One More Question

The GM lets the eager chatter die down before he speaks again. “Alright,” he says, raising one finger with a slightly mischievous smile. “I have one more question before we jump in.” He pauses, glancing between them. “What level are your characters?”

There’s a moment of silence. The players exchange puzzled looks; it’s an unusual question, since in a typical campaign all the PCs would start at level 1 by default. Alice furrows her brow. “Um, level 1, right?” she ventures, unsure if this is a trick. Cora shrugs, and Tyrone tilts his head curiously, waiting to see what the GM is getting at.

Instead of answering outright, the Game Master simply smiles and leans forward, folding his hands. His eyes have a knowing gleam. “Alice,” he says, turning to her. “Let’s do this one at a time. Picture your characters for me—picture Solace-3 and Gleez.”

Alice straightens, closing her eyes for a second as if visualizing them in the world. The GM’s voice slips into a gentle narrative cadence. “Your android—a renewed android mystic to be precise—stands in that community kitchen on Vesk-3, organizing food packets. A petite Skittermander, your ward Gleez, scurries beside you, assisting with boundless energy.” He smiles as Alice nods slowly, clearly seeing the scene. “Now,” the GM asks, “given that picture, what level do you think Gleez is?”

Alice frowns in thought, recalling that Skittermanders can unlock the rebel trait later on. “I’d think he was a young kid. Probably… level 1?” she guesses uncertainly.

The GM nods, “Ah, yes, a whelp. Does he still have his abdominal mouth?”

Cora chimes in, “Like the snowman?”

Alice scoffs, “Not abominable\! I read about this. They have temporary mouths on their stomachs, which goes away when they grow up. Unless they are an everwhelp, then they keep it for various reasons. No, I think he recently grew out of it.”

The GM makes a note and gently puts them back on track, “And what level are you, Alice?”

She blinks, startled. “Me? I mean, Solace-3’s level… I assumed we were all level one to start, right? So… also one?” Her voice lilts into a question, unsure what he’s getting at.

He slowly shakes his head, still smiling but with a mysterious air. “No. Not exactly. Remember, your character is a soul that inherited a previously-used android body. That body has lived before—done more in its past lives than you realize. We’ll circle back.” He leaves Alice in suspense with a wink and turns his gaze to Cora.

Cora has been watching this exchange with growing curiosity. The GM addresses them next. “And you, Cora?” he says. “Picture your human operative, Kira. She’s sharp-tongued, street-smart… how would you rate her? What level do you feel Kira truly is?”

Cora flashes a confident grin. If this is an open invitation to imagine, they’ll dream big. “Level 20,” they declare, lifting their chin in a playful display of pride. In her mind, Kira might act invincible, a cocky teenager who thinks she’s seen it all. Why not?

The GM raises an eyebrow, giving a good-natured chuckle. “How old did you say Kira was?” he asks.

“Nineteen,” Cora replies, maintaining a straight face.

The GM’s head tilts, a soft laugh escaping. “Then she’s not level 20,” he counters gently. “Even in the most generous of stories, a nineteen-year-old isn’t an apex legend of the galaxy.”

Cora snorts and throws up their hands. “Fine, fine… maybe she lied about her age?” They joke, but the GM just gives them a patient look. Cora sighs, relenting. “Alright. True level? She’s a rookie. Level 1.” Cora knows Kira has a lot of room to grow; the bravado is just that—bravado.

“Good,” the GM says with a nod of approval, as if checking a box.

Finally, the GM turns to Tyrone. “And you, traveler?” he addresses Tyrone in character, adopting a slightly dramatic tone. “Your Pahtra soldier’s eyes glimmer with experience. Rishir has clearly seen his share of battles. What level would you say Rishir is?”

Tyrone has been thinking it through. Rishir is older, a war veteran, but not a superhero. “Level 4,” he says decisively. “He’s competent and battle-hardened, but he’s not some galaxy-famous general. Level 4 feels right.”

The GM points at Tyrone appreciatively. “Agreed,” he says without hesitation. Tyrone smiles, pleased that he judged correctly.

A hush falls over the table as the players absorb the implications of this exchange. Cora’s fingers drum the tabletop thoughtfully. Tyrone glances between Alice and Cora, then at the GM. Something is definitely different about this campaign. The realization dawns that this game might not follow the familiar rules – the characters are not all starting on equal footing. Alice’s brow is furrowed, clearly wondering what it means that her android might not truly be “level 1” in story terms. Cora opens their mouth, about to question further, but the GM isn’t finished.

