All Rogues Game: Wretched Hive of Scum & Villainy

Greetings all. This looks like an interesting game to cut my teeth on. Is it full?

*Edit I found where it said the party is full and will simply sit back and watch. I'll be around if you need an extra set of daggers .

Ironically, you'd be player number seven. Six is a pretty full crowd, but stick around; it seems that we always somehow find a way to get somebody else in. If nothing else, possibly when someone else has to back out due to other commitments.

Great story for Stefano!

Here's all the backstories I've got so far. What I need everyone to do, and this should hopefully be fun, as well as giving us lots of roleplaying hooks to play off of, is to pick two backstories (other than your own) and insert your character into them. Not in a way that changes the backstory; it could just be a cameo, or maybe you were involved in a minor way on the side.

The purpose of this exercise is to avoid the whole problem of the characters working together because it's the structure of the game that they have to, but they otherwise have no reason to. If you have some shared backstory, even if it's very light, then you've got some common ground to build upon.

Anyway, just a real quick explanation of how your character was involved somehow in the backstory of two of the other characters. Ideally, I'd assign you two of them randomly, but I'm just going to let you pick which backstory seems like the most likely for you to have been involved with somehow. Creativity is always fun; when I've done this before, I somehow ended up with three characters who were all on the same side of a scam that went south. I had another barbarian character who had fended off an attack by hobgoblins on her village; another character decided he was the hobgoblin that she had scarred; although she didn't recognize him. Anyway, I'll leave the details up to you.

And once we're done with this, we've done everything we need to to build our characters, tie them together, and kick the game off! Let's try to have it done by this weekend, so at the latest I can start the game on Monday.

Amaline. A week ago Amaline was contacted by a representative of the Fuzeta da Ponte family with details of a forging job that would take her out of the city to the village of Bara Gairo. There, a Qizmiri businessman and associate of the family would be waiting, in need of some special documents so that he could get a special shipments of good into the city. Of course, details of what exactly was being transported were not forthcoming, but Amaline could guess it was likely some exotic drugs, or a dangerous pet; really, it was not her concern.

She was furnished with an example of the documents she would be forging, with instructions to burn them once she was done studying and preparing for the job. Materials would be provided on site in Bara Gairo, so as not to unduly risk her being apprehended on the way out of the city. So Amaline did as she was asked, and once she was confident she had the technique down, she burned the example and waited a couple of days for when she needed to head to the village.

In the time to spare, Amaline did a little consulting work on the price of stolen goods for a couple fences from the Castidia family, but otherwise she decided to take it easy. She was not hurting too badly for money at the moment, and the price on the documents would add nicely to those savings. Eventually it was time for her contracted job though, and she headed to Bara Gairo.

Forging the documents ended up taking a little longer than Amaline had expected, but the Qizmiri businessman had been quite impressed by her knowledge of his language; if he had any issue with her work, it seemed to have been forgiven. In any case, once the forging had been completed and she had received her payment, it was too late for her to head back into the city that day, and she was forced to stay in the village for the night.

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Feo Gato. Background: Feo grew up as another poor street rat in Porto Liorte, though he had a knack for climbing and roof jumping. He joined up with one of the local gangs called the Saracens, but the group ended up on the wrong end of a score and were wiped out of their turf by the Turnball ACs. They should have known that the Turnball ACs would look down on them robbing a low-rate jewelry store on their territory, but Edge, the Saracen gang leader, thought the place was too undefended and lucrative to pass up. Feo came out of the fight unscathed and with enough of the loot from the score to escape to Bara Gairo and lay low for a bit. Half of his gang was killed outright (including Edge), while the others were hurt bad or scattered to parts unknown. Feo knows some other local gangs that might take him in, such as the Moonrunners, once things settle down. Feo is dusky skinned with chubby cheeks and dark eyes set in a squat face. He is downright unattractive and talks little, though he is generally even-tempered.

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Roderick. I'm a simple man. I usually like to take the time to enjoy the niceties that life has to offer, but lately things have been a little hectic. One of my...heavier...associates has decided to do me a favor by putting the screws to a rival of mine.

