Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ), Closed (Full Version)

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Ryu Viranesh -> Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ), Closed (10/12/2013 1:50:01)

Felicity -A Tale of Thieves-


Nam-Exetus, 407

The peasant rebellion that had been plaguing the great nation of Battleonia was at last put to rest; the armies of the venerable Lord Ritik cornered the bulk of the dissenters at the Gillentran Gorge, driving those whom refused to surrender into the River Daria. This tragedy, which became more widely known as “Ritik’s Retribution”, ushered in a period of uneasy peace that dominated for many years. The farmers, thoroughly cowed, returned to their homes and sought to salvage that which remained of their shattered lives.

The damage caused to the land by the revolt had been severe, with much of the year’s harvest trampled underfoot by careless abandon. The worst though, was reserved for those towns who had seen fit to deny the imperial soldiers provisions. They were ravaged, pillaged, and burnt to the ground, naught but ash left behind. The following food shortage was doubly devastating for the lower class, since both their lives and their livelihood were on the line.

As late summer turned to fall and winter started to bear down on Battleonia, many were forced to abandon the only homes that they’d ever known and make their way to the cities. To the towers of those whom they hated and despised, but whom they would bite their lips and beg employment from. Humiliating and demoralizing though it might be, and for all the strength of their hate, they knew that it was better than the alternative. Since one could only “hate” if they kept on living.
--Sage Martin, “Battleonia: The Dark Years”

14 Nam, 417

This accursed outrage shall not stand - I care not the price, I shall have their heads! Today I was forced to suffer yet more embarrassment as another of my storefronts was burglarized; the third in the past fortnight. My losses have started to pile up, and yet I’m still no closer to catching these caitiffs than I was two weeks prior. Worse, I’ve been forced to reimburse several clients for items that they’ve already paid for. I can just hear the laughter rolling down from the guildhall at this very moment.

Even if I know not where these thieves are, I certainly know who they are, for it could be no one else. Why did we see it in ourselves to take pity on those miscreants and let them into our cities, and after all of the damage that they’d caused? I saw the High Priest’s words for the cloying platitudes that they were, but he had the others wrapped right around his finger. Our kindness would “indebt” them to us? Pah, we should have let the scoundrels starve.

It certainly would have saved us more than a modicum of annoyance now. Now we have to rely on the incompetence of the city guard to bring them in, and we’ve seen how well that goes. Years and years of robberies, and only a couple of the thieves caught each year, and none of them will talk, even on threat of death. Not anymore - I care not for the edicts; if the law won’t properly protect me, then I’ll be forced to take matters into my hands. I won’t be the victim of such a farce any longer!
--From the Journal of Lord Farith

So, if the two above excerpts (and the title) have given you any idea, Felicity is a Role Play about thievery. Thievery and so very much more. I’ve set this RP far in the past of the current AQ timeline, in a sort of Victorian era where Battleonia was a more notably established kingdom (this is obviously my own creation, and is not official in any way). The historical pieces above are meant to explore the background of the situation (Nam and Exetus are month names that I’ve devised; Nam is late summer/early fall, while Exetus is late fall/early winter - the RP will be starting late in the month of Nam in the year of 417) into which you’ll be entering as characters, and to give you an idea of just how great the animosity between certain members of the aristocracy and the more common classes are.

The RP itself will be taking place in the capital of Battleonia, a city by the name of Alavey, wherein you have a chance to play one of a large group of thieves that operates within the city’s walls. Just as Lord Farith suggests, the genesis of the group is related to the frustrations and desperation of a group of peasants who were forced to travel to Alavey following the destruction caused by the revolt and its subsequent quelling. Though it started as a small group of pickpockets and robbers, it’s grown into a more far-reaching organization that deals in anything from forgery and embezzlement, to burglary and blatant blackmail. Assassination however, is strictly forbidden by the group’s code, and you’ll be excommunicated or worse should you violate this rule.

While I do hesitate to call the grouping a guild, it does have a fairly well-defined, if fluid structure. There are two general levels that are akin to a law office’s “associate” for the younger, newer members, and “partner” for those who have been members for several years and been part of and run a few successful operations. Beyond these, there are several specific positions that one can be tapped for, but they’re rare, and most are unknown to the bulk of the band. The only authoritative bodies that need be known by the group’s members are the Council, which runs the organization and makes sure things are kept in check, and the “Wisps”, which are the Council’s direct personal agents. Both tend to operate as silent, invisible entities, though it is clear to the group that they do in fact exist, based on multiple events that have occurred in the past.

The Council often post any news that they have via coded-bulletin at several specific locations, and rarely appear in person. During these rare occasions, they wear a set of masks made of wood that appears to have had its outer bark burnt. The news they carry varies as do the ciphers, often mixing in simple boasts of success to throw off any interception by authorities while frustrating the royal codebreakers. Warnings of scouted hazards are also notably common, while more rarely these turn into announcements for recruiting individuals of the organization for approved mercenary ventures. After all, while the Council may be perfectly happy seizing opportunities within, occasionally an outside client may prove far more lucrative an investment of time and energy.

Of note, there is also no defined “headquarters” for the group, as the Council has judged such to be too unsafe. There are several safe-houses and gathering points located throughout the city of Alavey to fulfill those purposes though. They serve as hubs for the group’s activity, and one can usually find the Council’s decrees at a couple of the larger ones.

Now, I suppose you wonder where you all of you fit into this. As I said earlier, you’ll be able to create various different kinds of thieves and miscreants that would be able to be members of this group, of varying seniority (the chance is open to be both an associate and a partner rank, though do keep the ages realistic for such). At the start of the RP, you’ve all been scouted by the Council to handle a very specific job that they’ve just come by, and as such you’re about to be briefed by one of the Taskmasters, who will send you on your way afterward.

This RP definitely has a certain degree of severity, and will be quite plot and character driven, but I believe that there’s also a payoff to be had from that. This also does not mean that I’m expecting excellence or that posts be of some ridiculous length every time. While I’m a naturally long-winded writer, I know that there are others whom are not, and it’s not like quantity equals quality. Though, I will say that I at least expect a couple of good-sized paragraphs each post, which I don’t think is too demanding.

Just for reference, this will NOT be a combat focused RP (though there will be some), and will rely far more on stealth and creativity (the guards will frankly out-arm you quite a bit in most cases). In addition, I’m pushing for magic to be rather … subtle in this setting, so while it exists, you’re probably not going to be throwing fireballs around.
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When it comes to bios, like with posts, I’m not expecting a novel from anyone. Just spend the time to create an interesting character and develop them sufficiently before presenting them and I’ll be content. I’ll also not be mandating any specific skeleton, but will say this: include all of the general things (name, age, gender, race, appearance, etc.), as well as their rank in the organization, and some of their crime history as an addition to their normal history. As a note, however, when it comes to races, I’m likely to reject a character if I find their race to be too “exotic” for this setting; so if you’re aiming to play something unconventional, you might want to run it past me first to see if it will work.

Beyond this, all RP rules apply and if you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to post them here or to shoot me a PM. If necessary, I’ll work on getting an example character up in the coming days (and will be working on a proper description of Alavey’s layout as well). So, with that, I cast open the gates: welcome to Alavey.



