This is the Q&A thread for "The Adventures of Kith and the Cat."

This is a "prequel" of sorts to Olan's horror game The Corruption Hidden Beneath the Surface and is intended to be a look back at how Kithran and Ch'dau first met and how they became a "team." As an added bonus, we've convinced Reralae to join us along the way, too, so we'll be getting a look at what was going on with her Bladesinger, Aranwen, before the events of Hidden Corruption. So, the cast so far is:

• Breebles as Kithran Aldeath - a half-Sylvari rogue
• Reralae as Aranwen Galandel - A Sylvari Bladesinger
• And, yours truly as Kh'ur Ch'dau - A Kazari Mercenary

Anyone is free to post here in the Q&A but the game is locked down to authorized players only. If you have a character that you'd like to throw into the mix, hit us up in this thread or send me a PM and, if we can fit you in, we'll be happy to have you join us.

Edit: Please note that this game is rated "M" for language and themes.

Rated M for Magestic!

So psyched for this! I've been waiting a for us to get our butts in order ^__^

Looking very forward to exploring these characters and fleshing out how they might have come together! 

Quite the setup here, a very dangerous cultist, an ongoing ritual... a captive warrior

An extra shadow that no one noticed

Hard not to feel the future Aranwen's anger at this situation, wishing she were there to lend her aid.

As for the past Aranwen... Well, I'll have to decide whether the story I've thought of is yet to happen, or has already happened...

Yup! I'm excited to see what Ch'dau's Khatun-to-be was up to in these earlier days. Going to be away for the afternoon but if anyone has questions or whatnot, I'll check in and do my best to answer in a timely fashion.

Man, I'm in the company of some titan writers. Feeling really inspired over here

I'm stupid busy most of the day, but I'll be thinking about our story the entire time. I'm itching to get in there!

That... was a BEAUTIFUL post, Reralae!   

Now, I'm really glad I didn't hesitate launching this any longer than I did! Very excited to read the first Kith post!!!

Adedra Undolithe - This is the "witch" who has Ch'dau in chains at the beginining of this adventure (and, possibly, something of a recurring villain for, at least, the first part of this adventure). She's a fairly powerful necromancer with hopes of challenging Amer Loch for rule of Sendria. Her capture of Ch'dau was fortuitous, given the proximity of "The Burning" and her plans are to sacrifice the exotic warrior on the eve of D'hurgen's festival, in hopes that the kazari blood will be enough enticement that the death god will grant her the power she seeks to challenge if not overthrow the current "high and mighty" of these dark lands.

She is a slight woman, aged beyond her years but still appearing vital in a sickly sort of way. She is almost skeletally thin, her skin is pale, the hue of curdled milk, and her eyes are the sickly yellow of a late autumn moon. Her hair is dark and thin, streaked, here and there with silver, and she wears gowns to complement the hues, with high, spiked collars and frilly cuffs of lace.

Tecla - Adedre's favored attendant and budding protege. She is a young girl, perhaps 16 summers old or so, and appears to be human with auburn hair, muddy green eyes, full lips, and the nubile figure of a girl just coming into full womanhood. These features are rarely glimpsed, however, as, she is rarely ever seen without the bone and leather mask and shapeless black hooded robes worn by all of Adedre's girls.

Saeriel Galandel - A Sylvari seer and artist turned Bladesinger. Not as skilled with a blade as her brush and paints, but her bladework and song is still beautiful in its own right.

Ascinar Driol: One of a few notable members of the slave trade in Sendria, Ascinar Driol is a human man who has basked in the excess of the riches he has procured through his trade. Always showing off his wealth through his attire and jewels, the man of 50 some years has greyed and balded, though his beard has managed to stay in spite of his years. Not particularly fit, nor tall, the man stands at 5'6", though he makes certain to always sit above those he invites as his guests. Though he may personally lack any particular talents beyond those skills of a bronze pinching merchant, his coin is able to secure the assistance of many formidable guards in his keep at Dravnor.

Morgana: A dangerous assassin of whom little is known. No one has ever reported meeting the witch, or sorceress of whatever ply of magic she wields, in person. Only her masks are known, black as pitch, embedded with a deep red jewel in the forehead, and wearing bright red lips. It is said that those who don the masks will die, though this rumour has never been reliably proven. Reputable to be both expensive and effective, her price for service is a life in return for the life she takes; a body and soul she may take for gods know what purpose. But not just any will do; it must be a healthy body and a soul with a defiant will still in it. She is also known as the Puppeteer, for the wooden manniquins that her masks wear in both meeting with a prospective client, and killing her target. However, it is also rumoured that the Puppeteer can make use of many other kinds of puppets in her work...

Now I'll need to think of additional npcs that may pose some additional problems...

We are in Sendria after all... 

