World's Mouth Recess Summary Thread: Players Post here

[Maeve]

World's Mouth

The yahren 1224 AD was a moment of great decisiveness for the Western Kingdom amidst incredible chaos, and for none more so than the city World's Mouth.

The first half yahren of 1224 saw such diverse events as:

• the founding of the Eastern Sands Trade Company
• the first female councilor Prima Constanza accomplishing the first airship for trade insted of military purpose
• the founding of the legion Purificatio of the Oneist church sect Prodesse with finances from the Merchant's Council
• the support of the Merchants Council of the pretender Drakendoder, with the subsequent attack of the Condetierre airships upon Kings Court
• the riots against the proclamations of the King (demanding troops and taxes) leading to the murder of Greylocke, one of the leading noble men that resisted the Merchant's Council, and his family, causing most nobles to flee from the Mouth.
• the rise of the Union of Laborers and Teamsters as a force to be reckoned with
• the expulsion of all heathens from the Mouth, safe those that bought an Excemption License sold through the ULT
• the growth of the Simaldi gang, its center of operations in the East Arch of the Seams

The decisive moment came when the Merchant's Council of World's Mouth, working together with the Prodesse had gone forth against the heathens in the Empire of Seven Isles without the Kings knowledge . However, perceiving that the crusade against the heathens was reaching levels beyond sanity the Merchant Council reconsidered this, even as the King discovered that they had made a colony out of former Imperial Territory called Pan's Isle. The King sought to take control of the war with the Empire that ensued, a total war that would have easily wiped out both nations, and removed the profitable trade from the reach of World's Mouth, claiming it for himself. In their infinite wisdom and with incredible cunning diplomacy, offering assistance of the Purificatio with the daemon threat that would destroy the Citadel to reach out a hand in friendship before negotiations started truly, the Merchant's Council removed the threat of war and declared their independence, which the King was helpless to prevent. World's Mouth agreed to submit their colony on Pan's Isle to Imperial authority, and to Imperial taxes, and to provide the plans for some of their latest technological developments. In exchange, the Empire allowed the colonists to maintain their footing on the isle and recognized World's Mouth as a city-nation independent of the Western Kingdom.

The new Free City of World's Mouth realized immediately that hefty problems remained even when rid of a King who was but a burden on resources. The Western Kingdom was helpless to stop the city from declaring its independence, but it could effectively raise the taxes and levies over its own territory. The Fire Canyon was heavily taxed, forcing up prices on spice and other Eastern products as the Eastern Sands Trading Company struggled to remain profitable. Alternatives to overland travel were sought. Travel by airship was an expensive affair and could not be maintained at a large scale. The sea trade was under threat by the Pirates of the Mer who preyed on the rich ships. Long term solutions would have to be found for the city to remain afloat.

Still the benefits were enormous. Trade with the Empire of Seven Isles was booming. Coffee especially was brought in and no shortages remained. A new product was rising, and the Mouth was gradually realizing its value. Technology was the new coffee and it was increasingly popular. The Nashorn institute worked over time to make sure that World's Mouth always kept ahead of the competitors, while the Merchant's Council saw fit to give the Empire and selected partners some of the out dated yet still revolutionary knowledge regarding the mix of magick and technology, which had brought World's Mouth to a new age. As part of the peace treaty the Empire received a very small vessel, a proto type of the airships that the Nashorne institute was further perfecting.

The expulsion of the heathens had virtually emptied the Elven Quarter and had caused several smaller gangs, including that of Black Heart to be targeted by the competition. The existence of crime and gangs was a fact of life in the Mouth, so much so that the leaders appeared almost untouchable. Among the more powerful crimelords Simaldi ruled supreme.

The independence saw a return of many young men to the Mouth, for all legions that had worked for the King were now recalled, including all Condotierre units, save those that worked for the Merchants directly such as in the new Mouth Embassy of the Citadel. The Condotierre reigned supreme among the legions for it was her might which had allowed the city its independence.

The mages had not gained as much ascendancy as they had hoped and one of the colleges, Sophus was forced to close down due to financial problems. The others sought to cooperate with the Nashorn institute.

The Prodesse and their legion Purificatio were one of the losers of this War for their influence within the Mouth wained as they had been deliberately sacrificed for profit. Of course the Mouth remained conservative, but with finances withdrawn from the Prodesse that organization started a slow decline. The Mouth was no longer part of the Western Kingdom and so why should she maintain a faith that declared its king the only avatar? A dead king at that! The talk of the day was that diversity and cooperation was better for profit and a declaration passed the Merchant Council allowing the practicing of heathen religions on Mouthie soul "provided such was not cause for public agitation." However, the worship of Dominicus still predominated in the city, and racism was rife among the common folk of the Mouth. Exemption Licenses proved to be non-refundable, and many adhiel now in fact had been bought by their employers, the taboo on slavery slowly lifting.

[Rhoddin]

Having carefully considered their options Rhoddin knew that their planned course of action was the only option they had available. Although unhappy about leaving Reise to the task of seducing Maglio, the young bard knew it was the only real way they would get close to him.

So with a somewhat heavy heart, and a premonition of some unforeseen disaster occurring, Rhoddin, Storch and two other Warders left Aveas and trekked across Pan’s Isle for two days, eventually arriving at Fort Dusk. The trek across the Isle was difficult, but enabled to Rhoddin to gather some new skills from the Warders in relation to moving through the forest.

Upon arrival at Fort Dusk, the small party was somewhat, OK very, taken aback to find an enclave of Dark Elves encamped upon Pans Isle. Whilst being curious about such an encampment, they were also not suicidal in nature, and resolved to study the Fort from a safe distance, well not all that safe, but certainly not too close either.

For several weeks they surveyed the Fort, noting the comings and goings of the various denizens of the Fort. Not having a grasp of Dark Elves tongue made this much more difficult, but Rhoddin was certainly able to sense the use of some very powerful magic from within.

It was clear that this was enclave posed a potential threat to Pans Isle, and also possibly to the Worlds Mouth Settlement, but as too whether this was an immediate threat, or something to keep at the back of Balthasars plans they were really not to sure. Therefore, rather than sitting on their hands watching a bunch of Dark Elves build their presence further, it was agreed to leave one Warder, in case things changed radically, and the rest planned to return to Aveas.

Arriving in Aveas, the remaining four scouts were immediately, and for some of them, terminally involved in the conflict that saw the royalists defeated and Balthasar slain. During the battles that they endured, Rhoddin honed both his magical skills and sword skills during this period of fighting.

Having returned to Aveas, Rhoddin sort out Reise, finding her somewhat changed by the whole experience, but still the young woman who made his heart race faster than he thought it should be. She seemed pleased to see him, in her usual measured way, and Rhoddin took this as a good sign that they would be together for some time yet.

Having finally been was able to reunite with Reise it was clear to them both that they needed to flee Pans Isle, as the royalists had been defeated, and it seemed that the Mouthies were in no mood to bargain about their future.. With the judicious use of his burgeoning skill of the Bardic Voice, Rhoddin was able to gain access to the Aveas Portal, and he and Reise fled the Isle for Kings Court, being two of the last to arrive before the Portal was sealed (I assume it would be sealed to stop the Empire invading the Western Kingdom).

Upon arrival at Kings Court all was mayhem, as the city awaited another invasion, so Reise and Rhoddin intend to leave, traveling to Worlds Mouth, the new power in the Western Kingdom, to pursue somewhat different goals. Rhoddin intended to pursue his role as a bard, whilst Reise, well only Reise knew her own mind. One of Rhoddins final gestures in Kings Court was the singing of a dirge to the slain on Pans Isle, including Balthasar that would become legend in its own right.

Allocation of stars:

Bardic Voice [Mindcraft] ~ Apprentice+***, + *
Manipulation of Energy: Sorcery ~ Apprentice+***, + *
Playing Musical Instrument [Lute] ~ Apprentice+***, + *
Creating Lyrics ~ Basic+*, +***
Survival [forest] ~ Basic, + **
Swords, One-handed ~ Apprentice, + **

[Reise Silverskye]

For Reise, the events that took place after she parted ways with her lover, the young Bard Rhoddin, were relatively straight forward, at least in hindsight. They were both on Pan’s Isle, and they were given a mission to find out what they could about the enemy, but in two very different manners. Rhoddin was to go to a place called Fort Dusk, and observe what went on there. Reise however, was to use a different method. She was to somehow approach a man named Maglio, and get what information from him that she could, by whatever means possible. For a young, attractive woman like herself, that meant seducing him.

