The Early Years

My name is Neo Rasmussen. I was born in Inaria, back when the Dark King still reigned. I don’t remember too much, but I do have a twin sister. Minerva, the attending White Temple Healer who delivered us both, was there and she likes to talk about it. She carries on about how the night was cloudless, and yet the stars did not shine. She says it is some kind of omen of something important. She’s determined it was our births that the omen was for, as twins are not that common, but I’m not sure I believe it.

My father, Jarvis, worked for Governor Burns, and we always had enough money and plenty to eat. We lived in a nice house on the hill in Inaria that overlooked the city. It was a big house and the rooftop had a spectacular view. We used to spend time up there as children.

I have two older brothers: Dalen, seven years my senior, and Chester, only five. My sister Jillian’s a few minutes younger than me, and I never let her forget it. Mom didn’t help her case much by babying her either. Jillian and I used to try and follow Dalen and Chester around, but they’d try and ditch us any time they could. Mom was always pestering them to play nice with us, but it only made them try harder to avoid us. As such, I spent a lot of time with Jillian and we became good friends.

When I was eight things started to change. The accident came first. I fell out a tree and broke both my legs and the rest of me was pretty battered. Minerva was summoned to fix me up, but her magic failed her. Several other healers from the White Temple tried to heal me and were unsuccessful. Thinking that I had fallen under some evil magic, my mother requested my aunt Narcissa visit me. Narcissa was a talented Dark Caste with healing abilities.

What happened next was not a pleasant experience. When Narcissa failed to heal me, she also discovered that all of her magic failed when I was nearby. I then made the trip to the Black Temple where many tests were done on me. It was concluded that I created a sort of magical void zone around myself. I am immune to alchemical potions as well and a great many other magical tricks. My limbs were treated the old fashioned way and I had to wait to heal and Minerva watched over me and tended to my injuries.

Not long after the second event occurred- Jillian developed magical abilities. Mother was so proud of her. I think she was jealous of her sister Narcissa’s magical ability. Narcissa came and brought Jillian to the Black Temple and she spent a great deal of time there. Narcissa believed that my presence at home stunted Jillian’s growth, as her talent was exceptional.

I came to find out I had another unusual talent. I didn’t recognize it at first, but magic gives me the creeps. I can sense it. It’s not like a visible thing, but the hairs on the back of my neck start to stand up when magic is used near me. If it is in the same room, I can sense it. I mentioned it to Narcissa one day when she cast a spell in the room I was in. That was a mistake.

After some more experimentation my new skill was proven. I would be sent to the public areas of town, particularly popular children’s play areas and would wait to see if magic was used. I would then report to Guy, a Dark Caste that was assigned to me. After I pinned it down to who was casting the spells, Guy would pick them up and have them tested. It was important that they be properly trained.

I spent much of my childhood either being experimented on by the Dark Caste or working for the Black Temple. I didn’t like the prodding or the poking, but what could I do about it? It was best just to go along with it and hope things didn’t hurt. Most of the time the tests weren’t painful, but I have a few scars from the ones that were. Other than the experiments, life was pretty good for a while. Everything seemed normal.

The Student

Dalen went to work with father. Chester, being the second son in a noble family, joined the army and quickly became an officer. Chester took the family sword that had been my great grandfather’s and went to join the war to the north. Father was very proud, but mother was worried sick about her son. The day he left through the Black Temple gate was the last day I saw him. I hope he is not dead, but has found some reason not to come home instead.

I enrolled in the best combat school in the city, the Lothene Academy of War. I intended to become an officer in the Dark King’s army. I studied hard, as only the top few students could apply to become officers. I did not want to be a peasant soldier. I wanted to be a leader of men. The academy taught me to not only fight, but to be a good soldier.

I studied under many instructors, but Daniel Swordbright was the one who taught me the most. He was harsh, mean, and expected a great deal. Once he found out about my particular talents, he became almost unbearable. Instructor Swordbright would take every opportunity to let me get beat on. Although others wounds would be healed by the White Temple, mine had to heal the old fashioned way. I never complained, for fear of being expelled.

