become a follower of the Path of Tyas. I was the youngest recorded case of a warrior beginning to train in the path.
My mother admired my determination to help the citadel and my father in destroying the bandits. She was happy to see that the Dark King had fallen, and that we were now free to interact with the world. But to her, it still wasn't enough. A life fighting off bandits? That's not what she wanted for me. She wanted me to see that there's more to the picture; not just what exists between the citadel and Sarlien. She taught me that, even though my father was needed to keep the bandits from destroying the citadel, perhaps more could be done. Perhaps I could make a difference that ultmately prevents the bandits from having any power over our lives. Or perhaps I could be a part of something even greater than that.
The Price of Victory
My mother taught me many important things while I was growing up. Most specifically, she taught me that there's more to the world than what I've experienced. She taught me that I can allow the world to be my master, or I can make myself my own master. My father also taught me some important lessons. He taught me how to fight as a warrior of the Dragon Citadel. He taught me to use my hands as lethal weapons, how to handle a spear, and how to calm and maintain my state of mind. He taught me the ancient secrets of our people. But the greatest lesson he taught, he did through his death.
One of the bandit groups, known as the Tax Collectors, had managed to erect a reasonable fortification not far from the citadel. They used it to greatly weaken our influence on the roads and, ultimately, prevent us from protecting trade with Sarlien. To remedy the situation, the masters asked my father to organize an attack to take the fortification.
The bandit fort had numbers that far outnumbered our own. Furthermore, Its defenses were greater than my people were accustomed to facing. We didn't have catapults or anything of the sort. The mission was suicide but it had to be done. My father, loyally and courageously, led the warriors of the citadel into a great battle. In the end, his forces manage to completely wipe out the bandits. Unfortunately, he and many others were killed in the conflict.
The event struck my mother very hard. It was difficult for me, as well. However, his sacrifice was an example of the importance of fighting for what one believes is right. He faced all odds and, in exchange for his life, gave his people hope for a better future.
The results of my father's last battle left the sanctuary with a deep wound. The bandits were dead and their fort was now ours, but our warriors were few and far between. They had also lost one of their greatest warrior leaders, Turik. They simply weren't capable of protecting the roads anymore.
Sek had also been involved in fighting off the bandits since we began trading with the outside world. In his efforts, he had come across a mercenary company employed by Sarlien known as Early Light. Sek suggested to the masters that we employ them for the next few years while he and the other leaders train the next generation of warriors. Although not pleased with the prospect, the masters agreed and sent Sek to make it happen.
Early Light agreed to our proposal with the understanding that we temporarily turn over the fort we had taken from the Tax Collectors and provide them food regularly. Giving them the fort would improve their anti-bandit operations in the area and allow them to provide us protection.
During the first several months, Early Light was fairly respectful of the citadel and our ways. As time went on, however, we began to find more and more of their men arriving and stationing themselves at the citadel. While the masters didn't like the prospect, Early Light insisted that it was only a temporary solution while they expanded the fort. Of course, that was only an excuse. With time, Early Light became the new rulers of the citadel.
Our masters, publicly, still appeared to be in control and were mostly allowed to perform their duties as they did before Early Light arrived, but it was clear there wasn't anything they could do to stop what was happening. Early Light began to build small communities and defenses around the area of the citadel. They were even permitted to plant some strange trees in some parts of the citadel and its surrounding area.
I was permitted to continue my training as I saw fit. All of the warriors were. However, many of the remaining warriors were often encouraged by Early Light to join as its soldiers. Many of them accepted the offer. I don't blame them for joining, either. Early Light was very tactful in their propositions. They explained that they were all just mercenaries. Joining the company didn't mean that they were leaving the citadel. Rather, it allowed them to perform their duties as warriors. Had I not noticed that they were just sending our warriors away to make their takeover easier, I might have fallen for it, too.
Time continued to pass, and the Dragon Citadel became little more than a district of a new town Early Light called Highwind.
The Road to Disaster
Sek eventually joined the ranks of Early Light. It caused quite a bit of commotion initially, but he managed to smooth it over extremely well. That man is quite the talker. Unfortunately, I don't think I've ever seen him use that talent to actually help the citadel. His joining the mercenary company opened up the floodgates and resulted in a large following of recruits from the citadel.
Up until that point, Riz and I had been enemy rivals. However, he found his father's act a bit distasteful and began to open up. Furthermore, with his father gone working for Early Light and uncertain of whom he could trust, Riz decided to come to me. I was resistant at first, but with time we managed to become friends. He even began training as a follower of the Path of Tyas. Not publicly, of course. His father never would have allowed it.
Aside from me, and now Riz, there was only one other living follower of the Path of Tyas left. His name was Parek. He and I were the only ones that knew about Riz's training. Parek had to know. He was my instructor. He was more than twice my age, still just a drake, and not a very good fighter, but he was the only one left that knew the style well enough to actually teach it.
