[OOC] Tales of Eyreseum - The False King (Page 8)

Name
Devlin Mallory

Age
18

Gender
Male

Race
Imperial

Weapons
Depends on where he’s at and what he’s doing/supposed to be doing.

Equipment
Depends on his location and tasks

Inventory
Depends on what he is doing
He keeps a concealed dagger near him at all times.

Appearance
Devlin is around average height. Chin-length silvery blonde falls of hair obscure one big brown eye, and frame a soft, heart-shaped face. Fair skin and a willowy figure add to his delicate and almost androgynous appearance. When he is working, he usually has a gentle demeanor and a beautiful but diffident smile. He tends to rouse the instincts of the more protective, motherly types. Unfortunately, his delicate appearance also rouses the vices of the more cruel nobles. There is a slight melancholy in his eyes at times that often serves to intrigue some. His beautiful appearance tends to give the impression of unspoiled purity and innocence.

Background
Devlin was descended from a royal family that existed during the Mythic Era. They abused their people, cast down the gods, and rose too far above their place. They were cursed by mage, man, and divines. They were overthrown, cast out, and shattered beyond repair. Misfortune followed at their heels through the generations, further scattering and destroying them. As they lived on, the curse grew. They were cursed with strong souls filled with kindness, love, and passion; souls that were cursed to be broken, to suffer, to survive.

He was the product of slavery and rape. He was the bastard child of a pleasure slave. Through her, he was cursed like his sisters, as all of their blood and kin were. He was sold as a body slave to a noble lord for a handsome sum before he had even seen 8 summers. Some men wanted something older, something spirited that they could break. This noble did not share that desire, unfortunately. This man wanted a helpless victim to twist and warp into a form pleasing to his eye physically, mentally, and emotionally. This man wanted a victim filled with fear and despair and loathing, and yet filled with obedience and even love and desire.

Devlin’s life as a body slave for the nobleman was filled with torment and a strange melding of pleasure and pain. Though he hated the man for what he had done to him, he couldn’t help but love him and desire the pleasure his company and approval could bring. The master’s will was all. It brought him pain and it brought him pleasure. Disobedience resulted in more pain, and so he feared his master. Obedience resulted in rewards and at times humiliation and pain, but at least it was not unmixed with pleasure. In any case, it was better than the alternative.

Please the master and perhaps earn beautiful baubles and soft blankets and pillows. Please him and gain a cuddly plush toy to keep him company through the darkest of nights and listen to him when he cried. Disobey him and taste the lash, the brutal rape and humiliation. Displease him and be starved and used by whoever and whatever chose to use him. Anger him, and experience what the master’s skills and tools could do to his delicate and vulnerable self. All things came from the master, he was terrible, he was loathsome, and he was god.

By chance, Devlin became friends with a squire, who would become the light of his life as this noble’s body slave. The squire was rough around the edges, but open, friendly, and oh so kind. The squire did not scorn him, nor did he snigger at what he was. Instead he offered companionship with no ulterior motives and compassion freely shared and freely given. Slowly, their friendship grew. The master noticed, of course. The master knew of their friendship, and it became yet another tool of control. Despite this, Devlin regretted nothing. This friendship was worth it. For it, he would go through fire and endure.

Admittedly, if the master had truly wished it, this friendship could have been easily destroyed. Devlin knew this, for the master ruled all. The worst the master could devise would have snapped his bonds of friendship as if they were a spider’s thread. Devlin was under no illusions that their friendship could withstand anything the master devised. So he was further motivated to obey the master, and even grateful to the master for allowing this friendship to remain. Two years passed with the unlikely friendship of body slave and future knight.

Such peace could not last. Not when there was a great deal of greed and ruthless ambition. A feud broke out. A noble wanted the wealth of Devlin’s lord and was willing to sacrifice a niece for his purposes. The girl was sent to be married off, “raiders” with a mage attacked during the feast for the wedding. The lord and the groom were murdered. The men were killed outright, the women were taken, raped beside the bodies of their loved ones, before they too were killed. Slaves, servants, and nobles were all killed, except him, the cursed child. He was found lying half underneath a young squire, injured, soaked in blood, but alive.

Cursed child, he was, cursed child, he was named. It did not help that as he aged he grew more beautiful, more alluring. He suffered. He was beaten. He was raped. He was sold. He was trained to obey, conditioned to submit. His ego, his self, was tangled up helplessly in the will of whoever was his “Master.” Whoever was “Master” or “Mistress” was god. To protect his self, he gave up his own will and became the puppet of his “Master.” He would obey, he would not think. To protect his heart, he learned to accept all that was reality. There was no hope, no dreams, but at the same time, there was no disappointment and no true despair.

