NPC Thieves
Thieves abound in the NP; Cutpurses,
Back-Stabbers, Murderers, Liars, and Cat Burglars. The PC’s will meet them on the road, in the
city, at their guild houses, in bars, at home, etc. There are several of these characters of note
and this list serves as a glimpse into the possibilities for the personalities
and potential in the NPC Thief arena towards developing a good, long
campaign. Thieves should be caught and
killed in the street or turned in to one of the Guard Houses. PC’s, should see thieves doing their deeds to
others, they should also see them executed, in stocks, hung from the town
gates, or in cages outside town, as ‘food for wolf’. A nameless NPC thief is not an example or a
plot string but a tool to show what life is like in the world. Epicenes comes not from tracking down a
cutpurse and killing him or her, but dismantling a small crime organization or
having a nemesis that spans years of Character life and levels with the PC,
only to half the PC nearly defeat them or their agents and cohorts or almost
catch them and then they get away. A
good thief is the reason PC’s get henchmen, build towers, invest or hide their
wealth and keep watch on trips or stay out of bars or town altogether. Separating what is going on in the DM’s head
from what the PC’s experience is the greatest challenge, as well developed
thief NPC’s will remain hidden from the PC’s for many months of gaming and will
be revealed only sometimes, in that, stuff stops being stolen or a charred
corpse is found, communicating nothing of the epicenes of the rouge that has
been plaguing them behind the scenes.
With that said, here are some developed thieves of varying shades and
degrees of Theifdom, from the Opaque Bully to the Transparent Mastermind.
Broda – Human Thief6 – Ring of Wishes
(depleted but still has a link to Endine/water elemental Lord who was bound to
the ring by Saydril (see Saydril’s Tomb), an Ascendent from the Days of Pholtus. Endine will lead the wearer of the ring to
Saydril’s Tomb. Broda speaks with
Saydril but thinks himself imaginative.
Endine will never come to the aid of the wearer of the ring, but there
is always a possibility the two will have similar goals in which Endine may
assist), Ir’s Harp (a throwing dagger +2 that bonuses CH by +3).
MO: Broda poses as an adventurer and hangs out in the bars of
Brighton befriending newbies and seasoned adventurers. He is always looking for an angle. He is not a killer and if it comes down to
it, he will not fight someone unless they are going to kill him. He is likeable, in his early thirties, is
good with longsword and dagger and knows a few tricks that always make
adventurers happy, and make him look like a badass that is more powerful than
he actually is.
Broda knows all of the bar maidens and bartenders in Brighton
and keeps them in silver and they keep the info coming to him. He is a fantastic resource but can only be
one if the PC catch him stealing, are not violent, and have a good attitude
about it. He will then feel bad, be grateful,
and want to help them (the PC’s) get on their feet with a good adventure or
info. Because of his connections, he
knows of all kinds of items on the market, and where the dangerous tombs are
and where caches are hid, etc. He is not
a camper and so does not go on adventures.
He owns a three story tower in the
middle of Brighton. He has a farm that
people work for him about two hours east of Brighton. He also has a home in Bricking. He does not have any hideouts per say as all
he is after is info and Kings Piece.
While he does invest in the occasional ‘sure-thing’, he is not
enterprising and his motive is to be In The Game.
Broda will never come to the rescue
and he will steal from the PC’s if he thinks there is a reasonable chance he
will not be found out. If he is found
out, he will never give the money back.
He will maybe give the PC’s a favor or some info in return. If there is an important item involved, he
may help them with info on where or who to recover it from. He never hangs onto items.
Broda has powerful adventurer
friends; if he calls in a favor, it can be character ending for a PC. Broda’s Mother is an Exvocate. Broda’s Sister “Eesla” is a Warrior that
rides with Dane Truin of the House of Hale in the North (see Lords of the
Brake).