Thing is, the heavy doesn't realize I've a truce with said rival, and now he's going to think I'm trying to put him out of business--which is not an endeavor I am prepared to undertake at this particular juncture.

If that weren't bad enough, my father's been getting a little anxious about a recent undertaking of his own--and he want's me to see if I can take the heat off of him, for a little while. That means raising my profile a bit higher than I normally like, what am I going to do? The man's been good to me.

Complications! Maybe when I get these messes all cleaned up, I'll get a chance to unwind and relax for a good long while...

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Lano. He was Porcellana to the Mother of the Gabia d’Ocell, ‘Lanetto to the ladies of the house, ‘Lano to his younger half-brother. Porcelain to his half-brother’s Brick, he was the precocious darling of the house, favored, pampered, and played with like a living porcelain doll that could have any face painted on and dressed to take on any role. When he got a little older he was trained to entertain those nobles from the Empire who came to Porto Liure seeking illicit pleasures of a certain, unusual bent.

This was the only life Lano knew until a short-lived war between an upstart gang and the established criminal enterprise that owned the Gabia d’Ocell ended with the Gabia burning and Lano and Brick escaping to the streets. Life on the streets of Porto Liure was particularly hard for Lano and the two brothers eventually stowed away on a ship headed to the Empire. In the Empire the two roamed from town to town, lived in the woods briefly (Lano hated it), fell in with bandits, and ran away from any problems they encountered. Brick did a short stint in a city militia and when Lano finally learned that the best disguise was one that didn’t call attention to oneself he dragged Brick back to Porto Liure.

Lano immediately began planning small cons and thefts…

Recently returned to Porto Liure after a few years abroad, Lano immediately began looking for marks and that edge that could set him and Brick up for life, or at least a month or two while he looked for the next bit of work. Hitting the streets and bars of the city Lano has picked up a few unusual rumors concerning the Fuzeta da Ponte family, hidden pirate treasure and the nearby village of Bara Gairo. Shoving his meager possessions into a bag and collecting his brother Lano books passage for Bara Gairo.

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Stephano. Stephano was working dockside this evening. He was loosely allied with the Fuzeta da Pontes (meaning that he could also work independently) and wanted to keep it that way, so when Carlo asked him to pull this job, he didn't hesitate or ask too many questions.

He used his one minor magical talent, so that he Carlo could communicate at a distance with whispered messages. Carlo knew what the mark looked like, but the mark also knew him. So when Carlo whispered from his hiding place "It's him. Rico. Guy with the red hat", Stephano began to make his way toward the mark.

The man he was following looked wealthy enough, with a fine leather outfit, rapier, and that jaunty hat. But Carlo's instructions were clear: He was to steal a sealed scroll and nothing else. He must not open the scroll, or else.

Rico was walking quickly, so Stephano could do little but follow. Rico went straight to the dock and onto a ship! Stephano hesitated, but knew he had to follow. He paid the last of his gold for passage on the ship. Only later did he find out that the ship was headed to nearby Gara Bairo, much to his relief.

It wouldn't do to make his move during the trip, since if the mark missed his scroll, the passengers would surely be searched.

Stephano's eye was drawn to a young lady on board. With nothing better to do, he struck up a conversation, using his sleight of hand skills to perform a couple of fake magic tricks. Sarah was friendly and laughed readily.

By the time the ship docked, Stephano was hardly thinking about the job, but he forced himself to get his head back in the game. With an 'accidental' brush against Rico as the passengers disembarked, he had the scroll.

He turned back to Sarah, hoping to turn this chance encounter into something more. "Good bye!" she told him, laughing and embracing the tall blond man who had come to the dock to greet her.

He sighed. In the morning, he'd have to book passage back to Porto Liure. In the meantime, he'd have to find the cash to do it with. He began to eye the people around him, looking for an easy mark.