Getting him to notice her was relatively easy. Anyone who knew him could tell her that he liked women and drink, and an excess of both. After some careful asking around, she managed to find out which tavern he liked to frequent the most, and she stayed there all day until he finally showed up that evening. The approach was just as easy. He noticed her, sitting off to one side, looking very lonely and very pretty and very desperate. Once he decided that he wanted to find out about this young woman, she was only to happy to oblige.

The story that Reise gave him was that she’d accompanied her lover to the isle. They had planned to get married as soon as this fighting was over, but they couldn’t afford to go back to King’s Court separately, so they’d had to stick together, and go wherever they were able once the war was done. But, she claimed, she’d been brought word that he had been killed while his unit was engaged in battle, and she was now alone, with no money, no way of getting home, and no one to keep her warm at night. If she could just have someone to look after her and make her feel wanted, her life would be so much better.

Whether it was her seduction or his drink that convinced Maglio, Reise was uncertain. It was probably both. Either way, she found herself in his bed that very night, and he made his interest in her quite clear. The first night, she didn’t get any information out of him; she spent too much time simply gasping for breath as he had his way with her. The second night, he was sober, and while his lust for her was unabated, she managed to get him to talk a bit. As the nights went on, she began to piece together some information that she thought would be extremely useful.

By then, Maglio had other women, but Reise managed to remain his favorite. It took a great amount of endurance on her part, for Maglio was a man of constantly unsatisfied hungers. While her near nightly encounters with him were often enjoyable – she was, after all, a young woman, with passions and hungers of her own – she could not help but feel that she was betraying her true lover, Rhoddin, a little bit more every night. She would have left Maglio very early on, had she not convinced herself that she was doing something important by distracting him with her body while she gleaned all of his secrets from him.

Finally, after over a month as his mistress, Reise decided it was time to go. She had everything she thought she could possible use, and she was tired of being rutted like an animal by a man who really only cared for her body. So one night, she got him considerably drunk, let him satisfy himself with her one last time, and then she gathered up her meager belongings, and vanished into the darkness, headed back for Aveas.

She returned before Rhoddin did, though she waited patiently. And one day, he did return. She hid her emotions well, but in reality, she was nearly overjoyed to see him. By that time, she realized that things were going badly for their side, and it was looking like they would need to flee. When she and Rhoddin finally agreed to leave for King’s Court before it was too late, Reise was at once both relieved, but very, very angry. She’d spent an entire month acting like a slut in order to gain valuable information, only to find that the information had no use at all anyway. Furthermore, her hopes and ambitions to gain influence and favor as a result of her loyal actions were dashed, and not for the first time.

Greatly disappointed and inwardly seething, she fled Aveas with Rhoddin and returned to King’s Court. They didn’t stay there long, either. It didn’t take much discussion to determine that the best place to go would be World’s Mouth. If there was anyone that benefited from the disaster on Pan’s Isle, it was World’s Mouth. And opportunity abounded there. So they went, and Reise once again left behind her home country, in much the same state in which she’d first found it – threatened by chaos and war.

Now in World’s Mouth with Rhoddin, she must determine what she wants to do. Rhoddin wants to pursue his career as a bard, and his prospects are promising. Reise, however, cannot abandon her dreams of power. The question is, how will her past defeats affect her? Will she give in to depression and hopelessness?

Or will they bring to bear a whole new level of ambition and calculated brutality?


Skill Allocation:
Spend 5 *’s to gain new skill: Seduction/Woo ~ Basic
Detect Truth/Deception ~ Apprentice+***, +*
Conversation ~ Apprentice+*, +**
Literacy [Human] ~ Basic, +*
Persuade ~ Apprentice+***, +*

[Hastarl Ras'diath]

For Hastarls part, the war ended a short time after it had begun, without a lot of action. He was included in those fleeing after the assault, and he stayed in the base until the negotiations of peace were fulfilled. It came as a great relieve to him as he now was able to return to the Mouth, without being exposed to severe harm nor pain. He travelled rather slowly as he wanted to feel his freedom he had won, and returned to World's Mouth with his equipment from the war.

It all felt empty in the Elven Quarter, as he walked through the streets. The latest expulsion, in which he had taken part, had really done it's work, and almost emptied the so called pagan part of the city. Although Hastarl felt very much free at that time. With World's Mouth independent of the Oneists he and his people would be freed of a huge burden when living in the Mouth.

His thoughts had been away for a while, at the time of the war, and when he stood in the empty streets he remembered why he had left T'aquar in the first place. The necklace. His obsession returned to him and he knew he had to do something about it, if he wanted to find it. He had often heard that the best place to gather information is in a tavern. The lost Elf was a bit too empty, and Hastarl wasn't aware of the services in the other parts of the town. He visited several but decided to get a room in the Punt Den, until he were able to get a room of his own. If anywhere this was the place to gather information.

He stayed for a few weeks before he realised it didn't work out. He had been too optimistic. He wasn't able to get to know anything just sitting there. He had to get out there and make contacts. A mentor if possible. But how? How as he able to get one of those, as they were very rare advertising for their services. Finding a mentor was his first step to achieve his goals. However, he couldn't just sit and wait for someone to reach him.

Because of that wanted to spend his time to refine his skills. To join a gang seemed like a good idea but which one. A lot of them, if not all, were in an endless struggle for power. No matter which of them he chose he knew it would be hard. However, he was prepared to that. Seeking the strongest one would be the best, but who was strongest?

In the time he had stayed at The Punt Den, he had heard several names, including Simaldi, Hart and Black heart. However, Hastarl had also heard rumors that Simaldi was the lord of crime in the Mouth. It took him several weeks to gather what he needed and with that in his mind he joined the Simaldi gang and started to take orders from them.

However, he was still in desperate need of a mentor to fulfill his goals!

Star allocation
***** on Swords, One-handed Basic
**** on Streetwise equals Streetwise apprentice
* on Smaller Blades equals Smaller Blades Basic+*

[Adriano Marinetti]

The months ahead were quite eventful for the Mouth and everyone in it, and Adriano was one of those whose lives were decisively impacted by the changes in the newly independent city. He had made a fateful choice to ally with the persecuted and significantly weakened adhiel gang led by the elusive Black Heart, and was no longer able to turn back from his commitments. During this time, he slowly but surely gained the trust of his new "family", rising in its thinned ranks to become one of the most influential of Black Heart's men. He was a big fish in a pond that was getting smaller by the day.

Still, though the Elven Quarter was reduced to a shell of its former self, there were good signs. The official ban on pagan religions was lifted, and extremist Oneist forces now held much less influence on the government of the Mouth. As a result, some of those exiled to Pax Balthasar were now returning to their homes, and a number of these returning citizens were prime candidates for inclusion into the ranks of the organisation. His notoriety in underground circles was slowly but surely beginning to grow. Though the leadership of Black Heart's gang was still a bit suspicious of the scrawny ninadhiel who for some reason chose to side with them, his knack in obtaining information and his smooth, charismatic and persuasive manner were getting him increasing respect among the higher echelons of Black Heart's gang and among the impoverished and enslaved Elves who saw the gang as a reliable, if weakened, means of protection from the opressive rule of the Council and everyday discrimination from ordinary citizens. As a human, Adriano could get to places the other members of the gang couldn't, as as the only human in the employ of Black Heart, he was seen as a priceless asset to the organisation. He soon assumed the role of Black Heart's representative in less important gang business. It seemed the leaders of the gang were grooming him for a future leadership role, and he seemed well on his way to becoming one of the more powerful men in Black Heart's organisation.

The nickname "Snookums" stuck to him, as the anecdote about the young Mouthie's first encounter with Black Heart's men spread further among the adhiel. Despite the silly nickname, Adriano developed a reputation as a brutally efficient man, one whom it would be unadvisable to cross. To further endear himself to the adhiel, he renounced his Dominican faith, but stopped short of becoming a pagan, finding the gods of the adhiel as unappetizing as the One God. Briefly he pondered an attempt to learn the adhiel language, but since most of the adhiel spoke human, he decided against it, or at least put it off until he dealt with more important things first.

On the other hand, his new-found success brought him a host of new enemies as well. Increased prominence in the underworld, and the novelty value of a human working for an adhiel boss, meant that his name was now slowly but surely gaining notoriety among the seedier types in the Mouth. The relations between the Simaldis and Black Heart's gang were tense, but not yet to the point of conflict, and Adriano was now known to be working for the "other side". Consequently, he could no longer move as easily on Simaldi turf or extract information from the members of the Simaldi family as when he was a minor, unknown hoodlum, unaffiliated with any of the major gangs. As a known "elf lover", he now faced the same sort of discrimination as the adhiel and achadhiel, but was willing to take it in order to connect more closely to the organisation. Also, some of the smaller, upstart gangs had targeted him, as perhaps the most visible representative of Black Heart's gang. The Simaldi family had cemented its position on the top, but the various smaller gangs were the ones who were now fighting for survival, and most were trying to finish off the heavily weakened adhiel gang. Every time he ventured out into town, there was a chance he was being followed by an agent of one of these smaller crime bosses, and there was a chance he would be attacked. Due to these new pressures, he became a lot more careful and withdrawn, taking up residence in the Elven Quarter, specifically a room in the Lost Elf which serves as his sanctum, living quarters and makeshift office.

