I'd say the behavior is about right, though Darius would probably be a little gruffer. Helping a street kid get his stolen goods back is definitely in character, but he'd try to pretend not to be happy about it at least a little.
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I just realized that not doing Darius and Darius is such a waste. Here's the time that Darius met Darius while Darius was following a lead and ended up at Darius's shop. Darius x2: Darius absently polished the counter with a scrap of clothe, keeping one eye on the front door. The shelves along the outer edge of the shop were carefully stocked with items ranging from small bits of family jewelry to tools, though anything dangerous or magical was tucked safely away behind the counter where it would be out of sight and away from slippery hands. The hinges on the door creaked as it swung open and a somewhat battered looking man entered. His clothes were old and unkempt, but his weapons looked in more than working order. Darius's eyes narrowed and adjusted his grip on his cane, ready to draw. "Can I help you," he said, his voice dry and sharp.
The man grunted and looked over one of the shelves, fingering a ring on display for a moment before he walked up to the counter. "Do you know a Meredith Roth?" Darius's eyes narrowed and he locked eyes with the other man. "That would depend on who's asking." The two simply stared at each other for a few moments, testing each other's resolve. The gruff man finally shrugged and pulled a folded scrap of paper from his pocket. "Name's Filipes. Roth turned up last week face down in an alley. The guard needed some help tracking down the bastard responsible." Darius snatched the paper and unfolded it, revealing a note promising 'payment for information of on the death of Meredith Roth or capture of her killer'. The pawnbroker's shoulders sagged and he sighed, feeling like a great weight had landed on his shoulders. "Damnation." He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "She traded in a ring for coin just last week. Said she owed someone. I'll pull the record."
I'm still thinking about who to do a second one with, but for now here's the time Darius met Knon. Knon, I'm kind of including a detail that isn't specified in your character, so feel free to correct me if it doesn't fit your idea. At the temple: Darius sighed and shielded his eyes from the late afternoon sun. Long shadows had fallen over the streets and it was nearing dusk in the city. The courtyard before the temple of Abadar was laid out with tables and the smell of a veritable feast being laid out drifted through the air. He remembered his first Taxfest, the first year of his apprenticeship. His master had brought him to attend, as all well-to-do merchants were expected to. The sheer volume of food and drink had been beyond anything he'd seen, even in his wildest dreams. He'd slipped away with pockets full of bread, roasted meats, and a bottle of wine tucked under his cloak to deliver to his mother when he had a free hour. Now it just irritated him. As if a single day of charity helped the thousands who were lucky to eat enough to survive. What was one good meal a year to them? He huffed and glared at an acolyte that came to fetch his coat as he entered the grounds. The young man's face blanched and he backed off with a hasty apology.
Darius crossed the courtyard to one of the seats around the long, heavily-laden tables. He took a seat at one end of the bench, leaning his walking stick up against the edge of the table. "Good evening." He blinked as another man hopped up onto the bench beside him. A rather short man, covered in fur. Darius frowned slightly. The ratfolk looked vaguely familiar, and he hated to forget a face. "Good evening," he replied evenly, his voice a little distant. "Darius Goldwin." He offered a hand, which the ratfolk shook. "Knon Shex, a pleasure to meet you my good sir." Something clicked in Darius's mind. "Ah, I remember now. I knew your father when you were knee high and still squeaked when you talked." He absently straightened his jacket. "You knew grandpa?" Darius blinked and looked past the ratman to see another, much smaller ratfolk and a female that could only be his wife. Darius fought down his normal reflex to scowl at everyone. The child hardly deserved that for curiosity. "Indeed. My master was an investor of his many years ago. Good man. Lucky man, for that matter. Haven't seen much of him in ages." Very lucky. Not many people who tried to move up in the world made it very far. "It was good to see someone making something of themself. The world could use ten more hard workers like your grandfather." The young boy stared at him with just a hint of wonder. "Wow! You must be old!" Knon chuckled and quickly offered a muttered apology, but Darius just waved it off. "I know I'm ancient. Anyone who's old enough to wake up with creaking bones should at least have the guts to admit it. Don't apologize for telling the truth."