Broda has three guises; Just back
from an Adventure, Spending all my Spoils, and Kicking Some Ass. He usually is seen around town in Spoils, but
will dress appropriately for whoever he is trying to take down. Before the PC “Meet” Broda, he will have
observed them on at least two separate occasions, so, it is unlikely an
encounter with Broda with occur unless the PC’s develop habits in town.
Orun
– Half-Kord Fighter/Theif 8/8 –Echol’s Braid (a totem that grants the
wearer combat strength of +2+2 when fighting in mele. Two Pholtic (all heal) Healing potions. Wander (Dwarven Bardiche that grants one
additional attack per round) Raven Burl
(a witch made totem that will summon a raven to find someone or something).
Orun is a cunning brute but is not
wise or intelligent. His deal is to
track people (naive adventurers) into the outback and kill them in their sleep
and take their stuff or track them to adventure locations and trap them when/if
they emerge with treasure. If the PC’s
look well-heeled and have new this, and new that, he will just try to rob/kill
them when they are weakest. If the party
has more than three, he will get help from one of the 80 Kord camps around
Brighton.
Orun is aggressive, does not talk
and fights to the death out of animal instinct and hatred for men and elves,
not out of esprit or belief. Orun also
takes the jaws from those he kills. He
is camped an hour north of Brighton and has four hideout/lookouts in the
farmlands and forests north of the city.
Orun will sell young females and children to Nero who pays gold for
them. He always attacks the strongest
looking fighter first regardless of the actual threat of arrows or spells. He makes a decision about who he will kill
and who he will capture before he starts anything, and he never changes his
mind about this and so cannot be begged or bribed. He barters horses and gear to the Kords for
food and coin, which they do not use. He
used to fence fine items (magic, etc) through Shim, but Shim was killed by
undead last winter and Orun has not found a new fence yet.
His stash is in a near collapsed
well on in the burnt ruins of a farmstead on the far northern edge of the
farmlands, three hours north of Brighton.
It is not trapped it is just well hidden.
Orun is a great tracker and has
terrific eyesight and sense of smell and direction, movement, time and
weather. He is not hirable. He is not good with projectile weapons and
wields a pole arm and carries a skinning knife.
He is completely silent if he wants to be. He is also a master of hiding and moving
stealthily. He cannot ride horses as he
is a Kord and horses they will not permit Kord riders. He barely makes enough to live. He is recovering from wounds received a week
ago and is being ‘treated’ by witch medicine and it has taken most of the items
he has saved.
It can be assumed that Orun is
closely following any adventurers levels 1-4 whenever they are leaving Brighton
to the north. He has may follow a group
for three days if he thinks they are promising and worth the risk. He is not so greedy as to get loaded down and
will overlook hidden loot. Horses,
weapons, and coin get taken, after that, it’s whatever stands out. Orun is one of “the thieves that work the
road”.
Black Fred – Human Thief/7 – Storm Girdle (breath
water, create fog, control winds), Vengence (longsword +3+3 always attacks last
in around, never misses, cannot divide attacks).
Black Fred is really a Ptolegian Prince turned
pirate/marauder. He is not evil per se,
but will sink ships killing everyone on board.
He has two ships in his “armada”; the Shelter upon which he crewed
(common Ptolegian practice to make Royals work ships and learn the seas and
their boats) as a boy and later found in the north and reclaimed, and the
Lacedon, the boat he built in the Sea of Tarsus. Each boat is crewed by twenty sailors of
varied talents.
Black Fred will not sink a ship unless it fires upon one of
his with ballistae, magic, or seeks to ram him.
He does not intercept food or cargo ships, only private boats or the
ships of well-heeled adventurers, or other Pirates, mainly the Danikans. He will not hire out the Lacedon but will
join an adventure that looks promising.
He hates Kords and will sail two days to kill one. He is wanted in Kias for desertion. He has worked for the Wardnes service before.
