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Jean Sutre · Visitor Joined: 17 Nov 2009 Posts: 10

Yesterday in the busy tinker shop of East Britain you could hear the sounds of people working hard. You would have heard the sounds of small things being adjusted, springs loading, switches breaking, and an occasional curse. If you were a regular you may have noticed a new face in the shop. And if you were paying attention you may have noticed that this new face worked a bit quieter than the others. He was a human man around forty years old. He had a shaved head with a carefully groomed goatee. He would have been just shy of six feet tall with a stocky build. This is a face you would have been wise to remember.

The face would have belonged to Jean Sutre. He was there on a professional matter. You probably would have seen him working on a small box. Maybe you'd have seen him loading a spring. You may have seen him set a dart. Maybe that would have been suspicious behavior. Maybe if you saw him lock the box and throw away the key you would have thought it was strange, maybe not. Maybe when you saw him pick the lock. Would that have tipped you off that what you were watching was murder in motion?

In any case what you may have missed if you were in the East Britain tinker shop was in fact murder in motion. What you do not know about that new face is that he is trained to kill. He's trained to split a skull with a mace. He is trained to trick you into doing his job for him. He is trained to use the shadows. His brain works like a machine. He does research on his targets. He takes their lives when they are most comfortable and least suspecting. And most impressively is that he is trained to work for whoever hands him the most gold.

Have you angered anyone who would be willing to pay for your corpse? Are you involved with politics at any level? Could that murder in action that you may have witnessed be your own? Assume that it is for a second. Could you stop it? Do you think that if you had a someone coming for you that you could avoid the poisons, the traps, the "accidents"? Do you employ a guard loyal enough to take a blade for you? Does your guard have the talent to stop a highly trained assassin? Who would be willing to give you the chance to watch your own murder as it happens, in pure ignorance?

Jean Sutre · Visitor Joined: 17 Nov 2009 Posts: 10

Sitting in the Salty Dog Tavern of East Britain, Jean was enjoying some roast pork with a honey glaze, poached carrots and french bread. With a bit of pork on his fork he was disturbed by the sound of an old man walking around the bar area. He was leaning while he walked, putting a lot of his weight on his shepherd's crook. He approached Jean and said with a nervous stutter, "The... the bartender t-told me you could help me..."
Jean looked up at the old man slightly irritated and said quietly, "When I've finished my meal, I'll listen to you."

Jean made no effort to hurry through his dinner as the man anxiously fiddled with his crook. After sopping up the last of the glaze with his bread, he wiped his mouth and turned his attention toward the man. The old man quickly explained that he was a farmer from Ilshenar, whose farm had been repeatedly terrorized by brigands. The attacks were so violent that he had sent his granddaughter away. Jean accepted payment of five hundred gold pieces to kill the leader of the brigands, and escort the girl home when it was safe.

Jean walked with the old man to the farm. After being pointed in the direction that the brigands always attacked from, Jean crept off looking for the camp. It didn't take him long to find it. They were camped at the base of an old abandoned tower. There were three of them there but he couldn't tell who was in charge so he waited, watching.

After watching them eat, talk, and generally waste their night before falling asleep, Jean decided it was time to go in. He approached them silently and quickly dealt with each of them, one by one. While he was cleaning off his bloody mace, he heard voices. He rolled his eyes and took to the shadows.

The newcomers were both bigger than the other brigands he'd just dispatched. One had answered to the name Neil and the other was unknown. Although neither wore armor, Jean noticed they each had a blade dangling from their hip. He waited until just after they had passed him to attack. Jean leaped from the shadows, a shuriken in one hand and his mace in the other. Neil cried out in surprise as the shuriken stuck in his back.Neil's surprise from the shuriken bought Jean all the time he needed to kill his friend. The anonymous brigand fell immediately after Jean's mace came in contact with his skull, caving in the side of his head. From the other side Jean turned to see the effects. Unsatisfied with Neil's state, he dropped a conflagration potion at the man's feet. Neil spasmed and screamed while he crawled out of the mess, just to die from the wounds. Smiling at the simplicity of the job Jean turned to go find the farmer's granddaughter.

Jean Sutre · Visitor Joined: 17 Nov 2009 Posts: 10

With his side job done it was time for Jean Sutre to get back at the task that brought him out of the Abyss to begin with. He had his trap ready to go, he had the time designated, and the place picked out. All that was left was to execute the plan. His target was a man named Joseph. Joseph was the quiet type with a skill set similar to Jean's own. Jean's research had provided the information that Joseph had stolen something very valuable and was sure that he was going to get away without consequence. The thing about Joseph is that he was good at what he did but he was not a very smart man, in a more general sense. He wasn't smart enough to avoid being cocky. A normal man capable of stealing a lifetime's worth of gold would be smart enough to keep his mouth shut about it. Not Joseph.

Joseph was known to frequent a tavern in Buccaneers Den. Jean had found more than one person in the rather tight lipped area willing to talk. Not to say they were not at all coerced. Joseph had made a habit out of visiting the same wench every night. He visited the same wench, in the same room, on the same night every week. This is when Jean would earn his paycheck.

Jean had given the madame a hefty portion of his pay in order to help him with this set up. The Madame convinced Joseph that he should allow Ariel to bathe him in the bath house. While the wench kept the victim's attention, Jean crept in and replaced Joseph's effects with his own crate. The unsuspecting Joseph enjoyed his last minutes of life. He spent them in a hot bath, eating and drinking with an attractive woman. When his bath was done and Joseph's body was charred and riddled with shrapnel. Jean was sitting on the other side waiting.

Jean finished his bath with a smile on his face. A smile knowing he'd claimed another victim. A smile knowing he'd bested another outlaw. A smile knowing he was that much richer.