Yeah, that's sort of a hold over from my re-work of his backstory. Darius was originally an assh*le who was using his pawnshop as a front for black market magic artifacts. His class was occultist in that iteration, with the idea that he got his powers from choice items that he'd kept over the years as his implements. When I reworked him to be less of a selfish jerk, it didn't feel like cheating people and hording magic artifacts fit him as well and I've never been super into the occultist's mechanics, so I decided to rework him. I think I mentioned in the 4th question that Darius spent a lot of his youth learning from the other people in the slums. He was always physically weak, so he had to find a way to make his mind to the heavy lifting, otherwise he never would have gotten anywhere. He learned how to influence people, both with words and with a little magical advantage, from the Varisian performers and a few con artists who made their living in Old Korvosa. He didn't really have the artistic talent to become a Bard or something like that and he didn't have much formal education for something like wizardry, so he basically had to focus entirely on refining his ability to get people to do what he wants with force of personality. It got to the point that he could literally force his will on people with his psychic magic. In his younger years, he used his abilities to gain advantages in business deals and to drive off people who caused trouble around his shop, though he has become increasingly careful with using over time. He feels a bit ashamed that he manipulated others too much and he tries to avoid excessive use of mind magic unless he needs it. Nowadays, he mostly tries to use his powers to help other people and has been known to intervene in petty crime using his legendary grim stare (his Mesmerist's Stare combined with his command spell if mundane intimidation fails) to intimidate pickpockets and muggers into abandoning their victims.
I should probably answer why I'm excited to play this concept too now that I think about it. Darius was the very first concept I ever came up with for an occult character, right after Occult Adventures details started coming out, and I've always wanted to have a chance to play him. I loved the idea of a pawnbroker who had connections to the occult and bought and sold magic and mysteries as well as more common items. He was originally an occultist, but I'm iffy on the class's mechanics, so I swapped him to something else fitting. I find it incredibly entertaining to imagine playing a grouchy old man who's nicer than he appears. I sort of picture Darius as Ebenezer Scrooge, if he'd kept the grumpy attitude after his change of heart. He's actually a good guy, he's just too tired and cynical to be open about it and he puts up a sour front to keep people from causing him trouble.
Hey there. This is my submission, Darius Goldwin, a legitimate business man who's a bit old and jaded, but loves his city far more than he would ever admit out loud and wishes that he could do more to change it. I'll summarize the questions and try to write things out in more detail later. Questions: 1) Darius shows his age, despite trying to take care of himself. He looks the nearly 50 that he his, with weathered skin and his dark hair streaked with grey. He keeps it tied back in a short ponytail to keep it well out of his way, as it usually falls a bit wildly around his neck without a little control. However, his expression is always sharp and its impossible to believe that his age has slowed his mind. His eyes are hard stone grey and there's a wariness in them from living in the poorer parts of Korvosa for many years. However, he does his best to maintain an image of respectability and at least some class. His clothes are always neat and pressed and he favors dark colors such as black, grey, and deep blue. His favorite is an ebony suit with silver buttons that he's owned for some years and has been patched at the elbows once or twice. His only accessories are a simple silver band around one finger (inherited from his mother) and a silver key around his neck, the holy symbol of Abadar.
