Fevered Dreams

Game Master JonGarrett

For every wizard, orc, goblin or eldritch horror that dwells in or around the town of Fever there's at least three normal human beings going about their normal lives blissfully unaware of the Other Side. For the most part residents of fever usually grow up, get out of town, and after either some education or soul searching they either continue new lives elsewhere or return to their roots.

Thomas Cooper was one such person. He was not particularly remarkable in that he was captain of the football team or graduated valedictorian. What he did have was good grades, a strong sense of duty, and a long family history of military service.

Thinking back his time in Fever before joining the army were some of the least impactful things in his life. His father leaving his mother and disappearing, his high school sweetheart getting caught cheating on him the night before his deployment to Afghanistan. These things were incredibly small compared to the large important stuff he worked and trained to do once he left the town.

Joining the army, getting into special forces, getting deployed to a dangerous area to teach farmers how to keep out Taliban and make money off of something other than poppy fields. Those things felt important, felt impactful, and indeed the experience from doing those things helped Thomas greatly in the future. Yet, those events were merely shifting grains on the vast desert of destiny.

The turning point for Thomas Cooper where he would go from another uncelebrated hero in the long and storied history of the green berets to one of the stranger denizens of Fever came when he and his platoon were riding through a narrow pass in the mountains off the northern border of Pakistan trekking from one village to another to check on their progress and help them clear out the surrounding hills of dangerous bandits

To this day he doesn't know whether the men waiting in the rocks were Taliban, Al Qaeda or some other group looking to prey on travelers. What he does remember is that there was an off feeling about the pass long before they entered it and that his instincts told him there was something in it that was way worse than the men who ambushed and slaughtered the whole platoon. He also remembers the smell of blood, burning flesh and an inexorable pull away from the place when the smoke cleared. He was eventually found by farmers wandering out of the pass who tended to his wounds as best they were able before they passed him on to army medics who were frankly surprised that he was alive, let alone walking.

What they considered a medical miracle had a far simpler reason behind it and turned out to only be the start of Thomas's troubles.

Because while fever is an odd place that draws back in the souls that leave it the pass was a terrible place where thousands had died over the ages from Roman and Chinese legionnaires crossing it to guard the pass, to British and Indian soldiers retreating through it to safety, to Russian pilots scanning the pass for hostiles, many had fallen to feed whatever dark horrors lived beneath those mountains. Thomas could have quite easily had become one of those souls, if whatever power made Fever what it was did not draw him out.

Background:

Spy, Thief, Hacker, Negotiator, Arbitrator, Messenger. These are some of the roles Amon has taken on. Often for those that can not turn to the law of the land or have little use for it. A denizen of the underworld Amon holds a strange position. Their is no such thing as trust in that world, yet their is a sense of honor or code. Amon can be counted on to play his role and never betray his contract. As always the trick is in the contract made.

In the other world he holds a similar position. Only he specializes in running interference for his clients. Using his power over darkness to cover escapes, pin down pursuers, or hide their actions. In both he is seen as mercenary with little regard to his clients, he does no more and no less then agreed to. Yet he always keeps his jobs self contained from the others, refusing to reveal secrets to other parties. As such he is seen as a tool by most, not worth their anger when it can simply be used in turn to their benefit.

Few would suspect that it was not always so for Amon. For he was a Strom, a true bearer of that name. Amon was born in Alaska during his parents visit to that branch of the family in the dead of winter. As such he did not see the sun for over a month before they left for New York in America. Much of his youth was spent the same way, traveling from one branch of the family to another through out the world.

The Stroms were an ancient and expanded family that valued ability above all. Having long ago seeded themselves into nobility and wealth. They had not restricted themselves in the slightest in their pursuits of influence and power, often taking in anything that could add to their family. Originally made up of humans, they long ago became something more with their selective breeding practices, magical meddling, and preference for different races. Prizing ability above all also gave rise to competition in everything among themselves. Positions were given based only on merit, birth or bloodline meant nothing with in the family. Which often made alliances and enemies with in the family as important as those outside it.

