Letter Bee — Roleplayer Guild

Name:  Ioannes/Yahya Abd-al-maseesh

Race: Human

Age: 44

Gender: Male

Appearance:

Ioannes has short black hair with streaks of grey, and a face that, though still sculpted, has clearly shown signs of wrinkles. His eyes, also black, still shine with the brightness of youth, however, and his build retains most, though not all, of its former athleticism. His fingers and palms are calloused by years of holding weapons, but there is a kindness in his smile not found in a warrior.

And finally, there is an intricate rune that seems to be seared into his forehead; the Sign of the Angels, the source of his legitimacy.

Clothing/Armor:

Ioannes wears a suit of half-plate with padded, silken cloth underneath, as well as trousers and tough leather boots; he used to wear metal, but leather is stealthier. His arms and hands are uncovered, a potential weakness, but also a strength, as it increases his mobility.

Weapons:

- A Flintlock Musket strapped into one's back, which in turn contains one shot, which can be reloaded from the man's gunpowder stores.

- A Longsword and a Flintlock Pistol at the belt, the latter carrying one shot.

- Light Crossbow with 20 Bolts, also strapped to his back.

- Ammo Cartidges, also at the belt.

Alignment: Neutral Good. 

Skills/Abilities:

Scholarship - Ioannes is well-read, and while he doesn't know much of Waldenshore's history beyond the basics, he can learn a lot more.

Perception - Ioannes has not gotten where he is now via being blind to the thoughts, feelings, and machinations of others. When one is lying, bluffing, or otherwise not saying the truth, Ioannes has a chance of seeing that something is being hidden. (OOC: Call me out when I metagame, though). 

Swordsmanship and Ranged Combat.

Politics - Ioannes has learned a lot in 20 years; though still a honest man, he nevertheless keeps abreast of the latest developments, knows which people to court and whom to support, and whom to be wary of.

Riding Horses.

Magic: Nope.

Backstory: Decades ago, there was the Slavocracy of Giray, a Empire which, despite its name, was ruled by an oligarchy made up of those very same Slaves; the Mamluks, who were Slave-Warriors, and the Slave-Bureaucrats, who ran the economy. Underneath them were the Ten Millets, five Religious, and five Racial, all bound together by a belief in the necessity of Order over Chaos, even if said Order was imposed through possibly tyrannical means. 

Giray was a nation of contrasts, a boogeyman and rival to its neighboring countries, but also a valued trade partner, and, within its borders, unusually accepting of other races. It is only in Giray that Dwarf can marry Elf, and Elf can marry Orc, without someone batting an eye, and so the various Millets were all the more willing to pay for the system of kidnapping and enslavement that staffed the elite warriors and bureaucrats that drove their nation.

But such a system...could not last forever.

Ioannes/Yahya was born as Ioannes, the son of two travelling merchants from one of the kingdoms near to Giray. His early life was a series of travels and education aboard his parents' ship, as he learned the tips and tricks of being a merchant.Of course, when near or in Giray, he was instructed to hide his talents, lest he be taken away from his parents. They needn't have bothered, because when he turned thirteen, a band of pirates attacked his family's small merchant ship, killing said parents and putting him in chains to be sold to the Girayid Bureaucracy.

In-Universe Flashback

"Boy," said the bearded, mustachioed man in silken robes who was now apprising his newly-clothed form with an apprising eye, "what is your name?"

"Ioannes, sir," said the child, still afraid. "Can you please take off my collar? I promise I'll be good." He pointed to the slave collar stuck to his neck. Then, realizing that he might have drawn his master's ire, Ioannes continued:

"I have nowhere to go anyway, if I run away, I'll just end up on the streets. So you don't need to collar me." This much was the truth.

"Ioannes, that's Yahya in our tounge," the slavemaster continued. "That settles it, your name shall be Yahya, Yayha." His face then turned grim.

"One job of a 'Slave of the State' is not to show favoritism to those who haven't merited it yet. Even then, I will not put you above your fellow slaves. Do you understand, Yahya?" He was now using Yayha's new name, in order to mark the boy as property now, able to express his own opinions only because his owner wished it, a wish that can be taken back.

"I understand," said Yahya meekly. "What other things things am I not permitted to do?"

"You are not to shirk your training. You are not to disobey the orders of your superiors. You are to be subject to regular review from your superiors. And finally, if you have any Gods or Goddesses, you are to abandon them until you are 18, during which you can worship whatever Diety you choose. Am I clear, Yayha?"

"I am clear," Yayha mumbled.

"Speak more clearly!" the slavemaster howled.

"Yes, sir!" Yahya shouted.

It was a traumatic, life-changing experience, and Ioannes emerged from it a harder person, one who, although he could not bring himself to hate the people of the Millets - in fact, he grew to love them - despised the system of slavery that kept the oligarchy going, and although taught to view his own slavery as justified, desired to bring a change to the structure of Giray that would end the power of the Slavocrats and bring power to the Millets, who were developed enough to rule by themselves now.

Eventually, he found his chance, when the Girayid Oligarchy sent him to a mission to the Island-State of Waldneshore, where he fought off a demonic threat to the city, as well as ensured an alliance between the Island's Lord Marshal and Giray. And, most importantly, met an Angel who gave him their Mark, a Sign to all that Ioannes carried the authority of the Divine. 

This allowed Ioannes, once he returned home, to gain the allegiance of the Five Religious Millets, whom even the Mamluks and Slave-Bureaucrats bowed to at times, and, with the authority of Holy Writ, preach and advise that it was time for the Mamluks and Slave-Bureaucrats to give up their power to the Commoner Regiments (troops recurited from the Racial Millets), and the Commoner Bureaus (the lower Bureaucrats of Giray).

Of course, the Bureaucracy would not take this lying down, and sent assassins after Ioannes, assassins that were either defeated, killed, or even in one case, converted to Ioannes/Yahya's cause. And so, after much deliberation, the Slavocracy of Giray ended with a handover of power to the Millets, and the Federated Republic of Girayid Millets was born.

It was Ioannes' greatest triumph, but as the world grew darker, the Republic was forced to face its first growing pains, with the Commoner Regiments, now without Mamluk Support, facing several wars and raids, while the Bureaus of the Republic jockeyed with each other for power. Nevertheless, Giray continued to be a realm of peace, prosperity, and unusual tolerance, and as Ioannes grew older, he saw that the time was coming, the time when he had to pay back his debt to the Angels...
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