Caravan Nights -> Cameron Locke

Cameron Locke

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Will

Posted: Aug 14 2007, 10:07 AM

Light

Group: Members
Posts: 495
Member No.: 3
Joined: 25-June 04

Almost completely devoid of information. I'll start chipping away at it once I get a few things sorted out.

I'm wondering how much random everyday items cost. I'll just list a few things in my inventory and Hawk can subtract from my starting money how he sees fit.

QUOTE

Name: Cameron Locke
Username: Will
Rank: Advanced Taivan
Age: 20
Starting Location:
Jewel:

Appearance/Personality: As tall, thin man with a relatively pleasing face and a head of sandy, disheveled hair, Cameron's appearance is not one that would stir up feelings of suspicion in any average person. Likewise, his attire and demeanor meld to create the outside appearance of an ordinary young man of respectable standing. His outfit is composed largely of mundane colors, with brown buckled slacks, a tan undershirt, and a brown, patched vest with a semi-ornate embroidery around its edges. While usually calm and reserved, he is prone to streaks of rogue devilishness and flamboyancy, not at all uncommon to young men in their prime. A few silver rings encircle his fingers, and a long, thin sword dangles gently from his waist, giving the impression of a sport fencer rather than a warrior. A small, round earing can be found in his left ear, and his jewel hangs around his neck in plain sight, under the title of "family heirloom".

The entire clean facade is, of course, carefully concocted to lull passerbys into a state of security, entirely unaware that the clean-cut young street performer's tricks are designed to do more than entertain. This guise hides his almost complete lack of loyalty to any given person besides his traveling-partner, Vanessa, and the even flimsier code of morals that makes their performaces as profitable as they are.

History: As a child growing up in Allas, the biggest center of commerce on the continent (Surpassing even the capitol city of Kin), Cameron couldn't help but become aware of the intricate, entwining currents the surged through its streets and swirled around its citizens. If Allas had been alive, he speculated, then the money and goods that flowed along these paths would surely have been its blood. Merchants from far and wide gathered here, and the clamor of the bazaars and the sound of coins changing hands became almost musical for the boy. He would often tag along with his father, who made a living as one might call a "junk dealer", and help business by standing in front of their stall and flagging down potential customers. The disarming charm of a child proved to be almost magnetic, an advantage that Cameron phased out in favor of raw charisma as he aged. As a result, working in tandem, they were able to bring in enough money to facilitate a comfortorable living for themselves and the remaining two members of the family- Cameron's mother and older brother, Rince, who also provided income as an assistant of one of the family's merchant friends.

Enough money had been saved by the time the boys were in their mid-teens to make it possible to send the two boys to apprentice in the Allas Merchant's Guild, a covenant of the city's most influencial businesses and the prime governing body of its commerce. They worked initially as errand-boys, money-collectors, and other piddling roles, but eventually were put under the tutelage of one Taylor Gremionis, owner of a successful shipping company on Allas's shoreline. For years Cameron and his brother worked under the man, sharpening the skills neccessary for what would have seemed to be a successful future career as a merchant.

However, on what would prove to be the day their paths began to diverge, Cameron had been assigned to help load a shipment of textiles onto a ship in Gemionis's harbor. After the physically toiling job was completed and his duties for the time were completed, the young man decided to take a relaxing walk along Allas's bustling shore. Somewhere along this stroll, another man bumped into his shoulder as he passed, and it was only moments later that Cameron noticed an absence of weight in his rear pocket- his wallet had been stolen. He turned to see the pickpocket round a distant corner, and gave chase, weaving between stacks of packaged goods and the workers that were moving like clockwork to get them loaded onto other vessels. The chase lasted several minutes, but ended abruptly when Cameron found himself in a dead end created by an alleyway. With sweat still streaming down his brow, he sighed, and slumped against the side of a building, tired, distrought, with a strange sensation tickling its way through his veins. He closed his eyes in resignation, and saw at once himself, looking worn and wearing the distinctive mask of defeat. His lids shot open in an instant, just quickly enough for him to catch an ethereal-looking pupil meld into the brick buildingside parallel to him. Feeling wearier than before and slightly delusional, he fortified his body and skulked back to the guild-hall, oddly envious of the man who had earned a week's paycheck with a minute's work.

From that point, Cameron's mind kept slipping back to the event, and he gradually became less enthused with his apprenticeship. The hours were long, the work tiring, and at the end of every week, he looked at the coins in his hand and tried to imagine the life of the thief, a life where the next paycheck could be found in the pocket of any passing stranger, where the only thing one had to perfect was the deftness of one's own fingers. No paperwork, no errands, no endless haggling with clients. Just a rush of adrenaline, a swipe, some quick footwork, and you held enough money to live comfortorably for a few days. It would be so easy.

