Francis Taylor-Dracken

[Francis]

Player Name: Aaron Gulliver
Name: Francis Taylor-Dracken
Age: 27
Race: Human
Height: 5 ‘11
Weight: 175 lbs
Physical Description: Average for a human. He doesn’t stand out from the crowd in a physical sense. His brown hair is cut neat and short. He is of fair complexion with pale green eyes that give a cold stare. A clean shaven gentleman Francis has no scars on his face only a slight mark next to his left ear from birth. Always dressed in clean, smart clothing along with a few trinkets of personal importance.

Possessions:
Drackens possessions are numerous; his shop ’Drackens fine wears emporium’ is his pride and joy along with this. He has a tailors kit which includes needles threads and patches. Various tailoring machinery for example foot operated sowing machines, and steam presses.
His trinkets are a ring which is layered with a small amount of gold and has his family emblem in the centre. This is a needle piecing the heart of a lion. His only other trinket is a bracelet given to him by a wealthy customer in Keltaris. She was grateful he had made a suit for her husband.
The last thing and something important to him more so than most is his black book and his extra curricular kit (for those long night walks he likes so much).

Contents of the extra curricular kit:

A set of lock picks varying in size
Glass cutter with sucker
Dark gloves
Small amount of cash (For bribes)
Hollow bottom to stash smaller items.


Black book of rules: these aren’t rules more like guidelines
“If its not screwed down, and you can sell it. Its fair game”
“ One Bishan is better than no Bishan”
“ In plain sight is the best place to hide something you don’t want finding”
“Don’t tell the same lie twice, it only ends in jail time”
“ Ladies like charm. Don’t forget, once charmed they are under your control”
“Beware the husband, guard and mage”
“A good troll is a enslaved one”
“Money is the be all and end all”
“ Know which guards you can bribe. This will save you time”
“ A good seam makes the suit. The suit makes the man. You make the money”

Powers or Strengths:
Repairing clothing and shoes tailoring: He has been doing it a long time about ten years. After five years training under the watchful eye of Roman Scheen, a repected tailor. Francis has taken his time to also learn various techniques other than Marn tailoring. He makes some of the finest dinning suits in Marn.

Dishonest : He lie to any one. More often then not convincingly. His eyes give very little away even under pressure. Lying to customers has become a strong point for Francis. He will make up levys on goods that aren't really needed like increased labour or import taxes. Therefore making him a little bit more money.

Money making: Always on the look out like of a opportunity legal or not to make money. Like his wheeling and dealing of 'borrowed' goods from his basement or his price increases due to 'unforseen circumstances' he likes to make up.

Cunning and manipulation: He likes to play on peoples insecurities to make them do what he wants or for them to give extra money when it isnt needed. He leant most of these skills from Roman Scheen. However recently he as been added his own twist to tried and tested methods to get himself some pleasurable company.

Ruthless: He will chase down a deal. Letting it go cold isn't a option just like missing out on profit. He will become more and more ruthless until he either gets what he wants or the guards catch wind of what he is doing. In which case his lying strengh comes into play.

Discreet: Can be discreet if needed. Being average he can blend in and not stand out in a crowd. This makes his criminal activities sometimes hard to spot. After all hiding in plan sight his one of the key rules he follows, and standing out or making a lot of noise isn't good for business.

Theft: One of the ten rules he keeps in his black books is, “If its not screwed down, and you can sell it. Its fair game” Rule one in his book is something taught to him by Roman Scheen. Lock picking, pick pocket, blackmail or extortion are all things he is looking to improve on and is a keen study of these art forms.

Weaknesses:

Greed: His greed knows no bounds he is more interested in making profit than most things. Profit is the be all and end all for Francis. Unfortunatly for him sometimes this well get him fined by the chamber of commerce. Usually for his over zealous sales pitches and fake levys.

Physically lacking: He is not a strong man and in a fight he would be knocked donw in a second. This is why he will aviod fights where he can however he is getting to know people who will fight for him .

Cowardly: He wont run. But he will cower. Not the bravest of souls in Marn. He has been known to hide behind tables and chairs in taverns when fights break out. He has been known to hang around the bigger men in travens just in case.

Sarcastic: Put simply he doesn't know when to shut up. He may think he is being funny maybe even charming. Most of the time this comes across as a bad personal joke at his clients expense. Which at times has lost him profit. A cardinal sin if ever there was one.

Loose lipped: Despite being discreet. Francis can be accused of letting his mouth run away ahead of his brain. This happens mostly when he has one to many drinks. He has got a couple of his clients arrested for opening his mouth. Thankfully they won't be out for years.

Disloyal: This man has no morals so to speak. He will turn on people in a instance if a better offer comes along. He hears many things being a tailor. Some one who is trusted by high society but he would sell his own mother to a slave trader for one Bishan if he could.






History:

Journal

Date: Summer 122PW

Today that young lady returned to the shop. Larissa is her name, a fine lady too. Shame she couldn’t afford to pay for the suit I had made. A fine suit. If I do say so myself. Which of course I do all the time. Make from fine Telkarian silks gold and blue very fetching. The shoes proved a problem but my contact in Marn was able to collect some leather from Trelhan for a small fee of course. Unfortunately, this ended up pushing the suit over their budget.

