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Race: Human Birthday & Age : Autumn, 480 AV (31 years old) Gender: Male
Physical Description
Javial is a healthy and personable man appearing in his late twenties or early thirties, standing a clean six feet tall. His olive skinned complexion is accented with black, course hair often tied back tightly and a well trimmed mustache. His eyes are a deep brown, and he carries heavy brows atop them along with thick lashes. A small gold hoop earring with what appears to be a diamond gemstone hangs from his left ear, yet no other jewelry appears to be worn upon his person.
The man attempts to stay as professionally dressed and manicured at all times as possible, wearing a black vest upon his white tunic, and a long red overcoat on top of that. Black pants supported by a belt and black boots or shoes is typically his lower wear. He carries with him a rapier for defense, often concealed by his overcoat, as well as a sword breaker.
Character Concept
Javial is polite and businesslike, especially to strangers. He may come across as charming or civil, but beneath his outer demeanor hides the mind of a cunning and villainous man. Everything in life is an opportunity for Javial, and he though he is a survivalist and a conservative man, he constantly works to improve his lot in life through any means necessary. There is no low he is not willing to sink to, in order to achieve what he hopes to be the greatest high. He greatly prefers to manipulate and investigate in the background, rather than intimidate up front. If pressed into a physical confrontation, he will attempt to seize every opportunity, including escape if it is the most logical choice, only to strike at a later time when the situation is much more favorable.
To Javial knowledge is the most pure form of power, as those with answers often have those with questions at their call. As he is an information broker, Javial has a great deal of time working with people, although he struggles sometimes to understand them. Though he seeks the opportunity to find someone he can trust completely, the man’s clearer senses tell him that the world is full of conniving backstabbers, and the only way to win is to be one step ahead of the game.
Character History
Secret :
The world is full of questions and it can be said that those with the answers have the most power. Javial was born into the world of questions, his birth being one in itself. The Human child was born within Sunberth, unwanted, abandoned, or perhaps simply just bred from parents that met their end too soon. Like many other children he found himself under the care of Calyn within the slums of the city. Those slums were as dark, dirty, and depressing as they came. Sickness and malnutrition were always lingering threats. While more fortunate children’s imaginations may have strove them to desire treasure and fame, in the Sunset Quarters the wants were extremely simplistic. Food, shelter, and clothing. There was little to separate one child from another. There was no special academy to become a top student of, no army to train as an elite solider in, instead you had to find power and value simply within yourself.
Some children found this through brute force. Thugs willing to bully others in order to gain a sweet or shuck a chore, but Javial learned early on that a more pure form of power can be found through knowledge and manipulation. Those who had questions were at the mercy of those who had answers. It was almost like some primal, infallible law. Knowledge created allies, garnished favors, and most importantly, brought Javial his first sense of happiness. To neglect knowledge for the sake of immediate power seemed to make the other children especially susceptible to the young boy’s influence, and through that influence Javial sought to fulfill a wish.
Though he had many other children, both younger and older that he worked with, there was no one that Javial trusted. His mind was often exhausted attempting to stay one step ahead of self-perceived ‘competition’, and even in simple conversation he found himself fretting over each spoken word, concerned it could tarnish his diligent work in creating a small informational network amongst the orphans all throughout the slums. His wish was to gain one person, one being that could be trusted. Someone that would work for the same ends as he, to aid and assist him in his goals. Born with nothing, inwardly he craved everything, but common sense and moderation kept him cautious with how he went about attaining it.
The money he managed to save went toward paying his way to the cultural jewel known as Ravok, in order to gain knowledge of a powerful tool that would increase his manipulative potential, Hypnotism. As a young man of eighteen years the road was long, but after over half a decade full of patients and preparation, a boy with nothing had managed to become a man with some talents. Further perseverance brought him his wish, a familiar whose life was bound to his. One in the same, in life or death. Of course, things don’t always go as planned. Such a tale is best left for another time (OOC wise: the Familiary was talked over and ok’d with Verilian, we’ll be doing it in Flashbacks so that’s why I don’t want to go too far into it in the history right now).
Somewhere along the line Javial, then in his twenty’s, managed to gain the interest in a most unique person through his bartering of information. Although to him, knowledge was a tool to be traded and profited from, his desire and tenacity in answering questions was genuine in his heart.