Several weeks later, he once again found himself with free time portside, and again opted to take in the sea air on another stroll. This time, with each unsuspecting passerby, he had the gut instinct to try and snatch something from them, especially those whose satchels hung defenseless from their belts. Each time, however, he chided himself mentally, and became less and less at ease. Eventually, his will snapped, and as his shoulder passed that of the woman unfortunate to be walking opposite of him, his hand moved in and ripped the purse from her arm. She spun and shrieked at him, shouting for help, and in a moment of panic, Cameron dropped the loot and sped off into the city. He ran as far and as fast as his wobbling legs would take him, but eventually he half-collapsed in another alley, shaded by a neighboring building.

"I- I can't do this..."

He stayed there, slumped against the cold concrete, panting and cursing himself under his breath, for what seemed like an eternity. To his eventual bewilderment, he found that he hated himself more not for going through with the robbery, but for dropping it after he did. The orderly and honest business of the Merchant's Guild seemed a far-off reality to him now, as foreign and uncomprehensible as any dream world. He thought vaguely of all that he had learned there, the small fortune that his work had brought Gremionis's business, and what a small fraction of it had actually ended up in his pockets. It seemed wrong; as unjust as a thievery would have seemed to him only days before. Why work so hard for so little payoff when the scales could be tipped in his favor? He knew now that he could never return to the guild; however, he also felt a similar disconnect with the shameful profiteering of the pickpocket. There had to be another way to tip the scales, Cameron insisted in his mind- one without the moral baggage of the common thief. Luckily, there was.

"You did that wrong. When a person steals something they're supposed to take the item with them, not leave it behind."

He jumped with the sudden realization that he wasn't alone, and quickly set about scanning the immediate area for this interloper. Had someone seen him try to steal the woman's purse and followed him here? He cursed himself as he looked, and was surprised when he finally found the intruder- a young, petite girl with a seemingly sedate snake draped around her form. Surely she wasn't here to arrest him.

Cameron sneered, "Where did you come from? Didn't your parents teach you any manners?"

She didn't respond- at least, not to his query. She continued, as unsettlingly calm as before. "All I'm saying is that I could show you how to do it the right way is all. But if you don't want my help, fine." The girl turned and proceeded to exit into the sunset-cast streets outside the dank alleyway, with Cameron's eyes fixated on the sullen beast that she carried with apparent ease. He peeked around the corner just in time to see her disappear into the doorway of an inn a few paces down the street.

Alone again in the depressingly dark alleyway, Cameron was left wondering what had just happened and who, exactly, this young woman was. He couldn't come up with an explanation he liked, and simply wrote it off as another strange and unsettling occurance in what was shaping up to be a very strange and unsettling day.

Within ten minutes, he was sitting stiffly at an otherwise desolate table in the inn, sipping a watery beer, his eyes locked firmly on the small stage that sat in a corner of the room. He didn't know why he was there, and it didn't occur to him to ask himself. Later he would speculate that, on that day, he had crossed a line that he was never to set back across- the line seperating his honest living in the Guild from his new life combing the streets with Vanessa. He had stepped over the line, and had found himself in an empty void, aimless and unsure of the nature of the path before him. The girl, younger though she was, had appeared on the other side of this line as a stable landmark- something to gravitate towards, somewhere safe where he could plot his course in this new land. He couldn't help but be a little disgusted with himself for feeling so helpless.

The girl was on the stage now, and the tavern was filled with the sound of her voice. Cameron found it almost angelic, but he would remark to her later that he only thought it to be "Pretty good".

The sun was on its last throes and the tavern had mostly cleared as the girl sat down with him at the table. An idea had struck Cameron during her performance, and now his heart and mind raced thinking about it. He felt compelled to share it, and his words almost piled on top of one another as he relayed it to her (and the snake, but Cameron suspected that his interest in the plan was limited)- they could hone their talents and make a living as performers! The streets of Allas- and every other city they came across- could be their stage. They could set up on whatever corner pleased them, and they only need perform when their wallets became light. If the pay became slow, what was to stop them from extracting a little extra payment from the stingier members of their audience? He could barely contain his excitement.

Vanessa (the girl's name, as he found out) seemed less enthused with the idea than he was, and Keelan (her snake), even less so. Still, she didn't shoot down the proposition, and Cameron figured that was worth something. Knowing that she was staying at the inn, Cameron offered her the night to think it over and promised to be back first thing in the morning, should she decide to accompany him. He bid her farewell and headed back to his lodgings in the Guild, where he gathered what little possessions he had and left a note of departure to his brother and their master. He slept soundly for the first time since the first incident with the pickpocket.

He awoke and left intentionally early to avoid any confrontation at the Guild, and leisurely made his way back to the tavern. He was surprised to find Vanessa already sitting outside, a small pack and the sunbasking Keelan keeping her company.

"You came."

