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Give up now and I will only brutalize you lightly.

Nefer Character Sheet

Background

The Orphanage takes in anyone, but Nefer's name and looks hint that he is an actual Is'rian. Perhaps an orphaned child of servants, perhaps and unwanted child. He does not know, having been too young when the Orphanage took him in. He does not care either, the Orphanage is the only home he has known. And while life there was not easy, Nefer grew to enjoy the challenges.

He learned to fight, under the Orphanage’s arms-master and general commander, Dzaug. A half-breed of orc and ogre, Dzaug was surprisingly agile for his size, with arms and legs of nearly solid muscle. He was terse, never speaking two words if one would do, and did not hesitate to deliver a brutal blow when the students did not take their training seriously. But he taught them well, and those who practiced and advanced received a nod from him that was as close to praise as he would ever provide.

The instructors had impressed on them that their comrades were their only source of strength, and that alone they would be but prey for the residents of the city. But the instructors also drilled into them that their first loyalty was to The Cartel, and its leader, Isma Bazzi. Traitors to The Cartel were beneath contempt, fit only to be revealed for what they were and dispatched to Anu-Hotep for judgement and eternal punishment.

He learned the Black Speech from a young goblin in the ranks, Chaalk, in trade for which he taught Chaalk to speak Issyrian. The two were as close to friends as students in the Orphanage would become.

Nefer had a long-standing rivalry with another Orphan, Merit. About his age and tall, she was not as strong as he was, but she was quicker. Nevertheless, in a fair fight, Nefer could beat her.

But Merit never fought fairly.

She'd ambush him, throw blinding dust in his eyes, coat her weapon with numbing poison, and generally did everything to gain an advantage.

Over time Nefer grew quite adept at avoiding her dirty tricks.

The relationship never turned romantic although many other Orphans suspected it. Nefer and Merit had grown up competing with each other and could not see each other as anything but friendly rivals.

When the Adoption Day came, Dzaug rattled off their assignments.

Merit unsurprisingly left to become a Cobra.

Most other Orphans, including Chaalk, were taken by the Cartel.

He was the last one in the room at the end. Dzaug looked at him, and smiled, revealing the large, sharp lower canines, before turning to walk away, motioning for Nefer to follow.

As they walked through the halls and down the narrow stairs that led to various chambers and offices The Cartel used in the Undercity, Nefer’s mind raced.

Had he done wrong? Had he failed in some way?

Dzaug opened a door, and he found himself in a huge, well-appointed office. Isma Bazzi, Grand Master of The Cartel, smiled at him from behind a gleaming desk of dark wood. His questions were answered soon enough.

He had done well, Master Bazzi said. He was skilled. And he was loyal.

For his hard work and great skills, he had been selected for a special assignment.

He was to be given to a great man – a powerful man, a noble of Blackport and direct servant of The Sovereign himself.

Nefer inwardly shuddered at the mention of the powerful and mysterious ruler of the city.

He was to be presented to Yara Sepp Addu Suk-Bey, General of the Army of Blackport.

Nefer’s jaw visibly dropped.

General Sepp, of the Addu-Suk Bey Baku clan.

He had heard stories of General Sepp from Chaalk. The goblins called him akhomû aush-ir – He Who Burns – after the General’s brutal suppression of an uprising and riots in Goblintown over a decade ago. General Sepp was an example of why The Sovereign was to be feared, a zealously loyal and implacably ruthless symbol of ultimate authority.

He was to be a gift from Master Bazzi, his mission to protect General Sepp’s daughter, Khyria Dami, who was coming of age. General Sepp was looking for someone outside the Army to serve as her bodyguard, and reputation of The Orphanage had attracted his attention.

“This, you must do,” Bazzi intoned, “giving your own life to save hers if need be. You will allow no harm to come to her, on your oath to Arat-Apet. You will give her your loyalty as you give it to me.”

Nefer nodded. His head was swimming.

“But,” Baazi continued, “this is not all. You will listen. You will observe. You will remember. Who comes and goes to the house of Sepp. What they speak of, if you hear. This you will do. You will meet with one of your brothers or sisters when I require, to tell them what you have learned. A sign will be given, and you will know it. At this sign, you will go to Tusks – a tavern, it is located in The Maw. There, you will meet either Chaalk or Merit. You will tell them what you have learned.”

Suddenly, Nefer’s throat felt very dry. He could feel sweat beading on his forehead.

Bazzi leaned back in his heavy looking, richly upholstered chair, lifting his hands with palms upturned in a gesture implying simplicity.

“And that is all. In return, you will live in the most impressive house of General Sepp; you will eat their exquisite food, drink their spectacular wine – tasting what his daughter eats before she does. You will maintain your training regimen and skills; if she leaves the house, you leave with her.”

“But other than that, your free time is yours to spend as you wish – so long as you bring no dishonor on the house of General Sepp. If you do, not even The Cartel can help you.”

He smiles. “You understand, yes?”

He nodded again, swallowing.

Dzaug’s smile had widened.

Nefer suddenly wanted to hit him, but knew better.

Important NPC’s

Dzaug – ogre/orc halfbreed weapons instructor and overall commander of The Orphanage

Chaalk – goblin comrade in The Orphanage, accepted into The Cartel’s guard on adoption day

Merit – human female comrade in The Orphanage, accepted into The Cobras on adoption day

Isma Bazzi – leader and master of The Cartel

Yara Sepp Addu Suk-Bey – General of the Army of Blackport and Noble of the City, servant of The Sovereign; resides in The Iron City

Khyria Dami Adäle – illegitimate daughter of General Sepp and his first consort, the elven woman Nïól Adäle