“So how’s the story go again? You know, that one about the thing on yo—“ a man with a groomed beard spoke to the well dressed Javial. A far cry from the scrawny, patchwork child he once was, Javial had enough in life to at least appear professional, even if he hadn’t any large stash of wealth. Appearance was nearly everything, he had found, and Cruseh found him able enough to do business with.
“I’ve told you once before, you know I don’t like to repeat myself. Stories are meant to be enjoyed the first time, lest they become tired and redundant both for the speaker and the listener. Information is never as good the second time.” Javial sighed, leaning back in his chair, a warm mug of tea letting its steam up into the cool ambient air, wafting in from the winter’s chill outside. Javial knew better than to drink mead or ale like the common man, such a thing lowered inhibitions and destroyed his most potent advantage in a conversation, his fleetness of thought.
“Sure, but I was drunk back then, just about slippin' on my own vomit, it doesn’t count! You said yourself, stories are meant to be enjoyed the first time. It’ll be like the first time for me. Do you understand how useful that mark is? If I could have it for myself, hunting scum would be that much easier.” The mercenary argued. Cruseh and Javial had a simplistic relationship. Javial pointed Cruseh in the direction of his marks, whether they were people or items, gave him the appropriate knowledge to most easily finish his task, and than shared in the profits. For years they had both found some coins to be made within the province of Sylira.
It was due to the length of their relationship alone that Javial was prepared to make an exception, “You can hear the story, but it won’t bring you any closer to your goal. Breaking skulls is not the best way to gain the attention of Eryis. Now you’re good at it, there’s no denying that, but perhaps it’s best to steer toward a more appropriate Deity. I won’t delay though, time is money and I have a few ears to bend today.” Always the personable man, even when he spoke with bluntness his words were soft, a smile crossed his lips that did well to hide the venom behind it.
“It was a year ago, during a winter just like this one. Supposedly there was an infiltrator within Ravok, the word went out for any and all information that could lead to his capture. Seems just as the Ebonstryfe enjoy sticking their fingers in Syliras, the wind blows both ways, so to speak. His story was strong as well. I had suspected that man from the start, but without anything solid to go on there was no way to claim any level of success.” Although Javial had just begun, Cruseh was quick to throw in some interjections. It was something that peeved the young man; it was the duty of the one gaining information to listen, not to interrupt.
“Right right, didn’t you go to the whore house or something?” Cruseh began laughing, his hand coming down on the table, shaking the entire wooden structure, causing small ripples to form upon the surface of Javial’s tea.
Javial reached forward, settling his tea momentarily before bringing it upward to his mouth for a sip. The time taken in sating his thirst was best meant for keeping his eyes from rolling at his acquaintances statement. Slowly his tea came back down onto its saucer, “It’s a mature establishment, not a ‘whore house’. Those participants I’ll have you know, slave or not, hear some of the best gossip. It turned out he had a tattoo upon his hand which was nearly always covered by a pair of white gloves, but the young woman that had served him knew not what it was. When I had her draw it, some research led me to Eyris, whom the Syliran Knights favor most reverently. It was her mark, not a tattoo.”
Cruseh leaned forward, brushing back some of the hair from his eyes. Though thinning, what locks he had left he kept long and wild, the actions of his hands constantly touching them to remove them from his face there to remind him that his impending baldness had not defeated that once majestic mane of hair he had in his youth, “Didn’t that lad say something peculiar, I remember he was executed, but what was it…”
“I was getting to that and I tell you this, should you come upon a man that wishes to use his dying breath to speak to you, listen to him, for while he may simply curse your name he may also gift you with some valuable information. It seemed that man was never there to spend his time with the women of the establishment, he had bought into the counter information I had seeded and came there looking for information on me. Seems instead, I ended up gaining information on him. When looking for information it’s always best to act professionally, treat people with respect, and never give away too much of yourself in the act. I tell you this because I recognize you lack the skill to use it against me.” Javial said with a smirk, causing Cruseh to chuckle, a slowly building laugh that the man entertaining him with a story soon followed.
“Oh, what about HER though, you know, the Goddess. What was she like?” the chain clad man twisted uneasily in his chair, feebly attempting to understand interaction with a Deity.