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Brick. Brick & Porcelain worked in a house of ill repute. Brick served as bouncer, hired muscle and self-appointed protector of Porcelain. Porcelain was a male prostitute with a specialty of dressing in costumes to fulfill the johns' fantasies. After the house shut down (gang war, law crackdown, whatever) the two escaped to a new city but Porcelain uses his skills in assuming different guises to infiltrate and impersonate for pulling cons and acquiring information. Maybe in the wilds Brick takes better care of the both of them than in the city, where he is ill-at-ease, and Porcelain is the better provider in the city. But since Porcelain loves the city and Brick will do anything for his "little" brother (who is probably the older) he goes along.

I also took militia veteran so he probably served in a small town/village militia at a stay over when the two made a stop between cities. Probably only there a month before Porcelain grew tired of "Hicksville"

A twist: no matter how good Porcelain thinks his disguises are Brick, his simple-minded brother, can always see through them.

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Usually Amaline tries not to get too involved in the business of fellow thieves and lowlifes outside of work, but from time to time it is inevitable that she plays a part exceeding her desire. In just the past little while she had been conferring with a man named Roderick on some work he was doing when she let slip how earlier one of his other associates had put the screws on one of his rivals. Apparently he had not gotten the news yet, and had to leave in a hurry.

And...

Amaline was sitting quietly in the common room of the inn when in walked a man who she knew to work with her Fuzeta da Pontes contact, Carlo. She thought for a moment that something was wrong (hopefully it was not her being double-crossed), but when he looked right at her and recognition did not dawn, she relaxed a bit. All the same, it made her a little uncomfortable that another Fuzeta da Pontes hireling was crowding this Castiada village.

Feo Gato was the one selected to stake out the jewelry store, and he reported that it seemed unguarded. The only person he did see enter the shop was a well-dressed woman with a clever look and light step. She certainly looked too clever and well-to-do to be in that particular neighborhood. He would have forgotten all about her if it wasn't for the fact that they shared passage to Bara Gairo. What a strange coincidence that the same woman he saw before the failed hit would be traveling on a boat to the same obscure town he was destined. Though she showed no sign of recognizing him, Feo became a bit paranoid and asked discretely for her name. Folks knew her as Amaline. He would have to keep his eyes out on that one.
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Feo Gato was also surprised to see Brick in Bara Gairo. The walking slab of meat was a nasty piece of work, but was often open for a job when some quick coin was to be made. The Saracens had an agreement with Brick. He got paid to help back them up during a problematic shakedown, and they stayed out of the way if Brick was standing in as a bodyguard for a possible mark. If the Saracens had hired Brick during their last job, they might have made it out intact. Feo was relieved to see a familiar and near-friendly face. Hecounted the coins in his pocket and tried to figure out how much it might cost to hire Brick's protection for a day if trouble found him in Bara Gairo.

While walking in Bara Gairo, Stephano sees an ugly mug he thought he recognized from years ago, a fellow urchin when he first came to Porto Liure. Feo Gato? I thought he was dead! Whatever he's hiding from, I'd best steer clear. Stephano turns down a side street before Feo notices him.

Stephano sees a potential mark. The man must be upper class, as he shows none of the calluses of a working man. However, before Stephano can make his move, he notices the large bodyguard. It's not worth the risk, and Stephano moves on.

Brick walked behind his brother as instructed. He enjoyed playing the "game" whenever Porcelain let him pretend to be someone else, he just wondered why he never go to wear one of the fancy wigs or pretty clothes himself.

There were no wigs or pretty clothes as his brother was pretending to be a well to do business man. Shrugging to himself he turned his attention back to the crowded docks, and remembered he was suppose to be mean and menacing.

He glared hard at a man that was eyeing them both and when the cad turned and went quickly the other way Brick let out a big toothy grin. "Dis is fun, brudder." he said as was immediately shushed.

Going slightly red and hunching his shoulders the big man whispered a short "Sorry." before once more getting into the "game".

As he looked about at all the people coming and going he noticed someone he thought he knew. And for Brick remembering someone is really tough, but the man had made an impression and paid the big man which is something Brick never forgot.

He had just thrown a guy out of Madam Filzer's House when another came up quickly to the door. Roderick, impressed by his strength hired Brick for a night to help get some heavy items out of a house that Brick thinks was his, but wasn't to sure about that.

Then he disappeared, just like he did into the crowd now.