I didn’t have many friends growing up, and life at the academy was no exception. Jude is the only one that I really would call a friend from the academy. He was a year older than me, and we spent quite a bit of time training and studying together. We’d also hit the town together when we got caught up with our studies. After graduation he went to go live with his brother’s family for a while. That’s the last I heard of him.

While I was studying at the academy, the chaos began. News of the Dark King’s defeat spread like wild fire in Inaria. The Dark Caste tried to keep control, and even appointed a new king, but it was all for not. The empire collapsed. Things changed in Inaria and would never be the same. Many of the Dark Caste left the city. Salinius, the God of the Blue Temple, had personally killed the Dark King and “liberated” the country from his “oppressive” rule. The king immediately branded Salinius a traitor and soon the fighting began.

The civil war was started by Khorinis, but Cauldron was quick to join in. The two cities declared themselves their own nation now that the Dark King was dead. They engaged the Inarian army that was sent to maintain control. Due to their strategic location these two cities then managed to divide the empire, which resulted in further splintering. The unified and powerful nation of Inaria began to crumble.

Some of the soldiers who had fought with the Dark King’s army made their way back home, but my brother was not among them. Many of the Dark Caste left the city, further weakening Inaria’s political position. Life in Inaria was as bad as I had seen.

About a year after the Dark King’s untimely demise, my cousin Shamus showed up. His family had disappeared and he been looking for them. He eventually had gotten desperate and came here, looking for food and shelter. He moved into Dalen’s room.

As an idealist, I wanted to find a way to restore the empire. Life had been so much better. I had frequently tagged along with my father and Dalen at meetings and dinners with important people. I thought we could restore the empire and life could be good again.

Shamus and I became good friends. We went out and walked the streets together talking and watching people. He liked to mimic people or pretend to be someone else. Although younger than me, Shamus turned out to be a pretty fun guy to spend time with.

Jillian’s abduction happened while I was at school. The Black Temple kept it quiet for a while, but eventually Narcissa told us what happened. She was on an errand for the Black Temple and never returned. It was officially concluded that she had defected to Cauldron, but Narcissa had told mother that she thought that she might have been picked up by the inquisitors of the White Temple. Dark Caste were being hunted and “reformed” by these new paladins from the west.

The Mercenary

After finishing school, I went and looked for Jillian but came up empty handed. I then joined a mercenary company called The Defenders. It was a company of between 25 and 30 men, who were deployed to protect the border near Khorinis. Lodan, the company commander, didn’t much care for my fighting style, so he helped me a adapt it to use a broadsword. I found it much more useful against heavily armored foes. Lodan was a strong leader and an even better fighter. I had hoped that through The Defenders I would be able to make a difference in the war against Khorinis and Cauldron, and maybe I’d find some answers from the prisoners. I was wrong.

When I returned home, Narcissa gave me a letter she found on Jillian’s desk at the Black Temple. It clearly wasn’t finished, but it was addressed to me. It was about some prophecy that she had been studying. She had decided the prophecy was about me and she had some kind of research about it. It went on for quite a while, but I’m not convinced. If she had set off looking for more information, Narcissa had said they might be found in Cauldron.

Shamus and I decided to head north to Cauldron and see if we could get some answers. He strongly believed that if we found Jillian, it would lead to his family as well. Determined to try again to do something to find her, I agreed and we set off.

On our way to Cauldron, a patrol of paladins stopped us. I was accused of being an evil wizard so they arrested me. After spending days being “interrogated” they concluded that I was not who they thought and released me. I caught up with Shamus who was waiting in a town nearby.

Cauldron

We arrived in Cauldron and found a place to stay. We had enough money for a few weeks, but we needed an income. I found a job working at a tavern over in the market called Three Turns. The owner’s name was Duncan and he ran a pretty tight shop. It didn’t take long for Duncan to appreciate my skills, as drunken wizards can be particularly nasty when they are angry and can cause a lot of damage. I was good at neutralizing that threat.

