Kain Thessos

Kain Thessos is the arcane advisor and close friend of Emperor Eurystheos XIV.

Appearance
Kain is a tall human man with tan skin, brown eyes, and dark brown hair with a lighter streak. He wears a deep blue robe over a tunic and pants. He carries a spellbook bound in red leather.

Personality
Kain is very intelligent and scholarly and has a tendency to get a bit lost in his thoughts. He's quite friendly, but tends to be a bit oblivious to the people around him. Despite his extensive academic background, Kain has great respect for self-taught wizards, considering their magic more interesting and dynamic than his own.

Background
Kain grew up on the streets of Falas, where he picked pockets in order to get enough gold to afford food. One day, when he was still very young, he attempted to pick the pocket of Emperor Karseidon II, too concerned with his need to recognize the emperor or take notice of the Drakeguard surrounding him. Kain was quickly apprehended, but before the Drakeguard could harm him, Karseidon called them off, considering Kain's destitution a sign of his failures as a ruler. He adopted Kain and raised him as his own, keeping Kain's background a secret from most of the Falassian court. After about a year, Kain decided he wanted to serve Karseidon as his arcane advisor and begged to be sent for schooling in Atemcester. Karseidon II provided Kain with the funds to study magic at the Academy of the Archmagi for ten years, but was assassinated before Kain's return. Kain then took a break from his studies to return home and protect Eurysthesos during the early days of her reign. When the investigation into Karseidon's death was lacking, Kain did some investigating of his own, including magically preserving Eurystheos's memory of finding her father's body. He eventually returned to Atemcester and concluded his formal studies, thereupon returning to Falas where he assumed his position as Imperial Mageguard in the Eurystheos's court.

The Fall of Port Valor
Upon receiving word of the tragedy in Port Valor, Kain used his teleportation magic to take himself, Eurystheos, and seven members of the Drakeguard to the ruined town. He met the Champions Valoris and learned the details of the situation from them. He was able to contact someone in Malino're via Sending, confirming that the city hadn't been destroyed, identify the demon the party had encounter as the Burning Knight, and deduce that Alzrius was the threat sealed by the Abyssal Crests. He realized that the Burning Knight being aware of a Crest in Falas meant that there was a traitor in the court. Kain also met Ashara at this time and learned of her designs for stasis pods that could preserve the bodies of the fallen in Port Valor while a way to restore their souls was sought. Unfortunately, even once Kain deciphered Ashara's deeply meaningful squiggles, the pods required huge quantities of extremely rare metals, such as adamantine. While Kain believed the design would work, he considered the pod unfeasible unless alternative materials were discovered. Kain also engaged in a spell trade with Reides, giving Reides the notes he would need to easily learn Sending and Locate Object in exchange for notes on the spell Tidal Wave.

Entering the Exeter
Kain gathered the party in Falas to discuss what to do with the Everburning Longsword they took from Thorak. He was able to obtain a sheath for the sword that would suppress its flames, allowing it to be transported in the Bag of Holding while a more permanent solution was found. Kain also helped the party travel between Falas and Port Valor as needed as they prepared for their coming quest. During this time, he tried to research more about the Abyssal Crests and the Burning Knight. When Ashara presented him with some cheaper alternatives to the materials used in her pod design, he offered to gather the materials. Ashara also told Kain the location of her old pod, which may not have been completely dismantled by looters yet, but warned him to keep what he found secret. Kain agreed to this. However, between gathering pod materials and rooting out the mole in the court, Kain warned Ashara that he wouldn't be able to assist the party with much else. At the time the party was traveling through Gutsnake Gorge, Kain was engaged in a fight with a gorgon to obtain its essence for use in the pod. He managed to survive the encounter.

Demons of Port Valor
Kain received messages from Ashara periodically during the party's trials in the Exeter. He expressed some concern about her well-being, but Ashara, frustrated that he didn't seem to be responding her obvious flirtations, confronted him about the nature of their relationship. Kain apologized profusely for his obliviousness and offered to go on an official date with her the next time she was in Falas. However, he was less committed to unnaturally extended his lifespan as Ashara requested.