TJByrum -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (10/12/2013 8:46:34)

I like this idea. Not really a lot of magic, not much emphasis on combat, and purely about thieves. I'll come up with a bio soon and look forward to this RP. The idea I got is a 'messy' thief, who doesn't like going by the rules and sometimes can get 'out-of-hand', such as severely hurting or sometimes killing people he's not suppose to. May cause complications with the Thieves.



Legendium -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (10/12/2013 14:51:38)

Just posting interest for now. And as a plus, I seem to have reached my RP limit as soon as I join the Guild and this.

So, as soon as I saw this idea come up, I had a character idea in my mind. Expect a charlatan/magician/pickpocket soon.

EDIT: I toiled a long amount of time for this, but I think it's my best character yet. We'll see.

Name: Jem Stone (Original name was Cathy Maran, but she never liked it, hence the new name)
Age: 25
Race: Human
Gender: Female
Appearance: Jem is not a very tall woman, but often her body posture makes her seem bigger. She is dark of skin with dark brown hair and emerald green eyes. Her face is relatively smooth and unblemished. She has a lithe build, like an acrobat, and thin hands, which tend to be clumsy more often than not.

Her normal everyday attire tends to be various shades of brown, grey and black, practical clothing that allows flexibility and offers the right colors to blend into a crowd. Most of these pieces of clothing have hoods as well, although Jem rarely uses them.

Her performance clothing is an entirely different creature. A long, billowy, white/silver robe trimmed with red designs that can be easily put on over normal, drab clothing while maintaining a decent look, matching pants and any other clothing she can find that screams for attention. Keep in mind that Jem is not rich, and had to make these clothes with low-quality materials. Any gemstones you may find on her clothing are likely just glass, and any “gold” is most certainly Fool’s Gold. This is just her current outfit though. She’s likely to buy even flashier stuff later on.

Personality: Jem is very laid back when she is not working and among close friends. She can be loud and obnoxious and tends to make bad jokes. She will not betray a true friend for anything, but will sell out people she doesn’t know for any number of coins. She tends to be able to “go with the flow” and has a very adaptable nature. When amongst colleagues and authorities, she will maintain a serious attitude so as to keep the impression that she is actually serious (Which is usually not true). When performing, she will put on any personality required for the act, but normally she tries to be mysterious.

Above all though, she is curious. She thoroughly enjoys learning the secrets of people and places. This is one of her main motives to break into a house. To look through it in search of secret passageways that she could use in an escape attempt.

Belongings: Jem does not own much. Her main tools are a deck of cards, various coins, a set of locks and lockpicks she knows in and out, basic carpenter’s tools, rope, several handkerchiefs, flash paper and her books on “magic”.

History:

Jem never knew who her parents were. She had lived in an orphanage since as long as she could remember. During this time period of her life nothing much happened of interest to her, aside from the development of her lust for secrets. The orphanage was situated in a very old and big (previously) abandoned mansion which was full of secret passageways and all sorts of secrets hidden in the walls. When Jem was little she had once stumbled across one of these secret doors by accident, and ever since had been exploring the passageways between the walls. She eventually found all of the secret doors, or at least most, of the mansion, and started using those far more regularly. Sometimes she would play tricks on people by distracting them and quickly disappearing. This led to many of the other kids thinking she had magic abilities.

Then one night Jem did a final disappearing act in the orphanage, but never reappeared again. She had found a secret exit out of the orphanage, and decided to leave for good. She did not get far in the world though, and had to resort to begging to get by. Quite quickly though, and for her quite luckily, a circus arrived in the town she was in. It was one of the larger ones of the world, and often picked homeless children off the street if they thought said children had talent. Jem was one of them, and was put in with a troupe of tumblers and acrobats.

Here she learned quite a lot about show business, flair, and acting. She also learned about the power of deception from the circus’ “Master of Tricks.” She learned almost all of her tricks from him; from basic card tricks to optical illusions to planned escapes. He also taught her the theory of magic tricks. “Every trick requires two hands: One to make the real things happen and one to catch the attention of your audience.” In the circus, she also learned a few air and fire spells.

Alas, all good things come to an end. After Ritik’s Retribution, the travelling circus could not profit from travelling around Battleonia, due to the lack of an audience. The circus went bankrupt and Jem was left without work, and had no place to go. Except for the cities.

Jem moved to the Capital, Alavey, to try and use her skills to make money. On the streets, she quickly found that while travelling magicians garnered plenty of attention, they never got much money from their audiences. So she eventually had to resort to crime. Being a rather clumsy pickpocket, this did not work out well.

Then she met Aaron. Aaron had also been forced to leave his home in the country and find sanctum in Alavey, but unlike Jem, he was very good with his hands. Jem met him when she eventually couldn’t pay her rent and had to move to cheaper housing, where she was put in a room with seven other people. Aaron was one of them. They eventually found that their skills complemented each other, and a partnership was started. Jem would start a show and attract the attention of the crowd. Aaron would silently move between them and rob them of their valuables. They then split the money.

This is the situation where Jem is at the beginning of the RP. Also, she knows the city relatively well due to her wanderings. Sometimes she uses the rooftops for shows, so she also knows a few ways up there.

Skills and Abilities:

Basic Magician Tricks: Sleight of hand, knowing which card your audience picked, so on so forth. The kind of stuff you would expect from a magician at a booth. Jem can do most of these pretty well.

Acting: Magician magic is all about acting. Acting is often the distracting factor. Jem is relatively good at controlling her body language to get the wished effects.

Concealment: Concealment is another of the most useful tools of the magician. Keeping the actual stuff that is happening hidden from the audience is the key to magic. Jem is slightly more lacking in this category than in her acting. She can sometimes mess up during the key moments of her act, and accidentally reveal to her audience that what she is doing is not truly magic at all.

Also under this category is her ability to blend in to a crowd. She is better at standing out, but she can also conceal herself well enough. If she knows her surroundings well enough, she can be even better at going unnoticed.

Basic Mechanisms: During her time working in the circus, she sometimes had to fix the various props that were used. This led to a basic understanding of how the inner mechanisms of certain machines work. Jem can recreate some of these objects, but they do nothing grand. These are things like concealed pulleys and “disappearing” boxes. (Where a mirror at a certain angle can be used to create the effect that a box is empty.)

Know your Surroundings: Jem always tries to get familiar with her surroundings as quick as possible so as to see what she can use in it. Forehand knowledge of access to sewers for instance, to make quick disappearances, or other useful information that can be used in a trick. This also applies to objects, such as knowing locks so well that picking them is like using a key. Such things can seem like magic if properly hidden.

I mentioned this mainly because she knows certain sectors of the city well enough for this “skill” to come into play.

Real Magic: Jem can use air magic to keep light objects aloft and can create sparkles and small explosions with fire magic. None of her spells can actually harm anyone though. They might burn off someone's eyebrows, but that's about it.

Connection to Crime

At first glance, Jem does not seem like a thief. At all. But magicians are deceivers by their very nature, much like thieves themselves. Jem is not very effective on her own, but her skills combined with that of others can make her a criminal that is to be reckoned with. For instance, her duo with Aaron is a prime example of what role she will play in heists: the distraction. She will be the person who keeps the guards entertained (By that I mean wary of her and keeping their attention on her, not actually using them as an audience.) while the others sneak in to rob a place. She’s also good at planning an escape route and distracting the pursuers.



