Search Posts
I think splitting a quarter of our resources (more or less) to get some very useful items is a great idea. Thus, I left about that much free in my budget. In character might be tricky, what with Jack's greed, but his inherently not-tough nature might make it a bit easier to convince him. Anyhow, I'm down as a yes.
Here's what I'm thinking: I currently have 156 gp + the 2,000 gp So 2,156 gp Selling masterwork studded leather:
Buying Mithral Shirt:
Buying Cracked Dusty Rose Prism Ioun Stone:
------ If we're thinking about chipping in for a bag of holding or similar universally useful item, I'll hang on to the 656 gp in the form of gems or some such for now.
Jack thinks for a moment before nodding his head and continuing. "Just one more thing, big guy. You know I like gaining knowledge as much as the next guy -got quite a knack for it really-, but you know there's one thing I love more than that." Jack pulls his boots off of the table and sits back in his chair with his elbow resting on the armrest and his hand up to his face rubbing his hardly beard that's hardly even there. "The sum of coin you have offered is very... generous, but with any adventure comes treasure. I couldn't help but notice a lack of mention of goods that might be... obtained during this expedition. I would like a clause added stating that we may keep any such treasure." After a moment of thinking, he nods "I don't know where you're taking us, but you wouldn't need us if there wasn't a chance for death. Where there's death, there's treasure." and with that, his face returns to its natural smirk as he awaits continued negotiations.
Jack hears the words "four-hundred platinum coins" spill out of Halib's mouth as if the words were made of precious material themselves. 'FOUR-hundred? My contract offers EIGHT-hundred. Either my mind is worth a bit more or Pinkerton really knows how to bait his crew.' The smirk that had found itself comfortably resting on Jack's face was forced away to make room of the full-toothed smile that now made the centerpiece of his demeanor. Jack was a hygienic elf and his teeth clean, but anyone looking at him now could most likely tell that there was something a little... crooked about it. Leaning back now, he crossed his boots atop the table in front of him. "Yes, yes. Pay us in installments. It's an excellent trust exercise, I must say. Though I imagine the paper will be easily lost in the desert and be of little use. As long as I receive my... cut, I'll be a happy man." Jack snickers at his own words. "Now, Mr. Pinkerton, I do have one question for you. How do you know so well how to... appeal to our senses? I can tell you know more about us than we'd care to share." While the question was meant to sound legitimate, Mr. Pinkerton was bound to find it thick with innuendo. Jack knew Pinkerton was appealing to his sense of greed over everyone else's and he highly doubted he was the only person who was offered something more than the four-hundred platinum coins that was common to each contract. He didn't want to bring the topic up to everyone else in attendance, but he wanted Pinkerton to know that, if Jack was good at anything, it was getting to the bottom of things.
Jack reads the contract with a smirk on his face, barely noticing that it's written in Elven. At a certain points, languages seem to just blend into one another. A set of patterns to be memorized only made easier with similar alphabets. Not a problem. Eight-hundred platinum? A large sum, no doubt. Added to his current two-hundred and you've gotten yourself a decent chunk of change. More than enough to win over Jack's favor, though it does seem to him that Mr. Pinkerton is taking drastic steps to ensure any partakers remain under the contract until who-knows-when doing who-knows-what. Jack gives the others a moment to finish reading their contract before Nexander speaks up. 'Ah, a smart man. Just how I was wanting to begin.' "Yes, yes. Mr. Pinkerton, you seem to be rather... Blunt in your direction of attention to how unlikely we will be to get away with breaking this contract. That only adds to our suspicion." Jack spoke as if the connection to Mr. Pinkerton had been common knowledge, almost giving off the air that anyone who hadn't made such a connection is foolish. Not missing a beat, Jack darts his eyes to the direction from which he heard the cough. "Hiding someone or something in this room with us without allowing us to be formally aware of it doesn't help much either. If you were going to do this, couldn't you have at least chosen someone in good health? You aren't dealing with fools here, Pinkerton. At least a couple of us know the meaning of business." Jack nods toward Nexander and leans back in his chair rather nonchalantly for a man of such direct statements. Honestly, though, he was used to it at this point.
I'll join in on this discussion, for whatever it's worth. I'm used to powerhousing. This time I've taken a different approach and I'm focused on skills, knowledge, and (of course) thieving. I wanted to jump at the opportunity to play in a mythic setting and be a mythic thief. There are more than a couple of path abilities that have grabbed my attention. As far as combat, I'll be controlling the battlefield a little and just trying to sneak attack. Though I do plan on going a couple of levels of alchemist a little later (Perfect Recall is the main reason. Jack has eidetic memory for all intensive purposes, so I figured that, extracts, and no loss in sneak attack was an attractive enough reason to dip into alchemist). Also, I hadn't originally put Jack's race traits in his profile and I just fixed that. So if my profile looks any different, that's why.