Such was what Amon was born into and expected to be. Mostly children were spared the burden of their ways until they came of age. A family rule that was enforced by the head and every predecessor before them. Such was wasted on Amon as his age did not match his intelligence and ability to understand. He knew what his family was long before his coming of age and he wanted no part of it. Aware of his eventual fate and the sometimes bloody nature of it, he played the spoiled and foolish child he was not. Bidding his time as he absorbed much of the lessons both given and taken. Suppressing his growing intelligence became more difficult with every year until he came up with the balancing act of playing a fool with a knack for absorbing information. In sort, spew arrogance at his own superior intellect while appearing to focus only on improving it. For cunning was both valued and feared among his family then raw intelligence.

Then came the coming of age ceremony, he had seen it before. It was some sort of ritualistic affair with alot of symbolism and little else. So he thought until at the climax from with in one of his own shadows Katherine appeared before the assembled family. Not simply a surprise but a massive draw of attention Amon knew no good would come of it. A week later he convinced his parents to let him go on a trip to china as a gift after coming of age. With in a week of arriving he disappeared. Successfully evading his guards.

Ever sense he has been constantly traveling and avoiding places where the Strom's have forces. No doubt they are aware of him but for the most part wayward Amon is left alone aside from the odd effort to find or contact him.

After years of traveling he started looking for a home or at least to set up a nice base. He found his way to Fever, it had the right mix of what he was looking for. Not the least of which was an utter lack of his families influence. He would make it his new home and build a solid reputation of his own.

Personality:

Primary Motivator: Understanding. Amon seeks out information in many forms. After all it is through the collection of information that people grow and the world changes. As such if he intends to grow or change the world then understanding is at the foundation of that.

Emotional Disposition: Curious. A deep part of his nature Amon is curious of nearly all things he has not encountered before. Sometimes more then is healthy or good for him.

Moodiness: Even tempered. Amon has spent a life time guarding his emotions and playing the various parts expected of him. Giving him a overdeveloped sense of control on his emotions. Granted they do creep into his actions and decisions which he only realizes after the fact.

Outlook: Pessimistic. While he does have hope that people and the world will change for the better deep down. Experience has often gone against him. People disappoint and take the easy way instead of the right way too many times. The fact that he often deals with the less noble types only enforces this.

Integrity: Unscrupulous. Amon by his very nature is deceitful, manipulative, and a lair. He always takes advantage of any and all situations that he can. Despite this he does have a sense of fairness and certain lines he does not cross. But even then he hides these behind lies and deceptions so that no one is ever really sure.

Impulsiveness: Controlled. Amon has a very strong sense of control to the point of being second nature. His mind ever sharp and quick always has considerations or plans to call upon. Even his seeming whims have a reason behind them in his own head.

Boldness: Cautious. Ever the planner Amon seeks information at every chance. Choosing the most efficient course of action. Adopting a maximum outcome with minimum effort mentality. For he is primarily a manipulator and deceiver not an open fighter.

Agreeableness: Agreeable. Amon tends to go with the flow. Unless he is dismissed, insulted, or bullied he see's little point to such conflict.

Interactivity: Engaging. Highly inquisitive about nearly everything he can not satisfy his nature with observations alone. Coupled with his expertise with conversing and minipulation he often interacts with others to keep the stream of information coming in.

Conformity: Conventional. In his everyday life and family functions Amon is very much traditional and "normal" for the times and culture. Still he uses little hints here and there to denote his own sense of personal taste. Considering all he knows and has seen, he has almost no sense of judgement in him concerning most matters involving others.

Sense of Humor: Prankster. Amon on occasion gets in the mood to play tricks on others, almost always harmless. While working or during combat he does sometimes pull more deadly tricks on his opponents, choosing amusement over hate and anger in such things. Considering it a small mercy as opposed to cold or hateful death.

Education: High. With his families resources and his own abilities coupled with his long life. Amon has earned multiple degrees in economics, international relations, biology, and programming. As well as taking lessons and classes in private less publicly known subjects such as spellcraft and magical artifacts.

Finances: Sense his self imposed exile and subsequent cutting off of the family fortune. Amon has been getting by fairly well but would not be considered rich. The nature of his work demands a good deal of investment as well as dry spells. As such when he does get a big pay day he must moderate and save less he find himself short on funds.

Hobbies: A student of the world Amon is endlessly jumping from one subject to another. Still he has a few life long pursuits. As fascinated as he is with his own world he is just as interested with other realms, mainly other planes of existence and their inhabitants. A scholar of magical knowledge he hungers to always know more about it and it's related subjects. Finally while very much interested in the other, he still does wonder at modern technology as well as it's advancements. As such he tends to keep up with the lastest developments.