Reality was that the divines would never hear his cries even if he lay siege to the gods with his pleas. His mother had tried. For all things, good and bad she prayed to the gods, pleading, thanking and pleading more. When the nobles raped her, when they tormented her, when they killed her with their attentions, she sent her entreaties up to the Divines. No matter what she did, no matter how devout she was, the gods stood by and did nothing. Her pleas fell on deaf ears and hearts of stone. He would be punished for the sins of ancestors he never knew until he died, as would his children and his children’s children and the children of his sisters he could barely remember. Reality was that anything he loved, anything he cared of, would eventually be destroyed by his love. Reality was that this was his fate.

He would live as a slave, and die as a slave. No matter how hard he struggled, nothing would change. Even if he cried, nothing would change. Even if he railed against god and man, he would still be cursed. So what was the point of doing such things? They would not free him. Only death could, and even then, Devlin did not dare hope for it. Even if something could have been changed for him, even if by some miracle the gods decided to free him of this curse, it was too late for him. He was a broken, damaged creature. He had no more future. He owned nothing: not the clothes on his back, the food he ate, the bed he slept in, not even his own life. He had even gone so far as to surrender his will.

By chance, Devlin wound up in Ravenfell when travelling with his Master and Mistress. He was sold for a handsome sum to a man named Lucius Garthois. He was not the only one chosen among many other children to take the dark blade. He was given a number. He survived the cruel teachings and received a name. Many did not. His past made him more capable of withstanding difficulties, and he did not hesitate. He had a new master. His master’s will was everything. He would succeed and he would survive, for he belonged to the master.

His master set him up as a prostitute at The Loving Rose, in Arthroyeaux when he was older. There he helped the master gather information, and made contacts within the nobility and wealthy clients he had, as per his master’s orders. He serviced them, pleased them, and dutifully fed their information back to his master. He trained in seduction and did his best to attract customers with his appearance for the master had ordered it. He searched for ways to emphasize his beauty, and to make his fair skin fairer. He has served in The Loving Rose for three years now, and is rather popular with customers.

Personality
Devlin is quiet and obedient. His personality as a prostitute is that he is somewhat shy, gentle, and submissive. He is good at recognizing expressions, for his life was ruled by the smallest whims of his masters. His strictness on obeying orders goes as far as slitting his own throat if he was ordered to. It’s not death he fears, but pain. He does his best to avoid thinking about himself and his situation.

As a prostitute he often behaves like a very good sympathetic listening ear. His false innocence allows him to say naive and passionate things to comfort or distract his clients. Naturally he makes himself seem trustworthy and caring, even if he hates his client. Unfortunately, this behavior makes him seem like a spaniel: you kick him, and he runs right back. As amusing as it is, it seems some people truly do believe his act.

Job
Male Prostitute
Nightblade-in-Training

Skills
Alchemy
Poisons and Potions are his skills. As they say, poison and medicine are two sides of the same coin. A small amount of some poisons in certain situations could save, and a large amount of medicines in certain situations could kill. As an assassin, he is well versed in poisons and potions. He has some resistances that were built up throughout his training. Unfortunately, his resistances aren’t just for poisons. Fortunately, his resistance to helpful potions is a lot less than his resistance to poisons.

Archery
He is skilled in archery, as his preferred method of killing someone would be at a distance. Of course, he doesn’t usually get that opportunity in the world of nobles and prostitutes, but it might come in useful. There are also many things an arrow can do besides directly kill or injure a target. Fire arrows for one thing can be very very useful. Blunted arrows can also serve as a good distraction. He’s also good at thrown weapons: darts, knives, needles, etc. His attacks have high accuracy due to his skills.

Block
In the course of his training, he was taught to block attacks with many things. Ideally, one would kill a target without being detected at all, but ideal situations were rare. It was best to be prepared. Devlin was trained to use anything he could get his hands on as a weapon or a shield. It was best to avoid losing a highly trained operative when you could, so defensive abilities were important.

Light Armor
Devlin has made it his business to understand armor very well. His specialization is in Light Armor, but he can generally recognize the worth and benefits of other types of armor and clothes. He’s spent time learning about light armor to help create a specialized set of leathers for him that would give him free and quiet movement. His job is to be an assassin, not a warrior, so it’s best for him if he can travel lightly and get in and out of a location quickly. He’s able to get in and out of his armor quickly and conceal his armor. Some of his “armors” were meant to go under loose clothing. His understanding of his armor allows him to treat it to make it quieter and compensate for it so that he can move silently in it.

