About Todin LaelTassadan here. I'd like to submit Todin Lael, a Human Scroll Scoundrel Rogue whose overconfidence and fraudulent business practices caused him to end up in Branderscar. In three days he will be sent to do backbreaking labor at the Talingarde salt mines until his death. Needless to say, he doesn't want that to happen. The Sentencing of Todin Lael:
"The prosecution calls Mr. Todin Lael to the stand."
A tall, well muscled, handsome man with reddish-brown hair rises from his seat. The bailiff intercepts him as the he strides toward the witness box. "Do you, Todin Lael, swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth upon penalty of facing the Shining Lord Mitra's Holy wrath?" Todin smiles, responding, "Why wouldn't I?" An ironic chuckle rises from the members of the court. They know Todin, and Todin knows how to play a room. The gavel sounds and the protocol continues. "Sir, answer the question." "I swear I shall tell no lies in this court." "Thank you. Todin's thoughts, however, weren't so worthy of thanks: "The 'Shining Lord,' however, can go kiss his own shining ass." As Todin approaches the witness box, his thoughts turn to an unpleasant conversation that had happened earlier in the afternoon. Three hours prior, he was sitting in a cell staring at the face of the most terrifying man he had ever encountered: Sir Balin of Karfeld, the Witch Hunter. This man alone had put to death scores of Todin's friends, family, and clients. Now he was staring at Todin, possibly looking to do the same. "To what do I owe this pleasure, Sir Balin?" Todin sneered, "I believe I was accused of fraud, not witchcraft." The knight was very clearly unamused: "Come off your high horse, Lael. I know you, I know your family, and you're nothing more than a bad apple that never rolled far from your twisted tree of a father. I could easily have you burned at the stake for your worship of the Fallen One. All it would take is a warrant to search your damned house. I'll find your shrine to The Enemy, indict you for blasphemy, and then you'll go up in smoke like your dear uncle did two years ago. And the worst part is? I'll be in the right to do so by the grace of Mitra and the courts of this nation." Sweat began to bead upon Todin's brow. If there was anyone who could find evidence of his infernal worship, it was the Witch Hunter. Others would not cause such worry, but Balin was not only special, he was a specialist. It took the Righteous Knight no time at all to find an unholy altar in Todin's uncle's mansion two years prior. It was behind a hollow panel in the master bedroom that not even Todin knew about. To make an enemy of Balin was to know death itself. "So, if you're going to kill me, why not get it over with? Why not simply tear my home apart in your insane fixation upon my family." "Because you're going to live out the rest of your life in the service of the kingdom. You're giving me a fantastic opportunity. If convicted of fraud, you'll slave the rest of your life in the salt mines, finally doing some good for all the damage your family has caused to our country. You're young and strong, you'll do well down there and probably live a long, arduous life. If I convict you for blasphemy, however, you'll serve no other purpose than public spectacle. This is your opportunity for redemption, Todin. Confess to fraud. Tell the truth, and I won't have you burned alive in the town square. Plead not-guilty, and I will bring the full weight of my position down upon you. It's your choice. Don't f*** this up." Back to the present, the prosecutor was approaching the bench. "Mr. Lael-" "I'm going to stop you there, sir. I would like to change my plea. I report myself to be guilty of fraud in the third degree, and will accept the responsibilities and punishment thereof. I will gladly accept my life sentence to hard labor now." "If I'm going to go away, it might as well appear to be on my own terms." he thought, as he was carted away to Branderscar prison to await processing. Apparently he had been marked as "dangerous" and a "flight risk" by the court. They didn't know how right they were. His Family:
Todin Lael is from an old noble bloodline that stretches back to the founding of Talingarde. They had always been very close to the royal family and often intermarried with cousins and other extended relatives of the kings, attempting to exert power over the throne but never gaining the monarchy themselves. As such, the Lael family was usually delegated the more dirty deeds of the country. Espionage, sabotage, torture, and blackmail were only a few of the duties usually ascribed to them. This all changed with the rise of House Darius. The patriarch of the family at the time, Kalfern Lael, was smart enough to see that the old nobility were in decline and that the House of Darius was on the rise. He secretly ingratiated himself to Darius's leadership, promising their patriarch full cooperation in any action against the existing crown. In this fashion, the House of Lael survived, but in a far lesser state than before. Even though they were considered Darius's allies, their previous practices (which in some ways continued) tainted the house's honor almost to the point of public disgrace. Due to their ignoble past (and sometimes present), House Lael is often seen as a lesser noble house at best. Many regard the whole family as outright criminals. Many members have served time for various infractions against the law or executed for their heretical devotion to Asmodeus, a relic of their ties to the previous royalty. This was the family that Todin grew up in, and he was their most talented scion by far. From an early age he exhibited a unique talent for exploiting the weaknesses of others. With a foil he could find a hole in almost any other student's guard. In school, his assigned essays would often harp upon lesser details of otherwise well-accepted arguments, showing the blatant logical fallacies in core beliefs of "morality" or "mercy." If Machiavelli existed in Talingarde, Todin would be his biggest fan. Lesser known is Todin's skill with locks, pickpocketing, and misdirection. The Lael family teaches all of its bloodline their ancestral techniques of espionage and thievery. Well trained, extremely talented, and ruthless to a fault, few men who have challenged Todin Lael to contests of intellectual or physical puissance have left unscathed. His Crime:
Todin was a prominent criminal defense attorney of cutthroat repute. If you wanted a harsh negotiator, Todin Lael was your man. Functioning just within the letter of the law, Lael won most of his cases by intimidation, half-truths, and finding minute technicalities by which he could prove his clients not-guilty. He was also infamous for treating his clients as harshly as he did his opponents. If he could, he swindled every last penny from his client's bank accounts in return for his services. This was to fund his supposedly lucrative real-estate business. Due to the economy, however, many of the mortgages of his clients had gone belly up, causing him to cook the books to still appear successful. In reality, he was using the money of several very wealthy investors in the community to keep the failing business afloat. Thinking the investors to be beneath his intellect, he thought that his personality and charm alone could fool the vast majority of those who inquired about where these funds were going and why they had yet to see returns. Todin heavily overestimated his abilities. When it was revealed that the "success" was totally fraudulent, all of the investors took heavy losses. Many were brought to the point of bankruptcy as well, some even committing suicide due to the egregious debt they now owed others from suddenly living far beyond their means. Todin ruined the lives of these men, and his crime was dealt as a felony by the royal courts. Crunch:
Todin Lael Male Human Rogue (Scroll Scoundrel) 1 LE Medium Humanoid (Human) Init +4; Perception +7 ----------
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Ranged: Dagger +5 (1d4+2/19–20) Special Attacks sneak attack +1d6, Trapfinding, Evasion, Fast Talker ----------
Feats: Weapon Finesse, Alertness Skills: Acrobatics +7, Bluff +10, Diplomacy +8, Disable Device +8, Disguise +8, Escape Artist +7, Intimidate +8, Kn: Local +8, Kn: Nobility +8, Linguistics +9, Perception +7, Sense Motive +7, Sleight of Hand +8, Stealth +7, Languages- Common, Infernal, Abyssal, Celestial, Necril, Giant SQ- Skilled, Bonus Feat Sin: Pride Traits: Fraud- You tried to bilk someone out of their cash. To end up in Brandescar Prison, this was no petty con job or penny ante racket. Instead, you brazenly tried to defraud someone important of a huge sum of money. And it almost worked too! +2 to Bluff and Bluff is a class skill Contract Master: Your facility with contracts makes you good at understanding dense text and obfuscating your intent. +1 to linguistics checks |