Bless the young lady. Larissa for wanting to impress her husband. What a good wife she must be. She offered herself to me after I reminder her how upset her husband would be if he couldn’t have his suit. How could I refuse. She tasted so sweet so tender. It of course wasn’t ‘love making’ it was business and nothing more. But how can one turn down the chance of pleasure from such a naïve girl. I was gentle of course. After all her husband couldn’t find out or he would kill me and we can’t be having that now can we? She even paid the to keep quiet with a bracelet her husband had given her. I wouldn’t of told but she offered I accepted. The bracelet I wont be selling on it will remind me of the day she couldn’t pay and that is a memory I wish to hold on. At least till a better offer comes along.

However it is getting late. I still have things to do tonight I believe a shipment of ale is coming in from the east. No harm in a little side business. After all if I can make some more money where is the harm in that? And if Larissa comes back all the better.

Francis.


He closed his journal. Placed it back into his desk. Bottom left draw as always. The hour was late but the sun was still up. it was begining to sink into the Marn sky behind the guard tower. He had been in Marn now a couple of months keeping a low profile sticking to tailoring and pick pocketing the drunk at night. He sold on what he stole in his basement. He was slowly making a name for himself in the underworld of Marn as a man who could get what was needed.
It was a long process. He had planned for it. The tailors shop was ideal cover. It isn’t really a lie I am a tailor by trade, he thought. He hummed to himself as he stood slapping his thighs has he stood up. He was in a very good mood. Larissa left hours ago with the suit. He had the bracelet and the sweet taste of her still on his lips. His mind would keep this memory for a long time to come. It could come in useful. After all you can’t be to careful nowadays.

He dressed slowly with purpose. Dark cloak, dark shoes and of course his extra curricular kit. He opened it. “Hello old friends.” He smiled this kit had made him a decent amount of money. He remembered the day he received the kit from an old friend. It was one of the best days of his life. He knew he could make the money he needed for his shop this was. On that day he became a real Dracken. He recalled the day like it was yesterday.

“ Francis come here!” The voice said it was sharp and full of authority. He’d dare not disobey the voice he had done it once and it hurt, never again.

“Yes Roman?” he asked

“Remember when I told you I would look after you till you were ready?”

“Yes” he replied he watched the older man. He was grey haired and wide his cloak was white and his suit green. He was Roman Scheen his master. He was his apprentice. Had been for nearly five years now. Roman was a tailor among other things. Francis had learnt a lot from the old man. How to fix shoes, clothes and undergarments. Also how to pick pocket and lock pick. How to hide in plain sight. The old man Roman limped towards him, leaning heavily on a stick.

“Sit down Francis, I have something for you.” The man said slowly. He was looking through his pockets. Francis watched with intrigue he had never given him anything but a thick ear in the past.
“Ah here it is.” He was pulling out something. Francis couldn’t make it out yet. “This, Francis is a tailors best friend” Roman winked at him. This clearly was nothing to do with tailoring. Roman showed Francis a box.

The box was beautiful. Black wood, with small gold hinges. It was small enough to fit in his hand and easy enough to slide into his pockets. “What is it?” Francis asked quietly. He looked at the old man then back at the box. He opened it. His eyes shot open and his mouth always hit the floor. “You know what it is Francis.” The man wasn’t asking he was telling.
Francis indeed knew what it was. It was his own ‘Extra curricular’ kit. This was Roman’s way of saying he had passed his apprenticeship.

“This box Francis,” Roman pointed at the box held in Francis’ hand “This box is your most important tool. Treasure it, being a tailor doesn’t always make money. Some times you have to break the rules to survive.” The man stopped. It was like he was looking for the right words. “ Greed is good Francis. Look at me.” The man laughed. “ I have had a comfortable life most of it provided by this box and being a good tailor.” The man patted Francis on the shoulder and stood up. “Like your father before you. I make you a Dracken with this box,” Roman struggled to stand. Out of breath he turned his back on Francis. “Now Francis I want you out of my house and shop in the next week” The man didn’t smile and Francis knew he wasn’t joking. He merely nodded at Roman who had now turned back to him. Francis stood. He knew he was on his own in a week. He slide the box into his breast pocket.

Roman approached him. Placed one hand on his shoulder. Leaned in a whispered “Remember If its not screwed down and you can sell it-”
“Its fair game” Francis interrupted and smiled has the old man laughed. “That’s my boy.”


Francis was stood in front of his mirror. He looked at himself . Picked up the black box slid it into his pocket. The night was young and there a many picking to be had. He smiled as he thought of Roman Scheen one more time. “ Its fair game” he whisper has he closed the door to his shop and headed out on to the main street of Marn.

[Frug]

The last thing and something important to him more so than most is his black book, extra curricular kit

I'm confused. The extra curricular kit is not his black book according to the story. What's in the kit exactly?

[Francis]

Sorry about that it was meant to be a discreet way of saying his Theif tool kit. Hence the name, The black book is a list of contacts and what not.

[Frug]

Okay, and there's no problem with him having a kit full of tools, but labeling something as a black box isn't allowed. We need at least a rough description of what's in it, like a power, to be sure that people don't pull out anything they like when the time requires.

So you need to add a description of what's in it. Lockpicks, poisons, a disguise, etc.

Sorry for the delay, I didn't notice this remained unapproved for so long.

[Francis]

I have added the contents of the extra curricular kit for you hope that makes things clearer

[Frug]

Approved.