I picked up odds and ends kind of jobs where I could. Some people here in Cauldron seemed to take a real interest in my unusual talents. I generally tried to find work at The Corner Stop, but if that didn’t pan out, I would go visit Martin. He’s a guy who knows people and who needs work done and can frequently be found at the Earlobe’s Tavern. I’ve done a lot of work for Samius of the Salt & Spice Shoppe lately. He is suspicious of one of his employees.

We now live in the slums in the Waterfront District in a rundown apartment complex called the Rusted Gate. Shamus and I spend quite a bit of our time fixing the place up. It’s almost livable now. We worked on Old Pete’s apartment too. He hangs out on a chair on the front steps and always wants to talk to whoever is coming inside. He’s a nice enough old man who seems to know a lot, but he’s older and has a hard time getting around and doing stuff for himself. I think he sits out there to try and avoid the boredom of his life. Shamus spends a bit of time testing out his skills on Old Pete. He tries to impersonate people and see if Old Pete can tell the difference. Shamus is getting pretty good at impersonating me.

The city of Cauldron is a place full of magic. My sense of magic was tingling all the time. It was a bit disorienting for me at first. Everything seemed to make me uncomfortable and I considered leaving the city. However, my determination to find my sister, kept me here long enough to get used to it, if one can ever really get used to such a thing. Fortunately, magic seems to be less common in the slums like where we live than in the rest of the city.

I just finished a job one night when I ran into Ari for the first time. The job was a bit on the shady side and I had gotten hurt while doing it. I had wrapped my hand in a cloth to squelch the bleeding. She saw me walking by and stopped me and offered to heal my hand. I dismissed her at first, knowing that magic would not work on me and I didn’t want to get any more attention. But something about her caught my attention and I found myself wanting to get to know her better, and it seemed like a pretty good opportunity. So I let her try.

Imagine my surprise when it worked, and my hand healed. At first I thought my talent was gone. Then I wondered if she was perhaps just that powerful. It turns out she was a priest of Adanos. I wanted to know more about Adanos and she was very interested to tell me. Ok, to be fair I wanted to know more about her, and this was as good an excuse as any. She let me buy her a drink and things just kind of went from there.

Shamus was not super enthused about my new love interest. We were here looking for answers, and we shouldn’t be getting distracted. Shamus was anxious to find out what had happened to his family, and I was anxious to find out what happened to Jillian. Having an ally in Cauldron wouldn’t be a bad thing, and a priest would have some kind of influence, right? Perhaps this can work out in more than one way.

A man approached me the other day and he had my family’s sword. He said he had served in the army with Chester. They had been present on the day that the Dark King had fallen. He never found Chester’s body, but he did find the sword. He owed Chester a life debt, so when he found it, he swore to return it. It was the best he could do. He was on his way to Inaria when he had heard about me. He has stayed with us the last few days and will likely be leaving soon. The stories he told of Chester did his memory proud.

The People

Jarvis Rasmussen

Jarvis is Neo’s father who is now in his late forties. He’s an average man who has no distinguishing characteristics. He is frequently mistaken for other people. He’s a very charismatic man is well liked by all who know him. He’s is extremely patriotic and devoted to the Dark King, and equally devoted to his replacement.

Minerva

Neo was born when Minerva was already in her forties. She is a short and stout woman who has a heart of gold. She would sacrifice everything she had to make another person’s life easier. She worked for the White Temple, but she frequently spent her time assisting the well to do families of Inaria. She served as a midwife for these families as well.

Governor Burns

Governor Burns ran the city of Inaria under the direction of the Dark Caste for thirty years before the fall of the Dark King. He continued in that occupation when the new king was put into place. He is a big fellow, who enjoys strong drinks a bit too much. He is well liked by the upper class and many of the lower class despise him for keeping them down.

Jillian Rasmussen

Neo’s twin sister, Jillian, is shorter than Neo by a couple of inches and keeps her dark black hair well past the shoulders. She believes strongly that magic is a gift from the gods to help enrich people’s lives. She also has a strong draw to prophecy and books about the subject. She was an exceptional student and was a hard working member of the Dark Caste before her disappearance. Neo always refers to her as his “little” sister, even though their age difference is only a few moments.

