Kung Fu Gamers

Welcome to Culver

While acquainting yourself with the alleys and markets of the Low City in Culver, you heard from the crowd around you a woman's screech. Spinning about almost instinctively, you saw a finely dressed woman, standing next to an exotic goods cart with her hands at her neck and a look of dismay upon her brow. Investigating further, you found that she, Lady Anya Cobrun, is missing her brooch, a family heirloom that her husband gave her for their wedding. The item is not too valuable but has great sentimental value. Her husband, Sir Westil Cobrum, offered you a nice reward for the return of his Lady's brooch intact.

You go off in search of the culprits, believed to a gang called the Rats, you find that they are known to live in an old inn, abandoned and condemned for now, near the docks in the Low City. Certain that justice is close at hand, you march to the inn, barging in the front door. The bold Dwarf, Butcher shouts his warnings up the decrepit stairway as you fought your way to the leader, holed up in a makeshift throne room on the top floor of the inn. The only justice the Rats see is that of steel and blood. While fighting your way to the top, you found a cryptic scrap of paper that reads (in the Goblin Tongue), "I have spoken with him already and it is ... Sanguat is looking forward to meeting ... and yours, but are you certain that Rat ...".

Seizing an opportunity to create a home base, Kairon took the inn in the name of the party and set about fixing it up and hiring new staff.

A Rude Beginning

For reasons private, each of you made the decision to pursue a life of adventure in and among the strange and distant lands of the Sundered Coast.

For reasons only the fates themselves are privy to, each of your careers were cut rudely short when, as you sought travel to distant lands, you found yourselves shanghied by a Sacarii merchant vessel.  Forced to act as free labor for the rickety ship by the sheer number of Sacarii enforcers present and your own good sense, you waited for the right time to act.  During the time of your captivity you talked amongst yourselves and found each other worthy companions.  The subject of forming your own adventuring group was broached on more than one occasion...of course, there's little adventure in the life of a slavehand aboard a Sacarii merchant ship.

Though none of you had seen a calender in weeks, the violent storms, great Urania hidden under Yaldaboath's dark control, and Aquiline shining bright by Saboath's grace all told you that it was nearing the last of the spring months and the approaching the harvest holiday.  If so, you were captive for nearing 3 weeks.

With your collective thoughts bent toward escape, even when your adventuring spirits seemed most dampened, you each got wind from the crew that land has been spotted and the ship was making a steady course thereto.

But as your hopes brightened, a disturbing rumor spread through the captive quarters.  One man, a young tailor shanghied like the rest of you, claimed to have overheard the captain, a brutal Bahranian man called Farquad Al-Kaleph, suggesting to one of his crew that no slaves would make it to port.  If true, the plank seemed to be the the most likely end to your short-lived high seas adventuring career.

Seeing revolt as your only chance for survival, you biding your time until the right moment came.  Breaking from your cells below deck, you quickly and quietly took the ship, crewman by crewman until you stood face to face with Farquad and his brutal first mate, Sharif.  Having only those arms you could take from the crew, you fought valiently and overcame the slavemasters.

As the ship pulled into port at the great city of Culver, you decided to allow the vile priest of Wastri, Quell Rithsbone to go free, since he was only a passenger and not responsible for your captivity.  The decision was contentious and ultimately not unanimously agreed to.

Coming off your boat, the Wind Charmer, you were met with a most unsavory welcome.  You'd heard much about the great city of Culver and its splendor and being fairly wise-to-the-world you expected some of the tales to be exaggerations...but never did you expect this.

Leaving the docks themselves and making your way down a nameless and shadowy street, you were accosted by all manner of rugged taverns, brothels, gambling dens, and worse.  The night sky carried the sounds of a cacophony of lude and drunken howls.  Before you was a shadowland of flickering torches and blazing lamps.

While only a portion of the city had you seen, it is enough for one evening for adventurers as weary as yourselves.  You hadn't yet the stomach for such lengthy ocean voyages and longed for sleep.  One thing you noticed right away—there are no lack of inns.