Searing 18, Year 4622
What’s not to love about living in Alistian? The weather is quite pleasant with its alabaster glow; that is not impeded by the wispy clouds that aimlessly drift upon the city shores & the silvery pale crescent moon which bathes the entire city in its soothing light.
In my opinion, those who call Valtoria home are considered ‘lucky’; Many of the commonfolk are given adequate accommodations to live in, which is better than nothing.
I prefer to live in a run-down cottage in the slums than be exposed to the elements, and gods forbid it rains.
Just thinking about the rain and getting soaked to the bone makes my spine shiver and skin crawl unnecessary.
Either way, many people come and go, of all shapes and sizes to bear; Each with their own unique set of views on the world, goals & aspirations to make on this world. I often see a lot of trade happening, whether from the coastal shores of the rivers that snake their way through the city proper, but that does not mean that an opportunity is available for everyone.
An older street urchin taught me many things, some being more practical than others and some advice that I still hold till the day I draw my last, ethereal breath.
I can remember his voice like it was only a few hours back. So very uppity and chippy, excitable that was brimming with hope and dreams (Something I envy from him to this day but would never show my teeth to him); “Oi, Jared; Opportunities are like the sunrises. If you wait too long, you will miss them!” That was before he threw mud in my face and started running; He must have seen a monster in me or something akin to that as that grinning, bubbly smile quickly faded to sheer horror.
Just moments of fading happiness that I can at least reminisce for a time; Like with all things, we cannot stay in our little bubble forever. Eventually, it has to pop, and I guess it has to be now. It kind of sucks as the fading sun starts to set; its fiery glow slowly waning and giving way to night’s rule even if it is only a quick succession; A cue to begin my work.
Being a thief, while not the most glamorous style of life people would choose or the safety for that matter, there are always benefits and negatives to everything in life. So while some people would see me as a villain, I say to them, “Better luck next time, friend; guard those dranari purses more tightly then; Not my fault your farthings slip through your cracked fingers….” That is, if I have the gull to linger around at the crime scene and like with any skilled thief, You want to conduct the crime with leaving little to no trace of your presence being known.
Being infamous is fun and games; before they start throwing all sorts of resources into catching you and having my freedoms restricted or, even better, my head chopped, is the last thing I want to experience.
Now, I won’t say that I am a master thief! The little grey man that no one bats an eye to; I am far from it. I have made my fair share of mistakes, and some mistakes can be very pricy, far too pricy.
Generally speaking, I like to roam the streets, darting from cover until I find a mark I could grab, such as a guard who is either drunk on his ass or asleep on the helm.
Sometimes, I might see a merchant paying more attention to other details in the background (possibly a prostitute or sweet-talking to their clients).
From my personal experience, the early hours of the night are generally the best time to scout for potential marks; Shadow possible victims. I mean. Unfortunate souls, locating unsecured caches/shops and even homes that can be easily broken into are some of the prime spots. And when one needs to travel around the city quickly, there is no better place than the ‘Thieves’ Highway’ or what most people call the rooftops; Pretty neat for the most part. Few people go up there in the first place during the day, and pretty much barren during the night.
With the weather conditions lacking the occasional rain, make the rooftops an easy way to travel if you can balance well enough; that isn’t the only reason I like the thieves’ highway. The act of leaping to the skies as if the earthly chains are broken free, if only for a moment.
Ah… Where was I up to now… Ah, yes… The early hours of the night are good for scouting for potential marks and as the night grows deep, so do the opportunities to steal one pocket & fill it up for another. If I recall, there was general goods store not too far from one of the shipyards that haven’t been a target in some time; I wonder why that is? Increased security? Or just a lack of profits for a time? I probably need to note this or ask around with some other pals (Only if you are willing to part away with some dranari or some juicy intel… Nothing is free after all, and if it is, an excellent way to rouse some suspicion…)
On a side note - Not everything has to be Dranari… Far from it, really; The common misconception about thieves is that we steal high-value goods and coins, but anything can be stolen. It just depends on the thief and what they need at that moment in time. Hell… I had even stolen essential goods such as fruits, flour, salted fish, and the occasional bottle of wine, as not many people would blink an eye about a few missing goods… Besides, a man’s got to eat, and I like to cook when I have the moment of respite.
