PCs:Straccio

Straccio, Citizen of M'Chek

The familiar smiling face is well known to the citizens of Mikona mostly due to his efforts to organize events and classes regarding Psionics at the Avlis Tower University. He often can be seen to run around with large posters, with yellow giant letters, to be attached in the various prominent location of the city.

Straccio was a relatively recent citizen of M'Chek, he established himself in Mikona right before the Demon Invasion. He came to the city, after the disbandment of the Solar Brigade, to find a job as a mercenary. After participating in a civilian training he joined the BlackHawk Company, and he has been a soldier ever since. While in the beginning it was quite common to see him returning from the war-zone in an old and battered full plate barely walking, now it is a rare sight. His military abilities initially negligible have grown overtime.

Straccio, Wandering Years

Straccio doesn't like to talk much about his past, it is known that he spent his youth as a slave on a smuggler sailing ship. His nickname "Straccio" comes from those days, as his knowledge of boats and cooking. He was the aid-cook for the boat for a number of years, the way he managed to free himself are quite unclear, but it had something to do with his first manifestation of latent psionics power ((see Straccio's Journal)).

After he got free Straccio worked on various ships. His love for sailing and his familiarity with many different vessels comes from those years at sea. After a while the young sailor decided it was time to explore the lands and he decided to begin in ElysiaHis first day in the city he was nearly killed by an undead Pirate attack. He was saved by Fergus, that helped him, guiding and directing his actions. Fergus influenced the young psion deeply, and he is the reason why he decided to follow Dra'Nar, the God of orphans.

After Straccio joined a group of adventurers that will later be known as the Solar Brigade, he established himself in Ferrell. When he was not adventuring he was following Anca to learn from that great explorer and crafter.

Not having great abilities, nor the patience to emulate his mentor, Straccio decided to travel for a while. Nothing is known of this period of his life. Sometimes Straccio tells his students that the observation and experience he made in that period were the basis for his General theory of Psionics, or the so called theory of "Three Rings", sometimes he simply says to his friends he needed a break.

When Straccio reappeared he worked odd-jobs as an assistant of Marin, another of the founder of the Solar Brigade, that had made a fortune with his thriving shop in the cooperative market in Elysia. For a short period the Solar Brigade was resuscitated, but it didn't last. That was the time in which Straccio also joined the attempts to resuscitate the Psi-Corp that had been mostly active while he was traveling. Celinda became one of his mentor, and Straccio's few martial skills are due to her teachings.

Eventually these attempts failed, and the Psi-Corp begun to decay. Straccio often links the decay to the fact that most of the corp members had many other affiliations and loyalties and thus the Corp was constantly torn apart in different direction. Particularly problematic were some ethical concerns of some members on the use of some manifestation during combat, and the endless discussion over the leadership and structure and direction of the Corp. The observation of those fruitless discussion led Straccio to the idea to fund the Psionic Theory Research Group (PTRG).

Straccio and the PTRG

The idea of the Psionic Theory Research Group was to create an umbrella organization that would join all psions of southern Negaria with the common goal of researching psionics. The objective of the group was identified in helping and reinvigorating all other Psionics organizations, building a network that would exchange knowledge and coordinate research activities. For that reason the group was always organized as ancillary to other organizations, the Avlis Tower University, the Psi-Corp, the Luminous Order, the Order of the Dragon.

Members of any guilds and groups not banned in Mikona could join. The group would only perform research activities, and would have a participatory structure so there wouldn't be any discussion on leadership, or fights over political issues. Each individual member organization would conduct his own politic, but the PTRG would not concern that, it would only focus on research. There wouldn't be any requirement for joining, and all psions and non psions interested in researching psionics could participate. Each member would be able to propose an independent research project to the PTRG in complete freedom, the PTRG would then proceed to contact all the organizations and the public to gather interest and potential help for such project.

This innovative intermediary structure is still unique in Negaria and constituted a great success in term of participants and number of sponsored activities.

The first member to join the group was Sephira Raynes that had abandoned the Psi-Corp due to Ethical concerns. Then many other joined and participated to the events. The group was extremely heterogeneous, and the heterogeneity had been designed to be its strength. Among the most unusual member of the group were Anomandaari and Ath'nook Nekk'en whose "debates" close to impossible to understand are always remindeded with affection and a smile by Straccio.

The group was established inside the Avlis Tower University, and it soon linked itself to the few other remaining members of the Luminous Order, and to remnants of the Psi-Corp and the psionics branch of the Order of the Dragon. Many conference and research trips were organized. This is the period in which Straccio met Silver Fox, at the time leader of "Midnight Mercenary Company" used by the PTRG as protection in his ventures, and became friend with Sage Miriel and Janur da Medican. The activity and publications of PTRG eventually led Straccio to become a Sage in the University.