Salien – Elvin Theif/7 – Tearbringer
(legendary Westfolden blade forged for the war against men and wielded by
Varith, a leafwinder who was one of the 7 Emissaries to drive men from the
Northern province 400 years ago, found by Salien with the help of Myskateel.,
this blade is +4+4 and has vampiric regeneration when used against humans, it
is powerful and intelligent and mostly responsible for Saliens hatred of men
and his serial murder of them), Aman (Great Bow +2+2) Four types of Poisoned
arrows, and many magical arrows of varying effects.
Salien is an assassin for the Smiluvenni and works for Sulon
(Understay) occasionally. He is an
incredible shot with a bow and uses poisoned and magic arrows. He is more thoughtful of his marks and poses
as an elven hunter that could be persuaded to join a party as a scout and
bowman. He has taken down 13 adventuring
group with this ruse.
Salien’s lover, Larian Lithililian is the third son of Say
Lilithian of The House of Lilithian (See Lords of the Brake) and he loves to
(adventure) with Salien. He will follow
the Mark with their mounts and help Salien in most “safe” chores related to the
killing and the robbing of humans, oh yeah, and he hates humans.
Salien has no home in the city. He stays at Welthower or with Larian. He sells goods through Hermeal, one of
Soloa’s Mothers servants, although Larian is not aware of this. He is a teacher at Welthower and is
especially helpful to humans there, teaching them valuable knowledge of
bow-craft and use. He is one of three
people in the NP than can teach firing into mele. His room at Welthower is spartan but
decorated as a Leadist. He guides or
trains for money when there is no one to mislead and kill.
Salien views Kords as wild animals and so does not hate them
or trifle with them if they can be avoided.
He is known by some in town as a guide, but those who know too much
die. He has two Half Elven barmaids in
his pocket, one works at Shipwinter in the Harbor, the other at the Harden
Down. Salien knows of many tomb and ruin
locations. He is also familiar with Most
of the Lords of the Brake.
Salien is only attracted to parties of Humans (mostly)
between 2-4th. He is not
greedy but his partner motivations of hatred for Humans and a love for the
finer things keeps him with his ear to the ground. He is also a Leafwinder, though none know
this but Sulon, Agrippa (see Major Players of the NP) and the Great Nature
Dragon Suel. If shit gets real with Westfolden
and the PC’s are involved, Salien will try to kill them all. Salian is patient, methodical, observant and
capable and he will never insert himself into risk.
Thurat – Dwarven Theif8 – Arma (earth
elemental spirit 4hd), Staff of Striking (188hp), Dwarven Dead Bracelet (lets
you control weak undead, drive away moderately powerful undead, or weaken
powerful undead), Eye of Highfall (a gem that lets you see true).
Thurat is an alcoholic, litterally. He works with (for) Elia Rainwearer, a female
High Elf thief. While Elia is “good” and
strives against the Dark, Thurat is of the Dark as dwarves began it long ago in
their war with the Gnomes (the predecessors of the Elves.) He may do one job a year with Elia, helping
the Wardens or a Lord of the Brake. The
rest of the time, he is stealing gems, jewels and Gold to feed to Arma. His alchoholism is not like Human alchoholism. He drinks and ina few days will drink all the
time, then will get dark in his mood and deeds, he has been imprisoned for
murder four times in Brighton and is wanted by several Lords of the Brake. It is only Elia’s insistence that he not be
killed or executed that saves him. He
has many enemies, but the smart ones fear him. He will never go far from alchohol and lives
mostly in Bricking. He will adventure,
especially if he thinks there is reason to believe jewels and gold will be
found, which he will take without question.
He has little interest in anything else.
He is 700 years old.
He has been in the Lock and knows several places wear and how to break
it. He also knows where the Underoad
is. He has no problem showing people
where and how and also has no problem abandoning people to the ravenous dead
that fly those hallways.
He will sell information for gems and metals. He is not insultable. He is self-centered and does not really
listen to other people. Elia has a
friend (Gain) that she has tasked with watching over Thurat. Gain is a Ptolegian half-elf that will help
smooth corners when needed, that Thurat is oblivious to.