Starstruck -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (11/15/2013 11:05:48)

Name: Gen. Yaps
Race: Dog
Breed: Border Collie
Age: 22

Appearance: General Yaps is about 2 feet high at the shoulder, making him extraordinarily (but not impossibly) large for a dog of his breed. He is black and white, with plenty of shaggy fur, and pretty much is your average Border Collie specimen in terms of color and proportions, all save one thing. Instead of a deep, chocolatey brown, Gen. Yaps' eyes are a piercing, icy blue.

Equipment: None. Loves doggie bones.

History: General Yaps was obtained as a puppy by a cold woman who left no name. The woman was walking by the breeder's house when a single playful puppy barked at him. The rest were cowering by the opposite fence. The signs were unmistakable; to ignore an omen like that would have been a pretty big mistake. The woman bought the puppy for a pittance from the breeders, who just wanted her out of their house, and christened him Yaps.

Right from the start, Yaps displayed astonishing intelligence and bravery. Exposure to the cold woman changed him in subtle ways, making him more wolflike, changing the color of his eyes and even making him grow larger than usual as well as extending his life span. However, Yaps was forcibly taken from the witch by kidnappers hoping to make a quick buck. He did not realize that they intended to return him to the witch for a price, nor did he know where he had been taken. What followed was rather messy, but it resulted in a seemingly permanent severance from the woman, who was similarly unable to find him. Lost and confused, he wandered through the city for days.

When the rebellion came, Yaps was 10 and swept up into the war. His intelligence and training showed; he was a favorite of the leaders of the rebellion, though he was able to keep a low profile and was used mostly as an oracle for strategy, as well as a final line of defense for the leader. When the final victory came, now-General Yaps escaped the terminal scuffles with only a kick or two and fled to the city, where he resorted to stealing to eat. Finally, through a clever but open bit of thievery, Gen. Yaps took a steak from one of the safehouses, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Skills and Abilities: General Yaps is almost unnaturally athletic and pulls off many daring feats during escapes. One can be sure that anything a dog could be able to do, General Yaps has done it already...or will, very soon.
Gen. Yaps is fiercely loyal and can be counted on not to betray you...unless it saves his life, of course. His true (and seemingly only) loyalty will always be to the cold woman, but his own desires and attachments do form. Be nice to him.
Gen. Yaps is supernaturally intelligent, almost up into human terms. Dogs cannot make the sounds of a human, but he can understand what you're saying as long as you say it simply, as to a child, and he can learn code words as well. He was this smart all along; exposure to the cold woman has changed nothing about his mind.

General Yaps's breath, teeth, and claws are always cold, but the rest of him is fairly warm, as normal doggies and living things are. He seems to reduce the ambient temperature by about 5 degrees just by being there.

spoiler:

The woman was a witch, if you couldn't already tell. Yaps was her familiar. She was an ice witch, so he knows a little ice magic. Yaps is functionally immortal, but he can be wounded to the point of uselessness (he'll heal, but only slightly faster than normal). His heart is made of ice, and if this is tossed into a fire...well, he'll die, but he'll probably take someone with him. Possibly more than one.

Thanks to being a familiar, Yaps can breathe coldflame and ignite flammable objects with coldflame - ice blue flames that provide light but no heat or smoke. Coldflame applied to people is not fun (and not lethal), but it also outs him as a witch dog. He was very close in his training to be able to change the weather, but that's about the extent of magic for a familiar - the witch is more powerful, but even her power is somewhat limited.

The following spoiler tag shall be viewed at one's own risk because it is a big deal.
spoiler:

The witch will not be making an appearance in this RP, as she is dead. I will be building up to her death in the RP - Yaps does not currently know it has happened already.

OTHER: This bio is kinda probably too short, but I can't come up with anything to make it longer. Yaps is simple in concept, but in execution he's rather nuanced. Sorry for making a character who's a dog, but he's a thief dog? I guess?

If you want him to have no supernatural aspects at all, that works too. I kind of liked the distinction it gave General Yaps, and also provided something to talk about later on in the story.



Kellehendros -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (1/21/2014 18:09:45)

Name: Farsa Greybranch
Race: Half-elf
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Occupation: Leather tanner

Rank: Associate
Codename: Mirror

Appearance, personality, and work:
Farsa is tall but slender, a legacy of health impacted by hard working conditions, stress, and worry. She has flame-red hair, generally bound back in a knot to keep it out of her way, though wisps and tendrils tend to work their way free and frame her narrow face. Her eyes are a glittering emerald green, and her ears are sharply pointed, clearly showing her elven ancestry. The elf blood comes from her father, who she takes after the most in looks, though she has her human mother's green eyes. Farsa might be considered pretty, but it would take a great deal of cleaning and several weeks of rest for her to be considered beautiful. Given her work and responsibilities, she appears almost perpetually exhausted. She does her best to make light of her troubles, but there is no small amount of resentment in her concerning the luxuries enjoyed by the upper-class as she struggles to provide for her family.

Her current garb consists of a set of loose leather pants and a course-woven colorless shift under a pocketed leather vest. Farsa wears comfortable boots and a wide leather belt, through which she thrusts the misericorde she carries to defend herself. By no means a fighter, Farsa has only started carrying the weapon since becoming an associate, and is still uncomfortable with it. She has never had a reason to use it, and hopes she never will.

Farsa does her work for the organization in a condemned building not far from the tannery where she works. She stores all of her materials there, preferring to distance her work from her family life. On the off-chance she should be caught, or someone should find her workshop, she does not want anything to link back to her family and put them at risk.

History:
Farsa once lived in the now defunct village of Greybranch, a week or so to the south of Alavey. Her family were farmers and trappers, well respected by the village. Greybranch was never a large town, but was a stop along one of the message routes used by the kingdom's couriers, and thus did good business in catering to the needs of the messengers and package carriers.

When Farsa was eight, a great trade road was completed, a more direct route to the south of Alavey that bypassed the traditional river fording point at Greybranch in favor of a massive stone bridge that simply spanned the river itself. Greybranch withered as a result, with most of the freeholding families slipping into debt due to bad harvests or lack of customers.

The rebellion was never strong in Greybranch, mostly due to the proximity to Alavey, and Farsa's father determined that the village could not survive without the custom of the kingdom's riders. He moved the family to Alavey when Farsa was fourteen, looking for any work that could be found.

Those were poor years to be of the lower classes in Alavey. If the high-born brought the sword down on the peasant in the field, they held Alavey with a grip of iron. Her father found work in a factory, and as the oldest child, Farsa was forced to take work herself, finding employment in one of the tanneries at the edge of the city.

A year ago her father was killed in an accident, leaving Farsa and her mother to take care of the family as best they can. With four younger siblings, Farsa was understandably pressed for money and desperate for opportunities.

And that was when she met a thief.

A manhunt through the streets of the city drove an associate into the tanning district at the outskirts of Alavey. Desperate, the man offered Farsa a handful of coins to hide him from the guards. She accepted, perhaps foolishly, hiding the man in one of the reeking curing vats until the guards had moved on. The grateful thief informed Farsa of the existence of the loose confederation of thieves, and suggested she might find more money with them than working in the poor conditions at the tannery.