“What could I say? How could I describe someone like that? Professional, intelligent, perfect? She looked exactly how I would expect such a Goddess, from her posture to her tone. It’s the same as I would look were I to interact with a native people, in the most pleasing and expected way. I suppose I ended up taking that man’s place in the cycle of things. As his mark faded, I gained mine. I think what he failed to understand in all his zeal and righteousness is that knowledge doesn’t take sides, it just is. She showed me that, and it both enlightened me, and made me realize how small and pathetic I was. She commented on my impartiality, said I reminded her of someone, who knew if she was being honest, or simply flattering a poor mortal. Are we toys? Pawns to play with? Racing dogs to bet on? It left quite a few questions. Maybe that was her intention.” The closer Javial got to the end, the more uncertain his voice became. That uncertainty had him pushing that story to the back of his mind often, unwilling to part with it. Cruseh owed him big for simply getting the chance to hear it.
“Yeah…” Cruseh seemed lost toward the end, far past uncertainty into the realm of total confusion. The only way he could contribute was to quickly latch onto, amazingly enough, a question. Questions gave people the slightest sense that they at least held enough understanding to ask for further clarification, “…but how did you know? I mean that he was one of them Knights? There’s plenty of folks that revere Eyris.”
The end was upon Javial, he could see it clear enough in the setting of the sun. It was time to begin his trade once more. After a day of hard work, many a man and woman were prepared to voice their concerns and frustrations. All those seemingly useless tidbits were fuel to feed the fire of an information broker. “Knight? Him? No, that poor bastard had Syliras’ intentions in mind, but he was no Knight. Probably just some fanatic. When you hide that which isn’t ostracizing, you’re compensating for your own insecurity. Call it a gamble where the odds were in my favor from the beginning. I heard he was quite the swordsman as well. Perhaps he should have spent less time cracking skulls, and more time listening.” With a deft flip of his fingers, Javial tossed some coins upon the tavern table and stood, turning to leave.
The voice of Cruseh followed behind him, “If you didn’t make me so much money, I’d crack your skull for making fun of me!” he cackled, “Take care out there, eh?” he added, before readying his own things.
Things often come full circle, and a slew of questions and answers had once again brought Javial back to his home of Sunberth. Things had changed, some of them for the better, some for the worse. In a place like Sunberth there was true potential. Every man for himself. With everyone looking for something, everyone had questions. Everyone wanted answers. To think something so disorganized was somehow so…perfect.
Lore: Sunberth (Places of Interest) Lore: Eyris Ilkraz is Weird Witnessing a Summon Mischievous Avavali Ulnix and Ulzix The Well Spoken Kirt The Very Irate Kirt Garrulous Sarawanki Finding a Familiar is Unsettlingly Difficult The Secret to Ilkraz's Circles Irelyd: Spherical and Unambiguous Kill the Familiar, Kill the Mage Unwanted Shirelieu A Binding Contract: the Familiar Layout of the Sunberth Slums The Value of the Devalued Understanding an Orphan Contact (Carlo) Contact (Ciha) Contact (Flip)
Equipment and Possessions • 1 Set of Clothing (cloak/coat & footwear included) • 1 20x20 Residence in Sunberth • 1 Waterskin • Back and Breastplate worn beneath clothes • 1 Rapier • 1 Sword Breaker • Scrollcase, Waterproof with 10 sheets of paper inside • 1 Backpack which contains: o 1 Set of Toiletries (comb, brush, razor, soap) o Food for a week o 1 eating knife o Flint & Steel o 1 Blank Book o 1 Vial of Black Ink, 1oz o 1 Quill
Ledger
100 gold mizas -20GM for Rapier -16GM for Sword Breaker -5GM Scrollcase, Watertight -4GM Paper, 10 sheets -3GM Book, Blank -2GM Ink, 1oz Black -5CM Quill Back and Breastplate (Heirloom, everyone always told him to watch his back)
Additional House Furniture:
-7SM Chair, Average -1GM Bookcase, Poor (10 books worth) -2GM Wash Basin, Average
Total: 46GM, 2SM, and 5CM remaining NPCs
Shirelieu the Irylid :
Shirelieu is Javial's 'faithful' companion and Familiar. Despite her strange, almost robotic way of speaking, Shirelieu displays a great deal of personality, having revealed herself as intuitive, level-headed, observant, and concise. Shirelieu enjoys brevity when she speaks and precedes everything she says with an indicator such as "Reply", "Query", or "Hypothesis". Shirelieu loves books and enjoys peace and quiet. She has a bit of a grudge against Mages (whom aren't Javial) as she was rejected as a Familiar a whopping 121 times prior. In her familiar form Shirelieu appears as a floating icy orb no larger than an orange. In her sealed form she typically becomes a spherical gemstone or pearl that hangs into the setting of Javial's earring. . . . .