Name: Corvus Marrin
Age: 31
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Appearance: Handsome, in a wild, windswept sort of way. He has short, light brown hair, a rough beard and bright blue eyes. His skin is laced with scratches and scars, evidence of his past life, and lightly tanned as a result of his long travels into foreign lands. He is around 6'1" and muscular.
Armour: Normally, he wears light, mismatched armour. On special occasions, he wears trophy armours taken from high-ranking or infamous foes. nost of his clothes are considered foreign to Estermere, but he has acquired a large, varied set of outfits as a result of travel.
Weapons: Longsword - simple, steel longsword. Reliable and well made.
Dagger - simple, steel dagger. Short, but concealable and with a vicious bite.
Throwing knives x 5 - Small, lightweight knives designed to be thrown
Skills: Light Armour Proficiency - Corvus is well trained in the use of light armour, particularly leather and cloth.
Swordsmanship - Corvus' swordsmanship is slightly superior to that of the average guard.
Pugilist - Corvus' unarmed fighting is superb. Though he won't last long in a fist-vs-weapon fight, he can punch most brawlers to the ground.
Improvement ~ Medicine - Whilst he lacks the knowledge to make them, Corvus can purify and improve most medicines and drugs
Magic: None
Inventory: 6 gold
Some bread
Full water flask
Old bandit luck charm
A small variety of highly illegal drugs.
Backstory: Corvus grew up in North Farethas with his cousin, Falcius. Right from the start, the two were bad seeds, stealing food to survive, brawling in street corners to earn a bit more money. The two became renowned as troublemakers and ruffians. At one point, someone even tried to have a bounty put on the pair's heads, but this was rarely pursued and most bounty hunters saw it as a waste of time. One day, Falcius was picking pockets and swiping wallets when he dipped his hand into the wrong man's coat - a lieutenant in the Jackal gang, one of the three big gangs plaguing their city. Unsurprisingly, the lieutenant was furious, but he couldn't confront Falcius there and then - all the boy had to do was call for help, and the Jackal would have half a legion of guards on him before he could throw a punch. However, Falcius and, by association, Corvus were now on the hit list, totally oblivious to the trouble they were in.
The learned about it a week later. Whilst hanging around one of their favourite brawling spots, watching a fight in progress, six Jackals and their lieutenant ambushed them. They took everyone by surprise and since it was boys against men, it should have been a short-lived fight. Should have been, if not for Corvus. Driven by some kind of ferocious loyalty to protect his cousin, he dove straight into the fight, aiming for the lieutenant, figuring that if he took him down, his friends should be able to handle the rest. The head Jackal, not expecting such a fast or ferocious counter-attack, ended up on the floor, beaten and bruised. Like Corvus predicted, the other Jackals lost heart - two ran away, the others were swiftly overpowered.
It wasn't long after that when Falcius and Corvus were introduced to the Khans, a second gang vying for control. Unlike the other two, the Khans had footholds in other cities and were by far the most powerful organised crime empire in the region, The Khans were impressed by the two brawlers, especially when they heard Corvus took out a Jackal leader. The two were permitted to join the Khans under the rank of Brawler - not a high rank, but better than most recruits.
In the years that followed, Corvus and Falcius grew in rank and respect in the Khans, and helped them grow from a small crime empire to a massive, infamous clan, one that had entire towns under its control - literally, it's enforcers were the town's guards. They didn't do this themselves, mind you, but they were a part of several crucial fights that crushed competitors like the Immortals, the Crimson Cobras and, of course, the Jackals. Corvus reached the rank of Warrior, Falcius one higher at Enforcer, before something changed in him. The childish fights and illicit drug dealing didn't appeal to him anymore. He had seen what the things he supplied to people did to them, and vowed never to take the drugs himself as long as he lived. He left the Khans, though they made it clear that if he wanted back in, all he had to do was ask, and went to a nearby town to find work. He was 22.
He found a job that suited his skill set perfectly: he joined the army. The Khans taught him how to use swords, shields and armour, so he had an advantage in training, and he was able to see foreign places and cultures as he was sent around Farethas' allies, teaching and learning all the while. While visiting a land called Torney, he learned how to detox his drugs to make them less addictive and more beneficial. Using this knowledge, he was able to supply his units with makeshift painkillers, disinfectants and anaesthetics, allowing them to fight on longer and harder.
But all good things must come to an end. The Khans and the army were obviously at ends, but no-one thought anything of it - the Khans saw the army and guards as being easily corruptible and lazy, whilst the army saw the Khans as a load of dirty drug-dealers that weren't worth their time. No-one quite expected the brass at the top to order a full-scale attack on several key Khan hideouts. Corvus feigned illness to get out of going, expecting the Khans would push the army back with minimal casualties on either side. No-one truly expected the outcome.
The Khans were massacred. Very few survived, and those who did quickly abandoned any thoughts of continuing that lifestyle. The army, too, suffered heavy losses - in several areas, only one or two units returned, and in one location, a lone soldier returned to tell of victory. The brass had expected the Khans to be a pushover, but they lacked Corvus' first-hand knowledge of their intense training regimes. They had hoped to install garrisons in the captured locations, but there simply weren't enough troops. A few towns were recaptured, but everywhere else fell to ruin.
Corvus' couldn't stand being a part of an army where the leaders didn't understand the strength of the enemy. He didn't want to be a part of the group that killed the only family he'd ever known. As vicious and as sadistic as the Khans were, they were his family. The army couldn't replace them. And now, most of his army friends were gone, too. The garrison were he was could now fit in one tent, and survivors were quitting left, right and centre. Finally, Corvus quit, and decided to make his way to somewhere quieter and less aggressive - Estermere