Star Allocations:

Conversation ~ Apprentice+**, + **
Detect Truth/Deception ~ Basic+**, + ***
Persuade ~ Apprentice+***, + *
Streetwise ~ Apprentice, + ***
Smaller Blades ~ Basic+**, +*

NOTE: Change religious affiliation to undecided.

[Tristam]

Samheen

The arrival of the cannon loaded Madrigal was a pivotal point in the defense of the Aveas colony. Had the deal with the Empire not been brokered, the forces ranged against the colony would have blanched at charging emplaced cannon. The Madrigal took on a company of Condotierre crossbowman and supported the Oneist troops involved in battle until the order was given to withdraw. Then many of the Oneists and Royalists were subjected to unfortunate friendly fire incidents. The Mouth earned Royal disfavor that day and the Constanza crest on the Madrigal was at the forefront of the treachery.

Yulember

What was supposed to be a short trip on Pan's Isle turned into nearly a month's stay for Tristam. After some general mopping up, Tristam negogiated trade deals with Governor Maglio to bring building supplies and the like to Aveas. Maglio of course wanted to simply use his families resources but the swiftness of the Madrigal was appealing for initial supplies. The contract was profitable for both families but ultimately unsatisfying.

Then Tristam was placed on the Weregild Committee. Under the terms of the treaty, any previous Panling member of Aveas that wished to return had to be allowed to do so and if they could prove they owned property they had to be given the property back or receive fair compensation. Now this was mostly sophistry as Panlings are horrible at record keeping and the Mouthie Government of Aveas set the assayed value of property. However, Tristam and other members of the committee would often agree to award property to the Panling in exchange for them selling it directly to the committee member. Tristam gained several plantations of coffee and tobacco for the Constanza family in this manor but gained the anger of the Maglios in the process.

Having outstayed his welcome, Tristam left Aveas but instead of going directly home the Madrigal set sail for Fort Dusk. Tristam was the first to set his sights on this new market and his knowledge of the adhiel language served him well in negotiations. The amount of trade was small but the Constanza family were the first to carry Dark Adhiel goods in the Mouth.

Darkenry & Chyril

After so long abroad it felt good to return to the Mouth though he had been spoiled by the fresh water of Aveas. Having made so much money for the Constanza he was happy to take some time to spend it. Tristam bought a small home in Highton, the worst of the best as it were, and sent his parents enough money to keep them in comfort while his father healed from his wounds.

Tristam helped the Rasine and her Lillies get established and made frequent use of their services as well as talking them up to any that seemed a suitable customer. Tristam took his place as a full merchant of House Constanza and often traded from them in the Avarita forum.

One of his latest ventures has attracted notice from various factions of the Mouth. With the Elf Quarter virtually empty, Tristam arranged to buy several buildings on the cheap and rented them out for living. However, unlike many Tristam was keeping the adhiel design of the buildings and selectively renting to adhiel that wished to return. Everyone was looking for the catch, but Tristam simply doesn't have the dislike of adhiel that most of the Mouth did and was trying to get in on the ground floor of what he hoped would be an influx of travelers from the Empire. This has made him unpopular with what remains of the Purificato and others whose hatred of adhiel is strong.

Skills:

** to Business Perception
** to Diplomacy
* to Knowledge [Airships]
* to Negotiation
** Crossbow
** Language [Adhiel}

[Guest]

((Hope this is alright.))

Samheen

Rain seemed to have procured more results than she had actually tried for, leading her to two major opportunities. Of course, the most obvious being that Lelane Deleran, became quite attached to a certain Mario Renzo Locatti. And though she had never before attempted to use a man in such a way, Finola found that all she had to do was use her natural grace and beauty to keep him blind to her actions. Not that she had attempted to do anything with him during that time; she was waiting, swaying his mind toward her so that when she did use him he would do so without question. Locatti for all his worth showered her with praises and gifts so long as she gave him the thing he wanted most.

It was a disgusting ordeal.

As bad as it made her feel to have to give in to Locatti’s whims, Finola moved forward with a will that could only come from years of torment. Out of his view she was many other faces and people, particularly a young male Courier who had remained nameless. It was he that had posed as a Purificatio to get information on Il Lupo and Father Fabian respectively. Only Fabian concerned her however, tracking him down to the Seams where he preached. However again she did not use him, instead deciding to pose as a faceless patron of his church. As long as she could stay close to him without making herself known she could easily get a hold of him if need be.

During the peace talks of the war, there were very few events that weren’t quickly contained. Chaos seemed to grip the city and people feared what was to happen to the Worlds Mouth, only to celebrate days later as they became citizens of a Free Nation. While it was an interesting turn of events, Finola wasn’t certain that the Mouth was ready for the transition into a nation. However she couldn’t do much as the various merchants of the city had her busy delivering concealed communications to each other, buzzing with the news.

Yulember

During the first few days of the month, Finola was able to approach Fabian with the information that he was holding talks with revolutionaries. Posing as a Raven haired malefactor to his cause, she reminded him that what he was doing would put him under very close watch with the Purificatio, and that all she needed to do was say a word and she could have him under their thumb in an instant. That however was not at all her goal; she rather accomplished it by having him under her thumb through fear alone. Keeping her identity a secret she was able to stay close to him without risking herself. All she required from him was any information that he had on the various movements of the Church and the Oneists.

With fringe information from the religious front, and free information from the Merchants, Finola was able to move about freely. However she still did not act on the information that she had available to her. Instead she called in for the merchants she worked for to have their men train her to use a dagger, allowing her a way to protect herself in case she should ever slip or make a mistake. While she didn’t master fighting with the small blade, she was able to at least show some amount of promise with it.

Sleep came sparsely in those days, not out of fear of sleeping but rather an insatiable need to keep working to the point of exhaustion. She would often spend her Gravetides in the seedier parts of the city, where the various underworld organizations were working harder to make a grasp at the power that could be had in the new Nation of the Worlds Mouth. Many of the crime lords were in need of an experienced Courier who could pass along communications without attracting the attention of rival gangs. To which Finola quickly attached her, gaining the favor of many of the criminals of the nation.

Darkenry and Chyril

Knowing well that the new nation was in its infancy, and knowing a lot of the information that the Council was trafficking ahead of time, Finola was finally able to start using her information. However she wasn’t one to get her hands dirty herself, Finola took a rather large job to deliver some information to a Merchants contact on Pan’s Isle. During her short time on the isle she was able to procure a large amount of religious texts and alter the ledgers to ship them back to the Mouth.

Upon her return Finola was able to tip off the various criminals of the city about the gritty details of the shipment. Armed with such information it was only natural that they responded by seizing it easily. However as most of them were illiterate and uncaring about the lore they left them alone. Shortly thereafter however, information of its existence got out and some of the more astute crime lords were able to seize the treasure through trade and outsource the Pagan Texts to various parts of the city.

So it came to be that Finola started clawing her way through the thralls of the new nation to rise above it. Her next step however would be something that required a bit more finesse, a bit more tact than she had previously used. After all it was not everyday that she had to plan the assassination of a member of the Merchants Council.

Skill Allocation
5 *’s to buy the Smaller Blades skill
2 *’s on Seduction
3 *’s on Disguise

[Niccolo]

Alone.

Far below him where the Avaritia Forum spread out in it's quiet, sleepy gloom, the last remnants of winter's dirty ice melted away, little more than pockets of black and pitted slush where thousands of trodding feet, stomping hooves, or rolling wheels had left it to die in polluted grace. Standing majestically over the Avaritia at #23, Silversmith Way, the Home Offices of the Union of Laborers and Teamsters was never found to be entirely deserted or abandoned...and since the Union had acquired the rest of the building, the top floor was virtually never dark and unoccupied. Standing before the cathedral-like window, Niccolo Amadicci Alvero glared down at the empty Avaritia, a slow sneer growing over his face.