Jack enters the villa and makes enough of an attempt to be polite as possible. While it wasn't often that he would suppress his ego, he could do it in a pinch. Especially if it meant receiving some compensation at the end. After all, Jack's main motives were money and fame. He wasn't even sure if he cared about what kind of fame he wanted, be he definitely knew money came first. He'd show his kin that it is occasionally just raw talent that'll take you places. When he is greeted by the boy in Elven, most likely as a direct result of Jack's appearance, Jack grins with a bit of pride for the boy, but is quickly disappointed in the child's return to Teldane. 'I was fluent in at least four languages by the time I was HIS age.' Nonetheless, Jack bit his tongue and graciously accepted the escort to the table where the other adventurers sat. "Thank you, I'll be sure to make myself right at home." He wasn't worried about having his weapon for the purposes of defending himself so much as having it to compliment his look. They may be in the desert, but there was nothing wrong with wearing a captain's jacket and hat (especially if you have the rapier to go along with it). An odd bunch, these people were. For now, Jack decided to simply sit back and watch the show and enjoy the free sustenance. He was hoping the people who joined him around this table weren't his competition, but honestly no one is competition for a brain like his. Not even a bicep just as big.
Jack, being the early riser that he is, rose and answered the door to the native. "Oh, hello young lady. Is there... Something I can help you with?" Jack's voice was laced with his flirty nature, but when the native handed a letter to him, he flipped it open and scanned it quickly. Taking the platinum coin out, he grins. He more than got the message. "Tell your boss I'll be there. I expect a hole in his pocket when I arrive." Jack quickly donned his captain's jacket and hat, shoved his essentials into his pack, and left. He knew about this guy and this was exactly the sort of thing Jack was looking for. He'd break the guy for every gold he had. He approached the villa just before noon like he owned the place. ---
@Unafe Lawful is definitely what I was going for, but when you think lawful, don't think 'I follow the law'. Think 'I have a code, a checklist if you will, of how things should go and I should behave'. And believe me, this code has nothing to do with the laws of the land. He's lawful in the same way that the captain of a pirate ship might be lawful if that makes any sense. In General I didn't attempt to make Jack mythic really. In fact, I purposefully gave him a name like 'Jack' and a backstory that wasn't incredibly drama filled or laced with death. I just gave him the hint of savantism and a need to be mythic. So the potential was clearly there, but the means weren't available until now. So it's all self motivating. That's the idea, anyway. Hoping I did a good job getting that across. :P
"Ah, sir. Culture is perhaps of the greatest importance to worldly knowledge! Of course I know of this food." Jack takes a moment to nod at the newcomer to the table. Another potential addition to the scheme, perhaps? Nonetheless, Jack was more than willing to get into the mood of the feast and encourage more of this social interaction. "You put a lot of faith into a master while the true secret to learning is discovering and not simply believing what you are told, and trust me. I've done a vast amount of learning of the years. It's kind of a specialty, really." Jack grins and leans back in his chair. While Jack was a relatively disciplined person himself, he has learned to listen to no one else. Clearly very different from this human. -----
Jack's grinned turned into an uncontrollable smile. Emotions rarely got the better of Jack, but he was happy. 'Rich like pharaohs, he says. Isn't this the whole reason I'm here? Treasure hunting? Jack nodded. "Rich is good. Let's see what we can do then, friend. Jack extends his hand for a hand shake. "We can work out the technicalities later, but for now; you're speaking my language. Gold. With your strong arm and my, well, everything else. Hell, we'll be set." If there was something Jack was good at, it was telling a liar. He'd have to be considering how often he did it, and this man was either crazy or telling the truth. Both of which were personality traits with which Jack was more than happy with allying.
In response to The Hand, "Ah, good sir. Sounds to me like you have a whole host of titles. Wish I could say the same about me. The name's Jack McAllaster, some call me the Jack of all Trades. Self proclaimed genius and investigator extraordinaire. Not a lot to say about me, really." He takes another quick drink of ale before continuing. "Now, in response to your query, good sir, that would depend on a lot. While I'm not as great a combatant as perhaps someone who is know as 'The Steady Hand' of anything, I can usually handle myself. Your mention of treasure, however, has me interested..." He smiles. It's easy to tell when Jack is talking business. While it is difficult to talk Jack into paying anyone anything, he is a fan of gambling. Putting a little forward for a lot back sounds good to him and the Osirion mentioned treasure. Interest was inevitable.
