CollectorOfMyst

[ C R A W L ]

@duskshine749 You have 16 health and 13 sanity. You're literally the best option for the front line.

Ban the Person above you

Banned because you've already made that exact ban before. Learn some variety.

Ban the Person above you

Banned for dictating fashion.

The Blighted Kingdom

There's a lot of interest up in here, methinks. How many is this, now?

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

@Lovejoy Yes, effectively, I'm good for Oren to wait. Plus, he's biding time until the Gantleaf wears off, somewhat. He also appreciates the company, not that he'd admit to it.

[ C R A W L ]

@Mae Move Xander to B6, and no, I won't have Aaron spend his DT.

Duke's Quest

@Fading Memory It depends on Hugo's perception of dishonesty. Tristan is certainly not honourable in his tactics, but he does it for the honour of his ruler. Plus he's a nobleman, so everything he does is honourable.

The Last Embers (Dark Steampunk/Fantasy)

Oren wasn't quite sure when he became aware of her presence. But he did feel her watching him.

"I know you're there."

If he hadn't known, the sudden reaction would have given her away in an instant.

"...There's not much point in hiding. Let me see you.

Fionna stepped out from her hiding space, and approached him gingerly. He watched her, tracking her movements. There was enough reason to believe that she did not trust him - after all, he was a stranger, and a dangerous one at that. But a child's curiosity doesn't outweigh fear.

She stood before him, avoiding his gaze as he searched her face. But, with his mind clouded from the drug, he couldn't discern her intentions. Sighing, he decided to be direct.

"Do have something you wish to tell me? About what you were doing?"

"Watching you - I mean! Spying on you."

He gazed at her. Spying. For Rose or Essa? Or neither? He needn't accuse either of them - for all purposes, they were being kind, kind enough that there was a measure of respect between them. At least, that was how Oren himself felt.

He let her ramble for a few moments before she told him that she had noticed. She had noticed him administering the drug. His heart pounded, his eyes wide, and he snapped his head to the side. Ah... breathe in... breathe out. This... wasn't good. He turned back to face Fie.

"...It is a medicine, yes." he said quietly, choosing his words before speaking. "As for whether or not I am ill... my body is sound. I am not injured, nor infected." He tapped his temple with one gauntleted finger. "This is... an ailment of the mind."

He looked at the young girl. Eight years. Maybe nine. Maybe seven. He couldn't tell. But she had already been through a lot. And he could see the marks of that life in her. He had a brief moment of clarity.

"Fionna of Saphar. You might have realised this, but the world is not gentle. You will never know ease or comfort in this life. Time cannot be your ally. Danger and hardship await you every day, even if Mother Lyessa protects you from them now. In body, heart and mind, you will need to grow strong. Stronger than you might imagine. But you must also admit your weaknesses, lest they consume you. You will need those things to survive. I hope you understand that."

And then it passed. He looked down at the stone floors... and let his eyes wander across a stylised pattern that had worn and faded over the years.

"Now let us speak of it no more. I need some calm of mind, so I will stay here for a while. Stay if you must, but please, do not talk. I would appreciate the quiet."

Duke's Quest

Tristan Veneti

Name: Tristan Veneti
Sex: Male
Culture: Brittonian
Age: 23
Physical Description:

For all intents, Tristan resembles any other young nobleman who might reside in the court. He dresses finely, and stands both tall and proud. With a mop of brown hair that he keeps short, for the most part, and hazel-coloured eyes that always seem to shine with mirth. His face is fair, his skin pale, and any scars he has are more likely from childhood scrapes than battles. After all, his life is somewhat comfortable, to the observer. He does, however, keep himself fit, from a combination of practicing swordplay and archery, and dancing at events in court.

