I think you've misunderstood (sorry about that), I actually have the character (although that's fantastic and may have to suggest that to someone/nick it
) and I'll post him here in a bit for reading if anyone is interested.
What I'm after is some random bits for past assassination targets to start filling up his IC journal so I have somewhere a bit more solid to start when I start writing about adventures I go on.
You're sort of close to the mark though, Jonathan Fisher is a very proper gentleman, and for the most part is what you would consider a good person. But he's also an assassin for his order.
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Jonathan Fisher started off life as a nothing more than a little street urchin with a thuggish attitude that would make Gurganus proud
(note: heh, in jokes. ). One fateful day however, little Fisher tried to mug a “harmless†old man for a temptingly large coin purse. Before long the boy was down on his backside and given a choice, have some sense and good behaviour beaten into him there and then, or come with him and do chores to make it up. Fisher, being a boy who liked to avoid getting beaten, begrudgingly went with the old man. These were his first unlikely steps to becoming an assassin of The Order of the Blade.
As the years went by Fisher was nothing more than a servant boy to The Order, although a well-liked and increasingly well-mannered one. He was treated fairly and life was fairly good. The ways of The Order slowly seeped into his mind and by the time Fisher was 17, he had expressed an interest in becoming an Acolyte of The Order.
After some discussion, it was decided that he would be allowed to join The Order proper. It would save the hassle of making sure he kept the place secret and his past life of thievery and occasional violence showed a talent for their work somewhere beneath the surface. He was rough around the edges, but training would hone him.
And hone him it did. Training and more years went by, and soon Fisher had risen from fulfilling minor assassinations to more daring and dangerous jobs. So impressed was one particular Blade Master, one Theodor Yates, he took Fisher under his wing.
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The Order of the Blade
The Order is a small but old organisation, some say as old as the Free Cities themselves. Being ever mindful to remain all but unknown they are assassins and peace keepers, in their own way.
The Order believes in balance in all things, and that it is the only way true peace can be achieved. Without the criminal there can be no law, and without the law there can be no criminal. Because of this there are no targets beyond their jurisdiction; a captain of the guard is just as likely to be killed as any crime lord. The only requirements for a hit to be carried out are that they are going to disrupt the balance of peace in the Free Cities, and that death must occur no matter what.
They are however perfectly willing to help people carry out assassinations if they feel the cause is just. They cannot be everywhere at once, no matter how hard they try, so any who know of The Order’s existence will often come to them for aid. They do not even ask for payment, although a donation is highly recommended and great appreciated.
People ask for The Orders help at their own peril however. If the Order will not take a job they will usually politely ask the other party to leave, but every so often someone will ask The Order to disrupt the balance of things, and find themselves die days or even weeks later at the hands of those they called for aid.
As the years have passed things have changed in the Free Cities and The Order has had to adapt with them. Order law has slowly become strict tradition, and even that is somewhat laxer. There are some core laws that must be abided however, and the punishments range from demotion to execution.
- Never compromise The Order.
- Never leave a man behind.
- Never prolong the suffering of your target.
Beyond that an assassin is free to conduct their business however they wish. Even the requirements of white robes have been dropped, although die hard traditionalists still don them.
Hierarchy in The Order is simple, but strict. Most assassins are Acolytes, and whilst they vary in age and experience, they all must answer to those who have been named Blade Masters.
The Blade Masters are tasked with more dangerous assassinations and also oversee the training of Acolytes. Each Blade Master will choose one Acolyte at a time to train further so they in turn will become Blade Masters. Whilst many Acolytes will become Blade Masters, most will not.
All members of The Order must answer to the Elders, traditionally a group of 10 of the oldest and most experienced assassins, although they have been known to number at 20 members in the past. Whilst they will rarely conduct assassinations themselves, they are in charge of planning the most high profile assassinations, and all assassinations must be approved by them. They watch not only The Order but the Free Cities also and decide how best to keep the balance. They are also in charge of deciding the fate of those assassins who break the laws of The Order, including other Elders. In the true spirit of balance, no member is treated specially. Acolyte or Elder, you are treated the same.
Most members of The Order will stay within it until they take their dying breath, however it is not unknown for members to have retired. Most of the time this is permitted, and the only requirement of the retiree is that they take an oath of secrecy. There are some members however that may not be completely trusted to be left outside of the watchful eye of The Order.
These members may forever be tracked and watched, a life that has driven many back into The Order, or they are assassinated by the very order that trained them. This is almost always carried out by a Blade Master, but some rare cases have called for the personal attention of an Elder.
There are at least as many temples of The Order as there are Free Cities, however the moniker temple is just that, a name. The temples themselves come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on where they are situated, from “abandoned†warehouses, to fine manors. Each temple will have an armoury, a training area and a library no matter what but otherwise it is up to the Temple Keeper, usually a Blade Master, what each Temple will contain and how it will be run. One temple even runs an inn, as a front naturally.
The High Temple however is a temple in every respect, and it is in this temple that the Elders meet to discuss important subjects and pass judgement on those who break order law. The council chamber itself resembles an amphitheatre, with a great glass roof overhead rather than the sky itself. The walls and seating are a bright white marble, but the floor is a shallow sand pit. Whilst the chambers are usually reserved for discussion, combat is also a possibility and so the pit serves to provide a better combat arena.
Sometimes the authority of an Elder will be challenged, and usually this is resolved with a vote. However on occasion a more direct course of action is needed, and so a challenge may be issued. The Elder steps into the middle of the ring, and the other party approaches, and thrusts their sword into the pit. If the Elder leaves the sword in place, the challenge has been accepted and the dissenting voice retrieves the sword in preparation for combat. If the sword is picked up by the Elder and returned, the Elder has agreed to step down. Very rarely will the audience side with an Elder who is not prepared to defend his stance. Combat is usually until one side yields; however the gravest matters call for a fight to the death.
Most matters do not require all order members to be present, and will be contained to the temple concerned. Subjects that will affect everyone however are always planned in advance to provide enough time for the messages to reach each temple, and for all members to tie up any business and reach the High Temple. Those who do not attend are required to have a suitable reason, or face punishment.
Training in The Order is a long and varied process. Whilst the obvious lessons of combat and stealth are taught, more academic subjects are also required, from the history of the Free Cities to various languages. All members are expected to be able to read and write, and know enough about the Free Cities to travel unhindered, however lessons of the mind are largely left to the Acolyte in question otherwise.
The Order has, and for the foreseeable future always operated in the Free Cities and has only ever concerned itself with Free Cities matters. In recent years however there have been a small but growing number of voices in favour of expanding the order and moving into the other nations, the loudest and most persistent of these voices belonging to one Jonathan Fisher.
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