Jack looked down now to the kobold waving a silver coin at him. His smirk turned quickly to a grin. He knew a little about the wannabe dragons, but he had to admit that he was a little surprised to come across one in the particular place. Still, though, if anything got Jack's attention, it was some good old fashioned coin. "Well now, my scaly companion. Can't quite reach to do it yourself? Let me help you with that." He grabbed the silver coin from the kobold and put it on the bar. "Goat's milk, barkeep. My friend here is a little challenged, vertically speaking." After the exchange, Jack thanked the barkeep and handed the milk over to the kobold, but not before pocketing the change in the inside pocket of his jacket. "For my trouble, of course."
Jack smirked and returned in common tongue as well. "You could say I'm on the lookout for fortune, but I can tell you're a realistic man who has his priorities in just the right place and I can respect that. You could just say I'm an adventurer with unorthodox techniques." Then, laughing lightly at his own joke before even making it, Jack finishes with "Including learning languages to earn, if nothing else, the respect of their native speakers." before taking another solid drink of ale.
Jack, now receiving his drink and downing a decent portion of it, he nods his head at the larger man cursing about the foreigners. Jack was a foreigner, no doubt, but he understood the language of the area. Hell, his languages were something of a bit of pride to him. Wiping his mouth with a handkerchief, seeming a little awkward since it was ale he was wiping away, he spoke out not particularly to the man, but in response to him nonetheless. "العصب من بعض الناس، أليس كذلك؟" Osirioni: "The nerve of some people, right?"
Jack, now a little too full of his pride for his own good, waltzes directly up to the bar. A lively bunch, this tavern... Jack thought, eyeing up a particularly... Large norse figure in the bar. If someone had shown him a picture, Jack would likely ask why someone would carve such a strange statue of of such a large person in the middle of a tavern. Joking, of course. Smiling it off, he made his way up to the bar, no one concerned but himself. If anything, he sat very close to the apparent congregation of people and eavesdropped because, honestly, why not? "Heya, barkeep. I'm just here to have a drink I think. What's it to ya?"
Now deciding that pushing his luck would be less than... Favorable considering how quickly the merchant he just swindled was likely to find an appraiser who would undoubtedly tell him that it was a standard dagger with a gold coin melted on it and dressed up that he traded two of his best pieces to a stranger to receive. Which would, without question, piss him off. In fact, maybe changing his appearance if he ever entered the market again would be a good idea. "Worth it" He decided, instead, to grab himself a drink. Nothing like a little alcohol to calm the thrill of trading butterknives for the weapon and armor of a master craftsman. Maybe bragging about it was something to do once he left the city. Nonetheless, there was a tavern nearby. The Mangy Gnoll He decided to pay it a visit. As he approached the door, he could tell there were plenty of people there ahead of him. Ah, the more the merrier. That's the way he always seemed to look at it. He stepped into the tavern, bright smile on his face donned in his new armor, under his clothes of course, and sporting his new rapier.
So, after reading your race guidelines, I've come up with a race. Past-Life Elf
That adds up to less than 13 if I'm not mistaken. Also more than willing to explain in more depth should you so desire. It's basically an elf with a past life as a human, so it gets a bit of a mix of both races.