Romantic History: Many to varying degrees. As early as his preteen years his family parties were as much for the children to seek perspective matches as for the adults. As he grew so did his encounters, yet none were very serious on his end.

Sexuality: Amon is heterosexual, admittedly curious but with no need to experiment. Somethings will always remain a mystery and he accepts it. Currently one could say he is involved with Katherine as they tend to share more then one sort of bond. Yet he retains the freedom from himself and Katherine to seek those that he pleases. Only more often then not his suspicions get the better of him concerning the motives of others, causing him to remain largely faithful.

Technology: Amon is an expert at making use of modern technology, often using it as needed in his work. He owns a smartphone and advanced notebook that he tends to keep on him at all times, customized and secured for his use.

Amon Strom
Appearance - Working Outfit
Male Inveigler Emberkin Incanter 5
N Medium Outsider (native)
Init +4; Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11
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DEFENSIVE
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AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+3 Dex, +1 Def, +3 AC)
hp 22 (5d6)
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +7 (+1 vs Charm/Fear effects)
Resist acid 5, cold 5, electricity 5
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OFFENSIVE
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee Destructive Blast +2 (3d6/x2)
Ranged Destructive Blast +5 (3d6/x2)
Special Attacks Destructive Blast (35 ft.)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +12)
1/day—pyrotechnics
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STATISTICS
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Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 24, Wis 12, Cha 16
Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 15
Traits Old Family, Silent Hunter, Fast Talker, Illuminator, Student of Philosophy, Dangerously Curious, Pragmatic Activator, Seeker
Drawbacks Easy Target, Frail
Feats Improved Feint, Persuasive, Breadth of Experience, Additional Traits, Spellcrafting, Extra Magical Talent, Extra Magical Talent, Extra Magical Talent
Skills Appraise +15, Bluff +25, Diplomacy +28, Knowledge (Arcana) +17, Knowledge (Engineering) +9, Knowledge (Geography) +9, Knowledge (History) +9, Knowledge (Local) +9, Knowledge (Nature) +17, Knowledge (Planes) +19, Knowledge (Religion) +9, Knowledge (Technology) +18, Linguistics +15, Perception +11, Sleight of Hand +7, Spellcraft +17, Stealth +13, Use Magic Device +16
Languages Common, Celestial, Draconic, Dwarvan, Elven, Gnome, Sylvan, Aklo, Abyssal, Infernal, Latin, Chinese, Spanish, Japanese
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MAGIC
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Spell Pool 12
Caster Level 5th
Spheres Conjuration (Greater Summoning, Form Talent), Dark (Clearsight, Darkvision, Greater Darkness, Hungry Darkness, Lingering Darkness, Pure Darkness), Destruction, Illusion (Invisibility), Warp (Extrademinsional Storage, Unseeing Teleport)
Drawbacks Emotional Casting, Focus Casting, Elongated Summoning, Personal Warp, Disappearance,
Boons Easy Focus
Companions Katherine (Medium biped, Lingering Companion, Transformative)
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SPECIAL ABILITIES
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Charming Falsehood- Once per day, an inveigler can tell a lie so convincing that it enchants a single creature that hears it. The inveigler need not be able to see the target of its lie or have line of effect to it, but if the target cannot hear the lie, this use of the ability is wasted. The lie must be one that would cause the target to view the inveigler as a trusted friend or that would make it likely to follow the inveigler’s orders, but it can be as outlandish as the inveigler wishes. If the target hears the lie, it must attempt a Sense Motive check opposed by the inveigler’s Bluff check. A creature that fails this check by less than 5 is affected as though by the charm monster spell (caster level equals inveigler’s character level). Failure by 5 or more means the inveigler has dominated the target as though using the dominate monster spell (caster level equals inveigler’s character level). Charming falsehood is a sonic, mind-affecting charm effect.
Hidden Enchantment- When the inveigler uses any effect or spell that mimics charm monster, dominate monster, or any similar effect, spells such as detect magic cannot detect the effect. Furthermore, any Sense Motive check made to determine the influence over the target takes a –15 penalty. True seeing and other magic that reveals magical effects or determines the truth of the situation work normally.
Taken to the Grave- When speak with dead is used on the corpse or head of an inveigler, it tells nothing but lies. Only a wish or miracle spell used to mimic speak with dead can pry the truth from the dead body of an inveigler.
Truth be Told- Magic used to determine whether an inveigler is telling the truth reveals its lies only if the inveigler would wish its words to be construed as a lie. This ability affects even spells such as detect lie, zone of truth, and more powerful spells such as wish or miracle. Other creatures that are asked about the truth of what an inveigler says can represent the truth normally, so spells such as commune can allow characters to discover the truth, provided the creatures interviewed are privy to that truth.
Undetectable Nature- Magical effects used to determine an inveigler’s alignment or true form automatically reveal it to be the same as that of the creature doing the detecting. If the inveigler is aware of the attempt, it can cause the magic to reveal any alignment it chooses. This ability also protects the inveigler from spells that detect only certain alignment components, such as detect evil. It defeats even true seeing, but a wish or miracle spell used to learn about the inveigler (even by mimicking a lesser spell) reveals the truth.
Undetectable Thoughts- Whenever a creature attempts to detect the inveigler’s thoughts (with a detect thoughts spell, for example), the inveigler is immediately aware of the attempt and can cause the effect to reveal any thoughts it chooses. A wish or miracle spell used to mimic detect thoughts or a similar effect reveals the inveigler’s true thoughts.
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GEAR
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Business Outfit
+1 Hidden Vest
+2 Cane of Darkness
Smart Phone
Upgraded Notebook
Tattoo (Back of Neck)
Tattoo (Upper Back)
Tattoo (Right Shoulder)
Tattoo (Left Shoulder)
Tattoo (Right Leg)
Sleeves of Many Garments
Cracked Dark Blue Rhomboid Ioun Stone
Cracked Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone
Cracked Mulberry Pentacle Ioun Stone
Cracked Pale Ruby Trillian Ioun Stone
Wand of Cure Light Wounds