2) Darius has worked with the guard many times over the years. His shop is frequented by many in Old Korvosa and the North Point. Despite keeping his dealings above board, for the most part, he hears the sob stories and troubles of hundreds of the poor and overlooked in Korvosa's poorer districts. He tries to keep the people's confidence, and his stern reputation and outwardly harsh demeanor make them hesitant to cross him. As such, his words and his coin can get word around quickly and he's very good at convincing people to see things his way. But he's never hesitated to work with the guard when he sees criminal acts harming the people of the city. His information has proven valuable plenty of times over the years and he has a few friends in the guard who know that he has the ear of many people in the city and his aid can be invaluable when investigating in the area around his home. 3) Darius was born in Old Korvosa and grew up in abject poverty. His mother worked her fingers to the bone as a maid to keep her son fed after her husband ran off looking for adventure and never came back. Darius grew up in the tightly packed community of the slums, making both friends and enemies among the wild population. He grew to respect hard work, determination, and community while having a disdain for those who tried to exploit and abuse others. He sees Korvosa as his home and wishes more than anything that there was less suffering in the streets. 4) Darius learned early on that to get things done, you had to be able to impose your will on the world around you. Those who shrank and folded under pressure never escaped the slums, but those who learned to make their mental strength into personal strength went far. He learned to put his prodigious mind to work from a mixture of business men, performers, and con arts, learning to pressure others with sheer force of will and to use a hawk-like stare to shatter the confidence of those who were in his way. 5) Darius owns a pawn shop near the edge of Old Korvosa. In his teen years, he managed to earn an apprenticeship with a fairly well-to-do merchant in North Point. He learned how to buy and sell and make a tidy profit, but he had little drive for the sweeping economics of large scale trade. Instead, he turned what he learned back to his home and purchased an empty shop. Knowing how many people in the old town were in need of money, he set a very competitive rate and quickly became known as fair dealer who would take even the oddest of items in exchange for coin. He tries his best to insure that his business is fair to the poor and he has a tendency to offer more than reasonable to those truly desperate for coin. He's spent nearly thirty years now running his shop, and has earned a reputation as an influential and reasonable businessman, but one who should never be crossed if you can help it. 6) Darius picked up the faith of Abadar during his apprenticeship. The tenants of fairness, law, and peace appealed to him after growing up in Old Korvosa and he took them as aphorisms to follow in his business dealings. As a pawnbroker, and therefore a giver of loans and broker of coin, he sees maintaining his personal integrity and dealing fairly and honestly with others to be central to doing business. He makes regular visits to the Bank of Abadar for prayer and offerings, praying that the Master of the First Vault helps the downtrodden and the poor be safe and protected under the law. 7) Darius has long wished to do what he can to help the people of Korvosa, though his poor beginnings and lack of physical ability limited his options. He's spent most of his life trying to provide some chance for those in Old Korvosa. However, he's become increasingly jaded over the years and has grown to have a sour expression and a cynical mind. Korvosa has been a city rife with prejudices and cruelties for many years and many do little to help those less fortunate. The death of a king and more riots only enforce the fact that Korvosa is tinder waiting for a match. But part of him, the optimistic part of him that wanted to help all the people of the slums who he befriended over the years, keeps him going to try to do what he can for the good of the people. 8) Darius hated exploitation, both legal and illegal. The wealthy man who underpays his servants and the crime lord who rob the already poor are equally foul in his mind. He refuses to standby while someone is robbed, abused, or swindled by someone else, especially those with power. However, he can be ruthless in his business dealings and when he sees a fair chance to turn a profit, he's very quick to act on it. 9) Darius hasn't sworn any official oaths. 10) Darius would be richer if he'd killed his generosity years ago. His shop does very well, primarily because he has a reputation for paying a good, fair value for pawned goods and occasionally more than fair when someone is in desperate need of coin. He also donates money to the guard to try to help with their funding issues and to trying to help the poor in the slums, meaning that while he's very comfortable, he's given up the chance to be truly rich to help others instead.
I think I am going to keep Darius as well, provided the build tweaks still work for him. There are several cool things that I've wanted to play from recent releases (I'm looking at you Paths of the Righteous), but I like the concept behind Darius and I think he'd fit into the group better if he was there from the beginning.
I like ABP, so I'm definitely okay with that. I might stick with Darius and just level him up much higher, or I might build something entirely new. I'm not sure yet. I wasn't really playing long enough to have a good idea of stuff that was going on, so I can't really help on that front.
Darius sighs. "Really, you're not very good at this." His eyes glow green and pressure closes on the nearest man's mind.
"Have three, for being such a sporting friend." Darius pours several coins on to the bar and gestures for the group to follow him out. He sighs as he notices their tail out of the corner of his eye. "I'm utterly surrounded by amateurs. Are there any criminals left in this town who aren't morons?" One of his eyes twitches slightly as he fails to keep the annoyance off his face. "So, I suppose we're going to want privacy when we get back to the shop," he says casually.
"After we return everything to where it was so they don't know someone was in here. And perhaps we should bribe the bartender so he doesn't mention that we ever showed up then we can get out of here." He pulls out his notebook and jots down the relevant information from the note so he doesn't forget anything important. He leaves the others to clean up and heads back out in to the bar.