Problems everywhere in Sendria

Since I've already mentioned "The Burning" and it's proximity in game, I suppose I should also point out that that puts the start of our game (not including Ara's "flashbacks") at the start of Fall on Antaron. Creeping up on the end of the 8th month of the Ethrynian calendar year, in fact.

Here's a link to that calendar and some of the more important/notable dates/festivals for your reference. The Ehtrynian Calendar

Description

When looked upon by human eyes (or even those of Sylvari and Khord), Kh’ur Ch’dau is certainly easy to call a monster. Standing at a height above six feet and heavily muscled enough that his weight is often debated, the Kazari appears every inch a humanoid tiger, teeth, claws, tail and all. His powerful frame is covered in a thick coat of silvery-grey fur that, in certain lights, can appear almost white save for the streaks and stripes of black that run through it. His blue-green eyes are large with slitted pupils and, were it not for his fangs and whiskers, might be the first things one would notice should they gaze upon his distinctly feline features. His broad torso is criss-crossed by a pair of wide, leather bandoliers, studded with steel and bone in which his curious, sickle shaped sabers (called falcata) are sheathed when not being employed with deadly effect by the Capashan Cat. Belted about his hips is a distinctly kazari garment called a dak’tar; essentially a skirt of leather strips, studded much like the bandoliers, that serves to protect the upper legs and allows his long, lashing tail to remain free. The kazari’s powerful forearms, too, are wrapped in bracers of the same bone-studded leather as the rest of his garb but, beyond these items, Ch’dau wears no true armor to speak of (though it appears not to trouble him even when faced with battle). There are no gloves on his clawed hands and no boots covering his cat-like feet (or should they be called paws?). Truly Ch’dau’s appearance alone is enough to strike fear in the hearts of any human, elf, or dwarf who might face him.

(I'm estimating height at around 6'6" and weight easily in the neighborhood of 300-350 lbs)

History

Rumor, myth, and legend abound all across Antaron and, as those sorts of things are wont to do, they all flourish or fade with time. Those that fade often do so in absence of substantial proof or even strength of belief, causing the tale to spread only so far and be believed for only so long before the legend withers. The legend of the Silver Cat of Coria is not one of those. In fact, since its first utterance, years ago, as little more than rumor that the Silver Wyvern Company had a Kazari among it’s ranks, the veracity of the tale has only grown and, recently, The Silver Cat has actually been named in first-hand tales told by known members of the Wyverns themselves.

The precise circumstances of how Ku’hr Ch’dau (or simply Ch’dau, if you prefer) came to Antaron from Capasha have yet to be told, but it is known that he was found, near death, on the beaches of Iirlastor Bay along the southern coast of Coria by a contingent of Silver Wyvern mercenaries. Many in the troupe, having never encountered, let alone seen, a Kazari in their lives wanted to “finish what the sea started and put the monster out of it’s misery.” The group’s leader, Roddric Cliff, knew a bit more about the cat-folk of Capasha than his underlings and took the discovery of this rare creature as equal parts omen and opportunity. Cliff and company relieved the comatose cat-man of the curious blades he carried, bound him (for his safety and theirs), and made their way back to the guild hall in Calestra to present their find to Lord Captain Aliex Unthar. The Lord Captain, himself having heard more than a few tales of the cat-folk and their battle prowess, was fascinated by the Kazari but, also, more than a bit wary of the savage looking beast...

 Would it even speak a language they could understand? Would it even bother to speak when and if it awoke or, rather, would it come unhinged and try to tear it’s way through his men the moment it’s eyes opened?

…Again, at the behest of Roddric Cliff, the Lord Captain was convinced to keep the Kazari safe and to see to it that the beast was nursed back to health. “They are not only fierce, my Captain, but honorable, as well,” Cliff had explained to Unthar, “The creature’s arrival on our shores was surely no doing of his own and, should he return to health under our care, I’m willing to guarantee that his honor will find him indebted to us rather than wishing us ill.” Given the trusted counsel of Roddric and his other lieutenants, Unthar conceded and the Kazari was, in fact, restored to health by the Wyvern’s clerics and healers.

The first weeks following Ch’dau’s recovery were difficult in that there was a clashing of cultures and, of course, the language barrier previously worried on by Unthar. However, the cat was quick to learn, it seemed, and was speaking broken Apanonese in a very short time. Also, the violence that the Lord Captain had feared never came in the way he had imagined it might; instead, “The Silver Cat” seemed relieved and honored to have awoken in the company of warriors (in spite of their strange, monkey faces). Once the language barrier had been breached and a modicum of familiarity (if not complete trust) had been established between Ch’dau and Roddric, the pair delved into deeper discussion and what some might have even called negotiations.