"It's not in me to leave a lovely young lady waiting.", Cameron joked.

The two lingered for a short while, planning their next move and laying down ground rules. Soonafter, they were off, the sun peeking over Allas's rooftops to shine light on the dawn of this new partnership, and the beginning of Cameron's new life.

<...>

Clan: Skills Clan (Associated with Phi, Goddess of Illusion)

Stats
Dexterity 5 [+1 Skills Clan Bonus]
Endurance 3
Intelligence 6 [+1 Skills Clan Bonus]
Strength 3
Speed 3
Spirit 4

Life: 110

Proficiencies:
Rapier [Thin blade, thrusting] <Proficient, Lv. 2>
Throwing Cards [Regular] <Proficient, Lv. 1>

Skills:

Bluff (Int) Become better at telling lies [35] <5> [Rank 1]
Stealth (Dex) Be ablet o move about undetected. [35] <10> [Rank 1]
Stealing (Dex) Be able to steal things from others.� [20] <15> [Rank 1]
Diplomacy (Int) Gain the ability to talk in a very convincing manner to get others to trust you [40] <5> [Rank 2]
Tumble: (Dex) Jump, flip, ect. be able to move around easily� [35] <10> [Rank 2]

Clan Techniques:
Name: Sia�s Blessing
Description +2 Intelligence (Cannot be taken if Int is bigger than 5)
Level: 1
Cost: N/A (Passive)

Name: Sia�s Eye
Description: You have learned how to listen carefull. You have the ability to get information by listening in bars to ambiant noise and the ability to get small facts subconciously from people you talk to.
Level: 1
Cost: N/A (Passive)

Name: Phi�s Blessing
Description: The user is able to supercharge their molecules with energy, giving them the ability to teleport instantly up to 70 feet away (In any direction) (Through wall and ect). If you appear within a solid you will instantly be 'shoved' to the nearest empty space recieving massive damage, amount depending on the length
Level: 2
Cost: 40 energy

Name: Connections
Description: You are given a 'worked' tattoo (shape, size, and location of your choosing) making you a member of the clan's network of connections. When another member of this network sees your tattoo they will know you are a member as well. This gives you access to information, discounts, and other benifits.

The infused tattoo lies on Cameron's upper left arm, in the shape of a stylized crescent moon being obscured by a cloud.
Level: 2
Cost: N/A (Passive)

Techniques:
Name: Second Sight
Description: The core principle of magic, if the deceitful performaces put on Cameron can be labeled as such, is to see and know more than the ones watching. This technique allows the user to see things beyond their normal vision by forsaking it temporarily. The user closes their eyes, and through the power of life energy, a third eye manifests on any nearby surface. The user can use this eye as their own, seeing all that it sees, until the technique is broken by opening one's eyes.
Energy: 10 TP, plus 5 TP for each consecutive turn
Training: 30 TP

Name: Sleight of Hand
Description: A local teleportation technique that uses life energy to seperate the atoms of a small object (able to be held with one hand) and reassemble them somewhere nearby. As the palms are used as a focal point for the energy transfer, either the starting point or ending point of the teleported item must be in the user's hand.
Energy: 15 TP
Training: 35 TP

Name: Evoke
Description: The user manipulates the life energy of a nearby gifted and causes it to manifest through the target's body, forcing them to use one of their techniques at random. An unfocused target will launch a random technique with no specific aim, while more focused foes may be able to channel the forcably released energy and have control over the technique used and how it is used. If used on a mundane target, this technique obviously fails.
Energy:
Training:

Name: Sideswipe
Description: A quick motion of the hands and a release of life energy stalls and diverts the path of an incoming technique and sends it careening into another direction. Only with additional focus and energy can the user divert the foe's energy into the direction he or she chooses. This technique can only be used if the user is aware of an incoming technique, be it because it its physically obvious (A large fireball, for instance), or if the user is otherwise aware of the nature of the technique, if it is invisible to the eye (From seeing the technique beforehand, and recognizing when the foe is about to use it). Has no effect on techniques that do not require range, as in techniques that bolster the user or are activated at a touch.
Energy:
Training:

Inventory
-Packs of Cards [2]
-Cloth blindfold
-Cloth sheet

Training Points: 105 TP
Clan Points: 1 CP
Money:

- Took Sia's Blessing, Phi's Blessing, and Connections Clan Techniques.
- 30+40+50 = 120 TP for LV2 proficiency in thin blades
- 30+40~~+50~~ = ~~120~~ 70 TP for ~~LV2~~ LV1 proficiency in throwing cards
- Bluff, Stealth, and Stealing Rank 1 bought with the Skill Clan's free 90 TP worth of skills. Unfortunately, the skills costs don't add up to 90 very well.
-Bought Diplomacy <Rank 2>, ~~Toss Weapon~~, and Tumble <Rank 2> for ~~170 TP~~ 140 TP (195 TP - 25 TP for having 5+ Int)
-265 TP remaining
-210 TP spent on raising stats
-Skills clan bonus of +1 Int and +1 to any stat (Dex) added after stat changes
-~~55 TP~~ 135 TP remaining.
-Took Sia's Eye after adding in the 2 extra CP Hawk is giving us.

