[hider=The Immortal Gambler]
[b]Name:[/b] Christoph 
[color=orange]"Just Christoph. Family name? Rest assured, if I have any family left, they have almost certainly forgotten me."[/color]

[b]Race:[/b] Human

[b]Gender:[/b] Male

[b]Character Age:[/b] 24
[color=orange]"25? 26? 35? Apologies, I haven't really been keeping count."[/color]

[b]Appearance:[/b] [color=orange]"By all means, feast your eyes."[/color] He says, smiling.
Christoph is a well groomed man. Clean shaven, with dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. It's difficult to tell his true age, but he looks like a young man - a somewhat thin frame is accented by light musculature. A mischievous smile seems perpetually plastered on his face. His once fine clothes lie somewhat tattered on his body, and his hands seem constantly on the move, fiddling with whatever they can reach.

[b]Personality:[/b] A liar and a charlatan, it's hard to take Christoph's words at face value. He has no regard for the past and little concern for the future. Life is one big game to him, and all he does is play. Such lowlives can be found in droves in the back alleys of any city of the Westerlands, but what sets Christoph apart is his unrelenting thirst for gambling. He plays large with every bet, wins a fortune and risks it all again. He has played every game there is to play, clutching glory from the depths of despair and defeat from the hand of victory. Despite the innumerable setbakcs he has doubtlessly suffered, no loss has ever quenched his penchanct for gambling. His habits have generated much infamy for this man, and along with the powers granted to him by his infernal patron, he has become a very dangerous person.
[color=orange]"A liar, you say? I do my very best to be honest. Am I really at fault for the misunderstandings of others?"[/color]

[b]Background:[/b] Ask Christoph about his story and he'll tell you any number of conflicting things. A writer, a mucisian, a priest, a stage actor, an orphan... But some things are known for certain. People of his disposition tend to not last very long, losing their life to some godforsaken gambit or getting on the wrong side of a powerful man. But the gangs that prowled the back alleys of the Westerlands have been encountering Christoph for decades. Rumor has it that he struck a deal with a demon, as those in extreme circumstances are so wont to do. But it wasn't strength, or wealth, or life that he traded for. Somehow, he had struck a bargain for a part of the demon's own power. 

In the years since that fateful day he spent every day much the same, only he no longer gambled with wealth. His new gift allowed him to usurp the immaterial; to take one's names, their social status, their lives, like he would take their coin. The sad irony of his newfound prosperity, however, was that it never sated Christoph's love for gambling. It seemed like every day he took one more stupid risk, one more bad bet. Just a little more and it would all be over. Somehow things always went well, and he would always be pulled out of disaster at the last second. Like some watchful deity, or crafty demon was looking over his shoulder in amusement. But one day, his luck finally ran dry when he took the wrong thing from the wrong person.

Really, it wasn't his fault. How was he to know that the noble lady he had seduced was the daughter of a Duke? And how would he know that she was the unrequited paramour of the newly reformed Kingdom's prince? So when an angry young noble arrived in front of him barking obscenities, Christoph did what he always did. He made a bet with him, and he won. Christoph waited comfortably, prepared for any revenge the foppish young noble cpuld bring. What he couldn't have anticipated was half the guards of the capital coming after him, along with the of the girl's father. After a long, harrowing chase, he was finally brought down. His crimes were heavy, but in light of his... unusual talents, he was broughtto the Maw. Perhaps they could put his talents to use for the glory of the kingdom.
[color=orange]"Oh come now, I only took a few years from his lifespan. He's the prince, he has plenty to go around."[/color]

[b]Talents:[/b]
[list]
[*][u]Dark Wager[/u]
Borrowing the power of demonic contracts, Christoph has the power to offer (and receive in return) anything in the world, under certain conditions. Firstly, the offered and gained items must be equivalent in value. Secondly, the items must be offered as a wager on a game. Lastly, the game must be agreed on by all parties involved. The game in question is moderated by an unseen arbiter, and rewards are distributed immediately on victory. Winner takes all. Naturally, only the truly desperate would trade their greatest gifts, and Christoph has burned his bridges many times over. He has retained some wagers he has gained over the years; the ability to run quickly and the ability to temporarily gain an orc's strength chief among them. But the rest have been gambled away.
[*][u]Infernal Luck[/u]
It seems that Christoph's infernal patron has a vested interest in seeing him live. Whether it's simply to secure his investment or out of some dark amusement, no one can say. He occasionally shows his favour in subtle ways, and only in the direst moments. A small nudge here, a little slip there, just enough to tip the scales in contractee's favour. It's hard to tell when and where the shadowy fiend has interfered, Christoph only knows that he has, and will do so again. But he knows that, if he wants his patron to have a more direct hand in things, he needs to be ready to lose something.
[*][u]Sleight of Hand[/u]
Despite his insistence that he does not cheat during his games, Christoph has considerable expertise in underhanded tactics. Whether it's from natural talent or carefully honed technique, his excellent dexterity allows him to manipulate small objects in subtle ways.
[*][u]Glib Tongue[/u]
Christoph speaks in a very insincere manner, making it difficult for others to believe in his honesty. But on the other hand, it makes it very easy for him to weave truth into lies, to weave a web of deceit around others.
[/list]
[b]Flaws:[/b] First and foremost amongst his weaknesses is his love for gambling. He will never take the safe path when a risky option is available. It's less of a thought and more of a compulsion of his. He finds it difficult to control himself, and usually will not even attempt to do so. And secondly, he is not a very potent fighter. Christoph's talents lie in subtler fields, gleaning information with daggers in the dark. He leaves the fighting for others to handle.
[color=orange]"I live to gamble and gamble to live. I unfortunately have not had much time for other pursuits."[/color]

[b]Equipment:[/b] A deck of cards, a pair of bone dice.
[color=orange]"Unenchanted, of course. I never cheat in my games, whatever help that is to you."[/color]
[/hider]