Thurat will push people out of the way and think not much of
it. He is more of a curiosity than
anything else as few people have ever seen a Dwarf. He is not of a House and has never been to Hardwall,
he is not known outside of Bricking and has only a reputation for solid
information and a desire for gold and gems and his willingness to fight to kill
on a whim.
He will hear of adventurers going to a tomb that promises to
have gems or a specific jewel etc and approach them with more info, wanting to
either accompany them or to help them survive so they will bring back the
gem. This can be any legit dungeon crawl
that is planned and organized. He is not
evil.
Elia Rainwearer – Mage/Theif 7/9 – Mitheal (Intelligent bracelet that will
remember spells 18 levels worth of spells for ELia), Chord of Winds (a belt of
flying that will also let ELia hear things impossibly far away), Sword of Lions
(short sword +3 that will parry every mele attack if no attack is taken by the
PC).
Elia was once a Warden of King John. She reads and speaks all civilized tongues as
well as Nulidean (dark magic), and Sorisaris (light magic). She is a Seeker for Factia Encantata and has
seven students in the Northern Provence, and is the leader of the Facta in the
Northern Provence and answers only to Alart (see Lords of the Brake).
Elia strives against Sulon and his minions whenever
possible. She is highly intuitive and an
expert at espionage and covert actions.
She routinely employs PC’s to aid the Wardens in their never ending work
in the Northern Province. She is a
stable, reliable source of plot strings between Factia agendas, Warden actions,
Smiluvenni contravention and assisting the Lords of the Brake in their many efforts
against the Dark. Elia will become
involved with the PC early on as is her will with many new arrivals to the
NP. She will come to their rescue at
least once before they are 5th level. She will aid them selflessly and help them
succeed.
Barba – Halfling Thief/8 – Freeblades
Guild
Barba is the resident Master Locksmith and appraiser of the
Freeblades guild. He will give a fair
appraisal and history of any item. His
services are free to name level members in good standing. His prices are high and must be paid in Realm
Coin as he accepts no barter for Guildwork.
He works Monday and Tuesday of each week at the Guild and will not
adventure.
Barba owns a jewlers in Brighton, Ash Valley, Bricking,
Tenwillows, Big Water, Many Rivers and Crossroads. These stores perform moneylending, coin and
treasure exchange as well as sales, appraising, and banking. The shops are co-opted by the Freeblades
Guild and the Sages Guild and are a big deal.
The stores are known commonly as the Moneylenders.
Many people meet at the Money lenders and it serves a purpose
similar to the Freeblades guild as a hub for fences and treasure seekers. Patrons are geased by the Eye of Hale (relic
of Pholtic times) in order to do business with the Moneylender. The eye travels from location to location
once a week for new members. People
break the gease and if they are not killed by Efretti, they permanently lose
1hp/day until death; Once the eye of hale is leveled, it is not lifted easily. The Efritti are lovers of gems and willing
protect the Houses. The wards and
enchantments on the buildings ease the Effriti’s manifesting into the Plane at
will.
Sulon – Gray Elven Theif/14 - Understay of
Smiluvenni – Chain of malice, Hand of Fate, Dominion, Braid of Echo’s, Wraith.
The Understay is feared as much as the Dragon. She will never be encountered unless it is
very terrifying and dramatic. She has
over 200 assets (those that willing do her bidding) in the Northern
Province. Sulon is the only child of
Shira Finnhorn (The Primerium of Facta Necromanta during the Fall of FreeWinds)
and Innis Gainsover (a multi-dimensional being / vampire of inestimable power).
Sulon’s duties in the NP are to..
·
Prevent
the Wardens from being successful here.
·
Prevent
the Kings return to the North.
·
Minimize
the effectiveness of the Sages Guild.
·
Motivate
and direct dark powers in the NP.
·
Prevent
Westfolden from re-establishing a foothold.