Atemcester Arc
After learning that the party had arrived in Atemcester, Kain teleported to the city to take Ashara on a date. They met up at the Teleportation Nexus, and Kain took her to a restaurant called the Mages' Conjuration. While there, the couple discussed the party's hardships and the Abyssal Crests, and Kain gave Ashara a letter of introduction for the party, allowing them to enter the Academy of the Archmagi's library to research possible locations of Atemcester's Crest. With their business discussion over, Kain asked Ashara questions about her life in the Vrinian Empire, more interested in her personal experiences than the history of it. Likewise, Ashara asked Kain about his past and learned of his history as a street urchin, which made her respect him even more. While Kain refused to commit the taboo of unnaturally extending his life, he proposed a pact with Ashara that they both try to live as healthily and safely as they can in order to prolong their time together. Kain also gifted Ashara a silver necklace with a purple gem. The couple kissed and, after eating their meal, moved onto the library before Kain left again in order to check on the current situation in Port Valor.

Return to Falas
Once the party's business in Aquos was complete, Ashara teleported them all to Kain's quarters in the Falassian palace. After making sure his books were safe from water damage, Kain made arrangements for them to stay in the palace for a night and meet with Eurystheos the next morning. He learned of Ashara's plans to accompany the Circle of Eight on an archaeological expedition after her adventures with the party. While the rest of the party moved their lodgings to the Outer Wall, Ashara continued to stay at the palace, where Kain spent much of his non-working time with her. Kain arranged a private audience between the party and the emperor. He also attended this audience and received a full update on the party's activities in the Exeter, Atemcester, and Aquos. In return, he assisted Eurystheos in an update on the situation in Falas and the plan they had formulated to coax out the mole: The party's presence at a remembrance ceremony for Karseidon II could cause them to make a mistake that would reveal them. He also fetched the party's monetary reward, despite it being extremely heavy. Kain was also responsible for compiling documents on the potential suspects, although they weren't done at the time of the audience. He was also tasked with finding a place in Falas that the party could rent and use as a fixed address. When the party sought a second private audience with Eurystheos, she suggested that they direct any further concerns to Kain, as she trusted him completely. Later in the day, Kain was able to share the names of the suspects with the party: Chancellor Horus Fornathrius, General Keld Norre, Drakeguard Captain Diol Wyrmspine, former Imperial Mageguard Damien Wright, and Jorlief Dartson. Kain and Ashara also mutually asked each other to the ball and agreed to accompany each other. While Kain said he typically doesn't dance at these functions, as he's busy watching Eurystheos, he offered to try for Ashara's sake.

Temple Arc
Kain saw Ashara to the airship landing when the party left for the Temple of the Abyssal Guardians. While she encouraged him to clone himself to come along, Kain said that that magic was currently beyond him. He explained that some mages can physically clone themselves and use that as a form of life extension. He also advised the party to be safe and that, while Bastion was relatively safe place, its mayor is considered skeevy.

Goals
Kain's current primary goals are to find the Burning Knight's collaborator within Falas's imperial court and to obtain the materials needed for Ashara's revised stasis pod schematic, in hopes of using it to eventually keep the dead of Port Valor stable while a way to reverse the effects of the anti-life field is found.

Abilities
Kain is a powerful wizard who seems to specialize in the School of Abjuration. He has many spells within his spellbook, including, but definitely not limited to:

He also has some experience with enchanting magical items, as one of his early school assignments was creating a Cloak of Billowing.
 * Encode Thoughts
 * Thaumaturgy
 * Invisibility
 * Locate Object
 * Hold Person
 * Sending
 * Tidal Wave
 * Teleport

Kain and Ashara
Upon meeting Ashara, Kain was impressed with her designs for a stasis pod, if also frustrated by her insistence of the availability of incredibly rare materials. He seemed to enjoy doing research with her and was generally receptive to her barrage of Sending messages. However, he was completely oblivious to her romantic feelings for him. During the party's seclusion after the Underbelly Bout, Ashara, frustrated with Kain's lack of romantic overtures and having serious doubts about the relationship's future, used Sending to broach the subject directly. Kain apologized for being dense and seems open to officially beginning a romantic relationship with Ashara, telling her that he loves her too. When the party reached Atemcester, Kain teleported to the city in order to meet with Ashara and take her on their first official date.

Kain and Eurystheos
Kain was adopted by Eurystheos's father before her birth, so he's known her for a long time. When Karseidon died, Kain took a break from his studies to return to Falas and protect Eurystheos during the early days of her reign, and continues to support her as her arcane advisor. As adults, the two seem to maintain a close friendship. He calls her "Eury" as a nickname.

Quotes

 * "Ashara? ...Goodnight. I hope you have dreams of a bright tomorrow."

Trivia

 * Kain has a wisdom score of 6.