Lockpicking
Devlin has spent a lot of time working on his thieving skills. He’s been shown many different kinds of locks and learned different ways to pick them. He’s very skilled in picking locks and finding objectsof interest.He’s good at doing it without being caught or damaging a lock too much. He also knows how to jam some locks so that it can no longer be unlocked. If the door and the lock are sturdy enough, that can effectively slow down pursuers or imprison someone.

One-handed
Devlin has some skills with one-handed weapons and dual wielding. He even knows the use of some exotic weapons as well, on the off chance it’s necessary to pin the blame on someone or something else. He knows both the bladed and the bludgeoning weapons and can use them quite proficiently. For most of the work he’ll do as a nightblade though, more subtle, clean, and common weapons are preferred.
(Think knife through the heart or eye vs. morningstar through the skull)

Pickpocket
Devlin has some skills with pickpocketing. He learned it mostly for doing things like stealing keys, placing false evidence, and gathering information. He’s a decent pickpocket, but not the best by far. He’s got the fingers to be a master pickpocket, but his skill and experience is lacking. As learning to pickpocket like a master isn’t his top priority, it’s doubtful Devlin will ever be much more than a decent or skilled pickpocket.

Sneak
Stealth is Devlin’s greatest skill. He practiced it since long before Lucius Garthois bought him. Stealth was what Devlin had to rely on to avoid danger and make himself scarce around his masters. Out of sight was usually out of mind, and Devlin preferred it that way, but at the same time, he didn’t dare go far enough away that he wouldn’t be available for his master at times. After all, if his master had to search all over for him, his master would likely be furious and more cruel. It was also entirely possible that the end result would be that he would be locked in one place as punishment for disappearing without permission.

So, Devlin learned to lurk around within the vicinity of his master without drawing attention to himself. He is very good at making himself difficult to detect. When he uses stealth, he often does more damage to his targets solely because that if they’re unaware of him, they are not defending themselves against him. It makes it easier for him to place his blows. With his skill in stealth he compensates for the noise his armor and gear might make. His attention to detail allows him to notice traps more easily and move quickly while still being quiet. Of course, stealth is also good for escaping.

Speech
One does not stay among Ravenfell’s Upper-middle to upper class very long and not become better at persuasion. Of course, there are always exceptions. Devlin is practiced in acting and has had some practice in persuasion. He is still a bit slow in finding the right words at times, because avoiding offending people is very difficult when there are so many shades of meaning in every word and inflection. He generally tries to intrigue people and attract them.

Traits
Agile, Observant, Silent, Swift, Resistant

Magic
To some degree, Devlin can sense magic, but only within close range. It’s useful for avoiding some magical traps, and knowing if someone very nearby is using magic, but that’s it.

Restoration
He only knows minor healing up to the apprentice level. He does not know any wards. He had too many other things to learn and restoration magic was not all that high in his lists of needed skills. He learned it so that he could have more options, and because the tiniest bit of that might be used to comfort a client who might come to trust him. He managed to persuade a priest in Arthroyeaux to teach him restoration magic. His excuse was some of the bruises and lash marks he sustained in his job. He joked to the priest that it would be easier if he could just heal himself rather than bother the priest all the time. As such, he has a sympathetic friend relatively nearby.

Illusion
He knows illusion spells up to apprentice level. His specialties are Calm and Muffle. The one he uses the most and trained the hardest is, of course, Muffle. To be honest, while he has trained some other basic illusion skills, he is hardly proficient in them, and cannot easily cast them. The only two he can use well and with some degree of speed are Calm and Muffle.

Talent
Detection and Strong Intuition/Insight
Devlin’s life has made him very sensitive to the undercurrents of people’s behaviors. He can often glimpse into the motivations and desires of other people through minor hints. As someone whose life was ruled entirely by the whims of others and who was often in a position of a victim, he has become very observant as a defense mechanism.

Strengths
Observant
Skilled
Acts well
Stealth
Combat

Weaknesses
No particular attachment to life
Does not think for himself
Too obedient
Very Dependent on others
The Curse

Theme
End of Daylight
Killswitch Engage - Arms of Sorrow

Skype said The DuRant Court Royale
Dominion | Title | Name
Arthroyeaux | Marquis | Traven Menneres
Bellereaux | Baron | Armand Marcel (x)
Bellereaux | Baron | Edmond Marcel
Artois | Baron | Louis Artois (x)
Artois | Baron | Bernard Rufon
Marceilles | Baron | Phillip Agravaine
Greymont | Baron | Gaston Mercais (x)
Greymont | Baron | Lucius Garthois
Mistchapelle | Baron | Markal Gristelle
Prais | Baron | Ronaldo Bertreaux (x)
Prais | Baron | Christophe Esclair
Trais | Baron | Frederick Bertreaux (x)
Trais | Baron | Aaron Valieaux
Delois | Baron | Michelangelo Delois
Ruvare | Baron | Derek DuRant
Enjoy, all the names of the Barons and their respective cities.
(x) = Barons who have been removed during DuRant's rule.