·
Diminish
the Light (there are seven Lights Returned (fragments of Pholtus’ divinity
returning to the Prime in innocence) in the Northern Province) but not
extinguish it.
·
Keep
the Vaults of Leahdah Hidden and protected from the Light.
·
Disorganize
Men.
·
…and
contain Malfator.
…as you can see, it is a big job. Sulon feels all movement on these plot strings
no matter how small, via Dominion. There
is plenty of room to develop NPC’s like Salien.
If the PC’s ever do work with the Lords of the Break, the Wardens or the
Sages Guild, they will be on Sulon’s radar and will be the target of
assassination attempts and turning.
Sulon’s assets include Dopplegangers, spirits, powerful undead, “normal”
people, the unknowing and the accidental agents. All she needs to do is plant greed, envy,
hatred, selfishness or apathy and watch it grow while she feeds it what it is
looking for.
She does not know or see the Light Returned and never will
until one of the Lights Returned accepts its identity, and then, according to
legend and prophecy, Pholtus will return and extinguish the Dark for good. Those same prophesies also foretell the
failure of the fragments and the extinguishing of light forever. Sulon does not look this far in the future
and has no real opinion on prophesy. She
was bound by the Chain of Malice by Myskateel and will tirelessly and perfectly
pursue the extinguishing of the Light and the perfection of the Will of the
Dragon.
Another problem with this is that Sulon is one of the
fragments of Light Returned. Myskateel
sensed it in the place between heavens and bound her with the chain as a child
when he stole her from her Father. This
is from the story The Loss of Tears,
about the death of Precarius, although Sulon is not named in the Poem nor is
Innis.
Sulon looks to be a young gray elf. When she is not wearing Wraith and traveling
the flayness, she appears bare chested and emaciated with the Chain of Malice
holding her almost to the floor, and the golden sword, the Hand of Fate
(Pholtus’s Blade) about her waist, igniting against the darkness and evil of
the curses upon her.
Het Man Kord Theif/8
Hetman is a Kordic tracker and one of the best that will work
with humans and elves. It should be
noted that Clanned Kords (not to be mistaken for the Warriors of the Living God
(how chok turosh mok chok translates literally to Elvin) or, the Armies of Mok
Turosh) have no racial enmity and are tribal in culture, belief and
affiliation. Hetman live in a camp (they
are not named) north of Brighton, it moves with the seasons and so it is
sometimes difficult to find Het Man, however, many in the camps can track or
claim to.
Hetman has a large family and tracks for two reasons. The pay will help him barter for goods he
would not have access to otherwise (medicine, steel, etc) and he views it as
having protection while he hunts, which he will do as he guides, taking sons
and grandson’s with him to help carry back game to the camp. Hetman is only a leader of his family. There are about 15 families in his camp (see
semi-permanent settlements of the NP)
Hetman is not smart or wise enough to be diabolical but will
attack enemies from concealment and with his short bow. He is loyal to those he works with, while he
works with them and sees them as a source of strength for his family. He has decent eyesight, but coupled with his
Kordic Nature, his sense of smell, and his years of experience in the area, he
is a formidable entity to have on your tail.
Hetman is not complicated.
He views the pay for his help as his property and he will protect his
job (the party) because that is his pay.
It could be argued that he is too stupid to cross someone, but that
would not account for his ability to avoid danger, manicure trust with loyalty
and to utilize party assets to navigate and capitulate obstacles.
He does not use poison as most of what he will be shooting is
food game. He has not special weapons,
possessions or wealth other than family.
If he is used more than once and treated fairly, he will
offer a son or grandson as a reward. If
their lives are not spent carelessly, Hetman can be a powerful ally and source
of cunning and capable guards.
Hermeal – Gray Elvin Thief/6
Pickpockets and
Cutpurses – They
want coin. If they want jewelry or
magic, its because it will get them more coin.