200

Background:

Spy, Thief, Hacker, Negotiator, Arbitrator, Messenger. These are some of the roles Amon has taken on. Often for those that can not turn to the law of the land or have little use for it. A denizen of the underworld Amon holds a strange position. Their is no such thing as trust in that world, yet their is a sense of honor or code. Amon can be counted on to play his role and never betray his contract. As always the trick is in the contract made.

In the other world he holds a similar position. Only he specializes in running interference for his clients. Using his power over darkness to cover escapes, pin down pursuers, or hide their actions. In both he is seen as mercenary with little regard to his clients, he does no more and no less then agreed to. Yet he always keeps his jobs self contained from the others, refusing to reveal secrets to other parties. As such he is seen as a tool by most, not worth their anger when it can simply be used in turn to their benefit.

Few would suspect that it was not always so for Amon. For he was a Strom, a true bearer of that name. Amon was born in Alaska during his parents visit to that branch of the family in the dead of winter. As such he did not see the sun for over a month before they left for New York in America. Much of his youth was spent the same way, traveling from one branch of the family to another through out the world.

The Stroms were an ancient and expanded family that valued ability above all. Having long ago seeded themselves into nobility and wealth. They had not restricted themselves in the slightest in their pursuits of influence and power, often taking in anything that could add to their family. Originally made up of humans, they long ago became something more with their selective breeding practices, magical meddling, and preference for different races. Prizing ability above all also gave rise to competition in everything among themselves. Positions were given based only on merit, birth or bloodline meant nothing with in the family. Which often made alliances and enemies with in the family as important as those outside it.

Such was what Amon was born into and expected to be. Mostly children were spared the burden of their ways until they came of age. A family rule that was enforced by the head and every predecessor before them. Such was wasted on Amon as his age did not match his intelligence and ability to understand. He knew what his family was long before his coming of age and he wanted no part of it. Aware of his eventual fate and the sometimes bloody nature of it, he played the spoiled and foolish child he was not. Bidding his time as he absorbed much of the lessons both given and taken. Suppressing his growing intelligence became more difficult with every year until he came up with the balancing act of playing a fool with a knack for absorbing information. In sort, spew arrogance at his own superior intellect while appearing to focus only on improving it. For cunning was both valued and feared among his family then raw intelligence.

Then came the coming of age ceremony, he had seen it before. It was some sort of ritualistic affair with alot of symbolism and little else. So he thought until at the climax from with in one of his own shadows Katherine appeared before the assembled family. Not simply a surprise but a massive draw of attention Amon knew no good would come of it. A week later he convinced his parents to let him go on a trip to china as a gift after coming of age. With in a week of arriving he disappeared. Successfully evading his guards.