They had all disappeared. Tanaquil was murdered...Finley had fled town...Emiliana had disappeared, most likely into the Vedicus...along with Darug. Over and over again, Nico had to convince himself that he was not to blame for their fate. We all become what we deserve, burned the Merchant Lord, his eyes reading the closing prices of tea, estragon, wheat, coffee, and a myriad of other goods traded at the Avaritia earlier in the day. Naturally, food was up...the winter had been harsh, with starvation all throughout the West...but the markets had never felt more energetic thanks in no small part to the exploits of the Espresso Syndicate.

Towards the end of the yahren, Nico had continued to expand the Union of Laborers and Teamsters. He had offices in all three bond houses plus additional offices in the Seams and in the Elf Quarter, all staffed by local Union men. He had expanded his Home offices to encompass the entire building at #23 Silversmith, and had hired on a vast number of staff to manage his day-to-day affairs...including a secretary, a small team of litigants, a virtual army of clerks and accountants, and several dozen guards to protect the Home Offices as well as the district offices. The guards he had hired from his original three-hundred union members...men he knew to be determined, strong-willed, and loyal...as they quite literally had gone to hell and back with their Director.

It was towards the end of the yahren that Niccolo recognized the trend. The Espresso Syndicate had succeeded in changing the world...and had achieved her goals of building and controlling one of the more critical foreign supply markets in the world. But the syndicate was no longer necessary now that the settlement was publicly recognized and secure, and towards the end of the War, the critical supply would be subject to an open market. Niccolo had to act fast, or he...and the rest of the syndicate...would disappear among the throng of Merchant Lords who would quickly send ship after ship to pillage the markets of Pan's Isle and ruin the opportunity they had made.
The time had come for a new venture...the Aveas Exports Company...a company founded and funded by the initial members of the Espresso Syndicate as a legitimate evolution from the shady syndicate that had brought the world so close to ruin. The competition would be fierce...but for now, Aveas Exports would have the advantage securing this most vital of routes in the aftermath of the King's little Crusade. The maneuver came at a price, though. With the independence of World's Mouth and the opening of trade to Pan's Isle, the King's "Royal Decree" pertaining to pagans and adhiel no longer held any bond...and the Expulsion of adheil would no doubt come to an end along with the necessity for Exemptions. Seeking to win some favor with the adhiel people, Niccolo would speak out as often as he could in Council to end the adhiel Expulsion process as a relic of "Royal Tyranny".

Turning away from the foggy window, Niccolo gathered his hat and coat. He needed some kind of company this eveningtide...and not the female kind. A woman could give him a few moments of satisfaction, but they always left him feeling empty and wasted inside. No, tonight he would return to the Kinsington, the gentlemen's club to which he had earned his invitation back in late Samheen. There he could speak long into the night and the morningtide about matters of state, matters of finance, matters of anything at all...and there was much to discuss now that World's Mouth had been recognized as the world power it was.
It was also here that Niccolo could lobby for his position as Councilor, for despite his rather impressive and amazing accomplishments last yahren...despite his growing wealth and popularity...the Council Seat continued to elude him. Many of the Councilors...or perhaps one very influential Councilor...continued to deny him the seat that was, according to Niccolo, due to him. Perhaps Niccolo had some great enemy? Perhaps someone feared him? Either way, the time had come for him to find out who...and to secure his name on the Council once and for all.

Indeed, there were many reasons for Niccolo Amadicci Alvero to visit the Kinsington tonight...many reasons he could give. But he would never admit to anyone that he had just grown lonely.



Skills: No preference...whever you think. Maybe...disguise (basic) and some sort of business sense skill?

[Guest]

For someone who placed great value on his faith and whose life was dedicated to furthering the cause of Dominicus and the Church, the way the War ended was rather difficult. He had seen the corruption of the Merchants and their Council and he had heard first hand from Signore Alvero the way things were handled in the city. The death of the King was not such a big blow, though the man was a divine avatar, but it was the way Mouth turned on the Church that was their most terrible deed. For a while Vincenzo was stunned by it all, and for a while his realistic view of life had been replaced by pessimism.

It did not last however, a suicide never a possibility, an easy exit out of life of torment. He realized that it had not been completely the fault of merchants, but also the church as well, the Prodesse failing to adapt and allowing itself to be outplayed by the crafty traders. It had not happened overnight and he had warned them of what would happen, yet they failed to see the danger and were consumed in the end. Finding the Merchants repulsive and the church weak once more, there was only one side he could turn to. Nobles. Yet, even they were not the choice he made.

Having been betrayed one time too many, there was really only one person he could trust in the world and that was Vincenzo himself. New determination burning in him, the young man resigned his position and reconsidered his future. For a while he considered leaving the city and moving somewhere where he would be able to fit in more easily, but that would have been an easy way out as well. He had been living in the Mouth his entire life and if he did not belong there, he would not belong anywhere else.

To try and change the way Mouth was run would be futile and pointless. So, in the end he resorted to pettiness. If he could not win he would make the life of those who made him an outcast difficult. He would avenge all the wrongs that have been done in the name of Dominicus and make them suffer. Ever a careful planner he did not go on a murderous rampage out of the blue, but first established a way to sustain himself without a job. His education and experience helped him solve that rather easily, his home in the Seams becoming his office. With many workers being illiterate, he started working as a scribe for poor and downtrodden masses of the city, taking care of their paperwork for a small fee.

It was the nights when he worked on his true purpose, spending the evening in the many taverns in the poor sections of the city, listening to the conversations, and even engaging people in some. Once or twice a week he would spend the evening at the Dortman and do as he did in poorer taverns only there he would focus on the richer clientele of that establishment. Names, habits and addresses were all memorized and later painstakingly written down in a ledger he kept hidden under the boards of his bedroom. He observed and followed those that he could identify as people with influence in the city. Then he would focus on them and spend some time learning their habits. He would even follow the other family members and observe their habits.

He did not want to change anything. He was gathering what could be seen as a beginning of evidence against the Merchant Lord of the city, but to whom would he take it to in order for the justice to be done? No, he would be the justice. He would be Dominicus' hand in this. Judge, jury and executioner. Those that were found guilty of working for the merchants of the city would pay for their misuse of the One's divine name and for their treachery. He knew that it was dangerous. he knew that he could very well end up dead or fugitive. But, he simply did not care anymore. It was the only thing he could do, his anger and bitterness so great that he was willing to share it with the world.

Skills
Smaller Blades +*
Soundless Movement +**
Camouflage [Urban] - New Skill
Streetwise +**

[Guest]

The war and its effects on World Mouth were largely irrelevant to Respul. Though the seeming lose of power and control that the Church of Dominicus held in World Mouth worried him vaguely. The church was still a significant player in the city, and he knew that if he was clever enough he could still achieve his goals.
He had begun work quickly after being accepted into the priesthood. He picked up reading and writing quickly, and spent long hours reading everything he could get his hands on about Dominicus. He was also able to learn about history, politics, the lives of kings, and many other topics that opened worlds of possibilities for him. He also learned how to behave like a priest, the rituals, the prayers, and the mannerisms all became second nature to Respul.
There were other lessons that Respul learned. Through theft he had managed to build himself a very modest wardrobe of disguises. He would sneak out in the dark of night in disguise and practice being someone he was not. It was not terribly difficult, mostly because no one knew who he was to begin with. He began to frequent the local bars, on occasion even braving the Punt Den.
It was during his night time explorations that he began to hear the rumors. Rumors of a magic that the mages in their academies rejected. It is a more subtle magic, not needing grand gestures and incantations to use. He thought it would be perfect for his intentions, and had begun to seek out a means to learn this magic.
Time, however, was not a luxury for Respul. His mother’s health was failing. She spent more and more time in bed, and the meager salary of an acolyte hardly supported the comforts he wished for his mother. He knew he would have to act quickly.


Con Artist ***
Conversation***
Etiquette**
Streetwise**

[Maeve]

OOC: Below I will finalize the summaries as they come in. Please note that you cannot write something that is contradictionary to what the person before you wrote if it is already finalized. As soon as you are finalized you can make your first Chyril threads. The Mouth is open for business on Morningtide, 22nd of Chyril!

IC:

Rhoddin's success as a bard was growing and his songs spread over the Western Kingdom. Upon entering World's Mouth Rhoddin thus found that his reputation had preceded him. Security was tight at the Northernbridge Gates, and recognizing Rhoddin as one of the King's well known supporters he was interrogated briefly by one of the officers, who wore an unidentified black costume. It was Madam Silverskye that secured the entrance of the couple by giving Maglio as reference. It was a name that demanded respect for his father was the Primo Magister Simon Maglio. The couple were referred to the Flying Dortman as an excellent place to stay.