It took her a few weeks to work up the courage to make contact with the group, and even then she wasn't sure precisely what she could do that they might need, beyond hiding fugitives.

As it turned out, what Farsa could do was make things. She has an eye for detail, and a knack for replication, allowing her to copy and reproduce in uncanny detail. In fact, the young woman has an eidetic memory, and the deft fingers to turn those memories into nearly flawless recreations of little things, especially letters.

Over the last year of working with the thieves, Farsa has honed her abilities as a natural creator of forgeries, learning techniques for working with different mediums, and treating materials to achieve a variety of effects.

Edit: Threw some bold in there for your sake, Ryu. :p



Riprose123 -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (1/27/2014 13:57:22)

So we can start our character out as any rank within the guild? Because I'm jumbling an idea for a Wisp, but I wasn't quite sure where we were supposed to start on the food chain.



Legendium -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (1/27/2014 16:58:19)

I've decided now by re-reading my character that I don't really like her. If my bio gets approved, which I doubt it will, looking at it from a different light, I will go along with it, but if not, I'm not going to try and improve it, but make a new character.

I might as well do that soon, so I'll be making a new character in my mind.

Just thought you might want to know.



Eukara Vox -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (2/2/2014 23:03:38)

NAME: Synthra Frax

AGE: 21

GENDER: female

RACE: 3/4 Human, 1/4 Vartai

APPEARANCE: Synthra's skin is extremely pale with a ghostly turquoise hue, as if you look at her and swear you see the colour but can't be sure. The only hair characteristic that is known is that it is very straight and very thick. Her eyes are rumoured to be black, fringed by long eyelashes, but that has yet to be confirmed. She is about 5'9, lithe and very fit. Her skin colour is due to the maternal side of the family that has Vartai blood, with a connection to water. There isn't a set clothing style, as her appearance changes often. As a matter of fact, few actually know what she truly looks like. She is a chameleon of sorts, changing to fit the current job. Not a shapeshifter, but a superb actress, who can slip into any role and play it out until completion.

MANNERISMS: Synthra's mannerisms are, again, dependent on the job that she is currently undertaking. Because she has few, if any friends, no one knows what she is really like as a person. If one were to get to know her, it would be interesting, as it is possible she doesn't even know who she is anymore outside of her job.

SKILLS:
Synthra is not a pickpocket, nor does she steal from lesser people. She considers such thievery as petulant and immature. She prefers the subtle endeavours of working her way into the secrets and private ways of her targets, where she can become part of their lives and slowly milk them until she acquires her goal. She is an excellent role player, actress and make-up artist, though the last skill is also enhanced by her Vartai connection to water, as her cosmetics and such are water based and subjected to the magic in her blood.

Because her work involves taking on many roles, she has a varied skill set when it comes to fighting, hunting and social graces. She prefers the bow, as it is an elegant weapon, and the dagger as it is a personal weapon that requires one-on-one touch and visual stimulation. She prefers to look her victim in the eye if she has to kill. Her weaponry skills are passable, enough that she is capable in a role with a weapon, but never will she be an excellent marksman. She would like to one day acquire dagger mastery, but she also knows that may never happen. She is also skilled in the apothecary arts, but not for killing purposes. More for sleeping and hallucinagenic needs.

She has skills, in every tier of life from the worst gutter lord to the upper echelon of society. She can adapt to any situation, play just about any role, no matter how despicable, uncomfortable or unruly. Feminine wiles are her assets, wit her weapon.

BACKGROUND:
Synthra Frax was born 21 year ago in a small log cabin located in the forests at the base of Mt. Thrall. Her very existence was against nature, as her Vartai blood made her an abomination. Her mother, half Vartai due to a clandestine romance between a Vartai lord and a human merchant, should have been killed but escaped, only to live in seclusion. When Synthra was born, her parents were afraid and made sure that she was never found out by the Vartai rulership. As she grew up, Synthra was taught to blend and adapt, becoming whatever others needed to see to survive. Her skin colour was more obvious than her mother had hoped and anyone who really looked at her would know her heritage.

She had no real friends growing up. She had only her parents until about age 10, when her father went missing, then shortly after, her mother. No one in the local village could attest to their disappearance, though Synthra knew in her heart they had been found by Vartai huntsmen. It was then she began her life as a thief, since she had to survive. Her skills at blending and adapting came in handy, and once she realised she had a real knack for it, worked hard to develop it until it was an exquisite art form that got her just about anything she wanted.

No job is too big or small, too innocent or sinful, too safe or dangerous. She will hire out as a mercenary, or a guild thief, or a trickster. She has no regrets. Well, at least any she knows are actually hers, and not one of the many characters she has been in her life.

One of her best jobs was a courtier. What she ended up stealing from that royal family is still, to this day, one of their biggest embarrassments and her greatest successes. That she broke a lord's heart never bothered her. Just a day's work, or so she tells herself.



Ryu Viranesh -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (2/3/2014 0:18:11)

All right - time to go through all of these and keep on top of things. Though it seems like I've been quiet in terms of Felicity these past couple months, and I have, I actually have been writing a fair amount of background info. for the RP and its plot - I'm much further along with such things than I was previously and feel very confident of my ability to tell an interesting, character-driven tale. I've also decided on the nature of my own character, whom I intend to write up over the course of the next week - you'll get to meet him soon enough. Now then, though, I have bios to address.

@Legendium: While there are some minor grammatical issues and a few of the abilities that end up as a little redundant given Jem's profession, there's nothing overtly wrong with the character either. However, if you really don't think you'd enjoy playing her and would prefer to submit another character, then I'll fully support your decision to do so and give you far more timely feedback this go-around. I want people to truly enjoy this RP once it gets going (which I do intend to be soon), so it's all right if you want to approach things from a different angle. Just do what you think you'll have the most fun doing. However, I'd still give Jem's bio the stamp of approval based on how it stands right now.

@Starstruck: As we've discussed a little bit on IRC, I can't in all good conscious approve this character. I'm looking for something in a more ... serious vein for this RolePlay, and I have a lot of issues taking General Yaps seriously. I would like to see something else from you, since you've produced characters in the past that I feel would work for this setting, and think that you have a lot to add to Felicity if you can rein in the silliness just a little bit.

@Kellehendros: I enjoyed this when I first read it and I still enjoy reading it a lot now. Farsa is an extremely well-constructed character that fits quite nicely into the universe that I'm trying to construct; I feel that she'd serve as a valuable asset for any team of professional thieves and brigands. Her history is poignant and well-written - it sticks in my mind. Therefore, I have no problem approving you (though you could bold some of the bio headers for format's sake :p): welcome to Felicity, my friend.

@Riprose123: The role of the Wisps is one that I didn't really intend to be in the control a player, since in many ways, they're meant to serve as a constant fear in the back of most of the organization's minds. You can play either an "Associate" or a "Partner" though - so in terms of the general food chain, you can be anywhere, and have any of a large range of specialties that exist. Hope that this has helped!

@Eukara Vox: Yet another solid bio, though I really shouldn't have expected anything less in this case. Synthra is intriguing, and a character that I'd very much like to see played. She's well-balanced, yet still has a diverse skill-set. Yeah, I've no problems approving this character - can't wait to see her in action soon.



