[Genteven - Solo] Thieves and Rituals
Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2023 6:34 pm
7th of Glade, 4623
Like with any traditions or little prayer for luck, it was common among many scoundrels to undertake a soothsaying ritual. Whether this ritual works in reality or the ability to soothe the soul temporarily is another thing entirely, but for Jared, these rituals were akin to tics.
Before the amber-eyed thief set out for the evening, he would chant softly into one of the many trinkets he carries. In this case, it was a tiny wooden idol of a sparrow with its wings mid-flap as if it was about to leap into the air and sore towards the horizon, loosely connected by some cord rope.
“May the night be my veil and protect me from those that wish harm;
For this thief wishes not to spill blood whether they are arm or unarm;
For the smallest grains of wealth;
I need your pall for stealth;
Let this moon-drawn night begin this thief’s charm.”
For this thief wishes not to spill blood whether they are arm or unarm;
For the smallest grains of wealth;
I need your pall for stealth;
Let this moon-drawn night begin this thief’s charm.”
Once the amber-eyed Draedan made the chant, the thief quickly tied the wooden idol over his right wrist, ensuring the icon was securely attached to his frame. This would be his charm for the night, bringing forth some fortune to his life where all the struggles have finally been rewarded with change and a new beginning.
He quickly closed the door behind him, ensuring no one was currently out on the streets or looking into where the thief was once exiting. Then, the short, raven-haired male makes a few quick strides over to a nearby alleyway, allowing the urban debris to act as his cover as the rogue continues to make his way around the various streets of Genteven.
It was tonight that the thief wanted to get some practice in stalking potential marks and trying to break into various homes without leaving a trace behind. It was easier said than done since the thief usually would conduct his practices on easier targets like a dairy maid or nan easy target that had their coin pouches lost and easy for the picking.
This time, however… The Alistian chef and thief wanted to stalk a more challenging target, Possibly a lower rank towns guardsman or possibly another petty thief who had just started their career in the art of thievery. Some people are meant for a life of robbery, but it was a cruel life that the thief didn’t not enough if it wasn’t because his skills were quite good for it.
Nervously holding onto the wooden idol with his left hand, the thief’s breath becomes slightly ragged; For some reason, this night in particular. Jared felt rather exposed and unnerved by something, possibly a dream or recalling terrible events that had transpired in the past. These small unhinged moments could spill death if the Alistian thief were not careful enough, especially when targeting those beyond his comfort zone.
It would take the Alistian Draedan a couple of minutes of prowling about through the alleyways of Genteven until a suitable prey was present for the thief to practice his skills in question. A young male town guard was currently patrolling the streets with a senior guardsman from the looks between the two and how they interacted.
“Perfect, something I can work with if it gets too dangerous. I can dip them and leave them in the dust… Let's get this party creeping, I should say….”
In most cases, the thief would take time to create his plans as he wanted to know every little facet possible when attempting to clear out a store, resident or something more ambitious. Yet, in some ways, the thief couldn’t help but feel his growth becoming stagnant with simple robberies of unsuspected homes or lightly guarded places.
The most thrilling event that has transpired for the thief so far was when he attempted to rob a high guard place, along with other thieves, which soon became chaotic as one by one, thieves were being discovered, and the security tightened as the seconds passed a couple of seasons ago.
In Jared’s case, the collection of trinkets that the thief has been hoarding for the many years that he has been active as a thief himself has been some coping system that the young alistian man didn’t want to admit. In some ways, it was a method to stave off his lonesome thoughts and prevent himself from delving too deep into his thoughts.
Strolling through the streets, letting the shadows be his veil and allowing his small frame to hide his view from others. In some sense, the Draedan felt rather ordinary for some strange reason… He couldn’t explain it, but his abilities hadn’t manifested themselves yet at the same time, just inherently having divinity flow through his veins made so that the weight of fatigue was less encumbrance and that his overall stamina and capacity to think felt sharper in some odd ways.
"It is time to try something a little bit higher... That could be a trigger to understand further why my spark is dormant despite everything being done correctly... I can’t even manifest my tricks... Taelian mentioned that you should have an innate ability honed to your soul... But it hasn’t even shown itself and makes me doubt if I went through the trial of fire."
Sometimes, the thief wonders if his goals in life were too small since the Draedan didn’t know what he wanted in life other than living comfortably, whatever that means, of course, and what will vary from person to person.
“I guess I should take some time to make a heist… Going to need to prepare for a lot of stuff, but if things go well, I can at least say that I have done a theft and cross that off my bucket list. Would I be able to fend off trained guards and mages… I don’t think so… It Just means that I have not to get caught then… A bit scary, not going to lie to me, but it is a challenge and a risk that I am willing to make if it could trigger my spark to develop more.”
Just like that, Jared’s thoughts about his own life goals created a bit of a dilemma for the young human male, With so much to understand and relatively little time on hand. It was only time before Jared’s status as a Draedan, particularly of Saren, the God of Time, Fate and Decay, would make itself known. According to Taelian, being associated with the God of Time, essentially being of kin, would make the thief a potential target.
It was essentially the Greed of being able to manipulate time or knowing what the strings of faith had installed, and yet Jared himself had none of those aspects and was far from it. The only thing the thief had adopted from his parent was how his features changed to have slightly feminine features in certain elements, that his name: Vendren and according to Taelian, in the Adac language meant ‘Beloved’. So in some ways, it fitted in some weird way.
It was hard not to forget his name given to him by mere strangers… After all, Jared was only a name that was agreed upon by another stranger whom, but it still had a meaning, an origin to where the petty thief had started. In some sense, the thief feared possibly being discovered since many Draedans were walking among Atharen from what he is aware of, and the only other Draedan that is known to Jared was Taelian. He was already dealing with a lot on his plate.
The best thing that the thief could do was train and master as many items as he could. Essentially not being a burden to anyone but himself, and if it meant that the thief needed to work hard until he dropped dead, he would do so.
“It is hard not to be able to tell anyone about what I am going through… In some ways, despite knowing my path, the strings of faith finally lead me to where I am supposed to be… Yet, I feel more lost than ever and more alone… It funny how a simple thief was a single face among the many but suddenly stood out like a brilliant light. A beacon to many… Would people even want to know me if they knew who I was… And the dangers that come with it all… How did you handle all of this, father….”
Just as the thief continued to wander, seeking something that would help him steer his course against the uncharted maps of the world, it was time for the petty thief to get back to work. Finally, he had more time to figure things out and needed to prepare for possible countermeasures to prevent himself from getting flat-footed.
What was once his home, Daravin, was now a potential enemy. A betrayal that genuinely hurt the teachings preached by the many would see Jared’s current form as a sinful act of heresy… It was just a thief, his collection of trinkets and will to make it as far as his body could reach….