Baradrad is many things in present day Tairos, and as youngest of three sons in the House of Khafra, Kamose knew all too well that chief among the internal identities of the
Baradradi was that of Expectation. The now deposed immortal once-ruler Zarkhaddos' shadow remains in the memory of Noble families that manage Baradrad and the Expectations that dictate the doings of society ring those haunted concerns quite clearly when one is intimately familiar with the weight they impose. Kamose knew that he was expected to learn a great many things about the magics their people were reviled for, he knew that he would one day expected to serve as factor or even maybe exchequer for his eldest brother in the house of Khafra. He knew that the 'Proper' and, of course, 'Expected' path of these things would send him down a road riddled with intrigue and internecine conflict, in order to maintain House Khafra's status as House within Baradrad, but his restless heart always beat for something else, something glossed over in the stories taught in history classes and not all together different from the Expected, that of the struggle and conflict of Adventure.
His mind well-burdened with this knowledge, Kamose waited and endured. All Baradradi Nobles are well educated, so he applied himself in these schoolings and accepted the gift of Baradrad's instutional instructions and he observed. All Baradradi sons must provide labor of internship in House controlled trade, and so Kamose saw that his tariff station was well managed, well accounted, and appreciated by all those needing his custom as fair and when he could afford it, kind. But finally, the opportunity arose, First and Second born Baradradi Sons are much too valuable to make participate in the business of defense and acquainted with rigors of war. Third born sons and daughters, Kamose knew, would be recalled by their 17th Nameday from any active internship or application elsewhere and must receive the tutelage of combat, so, at long last, Kamose bloomed. Hardly the strongest of Baradradi youths, he grew wise in the way of fighting and though he had yet to show aptitude for the studies of the Eldritch, it was Expected that he would develop that skill before too long in service to Baradrad would pass, his ability to sense the roiling and tainted magicks of Tairos augured that, and other adepts could feel the budding resonance of his soul to their probing dweomers.
Solidering may have had Kamose's loyalty to Baradrad for a lifetime; it was much like his youthful dreams, the days of derring-do in the wide desert and the conflicts with the
Unquiet Dead who sought to gain control of the city filled with living energies. Alas, a simpler path that could have held his attentions for decades was sundered by a chance encounter while stopping in an unrecorded Oasis in the late hours of morning with an easy place to rest his head through the hottest portion of the day. Imbibing the clear and alluring waters of this place crashed over him, filling not his just body, but his spirit with a sense of a different sort of magick like the warmth of an embrace, a flickering of life amidst endless decay of the familiar magicks post
Rebuke thought dauntingly faint. Reflecting on that feeling for the days that followed, Kamose awoke another sense within himself, that one attuned to the natural power of Tairos, but one that connected with a force that was rarely mentioned in accessible texts he spent many nights poring over, that of the
Totem Spirits. This realignment of perspective and his introspective probing and proding soon led to being able to use this power in a manner similar to that which he
had trained for, but in a wholly different axis of action. The magicks of Baradrad were eternally focused on Necromancy, this natural connection lacked familiar definitions or strictures and this new mystery thrilled Kamose just like the adventures he dreamed of.
The joy and exultation from this discovery would be met by another discovery of an opposite bearing; once fully tethered to this nascent power, Kamose's arcane tutors detected its use in Kamose's soldierly activities. He had been secretive, or so he thought, but those young in the ways of magic are never certain of all that is possible. Fearing the likely mortal punishment of possibly having broken the 2nd of the Six Tennants, Kamose made a hasty excuse to depart with his possessions and fled along the Balmoran road North out of the reach of all that he was familiar with. Experimenting with the power of the Totems, he learned to weave this into his skills as a soldier, finding himself capable of landing blows unexpected of a person his stature. Reaching the safety of
Ghal Pelor , Kamose quickly learned that smiles of the non-Baradradi he was familiar with during his time doing customs duties were likely a mask to cover their disdain. On the whole, people were generally gracious to obvious outsiders in the city limits, the persistent taboo history of Baradrad since the
Plague of Undeath and on was a warning that always pass from the mouths of parents to their babes. Learning of the
Frostmerites proxmity to nature by comparison with the indolence of city living, Kamose took a position as a Scout for the next caravan heading north to
Frostmere, in order to learn firsthand if their ways could provide additional perspective on developing further connection to the Totems.