Legendium -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (2/3/2014 3:22:27)

All right, I have a character idea, but need to ask two things: 1. Can my character have been a prominent rebel that survived Ritik's Retribution and now lives in hiding in Alavey? 2. Can where he lives be a meeting point for the Gulid? You said there would be many locations, and an abandoned bell tower would be cool.



Ryu Viranesh -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (2/3/2014 16:06:43)

@Legendium: 1. It's possible, though the only way that said rebel could have been present at the actual event was if they did end up surrendering to Ritik and his troops (unless he was possessed of an ungodly luck, and even then, he likely wouldn't have made it out completely unscathed). Beyond that, there are certain caveats that come with playing a character like that. Namely, since he was prominent, he'd probably be recognizable by a fair amount of people even after the decade that's gone by. Some never forget. As such, you'd probably have to consider his role in the organization carefully. In addition, it's very likely that he'd owe a debt of sorts to Council for even agreeing to take him in (this could work for some interesting characterization). None of these things are downsides really, just details that you'd need to know going into making this kind of character.

2. While him living at a hideout isn't really strange, considering his situation, it would be important to note that he'd just happen to be living at a meeting place - it wouldn't be a meeting place because he's there. As to the bell tower idea, I do like it, though I have a suggestion for you. Rather than have it be abandoned (which would probably make it a prime target for the city guard to search when looking for the "Guild"), have it be lesser used, with some of the organization having infiltrated the clergy that operates the place so that it might as well be theirs. This is just an idea, so you don't have to stick with that if you come up with something better. Just throwing some thoughts around. :)



Legendium -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (2/4/2014 10:40:40)

Name: Janos Skrite
Age: 35
Race: Human
Gender: Male

Rank: Partner

History: Janos was born on a farm far out from the cities. They were lucky, never getting hit by droughts or major pests. Harvest was bountiful. All in all, life was good.
But on the day Janos turned seventeen, disaster struck. The rebellion had started, and soldiers started moving out to fight the rebels. When they passed Janos’ farm, they ransacked it, killing all of his family and taking all their food. Janos only survived because he was out hunting at the time, yet when he returned and found his family’s fate, he wished he had died with them rather than bear the guilt of the survivor.
Sorrowful and angry, he left, trying to leave his family behind and seek out a new life. But that was never to happen.
Outside of his farm, the rebellion was raging in full swing. He quickly was caught up in the fight, and his peasant status made him a target for soldiers. Especially since he still carried the bow he had when he was hunting. Seeing innocent men and women rode down mercilessly by the city guards who were meant to protect them turned the sorrow in his heart to burning rage. And so, he joined the rebellion as a scout.
The years he spent in the war transformed him from a young boy to a man who had seen his share of death. Starting out as a mere scout, he soon worked his way up, until he was a commander of his own group of scouts at the age of twenty-four. It was then that Ritik’s Retribution started. Being one of the best scouts in the rebel army, he was one of the people meant to scout out the gorge. He didn’t see the ambush. He didn’t manage to warn the rebels in time. It was his fault that it even happened. Or so he sees it.
The fight could not truly be called a battle, in all fairness. It was a slaughter. The poorly equipped rebels were mowed down by the tactical prowess of the imperial army. Very few rebels survived, and none came away without scars.
But Janos didn’t stay long enough to see his brothers in arms truly crushed by the might of the soldiers. He may have had a burning hatred for Lord Ritik, but he was a smart enough man to know when to run. When the ambush started, he saw no possibility of victory, and in his despair he fled and escaped his fate. To this day, he is still haunted by his cowardice. The scar he gained upon his face while getting away from his enemies reminds him of it every time he looks in a mirror.

Janos had been relatively well known in the army, and there are many who would gladly see him dead. He has grown paranoid in the time he has spent hiding, but he’s still got the same hatred for Lord Ritik and other nobles, and will do whatever he can to finish the fight. Because of this, he went to Alavey as soon as he heard the tales of a group of thieves harassing the local authorities. It was difficult to get into the city in the first place, since he was still a wanted man, but getting into the Guild itself was even more difficult. He still feels partially unwelcome by most thieves, because having a bounty on his head puts the whole Guild in even more danger than it already is. Yet they still took him in for whatever reason, and he’s willing to give it his all to help them.

Personality: Janos tends to appear to have a very calm and balanced personality. But this is because of his two conflicting sides balancing each other out. On the one side, he hates the guards and nobles with a passion, but on the other side, he is still wallowing in sorrow of his family’s death and his survivor’s guilt. Each one is powerful enough to send him into the extremes, but somehow, they managed to balance him out. This and his ability to think rationally make him a very good strategist and observer.

Appearance: Janos is tall and skinny as a stick. Being underfed most of the time, his ribs stand out stark on his chest. His face is covered with dirt most of the time, disguising a lot of his features from far away, except the huge scar on his face that stretches from his left ear to the corner of his left mouth. His hair and beard are shaggy and light brown, the color of dirt. All in all, he looks very much like he has never washed once in his lifetime. The first word that comes to everyone’s mind when they see him is “Beggar.”
But on second look, you can tell something about him is different when you look at his eyes. They are green like the leaves of an oak tree. Not many beggars give you the feel that they have a purpose, but look in Janos’ eyes and that’s what you’ll find.

Janos tends to wear beggar’s clothing as well when travelling, but he still has his dark leather armor from his days in the war, which he will wear during heists.

Skills and Talents: Having worked as a scout in the army, he is very good at taking in his surroundings. He is patient, observing a house from afar for several days if required, in order to understand all of what happens inside it. He can think clearly and rationally, making him a good strategist, which in combination with his observing skills makes him excellent at planning infiltration. He can also help during the actual break-ins themselves, but his sneaking skills aren't altogether that good. He’s a terrible pickpocket as well, being pretty much incapable of snatching objects from other people.
He can fight though, and is pretty a pretty good marksman with his bow, which can come in useful when having to knock over objects from a distance. He also knows how to fight hand-to-hand, and can knock out a few guards during a chase without killing them. But that would only likely happen if the guard had no armor and didn't stick him like a pig with his spear first. It would be better used on a sleeping target who might pose a danger if woke.


This is what I have so far. I know it isn't perfect, and there are probably little details to work out, but this is the person I am going to play as. Tweaked or not.
I suppose I still could've played as Jem, but it's been so long that I am completely out of sync with her character.

EDIT: Grammatical errors fixed. Or at least some. I doubt I found them all though. Also added that his ability to knock people out would be completely ineffective on people wearing armor or people who are armed.



Draycos777 -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (2/4/2014 17:34:36)

Hey Ryu, would a bio for a twin pair be ok? Had the idea but never got around to asking since I got caught up with other things.



Legendium -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (4/17/2014 10:29:19)

Soooooo...
When are we going to get started?



Ryu Viranesh -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (4/17/2014 11:38:50)

^Soon - ideally this weekend. I'll be going through this thread and probably finishing the editing that my rather long intro post requires (as well as making some subtle tweaks depending on a couple of certain things). But yes, soon. I'm eager to get this going (you've no idea what an idea sitting on my mind for months becomes). Look forward to it. :P



black knight 1234567 -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (4/21/2014 9:25:56)

Is this still open for applications? a RP that's basically a game of wits sounds really, really cool. Can't believe I just noticed this.