Going off-topic again… I need to make my way to the shipyards… Maybe I could find some unattended cargo and take a few trinkets and baubles to pawn off… I am not going to lie, I still have so many questions and thoughts racing through my mind; Almost a like raging torrent on a stormy night… It still feels weird. Ever since I recovered from my fateful encounter with that random mage, I could start making this strange thick black liquid from the palms of my hands… I did a bit of experimentation with it and found that I could make this black, viscous substance and even form it into a sphere; It was quite a shock, and for a second, I thought I was going insane, but that isn’t the case. Further experimentation allowed me to project my voice along with other shadows and blend into my surroundings (granted, it is only in darkness or moonlight; If there was even a whiff of torchlight, the cloak seemed to burn…)
Yet what I initially deemed a curse has somehow become a gift in its own right. This weird black substance has saved me countless times, From making distractions to becoming my tools in a pinch. The number of goods, intel & new access points I could get would be utterly different if I didn’t have this, and yet I don’t even know what it is… So I can say that experimentation has led me to many successful trials and exhausting failures (Sometimes leading to dizziness or nausea but nothing too severe for the time being, but my gut tells me I should be careful about it.)
That being said, I shouldn’t let my mind wonder any more than it should or else I would be letting many more opportunities slip through my grasp. The night is still young, and all of this self-reflection, fleeting memories and internal dialogue will be a rather annoying distraction. Maybe when I have some free time, I can continue to ponder additional thoughts, whether practical or random; only the gods can dictate that for me…
Now let’s get onto the highway and jolt our way over to the docks. There must be something I could take, and if not… at least gather some ideas on what plans could be made subsequent… that or be on an empty stomach for a night… Something I would like to avoid if possible; If push comes to shove, I can also go into the markets during the day and catch a few items and farthings along the way before hitting the hay… Maybe I should start making some preparations to head over to Genteven… Not sure what the weather is like there, what the guards are like or even what the criminal network is like there but all I know is that it is pretty rich in its own right and taking a leap of faith is needed if I want to get to somewhere or stay put… After all, what is the worse that could happen, right?
In my opinion, those who call Valtoria home are considered ‘lucky’; Many of the commonfolk are given adequate accommodations to live in, which is better than nothing.
I prefer to live in a run-down cottage in the slums than be exposed to the elements, and gods forbid it rains.
Just thinking about the rain and getting soaked to the bone makes my spine shiver and skin crawl unnecessary.
Either way, many people come and go, of all shapes and sizes to bear; Each with their own unique set of views on the world, goals & aspirations to make on this world. I often see a lot of trade happening, whether from the coastal shores of the rivers that snake their way through the city proper, but that does not mean that an opportunity is available for everyone.
An older street urchin taught me many things, some being more practical than others and some advice that I still hold till the day I draw my last, ethereal breath.
I can remember his voice like it was only a few hours back. So very uppity and chippy, excitable that was brimming with hope and dreams (Something I envy from him to this day but would never show my teeth to him); “Oi, Jared; Opportunities are like the sunrises. If you wait too long, you will miss them!” That was before he threw mud in my face and started running; He must have seen a monster in me or something akin to that as that grinning, bubbly smile quickly faded to sheer horror.
Just moments of fading happiness that I can at least reminisce for a time; Like with all things, we cannot stay in our little bubble forever. Eventually, it has to pop, and I guess it has to be now. It kind of sucks as the fading sun starts to set; its fiery glow slowly waning and giving way to night’s rule even if it is only a quick succession; A cue to begin my work.
Being a thief, while not the most glamorous style of life people would choose or the safety for that matter, there are always benefits and negatives to everything in life. So while some people would see me as a villain, I say to them, “Better luck next time, friend; guard those dranari purses more tightly then; Not my fault your farthings slip through your cracked fingers….” That is, if I have the gull to linger around at the crime scene and like with any skilled thief, You want to conduct the crime with leaving little to no trace of your presence being known.
Being infamous is fun and games; before they start throwing all sorts of resources into catching you and having my freedoms restricted or, even better, my head chopped, is the last thing I want to experience.
