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Corrine and Juri

by John Walter Biles

Born to a humble peasant family in Traladara only a few years before the arrival of Duke Stefan, Corrine's family lived by hunting in the forest covertly and selling meat to their fellow peasants, while half-heartedly farming for a Traladaran lord. They were too poor to even afford a family name. Their lord opposed the Duke's coming and was killed in early fighting, replaced by the Arcavius family, who happened to have a young daughter about the same age as little Corrine, Julia.

As small children who don't understand things like social class are prone to do, they became friends and unlike is often the case here, they remained friends as they both grew older.

Thus, they left for their Shearing together; Julia took up the travelling name Juri at this time, in part due to being angry at her parents for their disapproval of her travelling with a peasant.

Their adventures are too many to list here, but have taken them from Norwold in the north to Alphatia and Ochalea in the east to the Isle of Dread in the South to the Five Shires in the west (which they left at high speed after a misunderstanding convinced the locals Corrine was a Glantrian wizard...)

During their time in Alphatia, Corrine began her magical studies, which opened many doors for them there. They also acquired their signature weapons in Alphatia as well. Both of them developed a taste for Ochalean clothing during their visit there, if not for the sexism of Ochalean society. Indeed, they are both rather unwelcome to ever come back to Ochalea, though they don't like to talk about the details. Rumours range from them trying to start a women's revolution to some sort of seduction of a nobleman's wife to killing the wrong dragon. Possibly all three.

They are currently planning to finally go home to Karameikos and see their families again, though both seem worried about this idea. Dragons are MUCH easier to deal with than parents, even at their age...(35)

Corrine
Ranger 9 / Artificer 6

Dark haired and tan of skin, Corrine is slightly younger than Juri and tends to defer to her...a little. She is bright and cheerful and friendly, and also the more intelligent of the two, usually coming up with the plan to get them out of the trouble they're now in the middle of. Corrine tends, however, to be a little too naive for her own good, despite her upbringing, perhaps because her own friendship with a noble's child makes her think anyone can overcome social barriers as easily as she usually does.

Corrine carries a shapeshifting weapon which has been seen to turn into a crossbow (which produces its own ammo), a sword, a small fighting fan, a wood axe, a knife, and a whip. It may have other forms. In any form, it is a +2 Keen weapon with a socket mount for a jewel. The only jewel she has for it makes it an Axiomatic Flaming weapon as well, but there are supposedly other jewels out there to give other properties, though it only has one mount. If the man who originally tried to kill her with it is to be believed, it was originally crafted on Old Alphatia by the Followers of the Flame, but it's usually not wise to believe those trying to kill you.

Corrine is less worried about seeing her family than Juri is; she has a huge pile of money now and hopes to set them up better.

Arcavius Julia (Juri)
Swashbuckler 5/Duellist 10

Juri's mother was a Hinterlander, her father a minor Thyatian Noble; she is tall and red-haired and very strong, but also very quick. She is not stupid, but she lives the thinking to Corrine, except when Corrine is being stupidly optimistic about human/humanoid/draconic/fiendish nature. She is rather less trusting and rather more pessimistic than Corrine, though she lightens up some when in Corrine's company. She is too aware of the corruption of Thyatian nobility to trust those with money or power too much. She has a very fierce loyalty to Corrine, and tends to try to protect her from herself.

Juri's time in Alphatia cemented her distrust of Alphatians and convinced her to stay away from learning magic, though it doesn't seem to have gone to Corrine's head. It also brought her the weapon she favours: the Orange Rose of Twilight, a fighting fan +3 Axiomatic Sonic Defender. It has an ancient and noble history which Juri was too busy brooding to notice when it was told to her after she killed the assassin carrying it.

Juri is uncertain whether it is wise for them to return to their families...more precisely, whether it is wise for HER to return, as she suspects her family will try to marry her off to someone and she's not interested in living as a pawn in their political games. She'd be content to wander the world so long as they're young enough to enjoy it and tough enough to survive it.

Using Corrine and Juri in your Campaign

Despite their long absence from Karameikos, Corrine and Juri are fairly well known there by reputation, though everyone disagrees on how good this reputation is. They are, however, absent enough not to force you to question why anyone wants the PCs to do anything, instead of getting them to do it. They illustrate both the value and risk of the Shearing--your children may rise to greatness...and never come back.

If you do want to use them up close and personal....

For low-level PCs

For PCs of equivalent level

For PCs of higher level