[9/07/2014 11:03:18 PM] Andre 'Abaddy' Valias: Right, I can briefly detail each one that has been replaced.
[9/07/2014 11:03:33 PM] Andre 'Abaddy' Valias: Edmond is Armand's asshole of a brother.
[9/07/2014 11:03:51 PM | Edited 11:03:53 PM] Andre 'Abaddy' Valias: He's kinda like Edmund from Stronghold 2. Prissy little bastard of a noble.
[9/07/2014 11:04:29 PM | Edited 11:04:31 PM] Andre 'Abaddy' Valias: Lucius is, well. Lucius. Of course, DuRant had a hand in Gaston's removal which lead to a rigged election of Lucius becoming Baron of Greymont.
[9/07/2014 11:05:04 PM | Edited 11:06:29 PM] Andre 'Abaddy' Valias: Ronaldo and Frederick Bertreaux were Chevalier Bannerets who served alongside Phillip and Damien. Ronaldo was killed in a hunting accident, while Frederick was killed by savages on the Valorfell border.
[9/07/2014 11:07:32 PM] Andre 'Abaddy' Valias: Christophe Esclair is a merchant replacement, and he actually heads part of the Thieves Guild there, while Aaron Valieaux is a loyal dog to DuRant who watches the Valorfellan border and the trade route through the plains
[9/07/2014 11:08:38 PM | Edited 11:08:48 PM] Andre 'Abaddy' Valias: Michelangelo Delois is one of the few who still remain from the DuFairre Court Royale. He has only kept his seat because he is neutral in everything. After all, Delois is actually a fair away from the rest of the population. Delois keeps to himself and is loyal to his city and people.
[9/07/2014 11:09:55 PM] Andre 'Abaddy' Valias: Derek DuRant is Damien's replacement for Ruvare. Damien actually divorced his wife but kept his son in nobility when he ascended to the throne. His son has a bit of resentment to him, but is kinda loyal because of the place he has been given.
[9/07/2014 11:10:05 PM] Andre 'Abaddy' Valias: Did I cover everyone?
[9/07/2014 11:10:42 PM] Supremacy Kills: You forgot Louis Artois, Bernard Rufon, Traven Menneres and Markal Gristelle.
[9/07/2014 11:10:47 PM] Andre 'Abaddy' Valias: Oh right.
[9/07/2014 11:12:16 PM] Andre 'Abaddy' Valias: Louis Artois was the baron of Artois before Bernard, and was one of the few outspoken against the outrageous taxes. (The others were the Berteaux Brothers, Armand Marcel, and Gaston Mercais.)
[9/07/2014 11:13:51 PM] Andre 'Abaddy' Valias: Louis was murdered when an Argonian servant poisoned his drink, and that also sparked an outcry in Artois (which has a large Argonian population compared to the rest of Ravenfell's settlements)
[9/07/2014 11:13:58 PM] Xiga: Interesting
[9/07/2014 11:14:31 PM] Andre 'Abaddy' Valias: His replacement, Bernard Rufon is a fat bastard who actually runs the Argonian Slave Trade and heads the Argonian Slavers in Ravenfell.
[9/07/2014 11:16:14 PM] Andre 'Abaddy' Valias: Traven Menneres was the elected Marquis after the Raven Crown War, when your character Phillip was nominated and proved to be the best candidate for the job, but rejected the title politely. Traven was a fair governor of Arthroyeaux and used to be the Baron of Mistchapelle before Markal Gristelle.
[9/07/2014 11:17:16 PM | Edited 11:17:27 PM] Andre 'Abaddy' Valias: As for Markal Gristelle, he is a mysterious nobleman who was elected Baron of Mistchapelle when Traven became Marquis. He is rumoured to practice dark arts and necromancy, but this is unproven speculation by the citizens of Mistchapelle.

[OOC] Tales of Eyreseum - The False King Page 8

Sarpedon Chapter Master

Dlayeth

Andre Valias Local Lizard Wizard

Estylwen The Villainess

Andre Valias Local Lizard Wizard

Sarpedon Chapter Master

Andre Valias Local Lizard Wizard

Sarpedon Chapter Master

Andre Valias Local Lizard Wizard

Sarpedon Chapter Master

Dlayeth

Andre Valias Local Lizard Wizard

Xiga

Sarpedon Chapter Master

Xiga

Sarpedon Chapter Master

Andre Valias Local Lizard Wizard

Andre Valias Local Lizard Wizard

Xiga

Sarpedon Chapter Master