Cutthroat Business

[Cad Revel]

Timestamp: 3rd of Vhalar, 721
Location: Council Halls

"So what exactly was it you said you did again, Mr Revel?"

Cad smirked at the clerk sat across the desk. His secret plan for world domination was going to require a steady stream of money, and in order to get his devious little hands on it Cad had cooked up a cunning business scheme. Ensorcelling was a rare craft, and as one of the few people who could claim to have a genuine talent for the art he was uniquely suited to set up a magecraft workshop. Not only should it make him rich, but would also allow him to purchase the rare and unusually items he'd need to build golems and doomsday devices without arousing suspicion. It was perfect! And all he had to do was convince this simple-minded pencil-pusher that he was a honest, hard-working businessman. Easy.

"I'm an inventor." He replied smoothly. "And an expert in the magical arts. I'm a genius in several different sciences, and I've already led a successful expedition to explore a fracture."

The clerk adjust some papers on his desk. "I see that. Yet I can't help but notice that your so-called successful fracture exploration ended with one man admitted to the order of adunih with severe well poisoning, and many more injured."

Ah. Oh yeah, that happened. "Well... you see..." Cad stuttered, but couldn't seem to find the words for the right excuse.

"It seems to me," the clerk continued, "that you haven't fully considered the responsibility you'll be taking on as an employer. Mining is a dangerous industry, and I don't have to be a magician to know that adding those freaky wells to the mix isn't going to make it any safer. What will you do when someone gets injured? What precautions will you take to prevent accidents from happening? What will you do to keep your people safe?"

Cad was silent. There was nothing he could say, because there was nothing he had done. Nothing. That's how much he cared to stop and think and the safety of the people he'd intended to employ. They were just dumb, faceless people he'd send headfirst into some of the most dangerous places on the planet for a few measley coins. Was he really so heartless that he hadn't even considered how another case of well poisoning could ruin their lives?

The clerk looked at him neutrally, eyes staring straight into his, and nodded even so slightly. "I see it's just starting to dawn on you just what a responsibility it is to be the one in command. That's good. Perhaps we may just make a merchant out of you after all." He brought his stamo down on a sheet of paper with a heavy thud. "Your application to join the merchants guild will he taken into consideration. Once the construction of your workshop is completed your business premises will be subjected to a full inspection. Provided that you pass this inspection, the merchant's guild will be happy to welcome your business into the city." He handed the paper to Cad and offered him a measured smile. "Good luck Mr Revel. Something tells me you're going to need it."

Magic/Abilities/Items Used

None.

[Cad Revel]

Timestamp: 14th of Vhalar, 721
Location: Almund

'What will you do to keep your people safe?'

It had been eleven days since his meeting at the council halls, and yet Cad still couldn't get the scribe's words out of his head. In recent days he'd secured a large plot of land on the outskirts of Almund: a spot by the coast almost right in the middle of Almund and Faldrass, and had hired a crew of builders to begin construction. There was so much work to be done: work to oversee, traps to design, equipment to purchase, and yet despite knowing how important it was Cad just couldn't seem to focus on any task for long before those words popped back into his head again.

It only took a little bit of soul searching for Cad to realise that he was having a crisis of conscience. On the one hand he was a villain: a black-hearted rogue, who would one day rule not just Scalvoris but all of Idalos. An ambition as grand as his would never be acheived without sacrifice, and as a villain he should not care about the safety of his disposable minions. The problem however was that despite knowing that he shouldn't, Cad couldn't help but care anyway. Stealing, lying and cheating he could live with, but systematically sending people into a place as dangerous as a fracture purely for his own gain? It just didn't sit right.

So what was he to do then? If he did send his employees into the fractures they would surely get badly hurt one day, but if he didn't his own dreams would never come to pass. How did he reconcile this? Could be make the fractures safer somehow? No, that was ridiculous. Even with enough money to build a kingdom a fracture could never be made safe. Could he start a business in a different industry? No, because then people would start to question why he spend so much money purchasing magical items when it wasn't related to his business. It was all or nothing. Either he strove for world domination by standing upon the misery of those who'd trusted themselves to him, or he remained a small-time crook for the rest of his life.

"Mr Revel! You'd better come see this!"

Cad looked up as one of the builders came running up to him, an expression of concern plastered across her face. She pointed over to a stretch of beach near to the construction site, where a large crowd on builders had gathered around something on the edge of the water. "There's a man in the water sir! A big man! And a shark! The man is alive, but his injuries are pretty nasty! You're a doctor right, is there anything you can do?"