Starstruck -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (5/3/2014 11:11:35)

Yes it is still open for applications. Please apply.



black knight 1234567 -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (5/4/2014 11:27:45)

Hmm..I was entertaining the idea of a Wisp but then I read the post that said they're not player controlled characters, do partners hold much control over the newer members/associates, or is it simply that they're older and more successful?



TJByrum -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (5/4/2014 12:21:10)

I'm wondering whether or not the roleplay will have an overarching story or if it will have a looser restriction on story.



Lazo -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (5/4/2014 16:41:19)

If you're still taking applications, I've had this character sitting in my folder for a while, and I figure this would be a good place for her. The magic might be a problem, though. Tell me if I should tone it down further.

Name: Faint
Gender: Female
Age: 30
Race: Human
Appearance: Faint stands at about 5’7’’, with a lithe frame, clear skin and delicate features to go with her rather attractive figure. Her long, slightly curly hair is a dark auburn, picked up in a pony-tail for convenience, and has a healthy gloss to it that speaks of ample care. That said, the way her jade colored eyes only seem to carry a permanent frown or intense gleam, one would find it difficult to believe she would give as much time to such things as it appears.

Her clothing is not overly complicated, consisting of a brown, pocketed leather vest over a loose burgundy tunic, form fitting brown pants held in place by a sturdy black belt, and black boots reaching just under her knees. The vest cuts open triangularly above her breast, allowing the tunic’s collar to fold outwards, giving her an air of authority. On each of her hips, attached to the belt are two sheathed daggers, along with a small leather satchel.

Belongings: Beyond the slender daggers sheathed to her belt, Faint carries a few other knives on her person. If one pays enough attention they may see a handle peeking from under her boot, or small bumps under her sleeves.

Additionally, she always makes sure to keep some lock picking tools on her person, typically in her satchel or one of her vest’s pockets.

Personality: While making certain allowances for dry wit and humor, Faint has an overall serious and sensible demeanor, often adopting the role of the voice of reason, a no nonsense attitude displayed in the expectant, almost bored look in her eyes.

This look tends to be replaced by a calculating, clinical glare whenever she catches wind of something that might benefit her, particularly if it stands to add to the weight of her purse. While she has lines she will not cross – even thieves have standards – one could not be faulted for thinking she would be willing to trade her mother to get her way. Then again, depending on how attached she is to a particular person, others might be fair game.

Faint is not the kind to visibly lash out when angered, but she has been known to bear grudges. A good way to put yourself on her bad side is to comment on her age or criticize her appearance.

History: Faint was born to a poor family living in a large city’s slums along with one older brother. According to her parents, they had once been an affluent merchant family, but had been driven out of business by competition and new policies set in place after the former king’s passing. One way or another, she never once saw any of that coin, as her parents seemed content to live off charitable souls and prayer to random deities who may somehow reverse their fortunes.

Faint took it upon herself to help her family however she could, and from a very early age began taking food off stalls and gathering dung from the stables near the city’s edge to light up the hearth. Her brother did not take kindly to this, jealous of the way their parents seemed to have become dependent of her. Beatings started, and combining it with her budding talent in magic, other young kids who wanted to give the freak a peace of their mind joined in. She never told her parents how she got new bruises every day, or why she spent more and more time away from home as days passed. The threat in her brother’s eyes was ever present, ‘tell them, and it will be the last thing you do.’ She suspected that, in some level, her parents knew, but couldn’t bring themselves to believe their elder son would do such a thing to his baby sister.

One particular day, when she was looking for food and stray coins, she misjudged her mark and pickpocketed a very particular stranger. He caught her in the act, and by some twist of fate ended up meeting the man who would become her mentor. An old hand at the thieving business, and perhaps at some point a bloodier kind of enterprise, as his skill with knives and some of his connections attested to, for some reason decided that the little girl who had tried to cut his purse would make for a good pupil. Suffice to say, he taught her everything she knows, and she might have developed a small crush for the old man in the time she knew him.

She suspected the thief would give her a place to stay if she asked, but she kept going back home to help her family, skillfully avoiding her brother, and at times managing to fend him off when he came for her. In her brother’s mind, it was clear that this would not stand.

One night, he ambushed her in the streets. She had been careless and didn’t notice him following her in her usual foray into the city. By the time she became aware of him, he had pounced on her. He cursed her, beat her, told her that she was weak, and told her how he planned to sell her off to the city’s mines. She became desperate and managed to conjure up an illusion to distract him. While he was distracted, she picked up a rock and bashed him on the back of the head. He did not wake up from the impact. Panicking, she went to her family and told them what had happened. They would not take her after that debacle. Much as it had been accidental, in killing their son, she had not revealed a darkness in her brother’s heart, but the one in hers. Instead she moved in with the thief, who offered a surprisingly warm shoulder to cry on.

This went on for some years, Faint learning under the thief and eventually being taken into the folds of the city’s Thieves’ Guild. Eventually, the thief was captured in one particular heist. He was meant to be brought to a prison to wait for his trial, but he never made it. The official statement claims that it was a clerical error that had him sent to the gallows rather than a cell, but all involved caught a glimpse of the strings moving behind the accident.

It was… regrettable, but it was something the thief had prepared her for. Theirs was a dangerous profession, and as such, she marched on until she made a mistake of her own. Faint was hired to take over a small caravan meant for a powerful noble before the caravan entered the city proper, past the slums beyond the wall. She succeeded, but soon learned that the noble had ties to the city’s Assassins’ guild, and part of the shipment was in fact a very rare artifact meant for its head. The Thieves’ Guild had a standing arrangement with the Assassins’ Guild, but, due to a recent internal upheaval against the latter’s leadership and its supporting elements, the Assassins were in a state of disarray. Fearing the possible repercussions, a cull being among the possibilities, the Thieves’ Guild disavowed Faint, leaving her on her own. Eventually, she was forced to fake her own murder in order to flee the city, leaving the stolen object behind.

She is not sure if they ever realized that they were tricked, but putting more distance between her and them could not be a bad idea. She could always ply her trade in another city. Preferably one with a sizeable amount of distance and few connections to her old home.

Skills, spells and abilities: Faint prides herself in her prowess as a thief, and as such it should not come as a surprise that she knows her way around pockets, locks and areas certain powerful people would rather she did not know her way around.

While skillful with her chosen weapons and very accurate with her throwing knives, daggers are not the most effective weapons in direct confrontations against well-armed foes, or even animals and monsters with particularly thick hides. Faint knows this, and as such prefers to either avoid fights altogether or, should that not be possible, ambush and cheat her way through.

This is aided by her talent in illusion magic. Since she never had actual instruction in the use of her magical abilities, the more complicated illusions such as invisibility spells and the creation of illusory bodies that don’t look out of place in a real environment remain outside her area of competence. However, through practice and experimentation, she has managed to repurpose certain cantrips to her needs. The first one is akin to a perception filter, rendering her the most bland and uninteresting thing in the room. The effects of this illusion can be easily broken under duress and scrutiny, or through the use of senses other than sight, so it tends to be most effective while in a crowd. While it lasts, eyes simply skip over her without really seeing. The second is a form of aural manipulation, allowing her to change a noise’s volume, pitch, and to apparent origin. Particularly, this allows her to muffle footsteps, create diversions, and disguise her voice. The third one is an illusion that overlays an object’s appearance with small aesthetic changes. Should the changes be small enough, they can be maintained indefinitely. It certainly cuts off time from her morning rituals.