Even a capable petty thief should not have too much character unless PC
direction or fate illuminates it, and many of these gnarly NPC’s may get born
through a failed pickpocket and escape, however, there are some ways to play
the pickpocket that will develop the dynamic more thoroughly in the PC’s head. Towns and cities should be bustling, that’s
what they are. There is no Market Day,
market day is everyday and people are high pressure, they need to eat. Adventurers will be swarmed by poor children. (you should not make poor children the enemy
or the source of pick pocketing, they should be direct, and childlike. It is imperative to grow a feeling of love
hate with cities not hate hate. Kids
should gawk in awe, young kids should be staving and hungry and ask for food or
hold a pouch that the PC dropped cuz kids were climbing on him, and say, “Hey
mister, you dropped this.” and hold it out for him. They should ask for food not coin. They should leave if chased away. If played with they should follow the PC
around like lost dogs being shown kindness.
This should be a win) Markets are packet with hagglers and charismatic
thieves buying and selling. Hawkers of
Real Majic, Potions, old coins, food(high demand), everything you can imagine,
women, slaves. Most town centers should
be like this, even the tiny hamlet of needles bunk has 5-10 people sitting
around selling all day. Farmers sell
their food, the surplus, or if they are enterprising, all of it, in towns. Then with the money they make they buy what
they want to eat, not fodder. These
place are ripe for thievery as simple as taking an apple to setting up someone
to distract them while others pilfer a real potion. These crimes are perpetrated upon vendors
mostly but the flamboyant unarmed person is the next easiest mark especially if
they are alone and have no weapons or body guards. Adventurers will see people stealing from
each other if that is what they are looking out for. However, a circus atmosphere of everyone
stealing from everyone is retarded. They
should see a meat head of a body guard kill a “despicable thief” and they
should see a powerful warrior kill a hungry child thief, there is no law in the
NP. Guard Houses (as in guilds not
physical towers), have areas they will look out for where most of their patrons
are and they will protect the interests of their patrons. There is not law to call or City Guard
defending the weak. If you were starving
and poor but had a dagger you thought was valuable, you probably could not afford
to have it appraised. You probably wont
tell anyone about it and you would keep it hidden under your rags of
cloths. You would try to sell it in town
to someone with money, maybe not someone who could use it, as you would not be
that astute if you are poverty stricken in the NP. You would not go fight for a space in a market,
you would hang out in front of taverns or at the docks and ask any rich looking
people if they want to buy it that its special etc. You would catch people walking down the
street, and if you stayed in one place too long, you would be killed by someone
else for it if you would not give it to them willingly. If I was a cutpurse, and a good one, I would
approach a group of adventurers and tell them I was a pickpocket by stealing
something from them and giving it back at the start of our conversation, I would
then offer my services to look out for them and keep other thieves away and
give them some good advice on local merchants that wont rip them off and I
would keep beggars and hawkers away from them.
I’d ask a 10gp/day epr person in the group and almost every adventurer
would pay. That’s good safe money that
makes me money. I can demand a cut from
the peddlers I put in contact with the PC’s, I can have the PC’s give my name to
others who may be looking for a city Guide.
I may get an offer of work from the party as well. I may discover a better opportunity to steal
something more valuable than a sack of steel pieces betray them and steal from
them without them knowing it also.
On their way into a bar they might see stocks where two or
three thieves, trouble makers or drunks are bound and being licked by dogs,
tortured by children, pissed on by patrons (because they are in stocks at the
piss fence, and bing brutalized by the occasional hero or victim of their
malfiesance. They are there because the
bar caught them stealing, starting trouble, hassling adventurers, and the
bouncers put them in stocks in front of the bar as a warning to assholes and as
a reassurance to patrons that they do not take shit. One tavern has a post out fron with hands
nailed too it that were taken from pickpockets and thieves caught by the
staff. Another tavern hog-ties the
offenders and they are suspended from the ceiling in the common area for
sport.. some are just killed and thrown
into the street, where bodies do not last long, taken by deviants, body
peddlers or Kords and cannibals for food.