[Quinlan Corodin]

Following the arrival of the airship Madrigal to Pan's Isle, Quinlan reported to commander Ramius Lo Russo of the Lykos. With the cargo of cannons delivered, he expected to be reassigned to a different unit for the duration of the deployment. However, to his apprehension he was allowed to retain his command - such as it was - of the small unit of five Condotierre with whom he had made the voyage. They returned to the Madrigal along with additional ranged combatants. As conflict culminated in battle on the picturesque island, the airship loomed overhead raining down crossbow bolts like a mechanical stormcloud.

The scene left a lasting impression on Quinlan. Lacking skill with ranged arms, he was relegated to observing the violence and the luxury of mulling over some of the more political ramifications. He found it hard to wrap his head around how the face of nations had so radically changed in the span of days. Having spent much of his young life relatively isolated with his family in the borders of the Western Kingdom, he did not consider himself a patriot. But what details he knew about World's Mouth's declaration of independence, combined with his own official citizenship of the city-turned-nation being measured in mere days, left him with an uneasy feeling. It was a feeling which eventually he calmly put aside.

For once not wishing to see the view from the sky, Quinlan left the deck of the Madrigal.

Even with his own reservations and images of the last days of fighting fresh in his mind, he had yet to regret his decision to join the Condotierre. The legion itself seemed to represent many qualities which Quinlan held in high regard. He knew that in spite of the tumult surrounding the events of the war's closing, he felt more in control of his life than he could remember. As peace was brokered and he returned to World's Mouth, he continued life as an officer.

With the war ended, Quinlan took the opportunity to enter into more formal instruction. Under the tutelage of instructors at the Nashorne Institute, he began to improve his fighting form as well as his general fitness with more intensive training than he had undergone in some time. More scholarly subjects were not neglected; courses intended for authority and representation of himself were also the order of the day. Just as in childhood, Quinlan relished the means to better himself,

The triumph of the Free City of World's Mouth was celebrated at a few gala events organized by what could be described as the city's noble merchant court. The Air Flotilla gained much prestige for its key role in that triumph, and as an officer that was present on Aveas in the closing days, Quinlan was allowed to attend. This afforded him the opportunity to meet members of the social elite. Some of these were genuinely appreciative of the legion, though others were merely keeping up appearances. But politics and power plays aside, he enjoyed the pageantry and the theatrics that went hand in hand with these events, and was left with at least one realization. If he were going to enjoy himself, indeed, even survive in that world, he simply must learn to dance.

Halfway into the month of Darkenry, Quinlan received a letter which quickly sobered him. It was from Neave, his mother, and told of his grandmother's failing health. Quinlan felt a pang of guilt, for he had all but forgotten about them. He had been moving forward so, it had been easy to leave the rest behind. Such was the date of his last contact with them that none even knew of his entry into the Condotierre. Taking a short leave, he traveled to the lands on the border for a visit.

Things were as he might have expected. His grandmother never truly stopped grieving over the passing of Quinlan's grandfather, Conall, and had simply been waiting to go herself ever since. Quinlan's father had a simple solution for the matter.

"If she wants so badly to die, then she should do it and get it over with!"

He and Quinlan had resumed fighting within a day of Quinlan's visit. No longer having a place in his life for such "nonsense," he found he could not wait to leave again. Sitting many marks with his grandmother so as to ease his sense of obligation, and saying his goodbyes to Neave, he ended his leave of absence early. During the trip back to World's Mouth, he hoped greatly for something to keep him busy and help him forget about the whole unpleasant affair. His wish was granted.

Upon his return, he was approached by a superior with a new task. Told only that he would be briefed in private and that for now he should not make mention of it even to other Condotierre officers, he knew immediately that it would not be so simple as delivering cannons.

---

Skill allocation:
Leadership + *
Etiquette + **
Knowledge [Condotierre] + **
Swords, One-handed + **
Dodge Blow + *
Literacy [Human] + **

[Maeve]

The Mardigal was one of two airships in the battle of Avaes, the other being the flagship of the Condotierre Lykos. Both proved to be crucial in the battle, each with their own strengths. The Mardigal had speed, the Lykos had 240 cannons of brass. Private against military and yet both were victorious.

Tristam did indeed make a successful deal on Aveas for the Constanza house. The deals were done with Fort Dusk and some of the rebellious panlings, undershooting the Espresso Syndicate, which had hoped to use the Madrigal to ship out her first products. Instead the Madrigal was used for private use, and Maglio was by default forced to ask favor of Carloni to use the Lykos to bring out the coffee harvest just days behind Constanza (for the Madrigal due to its small size and no need to remain behind for military purpose had the advantage of speed). This combined with Carloni's rising position as Magister in the Mouth for he was the one that had made the Mouth's independence possible through diplomacy and military means. Maglio was put further in debt by Carloni by buying two small airship vessels that the Condotierre was decommissioning.

Having angered the Espresso Syndicate the House Constanza would find not just the family Maglio trying to oppose their profit, but Saphio as well, going as far as trying to stop the merchant family trading at the Avarita forum. This failed of course, for that shocked other merchantlords too deeply. Prima Constanza showed her skill and her womanly wiles by calling on the wider council to prevent this. Swallowing his grudges against the ULT and his personal pride Saphio knew he had to contact Nico Alvero to discuss how this disaster could be prevented from happening again, as the ships from Aveas were expected in mid Chyril for the second harvest.

Tristam meanwhile learned of the Blackheart gang, who extended him his protection provided he kept his preferential treatment of adhiel and donated a.. minor contribution.. to the upkeep of the beleaguered gang in the Elven Quarter. This is how Tristam met Adriano who did most of the negotiations, part and parcel of his work. Blackheart was not basically a gang of protection and extortion but there were developments on their way changing the way everybody did business.

Adriano did well for himself in the Blackheart gang, especialy since the gang was.. becoming strangely empty. Due to .. ah.. labor shortages he had a startling career up to the top. Once he was very close to the rather elusive Blackheart, who got more mysterious, not less as he rose in the ranks, he noted a change of heart so to speak. From elegant burglaries and such elegant crime, the organisation was moving more and more to extortion. Blackheart also informed Adriano not to go on Simaldi's turf.

Fionela meanwhile was hired as a runner by the Simaldi gang, and sometimes by others, such as the councilors of the Merchant's Council. There was always need for a runner, as long as she kept her mouth shut. Father Fabian surprisingly was what he had told her, and never did she catch him in a lie, though he could be amazingly silent on some things, especially coming deep out of the Seams after works of Charity. There were still man of conscious left in this town. Locatti proved to be surprisingly hard to pin down. While his initial interest was easy to gain, it faded as quickly, and Finola had to work harder to keep the flighty young merchant interested. With enough effort, it was possible to keep him infatuated, though.

Sadly Fionela found that the priceless pagan texts she found on Pan's Isle, where not that high in demand in World's Mouth, still a city of the One, even if no longer part of the Western Kingdom. When the prices lowered finally the Lycaeum agreed to buy them off her hands. strictly for scholarly reasons.

Niccolo knew growing success with the ULT, now an established organization, but it tasted bitter and empty. His new secretary remained, faithfully so. Yet he was alone, every woman that presented itself potentially an enemy. Nico was learning the true fate of a councilor even before the seat came to him. It was difficult to determine, but somebody, or several somebodies, where holding him back. Normally two thirds of the council would suffice to lift the young director but often enough they simply followed the direction of the Magisters. Perhaps they were not yet aligned with this most natural of decisions. It could not have been Carloni, and under him Severo Lo Russo. Having met several times with the old man in the last months he remained as caring and interested as ever, listening to young Nico's stories and encouraging him, though sometimes testing him with an unexpected sharp stab of a question.

Hastarl too got accepted in the ranks of Simaldi. It was his job to visit the Lilies and remind them of the payments due for their protection. One such visit was when Tristam was just about to leave, early Chyril, and the young merchant couldn't help but catch the extortion, so common to the Mouth, take place.

The Aveas Exports Company was founded with no less than two private vessels recently decommissioned from the Condotierre. Their worst competitor was the House Constanza, which too was looking into acquiring more vessels. Airships however were in demand, creating shortages that the Nashorn Institute and the Condotierre couldn't keep up with.

[Marcus Eramo]

These several months were filled with violence, bloodshed, powerbrokering, and immense profit. A perfect environment for a man like Marcus Eramo to thrive.
He informally joined the Simaldi Family and began to work for them in a purely physical capacity. He made extortion pickups, protected prostitutes, and was used as an instrument to help rid the city of the Adhiel filth. Some in the family noticed his reserve and ability to apply the perfect amount of pressure on a situation to achieve a desired result. He was a good earner, and did not shirk from inflicting pain.