Arriving in the wintry north after an arduous journey, Kamose met a companion that was like looking into a distorted mirror, the monk Toki Fardelver was also touched by a natural resonance with the power of the Totem Spirits and their fast friendship redoubled their efforts to explore this power spoken of only in hushed tones. The Rebuke's effect on Frostmere was of the utmost destruction, here a people who had once lived underneath the tutelage of the totemic wisdom were similarly unable to speak to these once familiar sources of wisdom and guidance. Finding a silver lining to this newly exposed darkness, Kamose and Toki set forth working for two experienced and well known adventurers in the region, Boligherst Rogahn a
Ghal Ankharan rogue and Liesl Zelligar, a Talbotihm worker of magicks though he claimed to have never studied a day in his life but was prone to making declarations that could be interpreted different ways and often voiced peculiar and inscriable superstitions. Boligherst had given Kamose some instruction in the working of locks and the established adventurers had given freely what magicks they wouldn't use, among them a key to a cache far to the west where they said they planned on returning to with some work teams soon, but these factotums would never learn the entire extent of Boligherst's and Liesl's future plans as a magical demonstration by the Talbotihm while carrying out a job request caused a sheet of ice to break loose from it's moorings and claim the elder duo's lives.
Unable to find further work in Frostmere after dealing with the fallout of the carnage from Liesl's carelessness, Kamose and Toki set out to the old edges of
Carda's woods on the far western edge of the continent, bearing the secret key provided by Boligherst. Much had changed since they had erected their hideout in unoccupied lands, specifically springing up of
Ridley's Prospect. Interested by the potential to gain experience in a land abandoned to time, Kamose sets out once again, but this time with a capable companion to discover what is concealed between the ruin and wilderness.
Personality Traits:
Thoughtful and Reflective: Kamose is deeply introspective, often meditating on the choices he has made and the consequences of his actions. His experiences with both life and death magics have given him a unique perspective, but they also leave him doubting his own path at times.
Resilient: Despite leaving behind the life he knew, Kamose pushes forward, determined to forge his own path. His willpower is formidable, and once he sets his mind to something, he pursues it with quiet determination.
Empathetic: Kamose's connection to nature has softened his outlook on life. He feels the pulse of the world around him and often acts as a protector of the living balance.
Reserved: Though capable of deep emotions, Kamose tends to keep his thoughts and feelings to himself, always maintaining a calm, composed exterior, which sometimes makes it difficult for others to connect with him.
Kamose feels a special bond with forested lands. In the quietest of glades, that same glimmer of connection that sparked his awakening to the new energy of nature, experiencing life in its most raw and unfiltered form. The sounds of the wild, the rush of rivers, and the whisper of the trees give him a sense of peace and purpose.
Kamose’s most cherished possession is an ancient amulet passed down through his family, shaped like a coiled serpent. This relic, supposedly imbued with protective death magic, once symbolized his connection to Baradrad's noble necromantic traditions. Now, it serves as a reminder of his past, a piece of his heritage that he cannot fully abandon. Despite rejecting the six tenents, Kamose still carries it with him, knowing that it represents both the power and burden of his lineage.
Kamose’s greatest weakness is his self-doubt. Though he has chosen to walk away from his people and embrace the magic of life, part of him still questions whether he is doing the right thing. This internal conflict sometimes causes him to hesitate at critical moments, as he struggles with the fear that he might never truly escape the pull of his past. His hesitancy to fully commit to one path or the other leaves him vulnerable to being manipulated by others, especially those who seek to control or tempt him back to the necromantic ways of Baradrad, where he fears being regarded a criminal.