Good pickpockets will steal and resell immediately, sometimes not even
30 feet from the person they stole the item from. It is not advised to turn every town into a
place where the PC loos all their shit, but you can have a frantic mage looking
person come at them begging for their help that they had a wand in their belt
only moments ago and the thief must be around here somewhere, please help then
he wanders off asking people if they have seen a want or a thief, and
eventually is too far away in the crowd to hear anymore. They can be approached by someone hawking a
quiver of arrows just cut off the back of an elf on the other side of town,
whole thing 50kp, and have there be some obvious magic arrows in there. The PC’s should be show delicately why they
need expert protection and precautions or they should be prepared to lose some
shit. They can have something planted on
them for safety and then have a thief come back for it later.
Backstabbers and
Murderers or more
easily understood as Bullys. These hideous degenerates will never
change. They do not give a shit, they
want you to feel uncomfortable, they feel entitled to your treasure, and your
power. They have no respect for any life. They will give underhanded compliments, and
make everyone uneasy. A good bully
played by the DM can have more impact on a campaign than killing a Wight. They will meet you later in an alley, they
will sucker punch you or back stab you while your getting a lap dance, or kill
your horses. While most don’t live past
2nd level there are enough of them that have become powerful
warriors, or thieves, or mages.
Bully’s can be effective without magic or powerful
weapons. They will make an adventurer
feel mean if they don’t buy him drinks all night. The simplest will make a PC feel
unwanted. The Greater Bully will always
be a local and have a bar that is HIS.
They are used to picking on weak people they know they can intimidate
because they hate they way they get intimidated by powerful people. Bully’s attack when you are weakest if you
are not a weak person. Bully’s can be
killed easily, but Bully’s always have friends like them who are hungry for the
authority and power the bully took away from them. They will shoot a single arrow into you in a
crowd or nick you with a poisoned blade in passing, or have some kid do
it.
They will kidnap and rape, that’s their thing. They love ganging up on someone or inciting a
crowd. Bully will mad-dog you, follow
you and pretend every things cool with enough sarcasm and Sinicism to make you
want to kill them for looking at you wrong, which happens a lot. Bully’s think everyone else is the
asshole. These fuckers can be vendors,
they can be a clerk or a porter you hired to unload your ship, horses,
etc. They can be one of your guards or
henchmen, starting fights unbeknownst to you can coming out like they were
getting your back and you love and reward them for it. A PC having a realization that they have
fostered a bully would be an epic accomplishment for a DM. This does not mean that when you drop below
5hp, Bully’s leap from the rafters to backstab.
Backstabbers are usually stealthy and like breaking into places that
other people own and live in. They will
watch you from hiding, case your camp or room at the inn your staying at. (btw, there are no rooms at the Inn. Everyone wants rooms at the Inn all the time
and will pay large sums of gold for them, they will try to buy rooms
permanently. Adventurers must sleep in
camps on the outskirts of town or find a family that will let them sleep on
their land as all land in town and out has been divided into Guard territories
and no territory allows vagrancy. Members
of the Freeblades can sleep at the Guild Bunkhouse for 10gp/night. (currency
side note, the KP –Kings Piece is metal and not gold. A gp - Gold Piece is one of many ancient
currencies of long ago and the most valuable currency. The common person does not trade in precious
metals nor do they often see them. There
is the; kp, or Kings Piece $10.00 / cp, or Captains Piece $1.00 / hp, or Hay Penny $.10 This is the currency of the realm and
tradable anywhere. Gold and Silver are
considered barter and since each race and realm and dynasty and king mints
their own coins and has forever, all sizes and weights vary. In general, the largest are Dwarven and there
are many sizes and types of each.
Westfolden currency is by House, and there are 9 Great Houses in
Westfolden, but the Druids frown on using the currency of the old lords of the
wood as they were driven from power over 100 years ago. The Ptolegies have a currency for every
island king as well and deal in all metals.