Over the course of the three months, he was sifted out from the enforcers and given jobs that required a softer touch, but equally as deadly.
He began to dispose of bodies for the bosses, and kill for the family.

Among other circles, he had grown a small reputation as a man who could get things done. Without intention, his name had been passed idly among the classes of wealth as an assassin. He received midnight invitations, and access to secret backdoor meetings with figures donning velvet gloves, velvet tongues and heavy purses. In the influx of this conflict and chaos, there was an rise in need for talent, and those new at the trade could find work that may have gone to a more experienced blade in quieter times.
He became a contract killer.
As he was not yet a formal member of the Simaldi Family, and seemed to make only ripples in the company, his actions went mainly unpunished and unnoticed. He worked freelance, but always made a gesture of paying the Family much more than his take required of him.

He enjoyed his work, and enjoyed the variety. From finding exotic women for a boss with a particular taste, to full out wars with smaller gangs for territory; he did extremely well.

Eramo felt as his skills were growing, and that he was slowly becoming the man he needed to be.
But it was not enough. He could not fully realise his potential and he knew not how to climb higher. As much as he would not like to admit it, he needed direction, and he needed training.

While others drank, he worked. Worked himself, his body, his mind, and hardened his soul.
Damn them all, he would get to where he needed to be mentor or not.


Murderer, or problem solver he was an assassin.

-----

Five Points to add new skill:
Murder

Adding:
Murder*
Streetwise*
Dodge Blow*
Smaller Blades*
Hiding/Camouflage [Urban]*

[Darjan Cain]

Darjan’s Recess Summary

Darjan continued from where he had started. For a half-elf in Mouthie his options were limited. He could, perhaps, have slowly but surely worked his way up as a merchant. That, however, would have taken yahren to do – and he would have carried with him the stench of poverty and the under-classes. That was not what Darjan Cain did. That was not who Darjan Cain was.

Instead, he offered his services. He was still starting out in the world he had entered, yet he was not prepared to compromise himself. He did not want to be anybodies man – he was his own man, and he would continue to be so. He had no real concerns about loyalty – he had no-one to be loyal to. Save his mother – and she was dead, and he had not known her. No, he owed only one person – and that was himself. The reasoning therefore followed that the only person he would not betray was him. It was a convenient line of thinking, especially for a man with Darjan’s principles.

He carried out quiet work for people. It didn’t matter who they were, so long as he wasn’t asked to kill Adhiel. Individuals, gangs – either was fine as long as they treated him with sufficient respect. He followed people to report on their activities, he broke into houses and stole papers or items that were asked for, he roughed people up if that was required, and he made people disappear, if that was required. Spy, assassin, burglar – it was all the same to him, a means to an end. Not that he did not enjoy it – he did, for how can a man operate in such an environment without enjoying it? The power, the excitement – it ran through his veins.

He didn’t use his name, for he didn’t want to be too easily identifiable. Instead he operated as Ganiu Tuirdhiel – he didn’t know much of his mother’s language, but he knew enough to know that that was Night Warrior in Adhiel. Darjan was not stupid, he knew that marketing himself in such a manner was more likely to draw attention to him – but with attention came work, and with work came money, and with money came the ability to better himself, buy finer clothes and mix with the type of people he felt he should mix with. Through his activities his name spread, not widely and not with much glory yet, but it was known, and so were his capabilities.

It was with this better class of people that he enjoyed associating. The cool and aloof manner he portrayed for the scum with which he worked disappeared when he was in better surroundings, and he spoke with wit and good manners. Which was the real Darjan? Nobody knew – indeed nobody knew the two existed. It was almost a complete dichotomy.

Darjan had been somewhat concerned about what might come from his involvement with the death of the two thugs, but he knew that Marcus was the only one who knew of his involvement, and he trusted the man would keep his mouth shut. It was his neck on the line as well, after all.

So it was that for the intervening months Darjan worked in the shadows, and lived in the bright lights, two lives for a man of two races. The human in him took delight in criminality and advancement; the Adhiel in him revelled in mixing among the better classes. The irony was not lost on him that it was an Adhiel name he gave to his human activities.

Skills

Martial Arts **
Smaller Blades **
Etiquette **
Pick Locks **
Soundless Movement [Urban] **

[Maeve]

Vincenzo went to live once more in the Seams, where life was drab and dark and blacklung reigned supreme. The vapors of the Scillus were never far away. Yet amidst this misery a new hope had emerged for the ULT for the first time in Mouthie history had given power not to the rich, but to the poor. During the period of expulsions and the War of the One labor had been in short supply and the ULT successfully managed to double wages of its members, and protect them from losing their job when numerous soldiers, mercenaries and jobless pagans returned to the city. The name of its director, himself once from the Seams, was one Vincenzo well remembered.Was Nico Alvero evil, merely sinful, or was he in fact part of the compassion that the One offered his followers in the only harsh way that the Mouth knew how?

Vincenzo's ledger slowly filled up, dissecting the network of World's Mouth. Merchantlords like Indigo, Constanza, Heugotte and Lo Russo, crimelords like Simaldi and BlackHeart. They all intersected, working against each other at some point, working with each other to slay a third at another, profit, power and vendetta the major motivators. Even the Prodesse, seriously reduced in power after being stabbed in the back by the Merchant's Council, was still a force to reckon with. The Mouthies did not renounce their faith and still came to the Cathedral every Rasday, confessing their sins before going out to commit some more.

OOC: this is not a free card to know everything! Vincenzo, you can PM me to ask 3 secrets, one for every month, and I will introduce them to you.

Respul too saw much of the lives and times of the Seams. As an acolyte naturally his time was filled with prayers and study, so there was not much time lift to scout out the darker places of the Mouth, yet his occasional visits, especially when he ventured out towards the West End instead of the poorer East End, did give him a sense of the academical. There were so many institutes in the West End each with a different purpose, a different specialization: the military, the technology, the sorcerers. Even the priests had their own kind of magick Respul knew, for his mentor showed him often what a force faith could be. The priest was able to tell truth from lie with a certainty that often was not to Respul's benefit, earning himself a lecture or two on prowling about at night, but it could also be compassionate, healing the sick with more than drugs alone. Yet he did hear about mindcraft, that source that could manipulate the most subtle of energies.. those of emotions and thought. The question that Respul's mentor confronted him with was whether he would stay and take his vows before the One, or pursue his academical career outside of the safe structure of the Church. It was not lost on the young acolyte that learning the secrets of faithmagick might safe his mother, yet was that not a selfish thought?

OOC: Respul, you didn't give me your skill stars. You have 10 to distribute

Quinlan had no qualms on which career to chose and it was a shining one indeed. He was a lieutenant of the Condotierre, the most famous of legions. After the war he was assigned to the Ætys named for the starsign of the Eagle, under captain Ronaldo Saphio, cousin to magister Saphio, the Lord Mercantiler. Ronaldo was a gruff but kind man who had a group of new young officers and therefor took the role as their mentor, teaching them both military strategy and being part of the elite of society. Quinlan found that he was considered an elligible bachelor, with inquiries made after his fortune and young blushing merchant princesses being introduced to him at gala events. His brief return home was but a small interlude in this exciting time for the young man, though perhaps it contributed to his growing maturity.

His dutiful work at the Nashorn institute was not unnoted, and so Quinlan was ordered to the institute's building to report to a superior officer on Chyril 22nd, morningtide to receive his new orders.

[Maeve]

Marcus and Darjan, or as they were most commonly referred to Eramo and Ganiu Tuirdhiel learned in those months that the crime scene of World's Mouth was wider than just Simaldi and Blackheart.

For sure Simaldi of the East Arch now reigned supreme in the Seams and Southbridge and even part of West End for through a marvelous series of vendetta's he annihilated such competition as Bishop, while cutting into the turf of Blackheart considerably. There were rumors that both organization had come to a gentleman's agreement by Yulember though and no further sign of a vendetta between them was seen since then.

That of course still left such distinguished company as the gang of Dante, which concentrated on smuggling through Northbridge in direct competition with the Villanen family ; the Northbridge: an area where the ULT didn't quite reach as far as Nico Alvero would have wanted to, for his plans with Ord Villanen never materialized enough to be of any use. While the trade guilds were in pocket, clearly the criminal activity which was rife in Northbridge was not. Another area that saw considerable crime but of an entirely different nature was Academia of both the East End and the West End; both protection money and company espionage were the main products of trade, trying to bag on what they could glean from the Nashorn Institute and the Naturalist Society as well as the various magickal colleges. Shadowy figures like Scullio and Penna were not only apt on gaining and selling knowledge but needed the occasional blade to protect their interests. Highton and the Silver district knew not just rough gangs wielding a dagger, but some higher classed criminals busing themselves with fraud and embezzlement . Truly though.. where did that stop and did normal trade in World's Mouth begin? Was there a merchant lord left that did not participate in some kind of easy money? The Heugotte's, the Indigo's, the Neuvette's, all were known to partake some time or other, not to mention the fact that Severo Lo Russo sold property in the Marshlands against incredible profits, being lauded as the people's hero as he lined his pockets. The Northern Marshlands were of course still prone to roving bands of robbers and highwaymen and the lower Scillus ending up in the Mer de la Luna was targeted by pirates quite frequently.

