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Qazir bar Kessr of the Thukir Jerod Flippen jflippen@gmail.com 512 363 3256 Druid of the sands Scimitar and Rakesh(sickle) Quiet, serious young man. Typically wearing a blank expression. Dark, piercing eyes which seldom blink stare out from beneath a heavy brow. A large, bent nose juts out from a visage which is all planes and angles. His skin is a deep ruddy brown beneath a layer of dust, stretched across a slender whip-like frame which moves with the self-assurance of a hunting cat, if not quite the grace. Qazir is on Wisdom Quest. He is following in the footsteps of his father and two older brothers. He is traveling to Silvertown because he hopes to encounter the alien Xorn, a species none in his pool have ever encountered, and guesses that the abandoned mines might provide a way to draw near to their dwellings. Qazir grew up idolizing his father and particularly Hamzah, though he was closer to his brother Fareeq. Qazir tries his hardest to follow in Hamzah’s footsteps, because Hamzah is everything that a Thukiri should be but Qazir is worried because sometimes following Hamzah’s path doesn’t come as naturally to him as it should. Thukir: Small clan of druidic desert-folk who revere as holy the oases that dot the trackless wastes. The Thukir defend the waters, allowing all who wish to drink their fill, but deny any attempt by man to establish his towns or cities in the vicinity. These small patches of verdant relief are something like sanctuaries for the surrounding animal life, in that the Thukir do not allow the hunting of any animal by man within its boundaries. An animal stalked by another animal is another story, and in these hunts the Thukir do not interfere. Thukiri believe that there is more to nature the bloom and the feather, there is also the fang and the talon. The rock lion’s effortless grace is matched by its predatory savagery. Death is as much a part of the natural order as birth. If a man knows one thing about the Thukir, it is that they practice a form of ritual cannibalism. The Thukir do this to learn more about a new creature, or to honor a worthy foe. Thukir will consume a bite or two if they are in a hurry, but with ample time, a particularly strong opponent becomes a feast. Unlike a predator in the wild, a Thukiri does not rip and tear at the flesh with the frenzied abandon of a pack of wolves, but rather goes about his meal with an aura of deep contemplation. Among the Thukiri, there exists a house of elite oasis guards who stand vigilant watch over the sacred waters. All the members of this guard are from the same family line, but each one has undergone a wisdom quest, traveling the world to experience the true breadth and depth of nature. Thukir Quest Ritual: Thukiri gain “Understanding” about nature through observation, conversation, and ingestion. Quote: “There are many paths to understanding, the wise tred them all.” When first discovering in a non-combat situation that Thukiri are cannibals, roll an intimidate check. A failed roll by the human results in him being intimidated for 1d4 hours. A successful roll results in the human being unfriendly for 1d4 hours. Family: Father: Kessr bar-Ashraf, Clan Elder of the Sands, Druid 9-12 level The ways of the clan are as much a part of him as his own bones, and are about as flexible. As one of three Clan Elders of the Sands, Kessr guides the clan in it’s dealings with the outside world. To his sons, Kessr is a distant, almost otherworldly figure. Mother: Ameera sur-Ateef, Clan Elder of the Waters, Druid/Expert/Commoner/Bard 9-12 level As devoted to clan tradition as her husband, if not moreso. Stern woman who nevertheless adores her children. The Circle of Waters, of which she is an elder, governs the internal affairs of the clan. Oldest Brother: Hamzah bar-Kessr, Greatfang, Druid/Ranger/Fighter 8-14 lvl Greatest warrior, and leader of the Thukir against threats to the clan. Powerfully built, swift afoot, and at home in the saddle, Hamza is a terrible sight on the battlefield. Hamza views the limited, simple craftwork of the Thukir to be a necessary evil (though he frequently questions just how necessary). But the great cities of man, with the destruction wrought to maintain them, and the pollution created to sustain them, Hamzah wonders if “civilization” isn’t just another word for “abomination”. Middle Brother: Fareeq bar-Kessr Druid/Bard/Commoner/Ranger 3-6 lvl jovial, would much rather trade friendly barbs than fearsome blows, though he has a self deprecating sense of humor he roared with laughter when Qazir named Farooq, and gave the reason that the camel looked more like Fareeq’s brother than anyone else, still, Fareeq is obedient and follows clan custom. He is a capable warrior, a decent tracker, and highly knowledgeable of nature, particularly herbs. Pregame: Traveled south to the great trade port of Kashan. Bargained with Sunesh merchant for passage to his country. From their up river then along the old Pelos road through the Pamphia mtns to Beroea where you astonished to find two other Babrem from the Kaldun Majid. They were heading to “Scupi Province” and from their descriptions it sounded like a place to find a Xorn and other triumphs of nature. They accept your request to travel with them. But do not interact with them much(the Majid are close allies of Fist and have forgotten proper respect for nature and the desert) The trip was uneventful. After arriving you wasted no time leaving the claustrophobic caves of Scupi. Tarrying only long enough to buy supplies and find a caravan heading east to Silvertown. 1st session “Deadly Desert part1” The caravan is escorted by nine Pelosian soldiers on horses who are dressed in black with sandy yellow cloaks and black and yellow crested helmets. You are more comfortable around the Ka’im(orcs) laborers than the elitist and sneering Pelosians. Still you keep mostly to yourself. Travel is fast at first along a road of stone like the old road you took out of Sunesh. Early the 4th night you pass a large crew of Pelosian and Ka’im extending this scar on nature further east. Late on the 7th night the caravan is ambushed by ??? You never see the attackers. You are tracked and attacked by “sand hunters”, some sort of pack carnivore. Vicious on the attack but easily killed or driven away. Ate an eyeball, strange… 2nd session “Deadly Desert part2” You encounter some sort of unnatural poisoness tree. And later an unfamiliar species of barrel cactus with many large thorns. From it’s dessicated appearance you know it hasn’t rained here in many months. You stumble on a “forest” of limbless, leafless, trees made of stone. Many of which are toppled and broken. You didn’t have time to figure out if they had been carved, are some strange natural form, or an abberation. before being ambushed by hyena men. Ione has been killed or less likely escaped. The rest of you are captured. You awake from unconsciousness to discover Ian is no longer present and later to Djinn providing you water. You likely owe him your life. You don’t know how many hours or days have passed. But the hyena men are gone. One night you have a bizarre dream. Ian, Ione and the rest of you are in some sort of oasis. The ground is covered with green grass and surrounded by tall leafy woods. The oasis is crawling with Pelosians, flying, appearing out of nowhere, and performing other magics. Stranger still are the many magical beasts and constructs flying, crawling, rolling and walking everywhere. Inexplicity you can now read the words carved into the pillars of this building, you suspect a temple. The passages reveal a reverence for nature and especially forests and woodland creatures. After solving the riddles a human(a Darsian?) dressed in unusual green cloths (like nothing you have heard of, pants, shirt, many pockets) appears, looks at each of you and then says “Don’t open the Flakarg, argh! The seal, don’t open the seal.” Then looks over his shoulder and disappears. You awake to find yourself being transported on horse back. You can’t see, or talk and your connection to nature(spell casting ability) is gone! A non-native explains to you in Qadir that you are being detained by the Pelosian authorities and that your temporary lack of senses and casting ability is due to the manacles you wear. Also that a camel she suspects is yours is being well taken care of. After another day and half you arive at a camp or town. After spending the night the next day you travel by wagon to what sounds like a large town.