The Thief

Maliciously smiling hostess Hildelind nudges her husband and points over the noisy crowd to a young man with dishevelled hair and a feather cap who is gesticulating in a forcing manner onto a merchant. "Look at that", she whispers, "Did Gumblad finally found someone..." Hours later she is putting the chairs on top of the tables. Seemingly alone and lost the merchant is leaning on the bar, totally drunk. "He cheated on me", he is wimmering to the hostess, "shamelessly cheated on me. I gave him one beer after the other, for that he may tell more about. And then he lied. I am sure... Suddenly he disappeared and with him, my ducats - please can I order another pint ?" But the hostess shakes her head silently.  

The young farmer's daughter throws back her tresses and threatens her friend: "Ah, end this chatter, how could you know about men ?... Listen to me" and her skyblue eyes begin to sparkle "Elgor swore the oath of eternal faithfulness, aye. And the money I gave him will enable him to buy my bride's gown in the city. In a month's time when father is driving to the market again, we will see and he will propose to me and my father...Oh, if time flowed a little bit faster these days..."  

A smoky tavern in Salza/Nostria. There have many a pint the old fisher drowned today. A strange band it is that is facing him today, an elf, a Novadi, a Thorwaler and a dark-haired beauty. But finally he starts to talk: "Well, I know someone who does not ask questions and for a few ductas...look for Yazim, the thief, but pay attention to your back..."  

Background

Life in Arkania is hard, but it is especially hard in the slums of the big cities. These noisy, stinking lanes are the world where children grow to be thiefs and rogues.  

Arkanian thiefs - soldiers of fortune, as they call themselves - get their own insights into social life. Coming to a different town, they do not ask about laws, but about the power and the strength of the guards and the senate.  

The first lesson to learn on the streets of Arkania seems to be: "Do not trust anyone else but yourself, cause you are the only one you can really trust in." 

The thief learned to react to any kind of situation in an instant. He knows if it will more likely lead to advantages or disadvantages. And he expects other people to act according to the same point of view, may he be ordained or a faithful hero. 

 In free nature and in bourgeoise flats he does not feel very well. Their realm is the smoky and noise air of taverns and pubs, where they can offer their special talent, the chanceindependent game of chance and where they can meet people who offer them an adventure and do not ask too many questions.  

The role of the thief

In a group of adventurers there might not be more opposing characters as a thief and a warrior. Of course, thiefs and warriors will change after a certain while and both will recognize that there is more to life than only idols or no idols at all. However, if you take a young thief into the game, he will be a lump of bad manners and prejudices which lead him to all kinds of crimes. He will be cunning, distrustful and suspicious.  

But although the thief loves his freedom he will find out too soon that he really likes his new friends. Now that he would use the term "like", but once he does it, you can count on his loyalty. In any case he know who his enemies are: A thief who is cheated at in a game of chance will in no case want the guards around !  

Additionally he easily forgets certain things. If you have to be spontaneous you cannot always think of the past. This is nice trait as others around him will find out quickly. But it not loyalty only which he lacks of. He does not have any kind of conventional thoughts on possession. He would be a bad thief if he let his "friends", who are a very easy target at the beginning, get off with it and does not try to steal their money.  

Quotes

"...sorry, your purse must have caught itself on my fingers..."  

"Even dirty money blinks demonically..."  

"Phex, come on..." 

And now have a look at appearance and equipment or the talents of a thief.

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