All in all Eramo and Ganiu Tuirdhiel had the odd job here and there before truly settling into the crime scene of the Mouth. Ganiu would find that his own kind of racism often led to his exclusion of more profitable jobs and more and more he became informally attached to the gang of Blackheart who at least respected his stance. In fact the achadhiel learned of a rising merchant of the House Constanza who owned several pieces property in the Elven Quarter who likewise extended loyalty to adhiel. In contrast Eramo became a Simaldi operative in all but name, expected to obey and be loyal in offering his muscle but not his mouth, for which he could expect the protection of the familia.

[Maeve]

The finances of the House Constanza, the Aveas Company and the ULT have not been made part of any PC inventory. Please consult with your mod should you require further information or of course contact your loyal and trustworthy bankers at Belchy's and Proud.

[Darug Sorghat]

Ever since the big party in the brothel, Darug had been wandering through the city, not doing anything remotely useful. He was shocked by the pain that little human girl could inflict. Before that he had been ripping those human bodies apart like they were just another piece of meat. But she had been different. She had made the big orc scared.

He hadn't seen much of the ULT members either. One evening he had been talking with Emiliana, nice girl, for as much as walking food could be nice. The morning after was the last time he had seen the boss. Nico had given him some piece of paper that was supposed to be quite valuable. Darug had no idea why at the time, but in the months that followed, it turned out to be pretty helpful. He had been interrogated by those soldiers on the streets quite some times. They gave the orc a hard time until he showed them the paper. Then they just grunted and walked away.

Modt of the last months however the Orc had just kept low, he had enough money to buy him some drinks and food every day in one of the taverns. Sometimes he even had some conversations, usually with the bartender or the waitresses as the orc was always a good tipper. Mostly because he didn't quite understand the money system, but as long as everyone was smiling things were ok. During those times in the tavern he even managed to improve his knowledge of the human language and could make decent conversations with them.

This turned out pretty handy when he felt really hungry and was in the mood for some really fresh meat. The orc didn't want to kill and eat all the people he met though, he tried to restrain himself as he spent some days outside of the city wandering from farm to farm. He managed to keep 4 out of 10 humans alive, resisting the urge to eat them. A pretty decent number Darug thought. He was quite proud of it, even though he know folks back home would think he was an idiot.

And now, in the present day, Darug decided that it was time to visit an old friend. The orc missed the parties of the good old days. He needed the boss. It was time for action, time for party. He smiled from ear to ear as he walked into the city, not really sure where he should look. But he still had his ULT-badge..


Language human +****
Conversation +***
Murder+***

[Maeve]

Darug survived pretty well throughout the months, spreading tales of horror in the Marchlands, but thanks to his Exemption License keeping his profile low in the city itself, so that all that Nico Alvero would have heard where mere whispers. The Lilies however lived in dread. Due to his past at the Panini estate however the Orc stayed away from the place, seeing it as off limit. The Lily establishment never knew why they were so graced, thinking their protection money well spend. The only thing that could have livened up his life would perhaps have been a pretty Orc girl, but they were pretty scarce in Mouth surroundings where only the food was plenty.

Of course once Darug seriously started looking showing his ULT badge to a mere passer bye would point him to the new offices of the boss at #23 Silversmith.

[Guido Cercatoro]

Samheen

Sfidante had been pleased with Guido’s success in capturing the mechanical mouse and readily took on the youth as his assistant. However, few of the tasks the great scientist initially required Guido to perform were as exciting as his sewer adventure. The new curator spent most of late Samheen performing routine tasks and continuing with his program of studies. Surprisingly, Guido found the classes on mental defence by Milanas of particular interest and he made good progress in this discipline. Despite Guido’s best endeavours he made little progress in his relationship with Gianna. The achadheil was friendly and polite but seemed reticent to develop any deeper friendship. In contrast, Lucan became a firm friend, the two enjoying a shared sense of humour and a dislike for the pompous Renzo. However, Guido always had a feeling that his friend was holding something back, but what it was he never managed to ascertain.

Yulember

Whilst late Samheen had been a relatively routine time for Guido, Yulember was more eventful. The historian within Guido was fascinated by the many interesting personal stories he heard from soldiers returning from the war. Consequently, he decided to collate these stories together in a small pamphlet which he rather pompously entitled: Reflections on a war: the story of the common soldier. The pamphlet, his first proper foray into written history, achieved modest approval from the scholars within the library. The one exception was Renzo who scoffed with derision at the book. Guido comforted himself with further developing his skill in mimicking the youth’s voice and also those of many of his tutors in the library. He continued to make regular visits to check his brother’s books and Camello’s carpentry business seemed to prosper.

Darkenry

With Yulember spent in his academic studies, Guido felt a great desire for a more active life and he managed to persuade Sfidante to take him on a short archaeological dig to the nearby scene of a historical battle. Whilst the dig was a modest one, for the winter weather allowed no more, Guido was fascinated by the techniques involved in the investigations and promised himself that he would try to get involved in more such adventures. Returning from the dig, he ran into some of his old friends with whom he had spent his youth re-enacting famous historical battles. One of these friends had become a modest playwright and Guido readily acceded to his request to take a minor part in a play he was performing in a local tavern. In truth, the play was a poor one but it re-ignited Guido’s interest in using drama to bring history to life and the curator agreed with his friends to pursue their plan to form a historical re-enactment society when time permitted. Guido also brushed up on his swordmanship skills by sparring regularly with one of his friends.

Chyril

Chyril saw the curator once again deep in his academic studies. By now, Sfidante trusted his assistant with more complex tasks and Guido appeared to be performing to the scientist’s satisfaction. The curator hoped that this would lead to his advancement within the library for he now truly felt he was a part of the great institution. He was no longer a callow student but someone who was respected and well thought of, at least by all apart from Renzo. However, despite his diligent academic application, the curator’s mind often wandered back to the mouse escapade and he longed for the excitement of such an adventure.

Skills

Archaelogy *
Literacy (human) *
Mindcleanse ***
Inner calm***
Swords One-handed **

[Guest]

The payment Finnegan had received for assisting in the capture of the contraption in the sewers had been a little disappointing. Not that he'd expected any payment at all, but when he and his companion were tossed mere change and brushed off, he was reminded of his place. Back home, such a feat would have been cause for celebration, but here it was barely noticed. As disappointing as it was, though, it inspired him. A chance meeting had led to adventure, and pay (as small as it was). In such a large city, there had to be people who needed a hired hand for odd jobs.

He didn't jump on this plan right away, however. He spent the rest of the month getting himself settled in the city. Mainly, finding a place to stay, and getting to know some of the locals. As worried as he was about being accused of not following the right religion and being seen as a heathen, his friendly nature couldn't help but shine through once he got settled.

As the weather began to decline further toward winter, Finnegan started to find small jobs. Nothing was substantial, though. The weeks passed, with little excitement. At least none that effected him directly. Though the city's declaration of independence was certainly something he hadn't seen coming. He still feared to utter mention of his faith where others might hear.

Time moved on, and he still hadn't heard word from the friends he'd made during his trek into the sewers. In fact, by the time winter began to recede, Finnegan had yet to make a lasting connection with in the Mouth. He hadn't even found the proper training he'd previously sought. It was in the first few days of Chyril that the redhead realized this, as he had kept himself rather busy. When he wasn't off seeking his next job, or enjoying a few hours in a tavern, he would leave the walls of the city. Often it was so he could practice with his sword, with out the fear of hurting an innocent bystander—inanimate or otherwise. But it wasn't rare for him, once weather permitted, to spend a lazy day with his fishing pole. He much preferred the sound of the birds to the chattering of political events.

The more comfortable he became in the city, the less he concerned himself with watching his tongue. Whereas in his first weeks, he had been terrified to say the wrong thing, the coming of spring saw something quite different. Especially when he had a few too many drinks in him, he had a tendency to open his mouth when he was better off keeping quiet. And as naive as he was, he was bound to offend the wrong people one day.