[Feo Gato]: Late at night after the ladies were occupied with patrons of the Gabia d'Ocell and when Brick was off on chores assigned by the Mother or some late work of his own Lano would sneak up to the attic of the house and watch the darkened city. One night on the moonlit roofs Lano watched another boy run and leap free as a gazelle and graceful as a cat across those rooftops. Smitten with a sudden longing for the freedom as evinced in the reckless abandon of that dashing figure Lano returned night after night to watch for the boy. Some nights he would witness stunning leaps from roof to roof, some nights the figure wouldn't appear, some nights the appearance would just be a shifting of shadow.

One night as Lano watched the shadows for the figure he was startled as the boy pushed open the attic window and climbed into the attic glaring at him. "Why are you watching me?"

Lano scrambled back to a safe distance from the boy. "You move like a cat. I want..."

"You want what?"

Boy-whore. Lano could almost hear the unspoken words. His own words turned icy. "Get out, or I'll call Brick and he'll beat you a whole new shade of hideous, you ugly cat!"

The boy's eyes narrowed and his fists clenched but invoking his brother's name seemed to do the trick and the boy turned and clambered out the window.

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[Stephano]: It wasn't long after the Gabia d'Ocell burned that Brick and Lano found themselves in a difficult situation: no money, no food, no place to stay except the broken crate in the back alley covered by detritus and smelling of dead fish and urine. Brick slowly came to the realization that he would have to leave his brother alone for a while and take work. "Stay here. You don' know da streets like me. No tricks. Tricks ain't da same as in da Birdcage. You'll get hurt." And so Brick left Lano alone.

It was only supposed to be for a few hours but it went on and on and the hunger gnawed at Lano's belly like a worm. Finally he could stand it no longer and he crawled out of his meager shelter and headed for the street and the nearest market. No tricks. He remembered that warning at least and kept himself to snagging wrinkled fruits from the tables of merchants occupied with paying customers and gobbling them down when but a few steps away. That is until he felt himself roughly shoved into an alley off the market square.

"Don't know what high hill you fell off but you don't have a clue, do you? You bring the guard down on me and I'll boot your backside to the bay and let the sharks gnaw your skinny bones."

Scared and afraid to say anything to the other boy lest he raise his ire further Lano just stared as tears welled up in his eyes. The other boy just laughed. "You got that down, don't you? Stick with that 'poor beggar' act and leave the Lift to us professionals. Got it?"

Lano nodded and reaching into his ragged shirt pulled out a dessicated orange he had tucked away for Brick and offered it to the boy. Snorting with suppressed laughter and shaking his head the boy snatched the orange from Lano, rolled it around his hand and across his knuckles, down his forearm to the crook of his arm, popped it into the air where he caught it and then stashed it into his tunic. Shaking his head he strolled out of the alley leaving Lano alone.

Alright, so remember that friend I was telling you about? The heavy? Thing is, I helped him out of a real jam one time and he's been real keen to pay me back with favors. Again and again. Whether I want him to, or not.

Now. Remember that rival he was pressuring? Edge was his name. Head of a little outfit calling themselves the "the Saracens." Well, he and half his gang went and got themselves killed in an unrelated little turf-war, but I've been hearing whispers that say I was involved, on account of how my friend "helped" me out.

I'm going to have to sort this out. I've been made aware that one of Edge's crew has turned up--a roof-runner named Feo Gato. I'm going to see if I can't have a chat with him. Besides, a roof-runner might be a handy person to know...

While I'm on the subject, I think I told you about a mess my father got himself into. Turns out, he was doing some freelance work tailing someone that the Castidia family had hired for an out-of-town job. She was doing a bit of forgery (quite a skilled individual, if my sources speak truth). He got made by the Castidias, and now they want to know who he was working for. And why. Like I said, it's a mess.

The only good thing is, I think the forger, Amaline, was only freelancing, herself. I'm certain a woman of her intellect would be good to know. I'm definitely going to have to seek her out.

Come Monday, I'll start a game thread and a separate OOC discussion thread.

Good stuff, guys! I think this'll really help jump into roleplaying a lot smoother, easier and quicker than if we were all a bunch of strangers at the beginning of the game!