Ever sense he has been constantly traveling and avoiding places where the Strom's have forces. No doubt they are aware of him but for the most part wayward Amon is left alone aside from the odd effort to find or contact him.

After years of traveling he started looking for a home or at least to set up a nice base. He found his way to Fever, it had the right mix of what he was looking for. Not the least of which was an utter lack of his families influence. He would make it his new home and build a solid reputation of his own.

Personality:

Primary Motivator: Understanding. Amon seeks out information in many forms. After all it is through the collection of information that people grow and the world changes. As such if he intends to grow or change the world then understanding is at the foundation of that.

Emotional Disposition: Curious. A deep part of his nature Amon is curious of nearly all things he has not encountered before. Sometimes more then is healthy or good for him.

Moodiness: Even tempered. Amon has spent a life time guarding his emotions and playing the various parts expected of him. Giving him a overdeveloped sense of control on his emotions. Granted they do creep into his actions and decisions which he only realizes after the fact.

Outlook: Pessimistic. While he does have hope that people and the world will change for the better deep down. Experience has often gone against him. People disappoint and take the easy way instead of the right way too many times. The fact that he often deals with the less noble types only enforces this.

Integrity: Unscrupulous. Amon by his very nature is deceitful, manipulative, and a lair. He always takes advantage of any and all situations that he can. Despite this he does have a sense of fairness and certain lines he does not cross. But even then he hides these behind lies and deceptions so that no one is ever really sure.

Impulsiveness: Controlled. Amon has a very strong sense of control to the point of being second nature. His mind ever sharp and quick always has considerations or plans to call upon. Even his seeming whims have a reason behind them in his own head.

Boldness: Cautious. Ever the planner Amon seeks information at every chance. Choosing the most efficient course of action. Adopting a maximum outcome with minimum effort mentality. For he is primarily a manipulator and deceiver not an open fighter.

Agreeableness: Agreeable. Amon tends to go with the flow. Unless he is dismissed, insulted, or bullied he see's little point to such conflict.

Interactivity: Engaging. Highly inquisitive about nearly everything he can not satisfy his nature with observations alone. Coupled with his expertise with conversing and minipulation he often interacts with others to keep the stream of information coming in.

Conformity: Conventional. In his everyday life and family functions Amon is very much traditional and "normal" for the times and culture. Still he uses little hints here and there to denote his own sense of personal taste. Considering all he knows and has seen, he has almost no sense of judgement in him concerning most matters involving others.

Sense of Humor: Prankster. Amon on occasion gets in the mood to play tricks on others, almost always harmless. While working or during combat he does sometimes pull more deadly tricks on his opponents, choosing amusement over hate and anger in such things. Considering it a small mercy as opposed to cold or hateful death.

Education: High. With his families resources and his own abilities coupled with his long life. Amon has earned multiple degrees in economics, international relations, biology, and programming. As well as taking lessons and classes in private less publicly known subjects such as spellcraft and magical artifacts.

Finances: Sense his self imposed exile and subsequent cutting off of the family fortune. Amon has been getting by fairly well but would not be considered rich. The nature of his work demands a good deal of investment as well as dry spells. As such when he does get a big pay day he must moderate and save less he find himself short on funds.

Hobbies: A student of the world Amon is endlessly jumping from one subject to another. Still he has a few life long pursuits. As fascinated as he is with his own world he is just as interested with other realms, mainly other planes of existence and their inhabitants. A scholar of magical knowledge he hungers to always know more about it and it's related subjects. Finally while very much interested in the other, he still does wonder at modern technology as well as it's advancements. As such he tends to keep up with the lastest developments.

Romantic History: Many to varying degrees. As early as his preteen years his family parties were as much for the children to seek perspective matches as for the adults. As he grew so did his encounters, yet none were very serious on his end.

Sexuality: Amon is heterosexual, admittedly curious but with no need to experiment. Somethings will always remain a mystery and he accepts it. Currently one could say he is involved with Katherine as they tend to share more then one sort of bond. Yet he retains the freedom from himself and Katherine to seek those that he pleases. Only more often then not his suspicions get the better of him concerning the motives of others, causing him to remain largely faithful.

Technology: Amon is an expert at making use of modern technology, often using it as needed in his work. He owns a smartphone and advanced notebook that he tends to keep on him at all times, customized and secured for his use.