I was mocked quite a bit publicly by our warriors that had joined Early Light. Parek was known to be mediocre at best. The fact that I looked to him for direction was a joke and they weren't about to let it go unnoticed. That, of course, made me want to prove what the style is capable of. I got in a lot of fights and lost most of them... at first. As time went on, I found that I actually began to win. Not a lot, but I did start winning. My age and size made it difficult for me to stand against full-grown warriors.
Riz saw my efforts to preserve the honor of the style. It was torture for him to see me getting beaten around so much. Eventually, he gave in and began openly supporting the style. He actually wasn't as good in the style as I was, but his extra size made a big difference. Plus, most warriors didn't really know what the style entailed. They didn't know which techniques belonged to it and which didn't. That allowed him the freedom to improvise.
Although Riz's action helped me, it did not bode well for him and his relationship with his father. When Sek found out, he was furious. He gave Riz a real beating for betraying him and then disowned him as his son.
Riz was extremely upset with his father. Somehow, he wanted to get back at him. He went on and on about how he was going to become a real powerful warrior and get his revenge. Then, when he finally calmed down, he decided that he was going to master the Path of Tyas, and use it to defeat Sek. He did.
Riz and I spent the next years training vigorously in the style. Then, when he felt he was ready, he attacked. Armed with a spear, Riz leapt from one of the buildings and skewered his unsuspecting father. Sek immediately fell unconscious and Riz was subdued by some nearby Early Light soldiers. Sek didn't die.
Early Light responded very distastefully to the attempt on Sek's life. They completely overlooked Sek and Riz's history together, ignoring the fact that they were once family, and that Sek had publicly beaten Riz. They treated the situation as a cold-blooded murder attempt. More importantly, they didn't just punish Riz. They used it as an excuse to punish the entire citadel.
Riz was thrown into prison and Early Light demanded that all of the citadel warriors not in their service give up their weapons temporarily. Temporarily? By this point, we all knew better. We knew it was another ploy to further subject us to their will. Unanimously, we refused.
Early Light was ready for our response. In fact, that's exactly what they expected... and wanted. It was a massacre. Those of us that managed to survive the battle were thrown into prison with Riz. As for the masters and students of the citadel, they became a subjugated lower class. None of them could even leave the citadel without an "escort."
I attempted to use some of the techniques I had learned to break out of the prison. By this point, I had learned to produce scorching flames from my breath, and magnify my strength considerably for a single leap. Unfortunately, those techniques didn't seem to work in the prison. No form of magic did. The plants that Early Light had brought with them inhibit magic, and they were planted all around the prison cells.
Escape
We were slaves. Everything my mother feared about the Dark King had now been thrust upon us. Early Light pretended to allow us our freedoms, but in the name of security and protection, we had lost everything.
Fortunately, not everything was over for us yet. Harui and some of the other masters did something I never knew they could even do. Apparently, neither did Early Light. They used their magic to reign death and destruction over the citadel and the surrounding town. I was in the prison for most of the display, so I missed the majority of it. Even so, I could see large fiery explosions and great beasts of earth, ice, fire, and lightning moving about.
The prison was mostly unscathed, and I could see many of the plants visibly growing as the battle continued. Then I heard some fighting in the corridors leading to my cell. I looked down the hall and saw Early Light soldiers fighting other Early Light soldiers. I recognized some of them. They were former warriors of the citadel, and they had come to help us.
It wasn't long before my cell was opened and I was able to join in battle. Early Light seemed unprepared, and the battle seemed to be going very well for us. We had elementals fighting along our side that the masters had somehow summoned. They made a massive difference in the battle, but we noticed they were weakend when they passed near the anti-magic plants. I went through great efforts to cut and burn any of them I could find. In the end, we took back our citadel.
The elementals eventually vanished, and we began to realize that our victory was short-lived. As the battle had been going, Early Light had been organizing an army from reinforcements and refugees not far from the citadel. While we were worried about retaking the place, they were worried about reorganizing their forces.
Without the help of the elementals and no more magic from the exhausted masters, we were massively outnumbered and outmatched. I fell unconscious in the battle that followed.
Some time later and to my complete surprise, I woke up being carried on Riz's shoulders. We were far away from where the battle had occurred. Riz wasn't well from his treatment in prison, and I was severly injured. I asked him what the outcome of the battle was. He said that the battle was going extremely poorly for our people, so the masters ordered a retreat. He wasn't sure who got away and who didn't.
Journey to Cauldron
Riz and I were on our own now. As far as we know, the citadel was overcome by Early Light and our people are all but extinct. We now needed to try to make our lives in the world. Unfortunately, we had no goals or real understanding of life outside of the citadel. Seeing no better choices, we headed to Sarlien.