Occupation/Skillset:

Unknown by most, Tristan is a spy in the employ of the Duke. Well, it wouldn’t do for people to know, after all – it would defeat the purpose, in fact. His duties mostly entail surveillance, gathering information that various nobles or merchants might try to conceal. Smuggling silk or spices, diplomatic sabotage, even the occasional murder – all these are Tristan’s to uncover. Sometimes he relies on subterfuge, picking locks and climbing through windows, to get what he needs. Other times he uses deceit and charm.
And, of course, he has a fair number of skills that come from being noble, though not all. He has trained in swordsmanship, archery, and riding, learned how to dance, bargain, and strategize. These lend themselves to his overall skill.

Personality:

Tristan considers himself to be suave; and in a sense, he is not incorrect. He is intelligent, charming, elegant, and carries an air of confidence. But he can be arrogant, from time to time, and he is by no means wise. He has a tendency to be zealous, and this can lead to recklessness, or close calls. Due to his blood status, he might suffer from taunts or jeers from his peers, and this usually results in anger. Additionally, around others, he might act pompous, and foolish, though it is far from his actual self – it is a mask he wears, a façade, so that others don’t suspect he knows more than he lets on.

Backstory:

Tristan is, in no uncertain terms, a bastard. He is the son of a servant woman, and a minor noble – Lord Aymon Veneti, low enough in power that he wasn’t among the most renowned members of the Duke’s court, but high enough that he had a measure of recognition. His father was both married and had an heir before Tristan, but that is not to say that he was ignored. In fact, he had a noble upbringing alongside his half-brother, Reinald, and when she was born, his half-sister Adelaide. He was snubbed by his step-mother, of course, but he thought nothing of it for a great portion of his life.

When not being educated by the harsh tutors, or playing games with his brother, he spent time with his mother. Despite the scandal of her son, she had been kept on at the Veneti household, to the Lady Veneti’s protests. He would watch her tend to her duties. She kept out of sight like servants should, but Tristan eventually became skilled in identifying where she and the other servants walked, where they’d go to conceal themselves – and he emulated them. Such was his life.

But, eventually, it could no longer last. When he was in the middle of his adolescence, the Lord Aymon took ill, and would succumb a month after. The change was swift. His father was mourned, by both him and his siblings. With Reinald taking over the household, the Lady Veneti stepped in to advise him. Tristan barely saw his brother anymore, but that was to be expected, given he now had duties to attend to. And as time went on, Tristan was given a summons by Reinald, to speak in private. Apparently, his step-mother had been whispering to him that Tristan might plot against him, in a bid for power, that even now he had to be careful of a dagger in his back. Despite Tristan having no such ambitions, they made an agreement, for the safety of both – Reinald from Tristan, and Tristan from the Lady Veneti – that Tristan should leave. That was how the young nobleman found his way to the Duke’s court.

Announcing himself as Reinald’s representative, he would attend court in his brother’s stead. This covered the documentation of taxes, the crops grown and the serfs that died and were born. Missives were carried between the castle and the Veneti residence. One day, however, Tristan found himself bored, and whilst walking the corridors, saw another man, a noble higher in rank, acting unusual. He would check behind him and in front of him, and dodged into rooms and alcoves whenever a guard might pass by. Tristan, unwilling to challenge the man, would follow. He trailed the man for quite some time, into the catacombs, until he encountered his target and another man talking with one another, regarding some shipment of a kind. Though he didn’t know the topic, he could tell that what these two men spoke about was neither meant to be heard by others, nor permitted by law. Stepping out of his hiding space, he confronted them. They responded by attempting to bribe him, and when he refused, kill him. His murder was prevented by a well-timed arrival of a fourth man, who swiftly detained the two.
This man himself was the Duke’s spymaster. Like Tristan, he had been trailing the nobleman. The man in question had been suspected for a while now. But when the spymaster had noticed the youth doing the same, he observed him, instead. Tristan was told he had natural talent, to which he disagreed, but when he was offered a position, he knew it would be poorly advised for him to refuse. He was taken on as a spy-in-training, and the rest is history.

Drawing Characters! [Open!]

@Mae I mean, personally, it makes her look serene on my end, not evil. What are you saying about yourself, hmm?