Ryu Viranesh -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (5/5/2014 23:26:06)

All right! Now that my exams are cleared, I have the time to actually do what I need to and get this up-and-running proper. I'll be doing a thorough look-over of this thread tomorrow and begin the necessary tweaking to the intro framework that I have written up. Though, to answer some more immediate questions:

@black knight 1234567: While there is little "official" authority that Partners have over Associates, they're far more likely to be put/end up in leading/planning positions by virtue of their experience and success/survival. There's a kind of general respect that goes with being a Partner that in this business, tends to give your words a bit more weight when you say them. However, in most cases, that doesn't mean that the Partner *needs* to be listened to (I'm not big on flat out giving one player that kind of authority over another in this kind of situation). It's also important to remember that Associates do become Partners eventually, so they can have just as much wherewithal if they've been around the block for a while and are just new to the organization.

@TJByrum: There is a general overarching framework which I have in mind for the story, but I've left a fair amount of room for player agency in my plans. Simply put, I'm not going to tell you guys how to handle the situations you run up against, and as a result, that will have some effect on the overall story. However, I'm also not going to leave openings to allow players to completely subvert my plot, since I do have an intent with this RP and there are a couple of key events that will likely happen in one form or another. I guess the short answer is "Yes and no", though I'm sorry if that doesn't really help.



black knight 1234567 -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (5/6/2014 7:26:56)

I'm a bit rusty in regards to making a bio since those boards go a long time without much activity, but i'm going to give it a shot.
Name: Kailan Jones
Gender: Male
Age: 37
Rank: Associate, although by choice
Appearance: Kailan stands at 6'1 and weights around 170lbs, rather tall but not very scrawny, sturdily build, with a fairly slouchy posture, perfect for a sneak thief. Standing on his fairly high neck, a square shaped, a cadaverous face with with a fair complexion, a pointy chin with wide cheekbone structure, covered with a stubble beard and deep set eyes to compliment his face, colored exotic emerald green.
His voice has a hoarse and throaty tone to it, but also there is a strange contrast and a small trace of lilting within.

Considering Kailan's job description, his clothes reflect that, being all colored black in an attempt to blend in with the shadows, his headgear consist of a hood, and a black scarf wrapped around his neck, but can also be brought up to cover his face like a bandanna, incase of detection or need of concealment, below that is a black, buttoned up medieval jacket made of light fabric, complimented by a regular set of black pants and boots. Wrapped around the waist is a dark brown belt filled with pouches for his numerous tools and gadgets, each pouch made of polyester.

Belongings: Kailan has a number of things he uses to ensure his illegal endeavors don't go wrong. In his numerous pouches one can find lockpicks, mini saw a brass hammer and magnifying glass, along with a rope hook he uses to climb unreachable locations.
Due to his strict code against killing, he doesn't carry any weapons on him other than a crowbar that he's willing to use in open combat if necessary, but mostly uses it as another thieving tool.

Skills and abilities: Kailan has all the skill of an experienced thief, a very acute sense hearing, smelling and eye sight that allows him to comprehend, understand and study his surroundings really well. He's also gifted with very athletic agility and the ability to get over and around obstacles, quietly.
But the most important and most valuable skill is his ability to blend in with the shadows, dashing from dimly lit location to another, when Kailan is in a dark environment, he's almost invisible unless someone gets really close, practically touching distance. He has limited combat abilities, and may be able to get out of a scrap with a person or two at best, but against experienced enemies or large numbers, he's easy prey in combat. He's specialty lies within heists, street level pick pocketing and stealing directly from a person, he isn't too good at, and there is a very good chance of him messing up.

History: You'd most likely be expecting the story of a kid, living in poverty in the streets, thieving his way through life. But no, it would be quit the contrary. Kailan was born into a wealthy, high born family, the only heir, so to speak. He was practically noble blood, everything he ever wanted was at his whim, a dozen of servants under his command, he was quite literally fed with a silver spoon, and his mother and father had plans to secure him a position high up the food chain. Kailan's high social status left him relatively alone, he was home taught and didn't meet or have any real friends, as all that he was constantly hammered with was what a great minister he was going to be. But, that mattered little in his youth. Ever since he could walk he was taking things he wasn't supposed to lay hands upon, shop lifting and breaking in to places and taking whatever caught his eyes. During his early teenage years, almost every location he would walk into, he would take something he shouldn't have took. His family's wealth and power covered up any of his crimes that could be traced back to him, and the thrill of stealing never vanquished inside, and no matter how many times his parents threatened to pull the rug under and leave him with nothing of their vast wealth.
A few years later in his mid 20's, his parent's forcing him into a rather reclusive life style, definitely had an effect on him, unable to really understand or make friends. Nonetheless, his parents were getting older, weaker and more ill by the day. They passed away after a long struggle with disease, leaving him all their fortune and power, but he relinquished his position and duties to his servants, wanting to be free of the bounds of nobility, instead donning the cape of the night and with a large sum of his fortune should he ever need it.

He left his home town, looking for more opportunities of theft. After a few successful heists on many of his high born ''neighbors'', Kailan started moving around, stealing from whoever had the means to live in luxury, building quite a reputation for himself among the small communities. Tales of a thieves guild out in capitol Battleonia caught his ear. He set out Alavey, and although it took a bit of effort and quite a bit of coin to gain, or rather buy himself a quick entrance, he was finally a part of the guild, an associate, they called him. The irony of buying himself passage into a guild of thieves was not lost on him, but he didn't care, he just wanted a place to be in.

A handful of years went by and Kailan became a pretty established member in this band of thieves, he was willing to do anything as mundane as forging a signature, to storming a mansion and stripping it clean off of its valuables. To the benefit the guild or as a form of vengeance by one noble to another in the little game they liked to play.
Naturally, after years of service Kailan was eligible for becoming a partner, a member of higher standing in the guild and someone with more authority, but he declined. The way he saw it, he left to escape his responsibilities and do what he loved doing, and such he's one of the oldest and longest standing associates in the guild.

Recently, Kailan had a job go bad at a local jeweler's place, due to a little..misunderstanding between him and a young man who was there for the same purpose. After escaping with their skin, Kailan saw certain potential in the lad, and so he recruited him into the guild. Weather that decision is good or bad however, remains to be seen.

Personality: A professional? you could say so, but not entirely cold or brooding. Kailan is a fairly laid back, but with a quite cynical outlook on all that's around him. He operates under a strict code, he does not kill and he does not steal from the less fortunate. Perhaps you'd think this is due to a noble soul in him, fighting for a good cause, but it really isn't.

Actually he can be quite selfish, part of his somewhat big headed demeanor is that he sees killing as below him, something a professional wouldn't do. He also doesn't steal from the less fortunate merely because there isn't much challenge nor thrill in it.
He is not easily tempted nor angered, his experience making him more aware and cold to things such as taunting, he also doesn't form too many close friendships, instead seeing everyone as an acquaintance, mostly to avoid it potentially coming back to bite him, and more so an effect from his parents strictness with him.


