Terran Khaine's page

The Steaming Sea island Monastery of Tortuous Enlightenment teaches that we learn through pain. From our first discovery that fire is hot to our final enlightenment at the moment of death, pain accompanies our journey through life. Terran Khaine is a student of this philosophy. Trials of fortitude and self learning are an important part of life at the monastery. These range from meditating during tattooing or ritual scarification, to sitting under a waterfall for days, to crossing the lava floes on nearby volcanic islands. Rarely, these painful quests for understanding lead one to the mainland.

Khaine was raised from his youth at the monastery, the only survivor from a shipwreck that washed ashore on the island that the monastery occupies. He is somewhat aggressive and boastful, perhaps more than is appropriate for his contemplative associates. He has had the entire Litany of Pain (see below) scarred onto his torso in intricate script, the work of many weeks. He recently determined that we would journey further than any initiate ever had in search of new forms of pain and the understanding it offers. Thus, he has traveled to Sandpoint to find his destiny as far as he can go.

His armor consists of spiked chains wrapped around his arms and shoulders with metal plates strategically affixed. On the left, a larger plate is affixed to the forearm chains (counts as buckler). The chain on the right is somewhat longer and is used as a weapon (counts as a morningstar). This arrangement leaves Khaine's muscled chest bare, revealing the Litany of Pain scarred into his chest and abdomen.

The Litany of Pain
Pain is a lesson that the universe teaches us.
Pain is the preserver from injury.
Pain perpetuates our lives.
Pain is the healing, purifying scalpel of our souls.
Pain is the wine of communion with heroes.
Pain is the alembic which transmutes mere mortal into immortal.

Terran had been in Sandpoint for two days now, seeking a caravan which would allow him to accompany them to some exotic location. He would go further than any acolyte of his temple and return with the experience and self-knowledge that came with such a trip. But new to the mainland, with no friends or references, he was difficult to find a caravan leader willing to take him on.

Walking through the market streets, crowded with evening shoppers, Terran abruptly walked into an open space. People had made a circle around a large man beating another quite viciously.

"Look at my girl will you, you whoreson piece of dung!" yelled the man into the cracked and bleeding face of the other. Terran was well aware of the value of the lesson the beaten man was receiving but the continued punishment had passed learning and was well into sadism. Though he knew he should not involve himself in the affairs of others, he felt a duty to step in.

"Enough. This man has learned from his mistake. If you carry on you will kill him."

The man threw his foe to the ground and walked to Terran, standing too close, his face contorted in rage. "Who the hell do you think you are to tell me to stop. You don't know me. You don't know shit."

Terran breathed deeply and remained calm. "If you are still angry you may strike me." Lesson enough for stepping in someone else's chamberpot.

The man drew a wicked-looking serrated knife from the small of his back. "Oh, I can strike you can I?"

"If you feel you must cut me..." Terran held out his forearm for the man but was surprised when he struck viper quick driving the knife into his abdomen and up. Blood poured from the wound and Terran slumped to the ground. He knew injuries well enough and from the way he couldn't seem to catch his breath, he knew a lung had been punctured. His assailant spat on the ground near him and walked away. Terran still couldn't get a decent breath and his vision was dimming around the edges. His eyelids slumped closed but were then filled with light like he was looking into the sun, but with no pain. A better sun. A whiter sun. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes to see a woman crouching next to him, her hand still on the wound she had closed.

"I was just about to do that," Terran grumbled, abashed and humiliated.

Koya laughed pleasantly, a tinkling sound like bells. "Well then, you can just owe me one." She walked away without another word.