Now, I won’t say that I am a master thief! The little grey man that no one bats an eye to; I am far from it. I have made my fair share of mistakes, and some mistakes can be very pricy, far too pricy.
Generally speaking, I like to roam the streets, darting from cover until I find a mark I could grab, such as a guard who is either drunk on his ass or asleep on the helm.
Sometimes, I might see a merchant paying more attention to other details in the background (possibly a prostitute or sweet-talking to their clients).
From my personal experience, the early hours of the night are generally the best time to scout for potential marks; Shadow possible victims. I mean. Unfortunate souls, locating unsecured caches/shops and even homes that can be easily broken into are some of the prime spots. And when one needs to travel around the city quickly, there is no better place than the ‘Thieves’ Highway’ or what most people call the rooftops; Pretty neat for the most part. Few people go up there in the first place during the day, and pretty much barren during the night.
With the weather conditions lacking the occasional rain, make the rooftops an easy way to travel if you can balance well enough; that isn’t the only reason I like the thieves’ highway. The act of leaping to the skies as if the earthly chains are broken free, if only for a moment.
Ah… Where was I up to now… Ah, yes… The early hours of the night are good for scouting for potential marks and as the night grows deep, so do the opportunities to steal one pocket & fill it up for another. If I recall, there was general goods store not too far from one of the shipyards that haven’t been a target in some time; I wonder why that is? Increased security? Or just a lack of profits for a time? I probably need to note this or ask around with some other pals (Only if you are willing to part away with some dranari or some juicy intel… Nothing is free after all, and if it is, an excellent way to rouse some suspicion…)
On a side note - Not everything has to be Dranari… Far from it, really; The common misconception about thieves is that we steal high-value goods and coins, but anything can be stolen. It just depends on the thief and what they need at that moment in time. Hell… I had even stolen essential goods such as fruits, flour, salted fish, and the occasional bottle of wine, as not many people would blink an eye about a few missing goods… Besides, a man’s got to eat, and I like to cook when I have the moment of respite.
Going off-topic again… I need to make my way to the shipyards… Maybe I could find some unattended cargo and take a few trinkets and baubles to pawn off… I am not going to lie, I still have so many questions and thoughts racing through my mind; Almost a like raging torrent on a stormy night… It still feels weird. Ever since I recovered from my fateful encounter with that random mage, I could start making this strange thick black liquid from the palms of my hands… I did a bit of experimentation with it and found that I could make this black, viscous substance and even form it into a sphere; It was quite a shock, and for a second, I thought I was going insane, but that isn’t the case. Further experimentation allowed me to project my voice along with other shadows and blend into my surroundings (granted, it is only in darkness or moonlight; If there was even a whiff of torchlight, the cloak seemed to burn…)
Yet what I initially deemed a curse has somehow become a gift in its own right. This weird black substance has saved me countless times, From making distractions to becoming my tools in a pinch. The number of goods, intel & new access points I could get would be utterly different if I didn’t have this, and yet I don’t even know what it is… So I can say that experimentation has led me to many successful trials and exhausting failures (Sometimes leading to dizziness or nausea but nothing too severe for the time being, but my gut tells me I should be careful about it.)
That being said, I shouldn’t let my mind wonder any more than it should or else I would be letting many more opportunities slip through my grasp. The night is still young, and all of this self-reflection, fleeting memories and internal dialogue will be a rather annoying distraction. Maybe when I have some free time, I can continue to ponder additional thoughts, whether practical or random; only the gods can dictate that for me…
Now let’s get onto the highway and jolt our way over to the docks. There must be something I could take, and if not… at least gather some ideas on what plans could be made subsequent… that or be on an empty stomach for a night… Something I would like to avoid if possible; If push comes to shove, I can also go into the markets during the day and catch a few items and farthings along the way before hitting the hay… Maybe I should start making some preparations to head over to Genteven… Not sure what the weather is like there, what the guards are like or even what the criminal network is like there but all I know is that it is pretty rich in its own right and taking a leap of faith is needed if I want to get to somewhere or stay put… After all, what is the worse that could happen, right?