For every wizard, orc, goblin or eldritch horror that dwells in or around the town of Fever there's at least three normal human beings going about their normal lives blissfully unaware of the Other Side. For the most part residents of fever usually grow up, get out of town, and after either some education or soul searching they either continue new lives elsewhere or return to their roots.
Thomas Cooper was one such person. He was not particularly remarkable in that he was captain of the football team or graduated valedictorian. What he did have was good grades, a strong sense of duty, and a long family history of military service.

Thinking back his time in Fever before joining the army were some of the least impactful things in his life. His father leaving his mother and disappearing, his high school sweetheart getting caught cheating on him the night before his deployment to Afghanistan. These things were incredibly small compared to the large important stuff he worked and trained to do once he left the town.

Joining the army, getting into special forces, getting deployed to a dangerous area to teach farmers how to keep out Taliban and make money off of something other than poppy fields. Those things felt important, felt impactful, and indeed the experience from doing those things helped Thomas greatly in the future. Yet, those events were merely shifting grains on the vast desert of destiny.

The turning point for Thomas Cooper where he would go from another uncelebrated hero in the long and storied history of the green berets to one of the stranger denizens of Fever came when he and his platoon were riding through a narrow pass in the mountains off the northern border of Pakistan trekking from one village to another to check on their progress and help them clear out the surrounding hills of dangerous bandits

To this day he doesn't know whether the men waiting in the rocks were Taliban, Al Qaeda or some other group looking to prey on travelers. What he does remember is that there was an off feeling about the pass long before they entered it and that his instincts told him there was something in it that was way worse than the men who ambushed and slaughtered the whole platoon. He also remembers the smell of blood, burning flesh and an inexorable pull away from the place when the smoke cleared. He was eventually found by farmers wandering out of the pass who tended to his wounds as best they were able before they passed him on to army medics who were frankly surprised that he was alive, let alone walking.

What they considered a medical miracle had a far simpler reason behind it and turned out to only be the start of Thomas's troubles.

Because while fever is an odd place that draws back in the souls that leave it, the pass was a terrible place where thousands had died over the ages from Roman and Chinese legionnaires crossing it to guard the pass, to British and Indian soldiers retreating through it to safety, to Russian pilots scanning the pass for hostiles, many had fallen to feed whatever dark horrors lived beneath those mountains. Thomas could have quite easily had become one of those souls, if whatever power made Fever what it was did not draw him out.

After several months in the hospital mending bone and flesh. Thomas felt far different than what he was before. He knew things that he shouldn't, was able to find insight and knowledge on events and subjects he would never had any contact with before. However none of that was as unnerving as the dreams, and the sleepwalking that often accompanied them. And that did not even compare to the seemingly random supernatural things that happened around him or perhaps because of him.

At first he, and army psychiatrists, believed he might be suffering some form of acute schizophrenia sustained from suffering head injuries in the field. But the medications did very little to quell the dreams or the strange happenings.

Receiving a medical discharge Thomas found himself out of the green berets and with far more questions than answers. Not simply about the events at the pass and the strangeness that surrounded him. But also about his life and the direction it was going. He had education from west point that meant little in a civilian career and the kind of mental illness on record that many would deem a liability in any setting where his particular set of skills would be valued. So instead of returning to civilian life immediately he took much of what he had saved up from his pay and backpacked across europe to seek the answers he needed.

He found very little in the way of finding what to do with himself. But at the very least he gained a much greater understanding of what he was and of what sort of world he stepped into. From an elven shaman running a hipster bookstore in Amsterdam, he learned about the Other Side and that his experience gave him a very rarer, and very dangerous introduction into it. From a sorcerer working as a prostitute in Vatican City he learned that he was posessed, sort of. He told him that there were hundreds of spirits circling and going through him at all times using him as an anchor to cling to the mortal world and get away from whatever hellish things dwelled within the pass that Tom survived. It wasn't until he met a wizard selling used cars outside of Bucharest that he learned that the strange things that happeend in his sleep or during stress were not entirely at the whims of the spirits that haunted him but could be controlled and forced into compliance given a sufficient amount of willpower. Though the wizard himself did admit that the magic that Tom could command was far from the conventional occult stuff that he was accustomed to.

Running out of money, and getting a call from a friend back home that his mother was deteriorating Tom had no choice but to return home. While he had grown accustomed to running into dark and strange things in odd corners and dark alleys of the world he was surprised by the sheer density of such things just living beneath the surface of his hometown.

