Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax May 22, 2006 10:54:25	I remember someone on these boards writing that Kael Stormseeker (see the City-State of Draj) would be a great character to develop and use in a campaign. I agree heartily and reckon he should not be left skulking in shadows, plotting endlessly to overthrow the current rulers. I reckon we should take him out of the gutter and give the man a plan how to realise his dark desires. But against him stand the templarate, the house of the mind and probably the other defilers like Xaltotec. So how will this poor chap reach his goal? Sounds to me like he needs a few buddies to manipulate, but who would these be? House Tsalaxa might aid him, if they really thought he stood a chance and could give them something in return, but I reckon they have it too cushy under the current system (given it's Free Year 10 or 12) to rock the boat. I had an idea that he might recruit some para-elemental sect to be his heavies, but this doesn't seem plausible as the sea of silt is probably too far off and what would he give them in return? Then I thought of the temple of fire (which I've always debated could be viewed as a para-element, combining radiance or the sun with air). High Priest Imotec is probably satisfied with his number but maybe a good number of his subordinates might see an offer of allegiance by Kael as a means to gain (secular) power and influence within the city, should he succeed...
#2 fnordbear May 22, 2006 10:59:08	Perhaps you could have him start up a sect using the Ur-Priest PRC from complete divine, would be a niffty way for them to regain casting ability and be a credible threat in battle. All kinds of story seens can be brought up from that PRC alone
#3 zombiegleemax May 23, 2006 6:04:05	Perhaps you could have him start up a sect using the Ur-Priest PRC from complete divine Em, not quite sure this fits, Kael, being a defiler, is indepenent of the SKs for his spell-casting ability. I've given this a little extra thought and came up with this idea: Kael Stormseeker lives up to his name and becomes interested in the Cerulean Storm as a source of power. He approaches the now-leaderless cultists in the Temple of Storms (now that Rugar Stormbringer is dead). They are glad at this time to gain an influencial ally and their respect grows for Kael when they realise he has started to somehow communicate with a being within the Cerulean storm (i.e. Tithian). The former king of Tyr secretly provides Kael with much useful information in the hope of bartering his freedom from the storm. Kael learns much about Ur Draxa, the dragon metamorphosis, the Khaisarga and the Dark Lens. There is now much greater possibilty for this character to become a dangerous player in Draji politics, with the cultists and priests of the para-elements of rain looking to him for new leadership and acting as his heavies. This sound any better?
#4 fnordbear May 23, 2006 7:01:55	My mistake, has been forever sense I kept up with setting fiction, I thought him to be a templar. Yes your idea has more merrit.
#5 jon_oracle_of_athas May 25, 2006 4:11:44	Don´t forget Kael Stormseeker reputedly has ties to the Shadows elven network. That opens for a lot of possibilities.
#6 zombiegleemax May 26, 2006 11:16:37	Don´t forget Kael Stormseeker reputedly has ties to the Shadows elven network. Thank you. Good point! I did forget about the Shadows. This could drive project Kael forward nicely. I think I'll explore this idea in tandem with the temple of storms/Tithian link. The shadows could prove him useful in raiding, information gathering and/or assassination. [Shuffles back to the plotting laboratory]
#7 jon_oracle_of_athas May 28, 2006 1:57:00	Kael Stormseeker was originally a PC I ran, so I look forward to seeing the results of your plotting experiments.
#8 zombiegleemax May 30, 2006 6:09:04	Kael Stormseeker was originally a PC I ran. Gulp! That puts a little pressure on! Anyhow, before last weekend's island whiskey festival shattered my memory, I think I was thinking of something along the following ideas: Kael would probably never act directly against Atzetuk, at least not until Kael became the effective ruler of Draj, but would exploit this relationship to help him gain prestige and influence among the leaders of Draji society. At some point there would almost certainly be a confrontation between Kael, the templarate and the House of the Mind. While the moon priests still possess secular power over the people of Draj, without their spellcasting ability they are a toothless tiger. Kael contemplates whether priests of some para-elemental sect loyal to him could replace the templars if they were done away with. The Psions of the House of the Mind are a different story, their power was not tied to the sorcerer-king and their mastery of the way highlights Kael's own lack and perhaps vulnerability to psionics. His most likely move would be to strike the House of the Mind first, using the tools of his trade, a knife from the shadows. 'The night of shadows' would be remembered as a turning point in the history of Draj, when the blades of elven assassins sank deep into the hearts of the leading psions of the Draji House of the Mind. It is rumoured that Kael Stormseeker personally oversaw the demise of Ixtabai the blind... Though power is rarely attained through murder alone, I expect that Kael would use diplomacy to gain allies like those mentioned above, even members of the templarate and the House of the Mind come to number among his informants. Those with the least to lose and the most to gain turn to his aid first and this would eventually avalanche to include the support of a trading house (Tsalaxa perhaps?) and several Draji nobles, who see the writing on the wall and throw in their lot with him. However, something is still missing from the equation, I see how Kael might dispose of the other players in Draji politics and elevate himself to the position of 'trusted consul' of the king. Though in the warrior culture of Draj, some sort of military victory that could be attributed to the Stormseeker, would ensure statis and a connection with the people and warriors of the city. This would be something, that would make him even more difficult to eliminate by the opposition, Kael would have become a hero(!) If I follow this line of thought (and this is where many ideas sink into the choking silt, so I'm still debating this one), the first steps of Kael's rise take place in the wastes of the north, where a few lonely slave tribes are about to become target practise and in turn slave soldiers to swell the ranks of the Draji army in the opening stages of a campaign to engulf much of the northern tablelands. That is unless a small group of PCs can somehow prevent it... I'll try to put these ideas into better order, but any thoughts on what might work and what sounds plausible is appreciated. I'm hoping to tie in some of this plotting with other things I've been working on for the region. Ta!