Description
At a distance, this avian female looks similar to a black and white crow.
She is slightly smaller than an average arial, standing at five and a half
feet, but she appears to be fairly solid and well-built. Her head, breast
and back are covered with pure black feathers, while her shoulder patches,
belly and flank are snow white. Her wings and long tail are a beautiful,
glossy, iridescent blue, green, and purple. Her black bill is slightly
hooked, ending in a sharp point and her eyes are dull red, which is common
among arials, but on her particular coloring, manages to look devious. A
warbling lilt is evident when she speaks, sometimes accentuated by chirps
and melodious chattering.
Role
Ever get that song stuck in your head?
Added Fri Jan 11 11:31:08 2008 at level 7:
I have very little recollection of my life before the ship. What I do recall is
the high pitched, screeching sound of my mother's voice as she sang me to sleep.
The memory isn't a good one, oddly enough. Her song is an old song, about the
devil's bird, the magpie. A warning of sorts. What a ridiculous thing to sing
to comfort your child. But the words remain in my mind and I see myself on the
path to fulfilling the tale:
One for sorrow, two for mirth,
Three for a wedding, four for a birth,
Five for silver, six for gold,
Seven for a secret not to be told.
Eight for heaven, nine for hell,
And ten for the devil's own sel'.
One for sorrow, two for joy
Three for a girl, four for a boy
Five for silver, six for gold
Seven for a secret, never to be told
Eight for a wish, nine for a kiss
Ten for a bird that's best to miss.
Arrival, seaport Hamsah Mu'tazz
Added Fri Jan 11 11:31:37 2008 at level 7:
I could smell fish and body odor while the seaport was just a speck on the horizon.
My stomach was already knotted and empty, as I'd spent the majority of the voyage
on the rails, or I'd have thrown up from the obnoxious smell alone. Yet, I longed
to set my talons on the dock. I'd have given my life to be surrouned by that stench.
I HATE the ocean. I HATE ships. I understand the necessity of occasional passage
over the water, but I pray that those journies will be limited in MY future.
When we finally pulled into the port, I stretched my wings and jumped ship, landing
less than gracefully on a slime coated, wooden dock. I flipped the captain the finger
and made my way into the bustling city. The further I got from the water, the less it
smelled like fish. The more it smelled like... camels? I wonder which is worse. In
any case, I was broke. The lump on my head was barely noticeable except when I touched
it. It was time to make some money.
I looked for honest employment, I really did. A merchant named Keiiah scoffed at me,
said I was too young, but if I wanted to run an errand for her, she'd give me a handful
of silver. It was a start, but I needed more if I was to make a living. I'm quick!
Maybe I could steal what I needed. Ooooh, I needed the flashy scarf... To hell with
honest employment!
It was about this time, heart pounding in my throat, that the Bandit King of Hamsah
approached me about joining his guild.
Hamsah Mu'tazz Thieves Guild
Added Fri Jan 11 12:47:23 2008 at level 8:
Iltch isn't much to look at, but he exudes power and wealth. He convinced me in short
order to join his guild, in Hamsah Mu'tazz. Along with membership comes the promise
of protection and a vast network of knowledge and wealth. He claims to be the richest
mortal in Thera and I figure, the way he dropped Qaledus' name, and wears the mark of
Twist, he's probably not just bragging. I can't go wrong following in those footsteps,
can I? (knock on wood)
Moving ahead
Added Thu Jan 17 13:59:41 2008 at level 25:
I've immersed myself in theivery, trying to learn the ropes in hopes of being an elite
member of the guild one day soon. I admit, thus far, Iltch has spoonfed me pretty much
everything that I have. He calls it an investment, I think he just likes my plumage.
I want to prove to myself that I can be dominant in this guild without his handouts. Of
course, I'll still take them! What girl wouldn't? It isn't a matter of pride, but a
matter of greed. GIMME MORE STUFF! I'm supposed to have been selling some of these
treasures for gold, but I've been handing them off in exchange for favors from people
I can potentially travel with. I don't see anything wrong with buying loyalty. Iltch
has certainly bought mine.
Iltch asked me if I could paint. The obvious answer was no. Apparently, Sariyah has
agreed to hang a painting of Iltch in the guildhall. He wants it to be the best, so
I've been taking lessons on the sly, maybe I'll surprise everyone. Maybe it'll suck.
We'll see. Lord knows I've looked at Iltch's backside enough to paint it with my eyes
closed. I'll secret the canvas away to the Lord of all Thieves, and maybe He'll think
about hanging mine, as a gift to the Bandit King.
Bandit King's trust
Added Fri Jan 25 15:28:15 2008 at level 34:
I don't feel so bad anymore. The Bandit King took me into a private meeting chamber
and told me the secrets of his past, so that I would know how he earned all of his gold
and became the richest man alive. I'll not repeat his words, but through deceit and
a wickedly good imagination, he managed to milk a gullible cow for more gold than anyone
has seen in centuries. He admitted to me that he can't steal at all! That's why he is
pushing me so hard to take his number two position in the guild. He's paid my way to
where I am, and before that talk, it irked me to no end that I couldn't make that kind
of gold on my own. But, I now know the truth and feel much less need to prove myself
and much more willing to be bought and paid for. Whatever it takes.
On another note, I did send a painting of Iltch to the "Boss", in hopes of seeing it
hung in the guild. It either wasn't good enough or was too late to be considered, as
there is a different portrait in the meeting chambers now. In either case, I was
actually proud of my accomplishment with that and have decided to try my hand at a few
more. Maybe that's how I'll make my mark, in the end. I wonder if the Heralds are
looking for fledgeling talent.