Not to his surprise the Sanctuary Bar proved to be a center point for a lot of Other Side gatherings. Valdaa, not one to forget a face even under a thick beard and a thicker sense of caution happily agreed to help him come to grips with his powers. In exchange for getting hooked up with a few of her connections he tended the bar After all, having a potentially volatile mage on the pay roll certainly helped keep some of the more bestial patrons from causing trouble, and the not too far from the truth rumors about his army training kept the more intelligent ones guessing.

For now, while Tom tries to get his treading in a new way of life he works the bar at night while occasionally doing a favor for Valdaa here and there, learns to control his magic during the day, and does his best to make sure his mother will be okay through all of it.

Thomas is a 34 year old Caucasian male standing at about 5'10" with blue eyes and brown curly hair that borders on auburn. He dresses simply in a polo shirt and jeans or some other functional attire depending on the situation. He has no visible tattoos or piercings preferring to keep a relatively unassuming appearance as much out of habit as personal taste. His beard and hair tend to be long but kept trim and clean, a distinct difference from when he worked at central command where being slightly unkempt kept himself and his mates from standing out too much among the villages and towns they operated in.

Despite his training Thomas has never been particularly personable despite part of his job being that he had to train often ordinary people how to handle and use weapons to defend themselves and their homes. Soft spoken and loathe to bring unnecessary attention to himself he is rather intelligent and reserved posessing a keen perception and empathy that bolster his strong sense of duty to family and country. Despite what many would expect of him Thomas is very much against the discrimination of muslims he's seen around Europe and his own country. He's simply spent too much time befriending them and learning what he could as part of his profession to see them in the way people without his experience do. This sort of education makes him rather receptive to creatures from the Other Side and while he is certainly not slow to draw his weapon he's far more likely to talk it out or warn it off than actually fire.

Thomas's one real love is a stiff drink and the outdoors. Anytime he can he takes time to go out fishing or hinking into the woods around Fever, often with friends, but just as often alone. Knowing what lives there doesn't bother him as much knowing that most die to bullets the same as everything else. Or failing that, lightning does the trick.

For every wizard, orc, goblin or eldritch horror that dwells in or around the town of Fever there's at least three normal human beings going about their normal lives blissfully unaware of the Other Side. For the most part residents of fever usually grow up, get out of town, and after either some education or soul searching they either continue new lives elsewhere or return to their roots.
Thomas Cooper was one such person. He was not particularly remarkable in that he was captain of the football team or graduated valedictorian. What he did have was good grades, a strong sense of duty, and a long family history of military service.
Thinking back his time in Fever before joining the army were some of the least impactful things in his life. His father leaving his mother and disappearing, his high school sweetheart getting caught cheating on him the night before his deployment to Afghanistan. These things were incredibly small compared to the large important stuff he worked and trained to do once he left the town.

Joining the army, getting into special forces, getting deployed to a dangerous area to teach farmers how to keep out Taliban and make money off of something other than poppy fields. Those things felt important, felt impactful, and indeed the experience from doing those things helped Thomas greatly in the future. Yet, those events were merely shifting grains on the vast desert of destiny.

The turning point for Thomas Cooper where he would go from another uncelebrated hero in the long and storied history of the green berets to one of the stranger denizens of Fever came when he and his platoon were riding through a narrow pass in the mountains off the northern border of Pakistan trekking from one village to another to check on their progress and help them clear out the surrounding hills of dangerous bandits

To this day he doesn't know whether the men waiting in the rocks were Taliban, Al Qaeda or some other group looking to prey on travelers. What he does remember is that there was an off feeling about the pass long before they entered it and that his instincts told him there was something in it that was way worse than the men who ambushed and slaughtered the whole platoon. He also remembers the smell of blood, burning flesh and an inexorable pull away from the place when the smoke cleared. He was eventually found by farmers wandering out of the pass who tended to his wounds as best they were able before they passed him on to army medics who were frankly surprised that he was alive, let alone walking.

What they considered a medical miracle had a far simpler reason behind it and turned out to only be the start of Thomas's troubles.