Jean Sutre · Visitor Joined: 17 Nov 2009 Posts: 10

Jean sat in his room at the inn recounting this evening's display of idiocy. He was sorting through the details of the night, sifting through the people and the ways they dealt with each other. He had disguised himself as a noble in order to gain access to the debate without attracting attention to himself. There was the usual political nonsense, nothing important to him, but it did reveal interesting things about the participants.

He was sure people would want Starfire gone. She had proved inept through the entire event. She'd forgotten laws, failed to maintain order, and occasionally spoke to the crowd like she were speaking to a pack of animals. Somehow she managed to hold her title for another term. Then there was Sid. When Sid's qualifications came into question there were people proposing amendments to be made right then and there. There were also a lot of people who were angry that Sid slipped by unqualified. Maybe Jean should contact some of them. Orelen seemed to know the laws even better than the current Regent. He spoke with the usual politician's halitosis, but so did everyone else. He mentioned laws that were being ignored more than once and he was ignored for it. In Jean's eyes Orelen should have won by default. Sid was not even eligible and Starfire was obviously either corrupt or incompetent.

There was a man named Bleys who was loud and ignored the whole time. When his candidate Sid was taken out of the running he threatened to disassociate his clan. It seemed that Merci D'Rue probably should not be involved with this body. She never said anything in favor of anyone or anything regarding it. Cal Hurst seemed to be looking for attention. He took the seat of one of the loyalists. He sat there fully armed including his shield joking back and forth with Merci and Talon. If Cal Hurst had voted in place of the one he sat in for, Jean missed it. And Talon Skyfire seemed pretty disinterested, only speaking when he could insult someone.

Jean penned a small list of people he should get in contact with before starting his evening workout.

Jean Sutre · Visitor Joined: 17 Nov 2009 Posts: 10

Business had been slow since leaving the Abyss. Jean knew that things would be slow until he set up a way to contact him but the one random job reminded him how bored he was. Most nights he sat alone thinking, ate alone thinking, trained alone thinking. Realistically he didnt even need to work anymore. But he couldn't kill the boredom, he couldnt kill the ache when he stopped using his muscles, and frankly he needed the adrenaline. He loved the heart pumping when he got close to a formidable target. He loved the satisfaction of knowing the man he'd just bested could easily do the same to him. And he kind of liked the power trip of causing serious pain and agony.

It was time to set up a new informant network. How should he do it? Certainly it shouldnt be easy to get in contact with him, but it had to be possible. Maybe he'd bring his wife out and make her help him. Hell, maybe she would bring a contract.
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Jean sat at the table of his new house cursing. His target had evaded him again. This was getting to be annoying, had the target learned to avoid him? Jean sitting at the tiny table carving into it with a dart. He went over all his research in his head.

"The targets name is still unknown. He is a soldier. He has picked up an elven girlfriend. They have been reported as seen around Malas and Trammel. Positive identifications had been coming from the tavern in East Britain from more than one person." But he could not find him.

Digging deeper with the tip of the dart he continued going over his knowledge of the target. "He will never turn down a bet. He's a young man. He has some high quality weaponry... Bows and a war fork. He wears dark sun glasses to fit with his uniform. And his main vanity point is his long hair that almost matches his skin color." But he still hadn't seen him.

As Cami walked by him he watched her. His eyes widened, "I need to find her." He continued watching his wife as she stoked the fire. "Somehow this guy has been very lucky...if I got his girl I'd be able to find him..." Cami snickered having caught her husband's gaze on her behind.

Becoming more and more lost in thought he dug deeper into the table. He ran the plan through in his head for the hundredth time. "First I identify him. Second I talk to him. Third I find something to bet on. Fourth I lose the bet. Fifth I give him the box. Sixth I do not smile while he opens it. Simple plan."

Satisfied with his review and noticeably irritated he stood up from his chair and walked to the window. It was dark and the forest was quiet. He looked out the window listening to the silence. He dropped to the floor and did pushups while he talked himself through his schedule for the morning.

Jean Sutre · Visitor Joined: 17 Nov 2009 Posts: 10

Oakly was sitting in his usual spot in a Britain tavern when he felt a powerful grip on the back of his neck.

"Sarker, I-I told you I dont have your money."

Oakly being the degenerate coward he was didnt even look back to see the bald headed man smiling.

"I-I told you I'll bring it to your house when I have it."

A familiar but unexpected voice came from behind.

"I know you've been lying to me..."

Still unable to see it, Oakley could hear the smile.

"That long haired pretty boy's name is Sarker, and YOU know where he lives."

Knowing he made a mistake here Oakley was barely holding back his tears.

"I-I cant show you. He'll kill me."

"Stop shaking, its pathetic. You wont have to worry about him killing you if you show me. If you don't show me, I'll show you where I live, and you'll be more afraid of my wife than you are of me."

*Jean sits in front of Oakley for a game of dice*

* * * * *

*In a private wooded area Jean paced back and forth listening to the shrieking of his wife*

"If you know where he lives, why are we still living in that inn? You haven't even set up a business yet. Where is your brother? Why haven't you gone and finished your contract? Why are we still sleeping at an inn? Why haven't you brought home anyone to play with? Do you want me to kill you? Should I go do your job for you? Do I have to do everything? Where is this house? How are you thinking you're going to do it this time? Why don't you use a trap in thier bed? Or how about you just creep in while they're sleeping or just burn the whole place down?"

Jean's head throbbing harder and harder as she continued to nag him.
"Just go do it. Just let Me go do it. I'm done living in the inn...."

Jean stopped and looked at Cami

"Fine. Quit your moaning, woman! I'll finish it tonight and we'll go home."

Jean left his wife in the woods, walking as quickly as he could, leaving his usual calculated self behind with her.