Elaine Rasmussen

Elaine was everything that Jarvis was not. She was tall, beautiful, and feared. She is known to have a quick temper and a vengeful nature. Her marriage to Jarvis was mostly for political reasons. She came from a strong military family who composed of several high ranking military officials. As a perfectionist, everything was always perfect in her home and her children learned the lessons of hard work early in life.

Dalen Rasmussen

Dalen inherited his father’s charisma and his mother’s good looks. The combination has done him wonders in the political arena where he now works. He married Christine, a young woman from good stock in Inaria.

Christine Rasmussen

The daughter of a wealthy merchant in Inaria, Christine married Dalen when she was twenty years old. She is short, skinny, and has her bright red hair cut short. She is fiery and full of energy and has helped Dalen in his political agendas.

Chester Rasmussen

Chester was unusually tall for the Rasmussen family, and he never seemed to adapt to his height. Even as a child he was always looking for adventure and danger. He found plenty as a child and joined the army when he was of age. From a young age he dreamed of becoming an officer in the army and helping to lead the Dark King to victory against the unenlightened. When the Dark King was defeated, he was present on the battlefield and no one has seen him since. It is speculated that he died, as he did not return home.

Narcissa

Narcissa was an exceptionally talented and ambitious Dark Caste. She could probably be attractive if she took even a moment to care about how she looked. Instead, she considers such things beneath her and focuses almost exclusively on her work. Although she is Elaine’s older sister, she rarely attends any family events unless there is political advantage to be gained.

Daniel Swordbright

Daniel is a talented fighter with skills in many weapons. Some even consider him a master at arms. He currently works for the Lothene Academy of War, but has served in the army and in mercenary groups. In his lower fifties, he is still a force to be reckoned with and holds anyone who does not fit his mold of an ideal soldier with contempt.

Lodan

Leader of the Defenders, Lodan is a kind hearted man with a tough outer shell. He cares greatly about every member of his company, but tries hard not to show it and keeps things impersonal if he can. He’s a talented fighter, and a decent leader. He has a great distaste for the new changes to the white temple and would love to wipe out the westerners and their corrupting influence.

Shamus

Shamus’ mother, Margot Hemming, and Elaine were cousins. When Shamus’ family mysteriously turned up missing, Shamus eventually found his way to Neo’s house and lived with them for a while. Shamus has a unique talent of disguising himself which Neo advised him to keep secret. The pair are sharing an apartment in Cauldron.

Ari (Arianna) Green

A devoted priest of Adanos, she has been working to spread the word in the city of Cauldron for some time now. She’s an attractive woman originally from the city of Varzea. She lives along in a small apartment in the shades district. She ran into Neo not long ago and the pair has since been dating.

Duncan

Duncan runs the Three Turns, a well established tavern in the market district. He’s only about 5’2” tall, but his giant waist makes him seem bigger. In his late thirties, his beard has started to turn a bit gray, and his hair has started to fall out. Nevertheless, he’s a friendly face and is always interested to hear a tale. He is strict with his employees, but compensates them well.

Old Pete

Old Pete hangs out on a chair on the front steps of the Rusted Gate apartment complex and is very chatty. He has a hard time getting around due to his advanced age. He knows things, and people go to him for advice. He has a reputation for not telling what he knows.

Jude

A graduate of the Lothene Academy of War, Jude aspires to be a leader of a large mercenary company. He is a tall, strong, and fit. He keeps his hair shoulder length, and favors heavy weapons. Although friends with Neo during their time at the academy, the two have since lost touch.

Martin

Martin is a man with a lot of connections. When people need a job done, but want to remain anonymous, they go to Martin. Martin then finds someone to get the job done, and everyone is happy, and he gets paid. He’s a small, innocent looking man with a crooked nose, and sandy brown hair.

Samius

Samius, the proprietor of the Salt & SpiceShoppe, is a stingy man who worries and watches over every aspect of his business. He carefully watches his loads. He measures everything. He is squinting at everything that goes on, including the dust that floats in his shop. Samius sells medicinal, magical, and culinary products to anyone who has the coin to buy it.

The Stranger