He turns back to Alice, who still looks perplexed. His tone softens. “Alice,” he asks, “have you thought more about Solace-3’s level now?”

Alice bites her lip. She feels a flutter of uncertainty in her stomach. If not level 1… and he hinted at the body’s past… “I honestly don’t know,” she says quietly. It’s completely against her expectations for a starting character. She guesses internally, but nothing seems to fit what he’s hinting.

The GM leans in, voice gentle but clear. “Solace-3 is level 20.”

Alice’s eyes widen in shock. “What?\!” she blurts, and around the table Tyrone sits bolt upright and Cora gasps audibly. A rush of excitement and confusion ripples through them. Level 20 – the absolute pinnacle of power in game terms. It’s unheard of for a starting character. Alice’s mouth opens and closes as she searches for words.

“Now, hang on,” the GM says quickly, raising a calming hand before anyone can protest. “Don’t worry—it’s narratively justified and I promise it’s carefully balanced for our story. Solace-3 didn’t choose this power; he inherited it.” He looks meaningfully at Alice. “It ties into his backstory: an old soul, or rather multiple souls, within an Android frame. There’s room for him to grow in ways other than just raw level. Think of it this way: level is as much about identity as it is about ability, especially in this narrative.”

Cora still looks flabbergasted. They find their voice in a good-natured mutter, “How is that fair, though? Kira’s level 1 and this guy’s level 20?” It’s a half-joke, half-genuine worry about party balance and spotlight time.

The GM meets her gaze with understanding. “It might feel unfair to your character, yes. Kira might sense something extraordinary about Solace and chafe at it. That’s fine – that’s drama.” He spreads his hands and reassures all of them. “But as players, I want you to trust this narrative. You’re on the same team, working together. Your differences are going to enrich the story, not divide it. I won’t let Solace being high-level overshadow your fun. In fact, it’ll introduce some really interesting dynamics. Plus, you’ll be learning about your abilities just as much as Solace-3 will be\! There’s a lot of history for him to discover about his past lives.”

He lets that sink in, then continues with passion in his voice. “This isn’t just a game of numbers and builds. It’s a story about who your characters are, and who they become. Each of you – level 1, level 4, level 20 – has a role in that story. Trust each other, trust me, and embrace this journey. It’s just the beginning.” The GM’s eyes shine with excitement as he finishes, and a conspiratorial smile plays on his lips.

For a heartbeat, the players sit in stunned silence. Then Alice breaks into a slow grin as the genius of it hits her – Solace-3’s past lives, the mystery of that power will be an incredible plot point. “Alright,” she says, exhaling. “I’m in.”

Tyrone nods firmly. “Me too. This is… unexpected, but I’m intrigued.” He already imagines how Rishir might react in character to discovering this gentle android’s hidden strength.

Cora flips their ponytail back and smirks. “Well, I did want a twist. We got one\! I’m in, obviously.” They wink at Alice. “Kira’s definitely going to have some feelings about Mr. Android Sage over here, but that’ll be fun to play out.”

The initial shock around the table melts into enthusiasm. They start adjusting a few character sheet details under the GM’s guidance. Alice, still wrapping her head around commanding a level-20 Mystic, begins picking out some high-level spells and abilities for Solace-3 – the GM leans over to help, ensuring she isn’t overwhelmed by the complexity. Tyrone, with the GM’s approval, tweaks Rishir’s sheet to reflect a seasoned 4th-level soldier: a few extra feats for combat prowess, a sturdier pool of hit points. Cora, smug that their character remains the simplest, makes sure Kira’s sheet is correctly set to level 1 – scrappy but effective at her limited skills. This trio is far from a “balanced” party in the traditional sense, but the players are buzzing with excitement at the narrative potential of such an odd team.

Finally, with the character creation complete and everyone on the same page, the Game Master sits back and takes a long look at his friends. He’s clearly proud of what they’ve all created together. “Alright then,” he says, unable to keep a broad, infectious smile off his face. His hand drifts to the stacks of notes and maps he’s prepared. “If you’re all set… let’s dive into the world of Vesk-3.”

As the players straighten in their chairs and reach for their dice, the atmosphere in the room shifts. It’s subtle – the overhead light seems to dim, external sounds fade away – as everyone focuses intently on the story to come. Character sheets lie open in front of them, covered in scribbles of stats and personality quirks. Alice absentmindedly twirls a pen around her fingers; Tyrone cracks open a fresh soda; Cora wraps a blanket around their legs, settling in. The GM clears his throat, glances once more at his notes, and then begins to speak in a rich, narrative tone, drawing them all into the game’s reality.