Traits:
Traits: Maestro of the Society, Extremely Fashionable
Drawback: Meticulous
Reason for Arrival: Local - Though not technically born of the city, Damien has grown up in Julianople; more than enough time to learn how the city ticks and who the big players are.
Description: True to his name, the first thing you notice about "Snake Eyes" are his trademark reptillian pupils, set into eyes of burnished gold. When he looks at you, it feels like he's staring right through your soul. The second thing you might notice is his imposing presence; though rather skinny, what Damien lacks in body mass he makes up for in height, standing at 6' 6" and well above the average person.
His skin is pale green, set with a pattern of tiny, smooth scales that Damien keeps as impeccably groomed as his jet black hair. It's clear that the vishkanya puts effort into his personal appearance; whether out of personal taste or simply a sense of professionalism, he makes it a point to always dress well. In keeping with his aesthetic, Damien refuses to wear bulky body armor or anything that wouldn't fit beneath his tailored black suits. Damien's natural features and commitment to his appearance have led some to describe the man as androgenous, something he has never made a point to discourage.
Personality: Damien's identity is rather complex, and his personality can be somewhat changeable depending on who he's speaking to. Generally though, Damien's demeanor is subtle and controlled, giving little away. He is sly, meticulous, and careful, preferring calculated risks to big and showy displays. That isn't to say Damien isn't a bit showy; his outward appearance is as carefully maintained as his conduct. While this could partially just come down to a sense of vanity, it's also strongly motivated by Damien's sense of professionalism. For the same reason, Damien is generally polite, well-spoken, and slow to anger, until the situation calls for him to be otherwise.
Damien is excellent at gathering intel, and reading situations and people, something he hopes to use to elevate his position in the city. With that though comes certain rules; Damien's reputation matters greatly to him after all. While he unapologetically operates outside of the law, he values trust, and makes it a point to keep his word when it's given. He also can't be compelled to snitch on other criminals. An information broker who can't be trusted not to spill what they know is only a liability after all, worse than garbage. If Damien has dirt on an enemy, he might use it to destroy them... but he'll never rat them out. That's just plain professional courtesy. Damien isn't picky about company, and will work with anyone in the pursuit of his goals... though he abhors bullies and braggarts; basically, anyone who compensates for insecurity by trying to push down others rather than elevate themselves.
For all of his projected control, Damien loves challenges. Maybe he simply enjoys being able to prove his cleverness, but the man is never one to shy away from the difficult path... though even his ambition and drive has limits. Beneath his shell of moral grayness lies a sense of right and wrong as well. Deep down, Damien worries that the path he's on might eventually put him at odds with the person he wants to be; a man who can stands against a system designed to deny everyone an equal chance.
History: Damien is not a native to Julianople. He was born in Karshtan, a vishkanya kingdom across the sea. Born Disshmakel, he was the eldest of two sons to an herbalist and a dignitary. Disshmakel’s father was inflexible and steadfast in every aspect of his life; traits valued in a leader, but ones that tend to make enemies. So it was then that the man found himself at the business end of an assassin’s dagger one day, and when Disshmakel was only 5, his mother took he and his younger brother away from their home in search of a new life, far away from the threat of her husband’s killers and the general danger that surrounded their family position. After crossing the sea, the family caravan hopped for a while, eventually finding their way to the great trading port of Julianople, where the three finally set down new roots.
Though Disshmakel’s mother spoke only her native tongue fluently, she was a strong person and a hard worker, and after enduring no small amount of prejudice in her search for employment, finally secured a job doing groundskeeping for some minor noble. It wasn’t pertinent to her medical knowledge, but the woman’s background in herbalism made it easy for her to learn and apply the necessary methods of care to the many exotic plants on the property. She didn’t make much, their lodging on the east side of the city was cramped, and there wasn’t food on the table some nights… but they had a roof over their heads, and some security and safety at last.
Disshmakel never forgot the struggles they had endured to get to where they were though... and the ones they still had ahead of them. He remembered what they had once had, and how easily it had been snatched away. Even now, they lived in a city with almost none of his kind, with rumors and misinformation about vishkanya more populous than actual vishkanya. The average citizen would more likely whisper about him than talk to him, and though he had ambitions for a greater life than this, Disshmakel understood that it would never happen without change. There was honor in a hard day's work, but in a city consumed by organized crime, if one really wanted to rise up in the world, they needed to be willing to take what was theirs… and defend it mercilessly.
The boy began to pursue jobs as early as he could. While his younger brother Chikassh began helping their mother in her groundskeeping duties, Disshmakel sought out more lucrative opportunities under a new name; Damien. He found a lot of such opportunity within the communities of poisoners and apothecaries, using the reputation of his people to get a foot in the door selling “fresh ingredients”. Often, these were just clippings of the exotic flora his mother worked with, ground down and mixed with his blood or saliva, but the fact that vishkanya blood and saliva were genuinely poisonous meant that his concoctions produced real results upon testing, and he was able to form a fledgling network of contacts. Naturally observant and a fast learner, he picked up common quickly enough, and soon he was working on mastery of other languages as well; whatever would ease his entry into the criminal underworld.