Because while fever is an odd place that draws back in the souls that leave it, the pass was a terrible place where thousands had died over the ages from Roman and Chinese legionnaires crossing it to guard the pass, to British and Indian soldiers retreating through it to safety, to Russian pilots scanning the pass for hostiles, many had fallen to feed whatever dark horrors lived beneath those mountains. Thomas could have quite easily had become one of those souls, if whatever power made Fever what it was did not draw him out.

After several months in the hospital mending bone and flesh. Thomas felt far different than what he was before. He knew things that he shouldn't, was able to find insight and knowledge on events and subjects he would never had any contact with before. However none of that was as unnerving as the dreams, and the sleepwalking that often accompanied them. And that did not even compare to the seemingly random supernatural things that happened around him or perhaps because of him.
At first he, and army psychiatrists, believed he might be suffering some form of acute schizophrenia sustained from suffering head injuries in the field. But the medications did very little to quell the dreams or the strange happenings.

Receiving a medical discharge Thomas found himself out of the green berets and with far more questions than answers. Not simply about the events at the pass and the strangeness that surrounded him. But also about his life and the direction it was going. He had education from west point that meant little in a civilian career and the kind of mental illness on record that many would deem a liability in any setting where his particular set of skills would be valued. So instead of returning to civilian life immediately he took much of what he had saved up from his pay and backpacked across europe to seek the answers he needed.

He found very little in the way of finding what to do with himself. But at the very least he gained a much greater understanding of what he was and of what sort of world he stepped into. From an elven shaman running a hipster bookstore in Amsterdam, he learned about the Other Side and that his experience gave him a very rarer, and very dangerous introduction into it. From a sorcerer working as a prostitute in Vatican City he learned that he was possessed, sort of. He told him that there were hundreds of spirits circling and going through him at all times using him as an anchor to cling to the mortal world and get away from whatever hellish things dwelling within the pass that Tom survived. It wasn't until he met a wizard selling used cars outside of Bucharest that he learned that the strange things that happend in his sleep or during stress were not entirely at the whims of the spirits that haunted him but could be controlled and forced into compliance given a sufficient amount of willpower. Though the wizard himself did admit that the magic that Tom could command was far from the conventional occult stuff that he was accustomed to.

Running out of money, and getting a call from a friend back home that his mother was deteriorating Tom had no choice but to return home. While he had grown accustomed to running into dark and strange things in odd corners and dark alleys of the world he was surprised by the sheer density of such things just living beneath the surface of his hometown.

Not to his surprise the Sanctuary Bar proved to be a center point for a lot of Other Side gatherings. Valda, not one to forget a face even under a thick beard and a thicker sense of caution happily agreed to help him come to grips with his powers. In exchange for getting hooked up with a few of her connections he tended the bar After all, having a potentially volatile mage on the pay roll certainly helped keep some of the more bestial patrons from causing trouble, and the not too far from the truth rumors about his army training kept the more intelligent ones guessing.

For now, while Tom tries to get his treading in a new way of life he works the bar at night while occasionally doing a favor for Valda here and there, learns to control his magic during the day, and does his best to make sure his mother will be okay through all of it.

Thomas is a 34 year old Caucasian male standing at about 5'10" with blue eyes and brown curly hair that borders on auburn. He dresses simply in a polo shirt and jeans or some other functional attire depending on the situation. He has no visible tattoos or piercings preferring to keep a relatively unassuming appearance as much out of habit as personal taste. His beard and hair tend to be long but kept trim and clean, a distinct difference from when he worked at central command where being slightly unkempt kept himself and his mates from standing out too much among the villages and towns they operated in.

Despite his training Thomas has never been particularly personable despite part of his job being that he had to train often ordinary people how to handle and use weapons to defend themselves and their homes. Soft spoken and loathe to bring unnecessary attention to himself he is rather intelligent and reserved possessing a keen perception and empathy that bolster his strong sense of duty to family and country. Despite what many would expect of him Thomas is very much against the discrimination of Muslims he's seen around Europe and his own country. He's simply spent too much time befriending them and learning what he could as part of his profession to see them in the way people without his experience do. This sort of education makes him rather receptive to creatures from the Other Side and while he is certainly not slow to draw his weapon he's far more likely to talk it out or warn it off than actually fire.
Thomas's one real love is a stiff drink and the outdoors. Anytime he can he takes time to go out fishing or hiking into the woods around Fever, often with friends, but just as often alone. Knowing what lives there doesn't bother him as much knowing that most die to bullets the same as everything else. Or failing that, lightning does the trick.