Though few know this, a major effort by the king and the sages guild to
remove gold and silver from circulation has been going on for 80 years
now. The Sages guild is still the best
place to sell gold and silver as they offer the best exchange on KP)
Burglars – True burglars will not be relevant
until the PC’s invest in real lodging, build a tower or find a place to stay
regularly. People who live and work in
the city’s and towns that are NOT adventures, seek some of that wealth and
everyone knows someone who steals. The
people who build your tower will talk idly about it and there brother in law
will come steak from you 6 mo. later.
The only real way to prevent being burglarized is to invest in guards,
however, friends and family of the guards are likely to steal from you with or
without their help, hell, the guards themselves may steal from you. The pool for guards is slim as any
trustworthy capable fighter is an adventurer or what have you, so you have the
option of soliciting a Guard Guild to protect your property which has varying
costs. They guarantee nothing
however. There are security companies,
or adventurers that are retired and old or lame that will help for money as
well. There is now way you will get a
third level fighter and several archers and 1st level fighters to be
your guards, it will never happen.. enter the burglar.
It is not inconceivable that a thief might steal an item of
value in order to offer it to a PC to curry favor or receive aid. The PC’s may also find a thief clutching a
cursed item that eventually ruined them.
Adventurer Theifs – These are legendary individuals
that rub shoulders with the little folk, and not infamous marauders or killers
as has been well covered above.
Adventurer thieves tend to be flamboyant and braggardly as their skills
require explanation and storytelling for full appreciation by the common
man. They are also lavish and believe
money can buy you anything. They are
always capable fighters in their own right and can hold their own, generally in
a group of adventurers. From sneaking
past sleeping dragons to stealing relics from Liches and Kings, the adventurer
thief will tell his tale and is always game for the impossible.
Most adventurers could be called thieves. They love to me invisible, and they love
hoards and pilfering the treasuries of the powerful and the dead. They will sift through corpses for a
hay-penny, and have no problem wearing the clothing of the dead if it is rich
or dweomerd. They are the types to
‘shoot first’ and ‘keep shooting till it stops moving’. Thieves build some of the finest towers in
the NP. They also tend to have
everything they need with them at all times and nothing they do not. They are more likely to hire body guards and
henchmen than mages or warriors.
Thieves will kill for the ability to detect magic or identify
magic items; any good thief is already a great appraiser. Thieves are also historians and scholars of
society and power. They know who the
Lords of the Brake are and who the heavy players in the area are. They talk about themselves as much as they
listen to stories about other capable individuals.
Adventurer thieves are happy to let others take the risk
while they reap the reward. The great
benefit of their company is that Elves love making locks, and so did Dwarves
and the Leahdists and the Ascendants.
With the exception of psychotic Liches and Dragons, everything worth
stealing is behind a lock.
Adventurer thieves can deliver a backstab that could kill an
elephant and then trade blows for three to four rounds before disappearing
entirely only to return healthy and slinging poisoned arrows three times faster
than the best archer you have ever seen.
They will confidently pick fights with people that have
things they want because they know their friends have their back. If they are out matched the WILL run directly
to their friends as well, which will suck for everyone but the adventurer thief.
On the down side, it was a thief that broke Gradles Lock and
wiped every living person in Ashdale from existence by a sea of Wraiths some 60
years ago. It is a Thief that woke
Ovardiis, and another Thief that freed two of his Simulacra. It was a Thief that freed Myskateel to helm
the Smiluvenni once again after its defeat at the hands of the Circle of
Nine. It was a Thief that let Demragon
into the Abbey of Phylukon to kill over 60 Priestesses of Leahdah before the
Ushering. It was a Thief the broke the
abjuration of Freewinds that led to its collapse. It was a Thief that let the armies of Mok
Turosh into the Tower of the Moon, opening up the Vasting to them. It was a Thief who killed Obend Fouge.
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