Before long, Damien had a functional understanding of who the movers and the shakers were in town. He just needed an in. A successful job for the right person to earn himself a place amongst the crime families that ran Julianople. And that was where Tilly One-Eye Gansog came in...
Unique Goal:
Three Trivia Tidbits :
Damien wears a small lizard pin on his lapel, a keepsake of his late father.
While Damien keeps tabs on his family, he rarely contacts them. His mother and brother are the only two people he genuinely cares about, but they live straight and honest lives, something he refused to do a long time ago. While specific aspects of his work are unknown to her, Damien's hard-working, intelligent mother doesn't approve of him working in the criminal underworld, rubbing shoulders with thugs and maybe even the kind of people who killed her husband all those years ago. She makes it clear she wants no involvement or benefit from his work, and she probably hopes he'll come to his senses one day and find a more honest line of work because she loves him and wants what is best for her son. Damien's younger brother, Chikassh, is slightly more pragmatic; he keeps his nose mostly clean, but he also looks up to his brother and understands why "Damien" does what he does.
While he typically avoids getting too intoxicated, Damien is surprisingly friendly and even flirtatious when drunk.
Reason for Arrival: Blood Sacrifice: You were shipped from your home to Julianople to be a blood sacrifice of Sophi. You came to the temple, where your blood was extracted. However, it was decided that you would not die, but instead you would be torn at by both beasts and men alike. This lasted for 40 days, and you left the temple knowing you had done your duty. But now you need money, either to live here or charter a ship home. Benefit: You must be a follower of Sophi. +1 on all Concentration checks. If you are Bleeding, you can stop the bleeding with sheer willpower on a Will Save of DC 20.
Description: Vyeggar the half-orc brawler stands 6’ 2”, with a broad back and bulging muscles. His hands are large and look like they could break a man’s arm with hardly any effort. His wide, golden-brown eyes rarely blink, and they never seem to miss a thing. Although half-orcs are notorious for their savagery on the battlefield, Vyeggar has an unpleasant looking grin when he knows he’s going to be able to hurt someone, his point-filed teeth gleaming in anticipation. He’s cunning and speaks quietly, preferring to let his fists do the talking when words fail, and once he’s made up a mind to put the hurting on someone, he doesn’t stop until he or his foe lies bleeding on the floor… and even then, he’s not to be counted out.
Because one tends to influence the otherPersonality and History: Killers are not born, but made, and for twenty-four years the world has done much to craft Vyeggar into the person he is today. Having lost his father at the age of nine, Vyeggar has borne the burden of helping to raise his two younger brothers. Now fully grown and free to live his own life, Vyeggar has watched his surrogate children come up against the harsh realities of the real world, a world Vyeggar had done his best to protect them from. But poor is poor and a half orc is still an orc, and when the world thinks you’re nothing but a mindless criminal brute on sight, over time it becomes harder and harder to fight against that negative current – until eventually, it becomes too much, and giving in is the only option. And what was once a life to be avoided becomes all too quickly the only life available, where crime and violence and blood are as essential as a doctor’s scalpel or a baker’s rolling pin.
Vyeggar was strong – strong enough to withstand anything, but when a desperate last attempt to save his soul found him in league with the Sophists and their curious fixation with blood sacrifice, Vyeggar emerged from the last of the cocoon that kept him bound to polite society. The endless weeks of torture and bloodshed he endured left a mark on his soul, and when he came out the other side with a body covered in scars, he found he had also lost whatever shred of mercy remained – a birch log which has been picked at until whatever bark existed lies wasted on the ground, leaving rotten heartwood beneath.
Still, Vyeggar needed to eat and sleep, and he couldn’t do that without money. He knew enough of the city to seek out Tilly at her casino, knowing that for someone of his type he’d not find a more suitable and lucrative place of employment. He was not unmindful about the danger of working for a figure such as Tilly, but gutter rats cannot be too choosy about what morsels are available to them. As it happened, there were… other reasons why being close to Tilly worked out. Unfortunately, the delivery did not go as planned, and now Vyeggar is dead set on getting his hands on the chest – as well as whoever arranged for its capture. And if that involves breaking some fingers and wrenching some joints along the way, well, Vyeggar is more than happy to oblige.
Unique Goal:
Three Trivia Tidbits (optional):
- Vyeggar takes great pride in his thick black hair, and can’t start his day without combing it just-so.
-Despite growing up poor, Vyeggar enjoys dressing like he is wealthy.
-Vyeggar has a shellfish allergy.
