[hider=Garod, thief and scoundrel][b]Name:[/b] Garod

[b]Gender:[/b] Male

[b]Age:[/b] 26

[b]Rank:[/b] Ceorl (Freeman)

[b]Appearance:[/b] [url=https://static.tumblr.com/757095fe141a770ee708c9f1a7c5ea3c/wnxkhhz/t4Aok8o80/tumblr_static_10zjs27qcfusggo444gksk4sg.png]Click.[/url] Garod isn't stupid enough to wear that rather suspicious outfit during the daytime however, [url=https://orig00.deviantart.net/abac/f/2014/280/7/d/garrett___thief_gold_by_yibingling-d81y54v.png]instead opting for a tunic and breeches then[/url]. He is a rather average looking man in terms of appearance, with a slender build due to going days with little to no food, a few scars across his fair-skinned face, and plain brown eyes and black hair that's often matted with sweat.

[b]Personality:[/b] The easiest word to use when describing Garod is shady. If you take one look at him you'll find yourself clutching at your coin pouch tightly to ensure it's still there. He doesn't inspire trust in people, and he regards most with a similar distrust. In conversation, he's a rather quiet individual, and most often when he speaks it's to hiss out a cutting barb towards his companion.

Though he's most definitely not a saint, he isn't a complete wretch. He doesn't kill when off the job or even on, instead opting to knock out any potential threats or just avoid them entirely through stealth and cunning. His excuse for this is that it's unprofessional, he's a [i]thief[/i] not a [i]killer[/i] thank you very much; really, however, it's because he's not sure if he could live with himself if he did.

[b]History:[/b] Garod can't very well remember his first few years of life, but all he knows is that by the age of seven he was living with a man who wasn't his father or any form of family. The man ran a crime ring, and used young Garod as a sort of errand boy, who would run messages and pick pockets for a loaf of bread a day. It was hard work, but it was better than the alternative, that being thrown with the thralls.

As Garod grew older so did his jobs grow riskier. Eventually he was breaking into the homes of people in debt to the crime ring and stealing anything of value they owned as compensation. These early years taught him valuable skills that he would find great use for later in his life.

At sixteen the young man returned after a well-paying job to see his employer captured by guards; it seemed that the man's luck had run out. Not stupid enough to stick around, the young man escaped with the clothes on his back... And the loot from his latest job.

So, he holed up in an inn, staying there and still thieving (though now independently... Mostly) to keep his ribs from meeting his spine. Eventually he began to move around from village to village, be it whenever the heat was on him, when work dried up, or he just felt like going somewhere new. Around five years back he met his current fence and occasional contractor, a man by the name of Bado. 

The two hit it off rather well, and agreed to work together to make the most money they could. With Garod's talents and Bado's charisma, the pair were unstoppable. They devised a cover story, claiming to be diplomats from a distant kingdom and [i]no you can't know what kingdom[/i] that often visit distant lords to 'negotiate the prices of land' and what not.

Not too long ago, they found their way to Cirencester, keeping up their usual facade while trying to find a decent job. Potential work seems to be dried up in this town though, and Garod is hoping that will change soon...

[b]Loyalties:[/b] Technically, and [i]only[/i] technically, he's loyal to the King above all else due to being a citizen of Mercia, though that can change depending on how much money someone else is offering. He is also loyal to his friend and fence Bado.[/hider]
[hider=Bado, fence and would-be merchant][b]Name:[/b] Bado

[b]Gender:[/b] Male

[b]Age:[/b] 30

[b]Rank:[/b] Ceorl (Freeman)

[b]Appearance:[/b] [url=https://pre00.deviantart.net/5ec4/th/pre/i/2014/069/3/f/thief___basso_by_yibingling-d79ee64.png]Click.[/url] Bado is a tall fellow with a rather portly gut, a consequence of his more relaxed lifestyle. Typically, his attire is a red tunic and brown breeches. His reddish brown hair is curly and he has a rather bushy beard. With a fair skintone, hazel eyes that give the impression that he's sizing people up constantly, and a grin that would put even the wariest of customers at relative ease, he looks and fits the stereotypical description of a merchant.

[b]Personality:[/b] Bado is a charismatic man, who uses a disarming smile and honeyed words to claw his way to money. He is rather affable and friendly, contrasting greatly with his friend Garod, and usually by the end of a conversation he finds himself with a new friend. This makes him the 'face' of his operation with Garod, and he finds himself in the role of diplomat and negotiator more often than not.

[b]History:[/b] Bado was born to a merchant and his wife, living a rather posh life where he never wanted for anything. Things were well for the boy, but as he grew older he grew more greedy. Yes he had clothes, but they weren't as finely woven as they could have been. Yes, he had food, but it wasn't as delicious as what the lords and ladies had. Yes, he had money, but he didn't have enough.

Originally, he set his sights on becoming a merchant like his father, but he found that he would just wind up like his father: comfortable, yes, but not rich like he wanted to be. Instead, he turned to the criminal element of his home, using the skills he had picked up from his father to begin fencing for people. Due to his charismatic nature, he made friends fast, and eventually people also came to him to distribute contracts.

But if he wanted to make it big, he would need to keep moving. The town was nice, but eventually he would be caught if he just stayed in the one place. So at the age of 23, he left his hometown to travel, setting up shop in various towns and villages but always leaving before he had long enough to settle in. He felt a little lonely on the open road, and for once realized how lucky he was to have so many friends.

Then he met Garod. The thief was only 21 or so at the time, and was trying to sell his recently stolen wares in a marketplace to no avail. So, the would-be merchant decided to take pity on the kid and helped him sell the loot, and by the end of the day it was all sold for far more than the trinkets were worth. Eventually the pair found themselves talking about their respective lines of work, and decided to partner together to make as much as they could.

So, for the last few years, Bado and Garod have traveled through Mercia and the surrounding kingdoms, lying, cheating, and stealing to make a living. Bado found himself realizing that he was making far less money and living far less comfortably than he could have if he decided to become a legitimate merchant, but that was fine; this was far more fun.

[b]Loyalties:[/b] He's technically loyal to the Crown due to being a citizen of Mercia. But first and foremost, he's loyal to his partner-in-crime and good friend Garod.[/hider]