Darius smirks at how little they know about him. "Perfect. These fools are stumbling around in the dark. And I have a nice group of violent new friends to throw at them. This is turning out to be a good day." He carefully goes over the note. "This is exactly what we're looking for. It not only identifies where the Pesh is coming in, but also how they're hiding it and where they're going to be storing it for now. Gauss is definitely in the Last Disciple's pocket and he's funneling him money. They're been watching my shop as well as a farmhouse connected to one of you, so we might want to do something about that. Oh, and Eran's lieutenant squealed on us about our little visit to him in the Siphons, so we might want to cut his tongue out if we run in to him again." He offers the not back to whoever handed it to him. "I suggest we skip our meeting and go make plans to ruin the next shipment. They know who we are and are interested in us for some reason. Something about a girl. Meeting with one of them is likely not going to end well."
Darius looks up from his drink and sighs. "Very well," he says. "Make some sort of fuss if someone comes in. This should only take a minute." He heads in to the back room to see what the rest of the group has found.
"It's quite refreshing to deal with someone who's straight forward," Darius says. "Far too many people like to talk in circles these days." He pull out a gold coin and flips it on to the counter. "Would you get my a goblet of wine while we're waiting? And keep the change."
"Of a sort," Darius says. "Nothing that would make a ruckus in your establishment or prevent him from keeping up his rent of course. But I like to know a bit more about who I'm going to be talking to. It's so hard to find trustworthy business partners these days. You never know who else they might be dealing with behind your back."
Letting the other search the room themselves, Darius instead sits down at the bar. "You must know quite a bit about Ogrin if he's one of your regulars," he says casually.
"It seems I'm outvoted. Very well."
"I believe that would be a reasonable course of action. And I don't think we have any other leads that require immediate attention."
"I see..." Darius drums his fingers, clearly thinking about something but not interested in discussing his thoughts in front of this man. "I would assume they have significant connections in the pesh trade then. If nothing else, it is a useful lead. I suppose we owe you some thanks for that. And it's good to meet an informed man who actually has a few manners."
"The Vultures... interesting. It seems like someone wanted a private hit squad as wasn't particularly squeamish about outright buying one. This is going to be quite a troublesome adventure."
"You know, I didn't have strange men coming to my door at all hours before I met you people. My customers used to respect my business hours." He grumbles and pulls the door open to see the half-orc. "Yes, fantastic, you've delivered your message. Thank you, you may go now." He takes the letter and shuts the door behind the man without another word then flips open the letter and reads it over once. "Let's see... well, do you know a Johnny? Because he seems to want to talk to you." He offers the letter to whoever else wants to read it.
Even split of the money sounds fair. Darius should be able to sell the goods relatively easily, since black marketeering is sort of his thing, so you can call the even split a commission for handling your merchandise. Potions should probably go to front liners, with squishier party members taking the weaker ones for back-ups.
"I think we already have a lead to follow-up, so that won't be a problem."
"Torch is interested in the Last Disciple and he decided that he wanted to know what I know without paying for it. I don't care how ruthless he is, I have standards. Torch can kiss my ass."
"This seems to be a very round about way of investigation the Last Disciple," Darius points out dryly. "Mercenaries and merchants and middle men. Granted, the Last Disciples hardly on the up and up, but now he's hired mercenaries through a dwarf, who are working with a merchant who is involved in the pesh trade? Someone explain what connection I'm missing here, because I do not like not knowing what is going on!"
"Gauss is a boring man," Darius says, looking up from one of his books. "Too boring in fact. I must say, I feel a bit foolish for not having thought of this. Someone who's too plain is always hiding something. Especially when he's made competitors disappear before."
"Gauss huh... Not a big player in anything really. If I remember correctly at least. Let me see if I have anything in stock about him."
"If you're expecting any more help from me, I'm going to need to know exactly what organization we're dealing with. And what's gotten you on their bad side."
Darius narrows his eyes slightly. "Very well." He unlocks the shop and gestures for everyone to head inside before he locks up behind him. He waves his hand above the door for a moment before gesturing toward the back of the shop. "We can speak privately in the back."
"I'm assuming that you know this man then," Darius says as the battered man approaches them. "It looks like you haven't had a particularly good day."
"Right this way then." He gestured for the others to follow as they headed off to his shop.