Name: Kitwix Hillivi Grimzinta / Grim Stats: Str 7, Dex 10, Con 8, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 22 Bing Link Race: Traveller Gnome (Gift of Tongues, Magical Linguist) Age: 49 Class: Sorcerer - Mongrel Mage Alignment: Chaotic Good Traits: Naturally Gifted, Etymologist, Entomophobe* Reason for Arrival: Sea-Dog Character Sheet Link:Grim Trivia:
Always Hums an old gnomish lullaby when studying manuscripts and languages, doesn't even realise he does it
Randomly collects small items which catch his eye, almost like a magpie but the items are seemingly mundane to anyone but him. A pebble, a nail, feather, pieces of cloth of random colours, a spoon, shoelaces. there seems to be no pattern or significance to the items he adds to his collection which are kept in a small pouch at his belt
Has a habit of peppering his words with obscure foreign languages and phrases he has heard on his travels or read in manuscripts, even when he doesn't know what they mean a lot of the time. could be appropriate, could be highly insulting in the wrong situation if someone else understands him
Physical Description:
Physically Grim is average for a Gnome of his age and gender, standing at 3' 5" and weighing roughly 40lbs, Grim maintains a meticulous appearance of a refined gentleman and sailor, got to make a good impression for business after all. Unlike most young gnomes of his age, he cultivates a full beard of golden brown to match his hair, seemingly favouring the dwarven style, he thinks it makes him look more distinguished and respectable despite his young age.
Disposition/Personality:
Despite his nick name, Grim is anything but and like all gnomes is very outgoing and gregarious, not as talented with illusions and glamors as the rest of his kin but still the life of the party when he isn't cabinned up translating maps and charts for the family business. Despite being born and raised at sea, Grim isn't truly a fan of the open water and much prefers his time in port, with a knack for languages and a friendly outgoing nature he is happiest in the port side taverns listening to tales from distant lands and sharing his own tall tales, with only minor embellishments, most of the time.
At heart Grim is a businessman like his family, and is hard working and diligent in his chosen profession. Priding himself on his professionalism and honesty. Offering his translation and decyphering services to all who can pay his reasonable prices, and not altering the contents of translations (despite sometimes finding himself reading some very risque and sometimes treasonous material). His word is his bond and the price you pay ensures his silence, he had a family name to uphold after all.
Grim has an intense fear of insects and vermin. raised onboard ship Insects were not a common occurrence for the young gnome but his Sister Nalia was obsessed with them. Exceptionally gifted with Illusionary magic and possessed of a cruel streak growing up, an extremely well crafted swarm of phantasmal insects the size of small dogs swarming the bedroom of a very young Kitwix left a lasting impression on the young man
Background:
Born and raised on the Radiant Moon, his families trading vessel. Kitwix Hillivi Grimzinta, Grim to his friends and family, has sailed the many seas for nearly 5 decades with his family. Like his entire clan of Gnomes, travellers with no permanent home that isn't the oceans, Grim was raised to take part in the family business, merchants and traders. Unlike the majority of the Clan, Grim's innate magical talents were not Illusionary based but Linguistic, being blessed with a gift for languages he soon found his calling as a translator and navigator for the family fleet, allowing them to expand their trade to even more previously inaccesible nations and races.
These travels have taken him all over the world, encountering many new and wonderful things, many exotic cultures and far too many strange new diseases over the years, the Gnomish passion for carousing and merriment resulting in several indiscretions with consequences. all of which Grim overcame, despite his lack of physical process he seemed strangely resistant to a great many maladies. a condition which somehow the University of Julianople heard of and approached his family about, negotiating a lucrative deal with the fleet for Grim to come to Julianople for a time to be studied by their scholars, normally this kind of thing would be frown upon by the family as they were traders not slavers but Grim saw it as a fascinating opportunity to experience the lawless city and spend time on dry land for a change as well as have access to so many fascinating manuscripts and other languages while at the university so he pushed for the deal to go through
Arriving early in the city, with expectations of being boarded by the scholars at the university itself during the course of the study Grim did what all sailors do when they make Land, he spent time carousing and spending what little money he had, eating a great many unusual foods and gambling at the Dead Mermaid Casino, as well as making us of their more selective services when he managed to win on occasion. over the course of the week Grim had a thoroughly enjoyable time in the city but like most of come to a casino, he eventually left with nothing but coppers in his pocket.
Luckily he was due to meet his contact from the university the next day to take part in the study and so the next day he waited at the gates of the University for his contact to arrive and get him settled in. A meeting which never happened, and after a while of waiting Grim approached the University himself. A disappointed meeting taking place as no one there seemed to know anything about the proposed study program or Professor Molas Shan, the elderly elven man who had approached Grim's family claiming to be from the University
With no money to his name, and his family over a week out at sea and not due to return for several months, Grim needed to find money fast. Luckily in his time at the Dead Mermaid he had made the acquaintance of Tilly One-Eye Gansog and knew she was always looking for people willing to work