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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Fenris" data-source="post: 2518013" data-attributes="member: 2820">Ok, this place looks like fun! Not just the world but the characters so far. I'll take a stab at this.Jovik was born in the worst back-alley's in Metropolis. His mother sold the scrap that she could find carrying Jovik on her back. His father was rumored to be a guardsman, but Jovik's mother didn't talk about that much, which didn't matter to Jovik since he never saw him anyway. As soon as he could walk, Jovic was put to work sorting sellable trash from just plain trash. The few coppers this brought in barely bought them any food and they lived under an old blanket in the alley behind a ramshackled old tavern. Jovik's mother tried the best she could to provide for him. She would go without any food often to let Jovic eat, pretending she wasn't feeling well. Pretty soon she wasn't pretending and began to fall sick. Jovik had no idea what to do, he was still young and only knew the alley ways. When you got sick in an alley, you died in that alley. So at the tender age of 10 Jovik found himslef alone, hungry and one blanket tied to a building his only possession. Another alley-dweller found him the next day, sorting trash as he always did. Gralden often stopped by to buy interesting scrap from Jovik's mother. This morning he asked why she was still sleeping there next to Jovik. Jovik replied that she wasn't sleeping she was dead. Horrified, Gralden asked why he still sat there and sorted trash. "This is all I know how to do" replied Jovik. "Well" said Gralden, "why don't you come live with me?". With nothing left to keep him here, Jovik left his mother's corpse in the alley and followed Gralden back to a dilapidated old house by one of the canals. Inside where 4 other young boys. Gralden taught young Jovik his trade, theivery. Gradlen was a faganist and had had his eye on Jovik for some time. Jovik's time with Gradlen was tough. He learned how to steal and did it well. He ate better than before, although they had to eat the scraps from Gralden's plate. He grew into the leader of the gang of boys and coordinated many of their capers. Jovik earned the nickname of the Jackal, because he could strip away goods so quickly. But Gralden drank, heavily and often abused the boys. But they were all orphans and felt they had no other place to go. So in many ways they felt liek prisoneers. Often as the boys talked at night, they would ask Jovik questions like "what lies beyond the city walls" or "what would you do if you found a purse with 100 gold?" Jovik's response was always the same. "let me be able to see more than one nights supper and I'll think on it".  One day, Jovik couldn't take it any more, Gradlen has just beaten him for only bringing back 20 silver from a job, Jovik ran crying to find solace in the comfort of his beloved alleys. That night, hiding in the dark, hating Gradlen, he witnessed a event that would change his life. Two men entered the alley, as Jovik hid himself deeper in the shadows he listened as the two men argued. He wan't sure if it was about a debt, a woman or honor, but it resulted in one man dying. As the victor walked away, Jovik was struck by the power of this event, all his life he had hidden and cringed away. These men didn't though. It was the sword, it must be the key. If Jovik had a sword, Gradlen would have to treat him better. So out of instict he approach the man and went through his pockets in an instant and was about to leave, when the moonlight glimmering on the dead man's sword caught his eye. Almost without thinking he picked it up. It was a huge sword, almost larger than he was. He mindlessly walked back to the hideout, as he opened the door, Gradlen sneered and said "well, come crawling back have you". Jovik raised the sword and brought it down on Gradlen and fulfilled his vision of power from a sword. Most of the boys ran away, scared of the  boy, turned man in front of them. Jovik was alone again. But a quick ransacking of the house left him no longer poor. Jovik has lived the last two years since that fateful night in his backalleys. he now has a small apartment at least and eats at least twice a day (such luxury!) He still pulls small jobs here and there, but also engages in back-alley hold-ups in better quarters. The sword has freed him. He practices with it daily to be better. He will fight those smaller than him and run away from those larger than him. Honor and pride mean little to Jovik, survival is what matters. He has avoided the organized guilds who often try to recuit him or threaten him away from their turf. After Gradlen, Jovik the Jackal wants no master though. As he has gotten a little older and a little wiser, and most impotantly a little richer. Jovik has mellowed a bit. he still steals for a living, but tries to kill only in self-defense now, and does most of his stealing from those who can "afford it" namely anyone with more than him. But Jovik has finally also allowed himself to have a few friends at the local tavern he likes to frequent. He often thinks back to the other boys with Gradlenand where they are and about the questions they used to ask him. He can now look beyond tommorrows supper and his mind wanders to their questions.</blockquote>

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