"Torch's goons abducted me in the Court. I was brought all the way out here so that he could have his 'chat' with me privately. As for my rates... well I charge based on the ease of the job. So we'll have to discuss that after I learn what you're in to. Of course, the place to stay tonight is at no charge. Consider that simply a thank you for helping me out of my predicament."
Darius shrugs. "You've saved my life, and for that I am extremely grateful. But I know nothing of you or your purpose aside from your hunt for Eran and his mercenary contact and that it somehow connects to the mysterious Last Disciple who has taken up residence in our fair city. Friendship requires a bit more than that."
"Actually," Darius chimes in. "Perhaps I can offer you lodgings in my shop tonight. It's up in the Court, and will give you a fair starting point in the morning. Plus I might be able to help you find out more about this man who's so interested in you. For a small fee of course."
"Mercenaries upon mercenaries... Using a middle man when you don't want to be identified isn't uncommon, but it certainly does make unraveling these little capers a pain. Still, we thank you for your cooperation." He twirls his cane absently. "Well, let's be off to the Court then."
"My very large angry new friend puts it most eloquently. And of course, you're not going to warn him of us, or attempt to come after them again."
Let's hope it works...
"Now now Mr. Dominic," Darius says. "There's no need for you to throw your men's lives away. We're not particularly interested in fighting the lot of you. In fact, we're far more interested in your backer right now. Of course, we can simply slaughter your men, beat you unconscious, tie you up, and interrogate you later. But I've always hated such methods. They're so messy and inefficient. Surely this can be handled without violence."
"Then we shall. The sooner we get this business over and done with, the sooner we'll be on our way."
"Luckily for you gentlemen, we're not particularly interested in Eren's head on a spike. Well, I'm not in any case. The man who set you on my friends though... he's going to have a very bad day when they catch up to him."
Darius laughs uproariously. "Last of my... hahahahaha! Please, I do not need to call in favors to find your little band of miscreants. Gentlemen, surely you've heard of the Broker. Or perhaps not, if you're too out of touch to realize what you've stepped in to. I suggest you strongly consider who you're challenging might be working for before you make any... rash decisions. I am trying to give you a way out but if you're not wise enough to take it..." He shrugs, hoping that his companions will take the hint to step out of the shadows and show the thugs how badly the situation is about to go for them if they don't cooperate. Anyone with underworld connections:
The Broker is a mysterious man who operates out of the Ascendant Court. He buys and sells almost anything, from stolen goods to secrets and he's been getting stronger and more influential surprisingly quickly as of late.
"Gentlemen, please. You've been in this business long enough to realize when you've step in something that's far over your heads. Of course, that's hardly your fault. Eran was foolish enough to take coin from someone to attack someone very much out of his league. You're being used my friends. Eran's patron simply needed disposable assets. Of course, you're not foolish men. It's not too late for you to back out."
"Very well then." Darius adjusts his coat and shirt and then carefully pushes the door open. "Good evening gentlemen," he says calmly, his cane tapping against the ground. "I do hope I'm not interrupting anything important, but I assure you, I mean no harm. You see, your boss has made some very poor choices this week and I'm here to explain to you how wise gentlemen of fortune such as yourselves can avoid the fallout."
"If you think they can be talked down, by all means. I'm quite used to negotiating with this type."
"Hmmm, I know there are some ratfolk who live just a bit to the west of here. Perhaps if we can approach them peacefully, they might know something about the others who are hiding out down here. Though they might not be the most amenable to outsiders... Or we can simply take a guess and hope for the best."
Darius pauses a moment, considering his knowledge of the local area. Now, where might someone trying to avoid scrutiny hideout...
Would it be possible to roll knowledge of some kind to help navigate down here? Also, I just realized that I somehow didn't take Knowledge Local. Mind if I switch around some skill ranks so my character actually fits his concept? Probably going to drop Disable Device since Azulth is better suited for that kind of thing anyway.
Wow, your landlord is an ass. Good luck finding a new place to live.
"Well, it looks like Torchy has been having fun. I knew that man had something wrong with him." He pulls out a handkerchief and covers his mouth to ward off the smell. "Ugh, let's try one of the other doors."
Darius picks up one of the lighter potions as well, tucking it inside a inner pocket somewhere. "I suppose, if we must. What exactly has Eran gotten himself in to to have you lot after him anyway? I'd like to know exactly what I'm getting in to here."
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