Will	Posted: Aug 14 2007, 03:09 PM
Light Group: Members Posts: 495 Member No.: 3 Joined: 25-June 04	Looks like I've got most of the numbers down. Couldya look over it, Hawk, to make sure I'm not cheating?

Spoit	Posted: Aug 14 2007, 04:12 PM
Power Group: Admin Posts: 687 Member No.: 4 Joined: 29-June 04	I haven't checked recently, but in the 1st generation of CN, throwing cards were worthless without poisons.

Will	Posted: Aug 14 2007, 04:14 PM
Light Group: Members Posts: 495 Member No.: 3 Joined: 25-June 04	Hm. I'll probably just end up staying at a Lv. 1 Proficiency on playing cards and keeping it as a mostly noncombat skill, then.

Will	Posted: Aug 15 2007, 04:45 PM
Light Group: Members Posts: 495 Member No.: 3 Joined: 25-June 04	Appearance/Personality added, as well as my first Technique.

Blackhawk	Posted: Aug 15 2007, 11:23 PM
Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 1,788 Member No.: 1 Joined: 23-June 04	Ah, Vanessa huh. Interested to see the history of you two ^_-

Blackhawk	Posted: Aug 22 2007, 04:11 PM
Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 1,788 Member No.: 1 Joined: 23-June 04	Read your History and Description, very good job. I look forward to when its finished, I'll look over the rest of the calculations a bit later.

Will	Posted: Aug 26 2007, 03:03 PM
Light Group: Members Posts: 495 Member No.: 3 Joined: 25-June 04	I've added onto my history. It's still technically not complete, as there's some likely uninteresting stuff to cover with the Skills Clan, but I don't see much advantage in writing it all out unless Hawk wants me too. It shouldn't be too difficult to fill in the gap once the actual RP commences, and I think my history is excessively long as it is.

Blackhawk	Posted: Aug 30 2007, 11:47 AM
Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 1,788 Member No.: 1 Joined: 23-June 04	Wow, very nice history. I'll discuss Techniques with Spoit when I can and get back to you on that. Keep finishing

Will	Posted: Aug 30 2007, 11:51 AM
Light Group: Members Posts: 495 Member No.: 3 Joined: 25-June 04	All that I really need to do is fill in my last technique and do some TP reallocation.

Blackhawk	Posted: Aug 30 2007, 11:54 AM
Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 1,788 Member No.: 1 Joined: 23-June 04	Great, it looked mostly done so I didn't think you had to do much. Taivans start with 4 Techniques already, and you had asked me to let you guys have another technique too which I approved (Effectively another extra 100 TP), so you should be able to have 5 techniques if you wished.

Will	Posted: Aug 31 2007, 04:11 PM
Light Group: Members Posts: 495 Member No.: 3 Joined: 25-June 04	Question: Does the "Throw Weapon" skill have any effect on weapons that you throw by default? If I don't need it to be able to use throwing cards, then I'm getting rid of it. There's little use in throwing a rapier.

Blackhawk	Posted: Sep 1 2007, 12:49 AM
Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 1,788 Member No.: 1 Joined: 23-June 04	No use for Throwing cards. Useful for daggers and needles (Deciding if needles is by default too) along with perhaps other throwable weapons.

Blackhawk	Posted: Sep 20 2007, 12:38 AM
Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 1,788 Member No.: 1 Joined: 23-June 04	Name: Second Sight Description: The core principle of magic, if the deceitful performaces put on Cameron can be labeled as such, is to see and know more than the ones watching. This technique allows the user to see things beyond their normal vision by forsaking it temporarily. The user closes their eyes, and through the power of life energy, a third eye manifests on any nearby surface. The user can use this eye as their own, seeing all that it sees, until the technique is broken by opening one's eyes. Energy: 10 + 5 energy per turn Training: 30 TP Name: Sleight of Hand Description: A local teleportation technique that uses life energy to seperate the atoms of a small object (able to be held with one hand) and reassemble them somewhere nearby. As the palms are used as a focal point for the energy transfer, either the starting point or ending point of the teleported item must be in the user's hand. Energy: 15 Training: 35 How does that Sound?

Will	Posted: Sep 21 2007, 06:53 PM
Light Group: Members Posts: 495 Member No.: 3 Joined: 25-June 04	Sounds alright. I have the full intention of filling in another technique slot or two, but I'm not sure what to do with them yet. Is it alright if I hold off and add them in later?

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