Notes: I personally took inspiration for this character from Looking Glass Studio's Thief and Suckerpunch's Sly Cooper, blending some aspects from each character and adding a bit of my own touch.



TJByrum -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (5/6/2014 12:58:41)

Name: Jack Crow
Personal: 21 year old human male.
Rank: Associate
Appearance: Jack stands about 5'6, weighing only 130 pounds; he's fairly skinny. He has dark blue eyes and tanned skin. His brown hair is rugged and unkempt.

Clothing: Jack normally wears an assortment of whatever clothes he has. Arriving in Alavey, he has on a dirty, worn-out white shirt with a brown vest over it. He has brown trousers held up by a brown leather belt (which also has his knife's sheath attached to it), as well brown shoes. While he does carry around a red bandana, he doesn't wear it to often and keeps it hidden in his pocket.
Belongings: Jack carries a deck of cards, a pair of six-sided dice, a red bandana, and a knife. The knife is the same one used to murder Jaqub Collier.
Skills and Abilities: Jack's main skills lie in his ability to make quick getaways. He's nimble, agile, and quick, able to outrun and outmaneuver anyone who attempts to stop him. Jack does not know any form of magic whatsoever. He can barely read, does not know his true age nor his true name. Jack has never been a 'professional' thief; this means he is not a good pickpocket, he isn't very stealthy, he does not know how to pick locks, and he would not be able to properly defend himself in an actual fight.

Personality: At heart, Jack is a good person, although he has a flawed morality. He can be a compassionate and caring person, but only to a selective few. He is particularly compassionate to his friend Serah, which he shares a very strong bond with. He will sacrifice anything for Serah, even if it means he must kill an innocent person, and he won't hesitate to do so if he ever needed to. He will stand up for his friends and fight by them, but anyone else in the world is fair game - he doesn't care what happens to them. He's a thief through and through, there's not doubt about it, and he does what he has to to survive. To him you're either wealthy or your poor - there is no middle ground, and anyone who isn't poor he deems to be his 'rival'. There have been a few exceptions that idea, but it's his general outlook on society as a whole. He sees the thieves in Alavey as a gang of crooks who make up false excuses to continue their life of petty thievery, nothing more. To him, the thieves are just another step in his quest to find Serah.
History: Jack was born in a small town known as Dust. Dust had been built long ago by a group of wealthy land owners intending to reap profits from travelers. Dust served as a resting point for merchants, adventurers, and other folk who passed between the two major cities, one located to the east and the other to the west. After Ritik's Retribution a very small group had retreated to Dust as refugees. The wealthy landlords there didn't know what to do with them and so allowed them to camp at the lower-end of the town. As years went by Dust would evolve into two districts: High-end, where the wealthy upper-class lived, and Low-end where the peasants had lived. Low-end was composed of small shacks and shambling houses; much of the trash and filth from High-end washed down into Low-end, making the living conditions horrible.

Jack had never met his father and his mother abandoned him at a very young age. It can be assumed that his mother was a peasant in Low-end, where he was born, and his father may have been a traveler who left his mother just as soon as he had met her. His mother abandoned him around age 3, but he was 'adopted' by a man named David Crow. David Crow was a medicine-man who lived in High-end but was generous enough to tend to the sick in Low-end. David had also 'adopted' a multitude of other similarly-poor and abandoned children, among them was Jack's best friend Dax. Jack didn't really know his name and so his friends called him 'jack', which was slang for 'buddy' in Dust. Around the same time another group of friends, headed by Jaqub Collier, were growing up in High-end.

Throughout the years Jack and his friends, most commonly referred to as 'the Crows', were constantly picked on by the Colliers in High-end. The feud would last his entire childhood, often leading to a few back-alley scuffles. Jack developed a gambling habit, playing poker and five-finger-fillet every chance he got. At age 14 he chopped off half of his left ring finger during five-finger-fillet, but David was able to tend to the injury. Needless to say, five-finger-fillet became much easier for Jack after the loss of his finger.

When Jack was around age 15 David was murdered somewhere in High-end for no apparent reason. Dax was more than certain it was the Colliers but was talked down by Jack; the results would have been quite bloody if Dax went through with his goals.

When Jack turned 16 he met someone who would change his life forever. It wasn't his mother, nor his father. It wasn't some forgotten brother or sister. It wasn't some beautiful woman who confessed her love to him. It was just a simple child, a girl at the young age of 7. Forgotten and abandoned by some passing traveler, the girl was afraid, hungry, thirsty, left alone to rot on the filth-filled streets of Low-end. Jack found her hiding behind a small brick building. He saw the fear in her eyes, the aura of loneliness emanating around her person. It hit him harder than anything else, and while he didn't remember anything at age 3, he knew David Crow had seen the same expression of hopelessness in his eyes. Dax tried to talk him out of it, but Jack decided to care for the girl. Her name was Serah.

For the next 5 years Jack looked after, cared for, and helped Serah in every way he could. She loved him like a father and he loved her like a daughter. He'd sacrifice anything for her and promised her he would never let anything happen to her. Jack had wanted to leave Dust in favor of finding another, more brighter future for Serah, although he would never attempt to leave since Dax urged him to stay in Dust. At age 21 Dust was attacked by a large force of slavers who roamed a desert region near where Dust was located. The town was attacked, burned down to rubble, and many of its citizens captured, doomed to be sold as slaves. Jack tried his best to stay with Serah but the slavers divided them. They would take the women and children to one city across the desert and then take the men to another city to be sold as labor-slaves. Dax began to concoct a plan to escape and revealed it to the fellow slaves.

In a daring attempt Dax managed to strangle a watchman one night, stealing his key and freeing the slaves. The rebellious group was quickly put down within minutes, but a small group of slaves managed to escape. In the confusion Dax realized the plan was a bust and knew they'd fail; he instructed Jack to flee to the city of Alavey and that he'd find 'friends' who could find Serah. Dax fought as long as he could while Jack fled, unsure of his fate.

It took several months but the weary Jack finally made it to Alavey. Within the first night he broke into a jeweler's house to steal some coin but encountered Kailan Jones - another thief. Jack prepared to fight him but the two were forced to flee when two guards were alerted to their presence. Jack had botched Kailan's job, but Kailan was impressed by his creative getaway and invited him to join the thieve's guild in Alavey.



Legendium -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (5/6/2014 13:42:39)

I'm glad this is going to be starting soon. I hope my schedule won't fill up too badly, but either way I'll squeeze in enough time to make a good couple of posts.



TJByrum -> RE: Felicity -A Tale of Thieves- OOC (AQ) (5/6/2014 15:03:21)

That's the longest History I have ever written, but I love it. Jack is probably one of my favorite characters I've come up with so far.

If anyone is interested in being the thief that Jack met at this part of his life:

quote:

When Jack arrived in Alavey he attempted to steal some coin from a local jeweler, but in the process he botched the job of a local thief. Jack drew his knife and prepared to fight the thief, but the jeweler had awoken and alerted the guards, forcing both of them to flee the scene. When the thief saw the potential in Jack he invited him to join his group: a 'guild' of thieves in Alavey. Jack saw it as a good opportunity, especially when he realized that these 'professionals' could help erase his crime in Dust, causing him to join him rather quickly as an associate.


I would be glad to collaborate with you and incorporate your character's name into the History.



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