Aside from the effects of my injuries and Riz's ill physical condition, we managed to make it to Sarlien with little difficulty. We spent the next couple of days there recuperating. We also searched for any signs of our people that we could find. Unfortunately, it didn't appear any news about the citadel or survivors had made it this far.
Early Light didn't have the presence we expected in Sarlien. In fact, from talking to the people, almost of their soldiers left to join the ranks at the citadel some time ago. They also said that there haven't been many bandits in the area since our people pushed the Tax Collectors out. If that's true, we never needed the help of Early Light in the first place. We were fooled from the very beginning. It's strange, though; I remembered hearing stories of battles from our warriors that joined Early Light. If bandits have been scarce around Sarlien lately, just who were they fighting?
Riz and I discussed our options at this point. We decided that staying in Sarlien would be unwise. Surely, Early Light would be sending soldiers to find any survivors from the battle. We certainly couldn't stop them if they ever found us. In addition, we weren't about to move on and leave our past behind us. We were determined to do something.
We finally concluded that we would need to establish ourselves somewhere else and then return once we had the power to make a difference. Did this mean raising an army? Did it mean we needed to further develop our techniques? Did it mean something else? Maybe a little bit of all three, but I suppose the best answer was that we were looking for an opportunity. We decided the best place to start would be in Cauldron, a large city north of Khorinis, the origin of Early Light. We chose Cauldron because people in Sarlien say it's somewhat at odds with Khorinis and that it's a haven for magic.
My mother had somewhat educated me on the rest of the world but, nonetheless, I was ill prepared for becoming a part of the culture. I'd never had to worry about money, food, or a place to stay. However, we quickly learned that just to get to Cauldron, all three were serious problems. Fortunately, we were able to become employed as guards by several caravans and eventually arrive to the city. It took extra time, but we made sure to select caravans that wouldn't pass through Khorinis.
Cauldron
Riz and I were completely amazed with Cauldron. The use of magic here is unbelievable. Upon arriving and seeing the wonders, I immediately felt small and insignificant. The Path of Tyas had always been the supreme solution in my mind. I quickly learned that there were many incredible wonders yet to be discovered. Cauldron seemed to be the right place to go. Unfortunately, there were also some drawbacks.
Shortly after arriving to the city, Riz became incredibly curious of the Red Temple. It represented beauty, art, and other things we saw at the citadel. However, it also represented a side of pleasure that we had never before experienced. Some of those things seemed to contradict the principles of the citadel. I think that's why Riz was attracted to them.
Riz wasn't the same after visiting that place. It was a gradual change, but I could see the difference. It was almost as if he was a different person. No, I suppose he still possessed several of his traits. He was as fun, open, overconfident, and arrogant as he ever was, but he was also something else. Sometimes he did things that I could never see him doing. At first they were little things like keeping secrets--something I didn't even know he was capable of--and sneaking around. Later, I learned that he was involved in minor thefts. Eventually, he became a low-life hired thug. That was the last I saw of him. I don't know what that place did to him, but I do know that it destroyed my friend.
I employed my services lawfully in whatever ways I could. It was extremely difficult. I was still so young, and most people didn't seem to believe I was capable of guarding or anything of that sort. I also found that many of my abilities were second rate to the magic that existed in the city. I was extremely tempted to follow in Riz's footsteps and become a ruffian. That kind of life presented immediate fruits for work and the potential patrons didn't seem to discriminate so much against younger hires. Nonetheless, I maintained my integrity and chose to live in poverty on the streets. As anyone knowing Cauldron might expect, I spent a lot of time in the Waterfront District.
Important Living NPCs
Coyn Derin
An opportunistic, mastermind criminal that specializes in mind magic. He has a respectable amount of power in Cauldron's underground politics and is always looking for ways to strengthen his influence.
Edwiq Rushing
Edwiq is the leader of Early Light. He's a former member of the Black Watch that, following the death of the Dark King, decided to form a company in order help weaken Inarian rule. Edwiq is tall, strong, and favors the bastard sword and shield. He also knows a couple of spells only useable in high mana areas.
Gunderson Law
The captain and leader of the Tax Collectors. Gunderson and many of the other members of the Tax Collectors were soldiers in the army when the Dark King was killed. Following his fall, he decided to make a career out of banditry. Of course, if he were asked, he would say that he's still loyal to Inaria and that his company represents its influence in the north. Gunderson prefers the use of the shortsword and bow.
Harui
Regarded as the wisest member of the Dragon Citadel, Harui is one of three surviving grandmasters and was last seen by Kor just before the final battle with Early Light. He possesses magical abilities based primarily on obtaining knowledge. He rarely engages in long conversations but is known for constantly sharing short messages of inspiration and wisdom; kind of like the messages found in fortune cookies.
