Vaughn Burmthstone
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Vaughn Burmthstone grew up in Minoc. Vaughn had a normal childhood as the son of a miner, George; when he hadn't to do errands for his dear father – carry ore, buy new shovels, etc. – did he run around the mining areas and climbed up every tree, rock and house he found. One day he hurt his left knee and his father brought him ter the local healer, Elias. While Elias tried put bandages on, Vaughn just couldn't sit still before Elias gave him a book ter read, 'Classic Children Tales' – he just couldn't read. Although Vaughn didn't understand a word was he fascinated by forms and signs he saw in that book. So Elias taught him how ter read and write, and also did he teach him a bit of herb lore and medicine. Vaughn began ter spend all his free time with Elias, he admired him.
He read every story and song he found, even those that have been forbidden by the king's scribes. With every book he read his longing for new lands and expiriences grew until he one day, his father had given him some crowns ter buy some bread, decided ter follow the mainroad ter its end.
So ended he up sitting in a tavern in the borderlands of Yew drinking his first Yewish ale. There the barkeep, John, told him ter be wary of any stranger when he passes Yew, because there was 'terrible scum' about that wouldn't be hindered by 'em guards ter rob him. The next day Vaughn encountered an apparently friendly but a bit naive man who did nay notice - after he had robbed Vaughn - that he was beeing followed and directly lead his follower and victim ter Rogue Town. After a long discussion with one of the rogues who wanted ter hang him, Vaughn could persuad him ter leave him alive and even ter make him one of 'em socalled 'punks' within the guild called The Crimson Rogues. The man was called Losis.
The time passed and Vaughn became a adapted rogue and thief.
One day - he just had become a Town Lackey - he fell in love with a beautiful and also mystical woman who went by the name of Lezayel. He could nay think of anything else than this girl with whom he spent long nights. Then, after one of those nights, he had changed.
Then someday Vaughn got bought by a gang ter work fer 'em; he became one of the Rough Fists, N'iilaryn Garlen loyal bodyguard.
Quarterlif (crisis)
After many a day the Crimson Rogues had become too loose of an idea as to be considered a real threat anymore. Vaughn made his farewells and went on an aimless journey around Britannia and the newly discovered landmarks of Ilshenar. Being a rather pointless, although still excitatory journey, the isolation from any people - apart from the occasional traveler, or lunatic salesman - had a disrupting effect on Vaughn's character; observation of the self, physical emaciation also did their part in recreating him and replacing common sense, loyalty, sense of subordination with absolute rationality, egoism and playful fatalism if not to say schizoid insanity.
Then, one day, he chanced upon the newly elected mayor of Minoc, Robert Dart - wether he indeed was elected is not matter of discussion here - and was reminded of his former life in Yew, which at that time did not mean so much yet. But the seed was set, and it slowly began blooming; without realizing it himself Vaughn followed the leads to the old Britannian lands.
Returning to a Scoundrels Life
Being mistaken for someone you know is one thing, being mistaken for someone you don't, in a foreign city after years of isolation is another. But in The Blue Boar Fortuna made Vaughn a little present: a look-a-like with a different history, a day-labourer, lazy at that, a thug without real social roots - some barmaid or wench left aside. The poor lad's life expectancy shortened itself to some hours, but which themselves were nicely spent near a campfire some way outside Britain, with some good wine spilt amongst other red fluids. The lads name was Barnabas, Barnabas Lémon. Although a Vesperian name, it surprisingly does have a ring to it, which did help memorize it. Henceforth Vaughn would present himself as Barnabas.
Returning to Yew some things had changed; the Militia of course still ruled the lands, but most notably the criminal gap the Crimson Rogues had left was trying to be filled by a guild originating from Britain, namely The Council of Thieves. It was an organisation of thieves hiding behind the banner of a trading company; amusing was the thought of working amongst criminals mimicking salesman whilst oneself mimicking another person. Vaughn, or more correctly: Barnabas was accepted into their ranks. Avoiding most physical confrontations Vaughn did his best to be considered a proper fellow, by both peer-scoundrels and other Yewish people - rhetoric, play with the appearance became his very essence. The guild's boss, Samel Creed, seemed to be one of few being rather unimpressed and showing a certain brutal disdain.
Another problem would be posed by certain individuals from Vaughn's past, namely peers from The Crimson Rogues, who would begin to gather around some establishment. Being recognized would bear the threat of being uncovered within the Council. Force would not solve this problem, but avoidance, or even maybe selective avoidance of both Council members and Crimson members?
At the end, Vaughn would not have to fear Samel Creed for too long, as he and the other leaders of the council would abandon the organisation pretty much, leaving the reins in the hands of the few left: Aron, Guthree, Eivad, Maddy and amongst few others also Vaughn himself. They would try to keep the organisation alive, using the cover of The Northern Yew Trading Company, working with the Mercenaries of Tel'mar, behind the scenes building up connections with the otherwise despised Orcs of Tolagâl.
But time went by, and also the remaining members of the Council finally disbanded silently.
The End?
Draining on his energy and his nerves, his constant scheming, intriguing and acting turned him into a senile, aging man. At the end Vaughn has become a lunatic salesman himself at the border of insanity, wandering around, luckily reaching the next city selling and buying pulp, and of course, talking to himself most of the time about nothing really.
