CrimsonStar:Daraek

Game: Children of the Crimson Star

Introduction

Daraek (duh-RYE-eck) is a druid in the Dark Sun campaign setting. He is known to have the power to change shape into a swarm of rampaging wasps. As a mul and a Wasteland Nomad, he stands out among the people of Tyr as an outcast. He only finds a place for himself at the inn and tavern of Nordmyra. However, he still meets up with the occasional drunkard accusing him of being a freak or half-breed. Obviously his swarm powers are looked down upon, since it is a magical ability. His true home and ancestral is the badlands of Meng-Rez, where he associates himself with the Engulfer of Meng-Rez, a spirit who embodies the practice of swarm transformation and inhabits the badlands.

Daraek never knew his mother. He was born of a human father, so obviously that would make his mother dwarven. The only thing his father ever told him was, "She was never one to be trusted, and I don't expect much more out of you." When he was young, his father eventually tired of Daraek standing out as a Mul among pure-bred children, finding it an embarrassment to him and ruining possible trade opportunities, and sent him out into the badlands of Meng-Rez with minimal supplies to make a life for himself. Daraek was far from alone, however. The Engulfer guided his steps and kept him safe. Over the next few years, Daraek found himself capable of controlling various natural forces from afar, and eventually discovered his ability to morph into a swarm of wasps. This didn't go well the first couple of tries...Daraek's left leg flew away from him several times, only to return several days later. He doesn't like to talk about this much.

Meeting the Gladiator

Daraek was the first of the campaign party to meet Ka'tho, a thri-kreen former hunter who lost his clutch in an attack, and got lost in the badlands while searching for them. Able to understand thri-kreen because of his own insectoid tendencies, Daraek agreed to help Ka-Tho find the rest of his broodmates. They decided the best way to go about this was for Ka-Tho to become a gladiator, where he'd be able to interact with a variety of people and still technically be a free man. Unfortunately Ka-Tho was killed in a fight, along with Hargrave, while the party was attempting to intercept a shipment and bring it to a member of the nobility.

Daily Happenings

When he's not sitting in Nordmyra's tavern being insulted by the locals, Daraek mainly practices his swarm druid powers alone in the badlands, where he comes across other nomads and traders on the road to Tyr. He hears of many opportunities for profit this way; opportunities that his acquaintances and friends who live exclusively in Tyr may not have knowledge of. This makes Daraek a valuable and profitable friend for Nordmyra, with whom he shares some money both due to the expense of living in her inn and out of respect for her duty as a public servant.

Daraek is sometimes contacted by the wasp spirits of Meng-Rez, through dreams. For some reason Harbek seems to share this oddity.

Important Points

Daraek and Harbek were both called upon in a dream to seek out the Krine of Three, and save them from the dragon's minion's in the shadow of the Red Tower. These turned out to be three black Thri-Kreen; a much different type of Thri-Kreen than those the party had heretofore been familiar with. They were being kept captive by the templars of Kallac. Through a skillful use of Endurance, after the Thri-Kreen had been convinced of the party's motives, Daraek managed to heft one of the creatures onto his back and make it appear as nothing more than a hard black backpack. Harbek and Nordmyra followed suit.

The meaning of these three Thri-Kreen's appearance to the party has yet to be made clear, but for now they are the subject of much curiosity.

Daraek, like the rest of his party members, found himself the bearer of a star-shaped tattoo. It is on his lower left leg. The meaning of this has yet to be determined.

Star Dream

It is day, and yet the sky is the color of blood. You see a young man you recognize as your father arguing with a very pretty Dwarven woman. “I want the girl child!!” he yells at the Dwarven woman, who giggles, “You have the boy…the first of the twins.” “I WANTED THE CHOSEN!!” your father screams. “You asked for the first born,” counters the dwarf. “I NEVER should have expected to trust you!” he spits, and leaves. “Trust never…I expect you and the rest of your pathetic sect to kneel…if not to me, then to our daughter.”

The scene changes. It is a huge battle. A massive phalanx is marching forward. Behind are your own troops, and next to you is Harbek. “Well…let’s give our sister a warm welcome, shall we?” you ask, just before you and Harbek charge into the mass of soldiers. Many fall to Harbeks “Way” and his axe. Many more seem to melt from your swarms.

Your vision turns to a red light from a star that seems to bleed. You wake up with a tattoo.