The big cat was scarcely on his feet, again before asking… no, demanding… that his weapons be returned and that he be released so that he might find his way home. Upon securing an oath from Ch’dau that they’d not be used against any of the Wyverns’ men, Cliff was happy to return the Kazari’s exotic blades and even engaged in some sparring sessions with the cat-man by way of alleviating some of the creature’s boredom and frustration. The cat’s other request, though, was far more difficult to fulfill. Cliff found himself struggling to explain why it wasn’t possible for them to provide a way back to Capasha from the shores of Antaron and, on more than one occasion, took Ch’dau to the shores where he had been found to point out the storm wracked Titans Walk on the far horizon, explaining that, for all the people of Antaron knew, the imposing stretch of reefs, were impassable if not deadly to any ship that might be available. The disappointment and frustration that Ch’dau felt once he came to understand the futility of trying to cross the reefs became an almost palpable thing and it became clear to Roddric that, should the Kazari’s dejection be allowed to fester without hope, things could quickly get much worse for all of them. So it was that, after some discussion with the Lord Captain and his counsel of Lieutenants, Roddric crafted a deal with the big cat… If Ch’dau would stay and serve with the Wyverns, the mercenary company would use whatever resources it could to discover a way to return the Kazari to his home and people.

With the bargain struck, the legend of The Silver Cat of Coria was truly seeded and began to take root outside the confines of the Wyverns’ garrisons. Tales of a fierce tiger that walked and talked like a man but fought with the savagery of a beast spread quickly beyond the borders of Coria in those first months Ch’dau served with the Wyverns, bolstering the roots of the legend and causing it to flourish, quickly enough, throughout the Five Kingdoms in the months and years that followed. There were few who had faced the Kazari on the fields of battle who survived to relate first-hand accounts, of course, but there had been plenty of tales from witnesses of those battles to elevate the rumors from the level of fairytale to worriedly whispered concern about a monster in the ranks of the Silver Wyvern Company. In time, the stories were given enough credence that those who faced the Wyverns saw desertions from their forces increase at just the prospect of having to face The Silver Cat of Coria in combat. Even those that contracted the Wyvern’s found themselves uneasy at the prospect of a monster in their midst and, in whatever garrison Ch’dau served, people kept their families and livestock far from the mercenary outpost, making sure that they properly secured against being eaten by the “savage beast” despite the fact that the Kazari was fighting at their behest.

Young Aranwen: The first thing that often draws an onlooker's attention is Aranwen's eyes. Her bright, golden eyes seem to sparkle in the morning sunlight. Her long, oak brown hair is often braided into a crown that trails down her back, contrasting the verdant robe she wears. At 5'10, she is roughly average height for a Sylvari, and still fairly slender in build despite her efforts. Her pale skin is commonly marked with bruises received from excessive training, and her natural grace is often marred by a limp from some injury she is too stubborn to wait to heal.

Saeriel: Years involved in various studies have given Saeriel a bookish atmosphere about her. Yet, even if she carries herself like a librarian, the long, flowing locks of her autumn red hair gives her almost an ethereal glow in contrast with the verdant robe that is common garb for all occupants of Megilindar Nost. At 5'8, she is short for a Sylvari, but her good posture consistently makes her seem taller than she is. Her violet eyes are often distant, as she is easily distracted in thought, but when she is focused, they have a piercing intensity to them befitting her fiery hair.

Present Aranwen: The near two centuries she has lived through have made themselves known on the battle hardened Aranwen. Her hair is not as well kept as many other Sylvari; it is roughly cut to shoulder length and presents a slight curl, while almost haphazardly cut short in front. She exudes an almost rugged beauty to her between her wild, oaken hair, her build, muscular for a Sylvari but with their characteristic grace, and the many scars of battle visible on her pale skin upon closer examination. The armour she wears is made up of bands and plates of leather, woven together and intertwined in a vine and leaf like pattern, matching her verdant cloak. At her side is a single weapon, a sword sheathed in wood at her hip. When drawn, the blade is visible as a beautiful steel with an almost liquid-like texture upon it, a straight sword with the barest hint of a curve along one side of the blade. The guard is a study cross guard, with Sylvari leaf designs etched into the metal, the handle wooden and carved like bark, and the pommel shaped like the seedling of a great tree, with emerald embedded into the core. Aranwen's eyes are a more muted gold, deceptively deep when looked into, a mere reflection into the number of years they've seen.

Got some ideas for a post from Adedra's POV... Watching TWD, now, but may have someone worth posting tomorrow. 

That's my kind of woman! Tee hee

Alright, I'm finally home, finally finished running my friends through a one-shot, and I am just getting to the part where Kith finds our cat man! I apologize for the delay and have greatly enjoyed all of the posts so far. Hers will be up soon!

...It's not like we have a schedule!

Apologies for the creep-factor of that last post but I figure that Adedre ain't quite right and that about sums it up... If I'm wrong, let me know.