Skills:
Bartering / Haggling: **
Swords, One-handed: ***
Blind fighting: *
Grappling: *
Knowledge [World´s Mouth]: *
Storytelling: *
Creating Lyrics: *

[Felecia Grennarth]

Felecia looked into the mirror and she reached toward it, resting her fingertips against the reflection of her own face. She traced a line down the mirror along her own jaw, neck, collarbone, down her chest then it kept moving even after her hand no longer showed in the mirror. She stared straight ahead, then her eyes trailed over her upper body, studying it, head tilting as she moved her shoulders, making the dim light move over the soft fabric of her chemise, each thread glistening a bit if she moved slow enough. She hardly flinched to hear the door open and she nodded to the girl carrying a tray, taking the cup from it, "Thank you," she murmured softly, then began to sip. With any luck, it would be drained before the sun finally set.

That was how every day had gone for the past three months. Some days weren't so uneventful at first, she resisted as long as she could before the "tea" took its toll then her days and nights blurred together while she was "broken in" and she settled into a sort of routine. Piece by piece her heart splintered and each piece disappeared into the bottom of her cup, joining a fog of memories that now seemed a distant past as she resigned herself to her life and the loss of who she thought she was.

The only thing that held a tenuous grasp was her instinct to heal people. Illnesses, minor wounds, even some more major ones found their way to the other girls in the brothel and even customers and once Felecia's skills were uncovered, the only time she felt any amount of joy was when she was needed for those tasks. It created a sort of tearing feeling, however, keeping her keenly aware of who and what she might have been, in starke comparison to who she has become, leading her to the mirror every evening before dusk, to stare, and trace the form she sees, trying to figure out who she sees in the glass.

Conversation-1
Culture-1
Etiquette-1
Healing-3
Literacy-2
Poison-1
Small blades-1

[Mezatino]

For it to have only been three months, quite a bit has become of Mezatino. He has only killed twice in his life; the first was the Purificatio officer trying to arrest him. Mezatino’s actions had been sound and well done. No one had discovered it was him (at least to his own knowledge); in fact he doubted anyone even remembered him from that rainy day. The second kill happened the very next day. As he had promised, he returned to the tavern to pick up Bianca for their little outing. He took her to a romantic little park over in Highton, where they had a beautiful time filled with fine wine ‘procured’ from some noble’s cellar and lots of laughter. After returning the lovely waitress to her flat, Mezatino decided to take a walk. Upon his little travel he noticed a very nice house, it was large and well kept, but nothing like the manors in the Silver District. As usual the owners were the careless type that thought theft could never happen to them, so naturally they carelessly left a window open. It took a little work, but Mezatino managed to find a way up and through the opening. After rummaging through the nice possessions he decided to take a fine curved dagger encrusted with 5 crowns worth of gems. Upon leaving he realized there was a servant boy, maybe 13 or 14 yahrens old, staring at him and trying to decide if he should sound the alarm. Mezatino had had too many run-ins with the law recently and couldn’t afford another one. So he ran the boy through with the blade. Out of desperation and fright, he left his plunder and ran for it. Ever since then, Mezatino hasn’t been himself. He went from a life-loving prankster to a cynical jokester. He just isn’t the same.

Needless to say he never saw Bianca again, and for the most part he didn’t do anything. He moved out of his place in the Elven Quarters, and into the small house his brother Agnan owned. There he began to delve into some of the more enlightening herbs to be found such as hemp and white mist. Both of which he loved dearly, constantly looking for a bigger high. One day the two of them got word about their brother. Apparently Smargiasso, an active member of the Condoiterre, was killed in the War of the One. While their father Cassandro managed to contract the Blacklung and die. Agnan being the eldest son at the time inherited his father’s estate. Allowing the entire family to live their; their mother, Aurelia, Orazio had his own house to live in, and to all of their dismay, Mezatino. Agnan had allowed his brother to come home and be a member of the family again. Immediately Mezatino took on his former surname of Engoulevente.

However come Darkenry, he was out again. Not estranged as last time, but he had moved out on his own. He needed his freedom; so he purchased a decent flat down in Southbridge, and began his own little thing. There his day went thusly; wake up around noon, smoke a pipe full of hemp, go out and pick pockets to pay for supper, drink with a couple of miscreants, and then go home to smoke more hemp and sleep it all off.

His hair was once again comes down to his shoulders and he had even acquired a few new scars. Mostly those came from his freelance work as a button man and enforcer for loan sharks. One day he came across a smug orc working in the Seams, the two worked a couple of times getting money, when the beastly creature offered to give Mezatino a tattoo. Such things were not common in the Mouth and much rarer to find a good artist anywhere in all of the Western Kingdom; so naturally Mezatino took the man up on his offer. Do to Mezatino’s ability to coax money and information out of clients using his silver tongue and venomous words, he had come to be called Il Ragno (the spider) as a nickname. The orc took this into account and did a large spider web tattoo that covered the entire upper back, traveled down the left arm and across Mezatino’s left chest where the spider was located.

In early Chyril, Mezatino decided it was time to pick a side. He had done some small work for nearly all the gangs of World’s Mouth, but with tensions high amongst them, being a floater was not a good option. So he put himself out there, offering his services to both the Simaldi Family and Blackhearts organization, whoever took him first would be his new employer.




Murder + *
Pick Pockets + * * *
Escape Artist + *
Smaller Blades + * *
Conversation + * * *


if you find anything i should change or isn't right or whatever, just let me know i'm okay with doing a rewrite

[Guest]

The first couple of weeks that Naerth spent in the Mouth were long and hectic, full of awe about the city and full of learning the different customs and lifestyles. She spent those weeks at the Ranley Tavern, staying in one of the open rooms and learning as much as she could about the news of the city by eavesdropping on other patrons of the tavern. It was this way that she first heard of the Nashorn Institute. She later asked the bartenders and waitresses about it, and one waitress hinted that the Institute was always looking for sharp, creative minds.

Only a few days after learning of Nashorn, another oppurtunity presented itself to Naerth in the shape of an older gentleman with thin hair and a monocle. He claimed to be an engineer, employed by the Naturalist Society, and looking for someone to become his apprentice. He had seemed disappointed when Naerth volunteered since he preferred a male apprentice, but said that he would be in contact with her. After a couple days, Naerth realized that the man from the Society wasn't interested in teaching her anything, and so the mental debate about Nashorn Institute began again.

She finally decided to try to get employed by the Institute. The day she decided to head there, she wore her favored way of dress (a tunic and breeches) to show that she wasn't a frilly, fashion-oriented girl that was afraid to get her hands dirty. She also took along some of her improved contraptions and the tools she created to help aide in her work.

The Institute was a unique eyesore, in Naerth's opinion, as mismatched and massive as it was. But she liked looking at it. When she arrived there, she was nervous, jittery, and stuttered as she told the guards at the main entrance what her business there was. They led her a few doors down, through a hall way, up a flight of stairs, through another hallway and finally disposed of her at another door. She went inside, and emerged a mark and a half later. She spent the rest of the day dazed and confused, and then excitement overtook her the next morning as she realized that she was employed, and would be doing something that she had wanted to do. In a little less than a month, she was on the right track to what she wanted to do, and she was achieving her goals.

She was quickly romanced by one of her coworkers at the Institute, a kind man who's primary duty was test flying the airships and inspecting the engineering of them. He expressed an earnest interest in Naerth, and the interest was returned, and a few short weeks she fell in love. The love the two shared was short lived, however, for the man was expelled from the city when the Purificatio discovered that his grandmother on his father's side of the family had been adhiel, and that her worship of Pan had spread into the family. At the beginning of her second month in the Mouth, Naerth had gained and lost love.

In the past couple of months, Naerth watched as the city made changes to itself, some for the good and some for the bad. She remained fairly neutral in her opinions on all things, having not established herself as a true Mouthie and not knowing much of the city's history. But when it came to the expulsion of all 'heathens' from the Mouth, she became angered and passionate. Naerth couldn't see how throwing an entire group of people out of a city could be justified, and it felt personal to her since the man she had fallen in love with was torn from her life for that very reason. She's become a little cold when it comes to emotions now, and seems to be shying away from developing personal relationships in her life.

Right now, she spends her mornings and half the day at Nashorn, and then in the evenings will maybe go to a tavern to socialize a bit, and then return to the Institute to where she has a bed in the barracks (generously provided to her for being an employee there). She's looking to take up residence elsewhere, though, because she's afraid of becoming a workaholic.


SKILLS
Engineering + **
Logical Analysis + *
Blacksmithing + **
Etiquette (new skill, bought with 5 stars)


((OOC: If anything needs to be changed, please let me know and I'll make the proper changes. Thank you!))