Ssolei

Ssolei is a good sweet boy who just wants to help. He is originally from Ssiris, and left home because he was bonded with an ancient magical artifact in an accident that killed several other people. He didn't feel like he could comfortably fit in in anymore, and it was generally agreed that the telekinetic powers granted by the artifact would be disruptive to their society. Also, the magic available there wasn't able to really understand the artifact and assess whether it would continue to prove dangerous, or whether it could be safely removed, or even much beyond the basics of what it was capable of. He went to the Adventurer's Guild, as they had made contact with Ssiris previously, and it was thought that theyb might be able to help him understand the artifact and also give him an outlet where he could he of help.

He is a cheerful and helpful person, but feels very overwhelmed by his new life and struggles with how to uphold his values now that he is "working" at a "job" for "money" that he "needs" in order to "afford" to live. He likes his teammates, but finds some of their habits and attitudes very confusing.

Strengths: He is physically quite strong, although he doesn't look it. The artifact grants him pretty powerful telekinetic powers including powerful blasts, fine manipulation of objects, and flight. He is kind and loyal and believes that everyone has something to contribute.

Weaknesses: He doesn't have an automatic respect for people in authority, which can be a problem in more formal settings. The artifact that gives him his powers is poorly understood and may have as-yet unknown complications. Using the powers is draining, and he can't sustain them for very long without resting. As a snake-person, he is not well equipped to deal with cold environments or elemental cold damage. Stairs and ladders were bad before he could fly! He is also inexperienced with advanced technology.

Goals: Figure out what to do with/about the implanted artifact. Previously: eventually, go home. Now: stop the eternal empire :x

Favourite food: May I offer you an egg in these trying times?

Notes on the Artifact

It was originally located in a cave system linked to the previous inhabitants of the Ssiris shard, known only as The Ancients. Ssolei was a a medic for he construction project that originally discovered he system. The exact sequence of events is not precisely known, because his memories are not clear.

• Either some of the scholars went in first and he followed when they appeared to be in distress, or else he went in together with them.
• the others were killed (basically they were thrown violently against the walls of the cave with extreme force, but Ssolei was unharmed.)
• What he remembers seeing is a black rectangle, maybe 1’x2’x1’.
• Other scholars who examined him and the cave afterwards theorize that this may itself have been some kind of containment field/unit/device
• They confirmed that there is *something* physically in him, but it is resistant to magical investigation and attempts at physical investigation have gone poorly for those who have attempted it as it triggers defensive telekinesis whether he is conscious or not
• it resides in three areas: both inner wrists, and at the top of his chest just below the hollow of his throat. These areas are marked by large black scales.
• When he uses his powers, these areas tend to ‘glow’ black, and as he exerts himself, this ‘glow’ will extend further (eg if he is using lots of blasts it will spread down to his hands, if he is using lots of TK it sort of radiates from the area around his upper chest, when he is flying they all radiate dim black 'light').
• As he recovers, it recedes.

According to Dr. Erleynmeyer, it may be composed of some kind of techno- magical nanites from a pre-Ancients "Lost Era" that were scattered across different shards during the Shattering. Finds like this were old and mysterious even in the time of the Ancients. The Nanites(?) seem to be part of a vast and alien group consciousness, and may be seeking others of their kind(?). They have completely fused with Ssolei such that it would be fatal to try and remove them.

He had been having recurring dreams of floating in a starry void connected to something larger than himself, and then becoming disconnected and feeling an overwhelming sense of loss. Sky was able tocomune with the annite consciousness and confirm that there re others - this led them to meeting Argus, who is also fused to a similar artifact, and who is older than the shattereing. He was able to confirm that the artifact was pasrt of a nanotech network that was devised by people during the Lost Era to try and help harness eergy form the sun - this backfired, and instead the network was used to help humanity flee to the realm that was eventually "shattered".

The Incident

• Ssolei was the site medic for a construction project to build a new housing complex along the side of the mountain where his hometown was.
• They discovered a cave during construction, and he accompanied the team of scholars who investigated it
• They started finding evidence of a previous culture known to have inhabited the Shard before the Ssirans
• The cave had a series of chambers, some of which had previously been sealed, but changes to the cave system over time had breached most of them
• One of these partially sealed rooms contained ~The Artifact~
• There is some confusion about the exact sequence of events as Ssolei doesn’t remember clearly
• Either some of the scholars went in first and he followed when they appeared to be in distress, or else he went in together with them.
• The others were killed * basically they were thrown violently against the walls of the cave with extreme force, but Ssolei was unharmed
• What he remembers seeing is a black rectangle, maybe 1’x2’x1’
• Other scholars who examined him and the cave after the Incident theorize that this may itself have been some kind of containment filed/unit/device
• They confirmed that there is *something* physically in him, but it is resistant to magical investigation and attempt at physical investigation have gone poorly for those who have attempted it as it triggers defensive telekinesis whether he is conscious or now
• It resides in three areas: both inner wrists, and at the top of his chest just below the hollow of his throat
• When he uses his powers, these areas tend to ‘glow’ black, and as he exerts himself, this ‘glow’ will extend further (eg if he is using lots of blasts it will spread down to his hands, if he is using lots of TK it sort of radiates from the area around his chest).
• As he recovers, it recedes.
• After Ssiran scholars weren’t able to figure out what was happening or how to remove it, the community met to discuss what to do.
• The consensus that was reached was that it was potentially dangerous, that it would be difficult for Ssolei to live life as a normal community member, and that it was more likely that he would be able to find help from people on another world that might have more complex magic or technology, so it made the most sense for him to leave and try and find answers
• He chose to go on his own because he knew he could use his powers to protect himself to some extent but didn’t want anyone else to get hurt or have to deal with the quasi* exile
• There was an old contact for the Adventurer’s Guild, and they agreed to let him join up with them
• He really does not exactly understand how this all works but he can probably figure it out ;)

Ssiris

• Snake people (Sneeple!)
• Homeworld is called Ssiris - this was an empty shard that was colonized by refugees some time in the past
• Utopian commune, pacifist and isolationist by preference
• Community good is put first, people are expected to contribute based on their ability to do so
• People given space to figure out where they best fit into the community and how they can best contribute
• There’s a lot of flexibility and people can change over time as interests shift
• Schooling tends to be more informal
• Kids are raised communally
• Various relationship structures, but big on consent/consensus
• Magic and ‘academic’ pursuits are seen as valuable, but not more so than other ways of contributing
• No real leaders: people step up when there is something related to their area of expertise, but there is always a lot of community input and discussion
• Individual communities are pretty small, but they work together to coordinate larger projects like roads and such
• People do have personal things, but there is a big emphasis to sharing and making sure everyone has ‘enough’, so there’s not much wealth disparity. A lot of stuff comes down to personal preferences
• Everyone has basic necessities provided for by the community if they can't do for themselves
• Not a lot of crime but when crime happens there is more of a focus on restorative justice than on a punishment model. People are given second chances
• Some currency but people people barter/trade for things including skills
• Past experience show than outsiders can be very disruptive. People tend to move away from places where new shardgates open and actively will close them off.
• Current inhabitants came from a shard populated a much more militant culture of Snake People who had been at war (with each other and others) for a long time. Sirris was the name of one of the organizers who helped people who wanted to leave get away, and who died in the process. A lot of philosophy of the shard is attributed to him and some of the other early founders. He is seen as a culture hero.