Meryl
Meryl is one of three surviving grandmasters, according to Kor's knowledge, of the Dragon Citadel. She is known for her patience and great insight. However, she's also known for being too passive and, therefore, doesn't hold as much respect as Harui. Meryl was possibly the most combat-effective of all of the masters, having incredible talent with all of the elements. As a result, she was attributed most of the credit for summoning the elementals and destruction in the final battle with Early Light.
Mick Cornwell
A very down to earth man and the mayor of Sarlien. During the Dark King's reign, Mick was just another miner respected by his friends and family. After the Dark King's death, he was nominated to become the mayor of the now independent and free city. He still participates in mining.
Myra
Kor's mother, Myra, was a teacher for the Dragon Citadel. She was given that position because she's well-educated and interested in teaching about the world. Unfortunately, she's also somewhat close minded, so she was never permitted to advance beyond that rank. She's outspoken about her beliefs and advice. Kor las saw here with Harui just before the final battle with Early Light.
Parek
According to Kor's knowledge, Parek was the oldest living practitioner of the Path of Tyas up until the final battle with Early Light. Kor doesn't know if he survived the battle, but believes that he probably fell. Although Parek knew the concepts of the techniques for the Path of Tyas and could perform them, he wasn't a very good fighter. Regardless, he was a good enough instructor.
Pern Rushing
Pern was a former Dark Caste present at the battle where the Dark King died. When the king died, he fled from the scene, declared himself free, and joined his older brother's company, Early Light, as its first captain. He's a decent mage and extremely charismatic. Although his brother Edwiq is the visible leader of the company, Pern is its true voice.
Riz
Riz is a former warrior of the citadel that's fairly full of himself. As a child, he was his father's tool for getting revenge on Kor's family. Later in life, he decided that Sek was dishonorable and became Kor's best friend. He's extremely curious and isn't much for keeping rules when they're inconvenient. Regardless, he still has a sense of honor and justice.
Riz was magically enslaved by Coyn shortly after arriving in Cauldron. Coyn assumed control of Riz in the Red Temple after Riz fell under the influence of some drugs he obtained.
Sek
Sek is a former grand drake of the Dragon Citadel. He was an enemy to Kor's father, Turik, and many of his decisions led to the loss of the citadel to Early Light. During the process, he was honored and respected. In the end, he became known as a traitor to his people.
Sek's son, Riz, nearly killed him shortly before the citadel rebelled against Early Light, but he managed to recover from the experience. Last Kor knew, Sek was moving up in the ranks in the mercenary company. Kor didn't see him in the final battle between the company and the citadel.
Tauklin
Tauklin is one of three surviving grandmasters, according to Kor's knowledge, of the Dragon Citadel. She prides herself in being very wise but, in actuality, she's very easily influenced. She's intelligent and a brilliant researcher, but has always managed to be a puppet for others like Sek. By the final battle with Early Light, she finally admitted that Sek was a traitor and that she was wrong for trusting him.
Walter Maquelivi
Walter is a small-time merchant and businessman in Cauldron. He's very ambitious and has lots of ideas, but he can't carry them out very well. Still, he manages to make enough money to provide for himself and his family.
After a short time in Cauldron, Kor began taking on several short-term contracts for Walter as his hired guard. The work proved to be mutually beneficial for the two. Kor couldn't ask for standard pay because of his young age, and Walter couldn't pay the normal wage because of his financial difficulties. Still, he needed a guard for several of his jobs, and Kor was more than willing to fill the role.
On numerous occasions, Kor has been forced to fight in conflicts as he was working for Walter. Both the fact that Walter was known to be an easy target and Kor's wasn't very old made him a common choice for crime. Kor managed to fight off the thieves in every case and has, therefore, improved their reputations.
Organizations
Early Light
A company of mercenaries that originated in Khorinis after the death of the Dark King. It was originally formed as a small military unit by Edwiq Rushing, in order to harass the Inarian soldiers returning south from the war. It's name represents that the darkness from the dead king is now over, and that there are now signs of light.
Eventually, Early Light became a mercenary group hired to fight off bandits. Its headquarters are now located in Highwind with the original residents--members of the Dragon Citadel--under its control.
Tax Collectors
The Tax Collectors are a large, organized group of bandits led by Gunderson Law and proclaim themselves as Inarian "law" north of Khorinis. They had built a fort near the Dragon Citadel, but it was later taken in a massive struggle with its warriors. Even so, this group still has some influence on the highways north of Khorinis.
Places
Highwind
A town built around the Dragon Citadel. The town acts as the base of Early Light's operations and under the administration of Edwiq Rushing's first captain and younger brother, Pern Rushing.
Sarlien
The nearest town of noticeable size to Highwind. Even so, it's not very big. Sarlien considers itself free and has an appointed mayor, Mick Cornwell. It's economy is founded on mining.