Straccio and the Demon Invasion

During the Demon Invasion Straccio, Bedlam and Moira where the first to actually spot the advancing demons. Thanks to an idea of Straccio and the incredible power of the spells of Bedlam they collapsed the entrances of Underdark effectively giving the coalition army some precious time to organize. That is the only act of heroism of the smiling psion, apart from that his fame on the field of battle is mostly for embarrassing himself in various ways.

After the Demon invasion, Sage Straccio took a leave of absence from the army and the University and retired himself to Kuras to join the Luminous Order of the mind and try to convince his Master to open a branch south. Not much is known about this period.

Straccio and the Luminous Order

Two years later Sage Straccio, after becoming a member of the Luminous Order, came back south. Most of the members of PTRG were gone, but without loosing his hope, he began organizing again. He reopened the Psionics department and started teaching Introductory Psionics classes. He also resuscitated the Psionic Theory Research group with the help of Eudaimon, a talented student.

The Luminous Order finally opened a branch south, in a tower built on a natural cliff dominating Mikona. After a few years Elladin, Master Psion of the order granted Straccio to become the first Master psion of the southern branch. The exam to become Master was held in the island of the subterranean lake below the tower. Straccio is quite proud of his exam, but he rarely talks about it. When he is questioned about it, he talks about a close fight with an Adamantium Golem and more than a hint of fear can be spot in his eyes.

The Luminous Order ranks and activities have flourished under the management of the new Master Psion. The Master is known, and sometimes feared, for having the youngest and less experienced members of his order to take the lead in important meetings and activities. He is a strong believer in learning by doing. He is also infamous for his fixation with participatory decision making, and his apparently direct methods and extreme stubbornness.

Sometimes hated, sometimes loved, his methods have been undoubtedly extremely successful. The Luminous Order, from an unknown niche organization, has reached the center of a series of major events that have shaped the recent history of Negaria. During the defense of Visimontium from the Illithids attacks many came into contact with the unique style of operation of the order, characterized by careful research, extreme openness to participatory input in the plan generation stage, but at the same time maximal discipline and coordination during the execution stage.

With more than twenty members and a hyperactive set of recently nominated Masters that have taken over the direction of the organization Straccio feels that his wish that he expressed a few years back to the Dream Gatekeeper, "to create an house and a community for all the psions of Negaria" has come true.

Straccio's Research

Straccio's research spans in general the Theory and Mechanics of Psionics, group organization, conflict resolution, military strategy, and Shaahesks culture. After the activity of the Luminous Order in the Dreamscape he has focused on mind-links and dream-traveling field testing a series of innovative mindlinks that use pocket-planes and the dreamscape to alter and amplify manifestations. During the the Defense of Visimontium he begun the research of Null Psionics field through the use of crystalline formations. The long years spent fighting the Shaahesks have pushed him to study them relentlessly. His former hobby, military strategy and tactics has become another focus of his studies, and given his scarce influence over the M'Chek military, he has begun training the Luminous Order to become an effective military unit. Finally for some unknown reason in recent times the Sage is interested in the M'Chek government and he has spent months studying it. Straccio knows almost all the staff of the government district and his nice manners are fondly remembered.

Straccio in Present Day

Straccio continues to serve in BlackHawk and after many years he has now finally reached the rank of Sergeant, most of the colleagues that have joined the army after him are now lieutenant or even captain. The patrons of City Gate Inn have stopped calling the Srg. the Blackpigeon or the Fighting Professor after he has earned the Copper Medal and his infamous sword forged by the mages of the elves to inflict the maximum damage to the scale of a lizard creature. Straccio is now a veteran of many battles, if the night is right and the wine is ready he can offer numerous tales and a show of a collection of battle injuries. His knowledge of the Shaahesk has grown over the years, his ability to perfectly understand the Shaahesks language is a well kept secret entrusted only to his closest friends and military superiors.

Where can you find Straccio?

Straccio, when he is off-duty and not at Finmaegen keep, can be found at the newly renovated Tower of the Luminous Order in Mikona watching the psions teaching the new initiates with the smile of the satisfied granpa, or at the Avlis Tower University in the government district. He used also to frequent a lot the orphanage and school of Dra'Nar, but the kids there haven't seen him in a long time. He has abandoned the habit of fishing for long hours due to the lack of time, but in recent years the desire to sail has come back. His ability to conduct sailing vessel has been refreshed, and when there is a good wind he can be found on a small dinghy running the waves in the port.