Jack didn’t have to be in Eto long. He knew a thing or two about the place and, well frankly, they didn’t know anything about him. This made the whole city that much easier because, honestly, that’s how Jack looked at everything. It had a difficulty and he had a way of gauging just how likely he would be able to overcome those challenges. It never seemed funny to him, though, that there was never a challenge that he was terribly unlikely to succeed in taking on. Nonetheless, his first stop was the market. He was running a little low on money. Now, most people would think to themselves ’I don’t have very much money, perhaps I should steer clear of the market.’, but not Jack. He would, just like anywhere else he’d been that hasn’t heard of him, waltz into the market place and somehow leave richer and with more than he had when he arrived. This might lead many to believe that Jack was a common pickpocket, or at least some other sort of thief. Well, those people would be right for the most part. Though no one would likely call him a pickpocket, he definitely makes his money by picking something. ”Good evening, sir. Could I interest you in some of my wares?” many a merchant have asked. ”Actually, good sir. I believe it is my wares you should be interested in.” This was always the tricky part. There was a good chance that the merchant had been in the business for a while. As smart and crafty as Jack was, there were occasionally merchants who could catch his attempt and he would have to come up with something witty before running off, likely never to be seen again. In this particular instance, though, Jack was tired of using a butter knife to defend himself and a particular rapier had caught his eye among this poor merchant’s wares. Not a problem, Jack was a pretty good craftsman himself. Even if he couldn’t afford to make an item of that high of a quality, he could definitely make it look like he did. ”I want you to take a look at this work of art…” Jack smirked, revealing his dagger, so lovingly nicknamed ‘Jack’s Butterknife”, now decorated with the runes of some lost language Jack has studied in the past and inlayed with a bent up gold piece he melted down to make the butterknife look authentic. ”Beautiful, isn’t it? It was once a grand-commander’s ceremonial dagger.” Jack handed the dagger over to the merchant who, up until this point at least, seemed to be buying the story for the most part. ”Oh, which commander would that be?” ”Why, none other than Commander Reginald Cormoth, my good friend.” Hook. Line. And Sinker. Jack knew that reading up on history a little bit before trying this would come in handy. The merchant grew excited, like he recognized the name. Perhaps a fan. After studdying the dagger a moment longer, he peered back up at Jack. ”Name your price.” Jack considered for a few seconds. This had gone a little better than he had even expected for himself, so he thought he'd milk it a little. He had to keep himself within the realm of realism, so he thought up what he considered to be a good balance. ”How about the fine crafted rapier you have up there and say… That set of studded leather you’ve got over there. It looks better than the junk I’ve been wearing. I’ll even throw in the set I have for it.” The merchant hurriedly retrieved the items as per Jack’s request. Handing over the dagger and the armor, Jack grinned and the two exchanged their good-days. Now turning to walk away from the merchant, Jack guessed the merchant had underestimated his hearing. Though, what he heard the merchant say as they parted ways could only leave him with a smile on his face. ”Sucker.”
Meet Jack McAllaster! Originally Half-Elf, now Elf Rogue! Appearance:
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 155 lbs Hair: Light Brown Eyes: Green Jack is not much taller than the average man, nor is he much stockier. Honestly, aside from being somewhat more toned, he isn't particularly remarkable in the way of body-build. He's still a handsome man, though. He has a square chin, thin and pointed nose, and very defined facial features. If it weren't for his pointed ears and slighter features, you'd almost mistaken him for a human, or half-elf at the very least. Personality:
Compared to most in this setting, he is very lively and quick witted. Anyone who gets to know him at all would describe him as almost annoyingly intelligent and loving of challenge. He's quick to the punchline and knows seemingly everything there is to know, whether he actually does or not. If there's a situation, he has a solution. If there is not solution, he knows it anyway. Background:
[Quick type up, can easily add on:] Jack was born a little over a century ago, the son of a less-than middle class elf man who had recently wed a half-elf woman. Though over half of the blood running through his veins is elf, Jack may as well be full-blooded elf in genetics. It didn’t take long for Jack’s intellect to begin shining bright at a very young age. Solving problems of both pure reason and of retention became not only something he excelled at, but something he thoroughly enjoyed. Though he wasn’t a prodigy, he was far advanced in any studies he was given, even in comparison to the elven children his age.
As Jack grew into school age, his less than muscular build paired with his habit of humiliating his peers intellectually made him the target of much bullying. While Jack couldn’t find a way to fight back, he became adept at avoiding the hits thrown at him. He wasn’t incredible in even these aspects, but his uncanny ability to predict the movements of others and understand them even better than the person making them made dealing with his peers a little easier. As Jack aged into his teenage-elf years, he slowly gained the respect of many of his peers. The bullying slowed and he began to be recognized for his raw intellect, though it was by this time that his lessons bored him to the point of not caring. Instead, he practiced with the rapier. His quick thinking and ability to fool others easily made up for his less-than-warrior-like strength, instead focusing his abilities on speed and reflexes. Eventually, it became his pride and joy. It was at about this point that Jack gave up on his lessons altogether, which won the heavy disappointment of his family who simply couldn’t understand Jack’s disinterest. When Jack turned eighteen, he left his parent’s residence to make it on his own. He would make money with the many skills and the vast knowledge he had picked up throughout his years and prove that he was some sort of exception to the rules his parents had laid out for him. He used what money he had saved in that time to buy a chess board, a rapier, and some adventuring gear with nothing more than a shirt of chainmail that had been passed down to him from his father’s elven side, but not before spending a month or two traveling from place to place looking for a place to start his scheme. One such scheme involved a particularly embarrassing trek in the desert, but Jack doesn't like talking about that particular adventure. Even after this, though, Jack itched for more… Mythic Path: Trickster! |