"Show me." Cad demanded, following the builder down to shore and pushing his way through the crowd. The sight that awaited him was exactly as decribed. Sprawled across the sand was a giant of a man beside a piece of driftwood, his musclar body riddled with cuts and patches of blackened, dead flesh. His hands seemed the worst off; they were almost entirely purple and black, with his fingers either broken into jagged angles of completely missing. If Cad had to guess they'd been broken in some kind of conflict, and then developed frostbite from the cold ocean winds. Next to him lay a shark of some species Cad did not recognise, with large brusies around its head suggesting that it'd been knocked unconscious. Had the man been in a fistfight with the shark? that would explain the damage to his hands.

"What should we do? Call for a healer?" One of the builders asked.

"No. They'd take too long, and this man doesn't have the time to spare." Cad replied. "Fetch a stretcher and take him to the nearest tent. The shark too. I'll treat him myself." Cad replied.

The builders gave him a funny look. "The shark? You're going to treat that too?" One of them asked.

"Not exactly. Now hurry! Get the stretcher! And somebody bring the bag of medical supplies from my tent."

The builders ran off to follow his orders, and Cad looked down at the injured man. With a frame as study and musclar as his the injured man would probably survive with basic medical treatment, but he'd be left crippled by the loss of his hands, and deformed by the multiple splotches of dead flesh. If his appearance was to be ruined anyway, they why not ruin it further in exchange for a capable body. Cad's gaze drifted to the unconscious shark. Perhaps a little spash of graft magic was just what the doctor ordered?

Magic/Abilities/Items Used

None.

[Cad Revel]

Timestamp: 14th of Vhalar, 721
Location: Almund

The mysterious man’s chest rose and fell in uneven, jerky breaths. Whatever dream he was caught in had surely turned feverish and fitful from the pain, but Cad knew better than to wake him. This process would be unpleasant enough anyway without him being awake to feel it.

He ran a finger over the man’s damaged hands, turning his attention inward and calling upon the graft spark within his soul. He could feel it writhing in anticipation within, telling him that it could do as he desired, would that he just feed it the ether it craved. Closing his eyes, Cad siphoned the ether through his soul into his graft spark, and felt it flare to life within.

First came the hands. Through his spark, Cad could feel that the enervation energy within them had long since faded. The hands were dead, and would become poisonously necrotic if left alone. They had to go. There was no magic in this step, no convenient spell that would do the grizzly work for him. All Cad could do was pick up the bone saw awaiting within his medical kit and get to work.

When the hands were removed, Cad turned to the shark. His hands traced the shark’s skin, and his spark hummed in approval. It could work with this. Mould this. Cad pressed his fingers into the shark’s flesh, and felt it give against his finger like soft butter. It felt warm and rough, and unnatural in the way it so easily yielded to his touch. Cad took a couple of large handfuls, scooping up flesh, bone and muscle, making sure to keep the enervation energy flowing through it, and began to reshape it.

Cad’s fingers were skilled and precise from the various forms of artisanry he practiced, but remodelling living flesh was an unusual experience. Using the mystery man’s severed hand as a template he attempted to put together a new one from the shark flesh, doing his best to imitate the original hand’s size and shape. It was a surprisingly complex task; though he’d studied the structure of a hand in medical journals, actually linking together the complex web on veins, nerves and tendons took an unexpected amount of attention to detail. The end result looked to be the correct shape, if not the same colour, but Cad had a gut feeling that it would never match the level of dexterity of the original hand.

With his replacement crafted, Cad pressed the shark hand against the deadened stump of the mystery man’s arm and called more deeply upon his spark. His graft spark responded immediately, knitting human and shark together: flesh to flesh, bone to bone, nerve to nerve, until all that remained to show that the two had ever been divided was a thin line of scarring. The flow of enervation energy in the mysterious man’s body altered to run through the new hand, signifying that though it may be clumsy, the new digits would still at least function.

Cad had intended to repeat the process with the other hand, but as he reached for it a wave of dizziness washed over him. Damn it, remaking and attaching the first hand had taken more ether than he’d expected. If he pressed on he’d almost certainly overstep. Yet the shark had been out of water for too long already, and was nearing its final moments. If he didn’t take its flesh now it’d die, and he’d lose his chance to make another hand from it.

A pity, but Cad wasn’t prepared to overstep. Who knew what could happen if he overstepped his limits mid-operation anyway? Stepping away from the makeshift operating table, Cad rummaged around in his medical kit until he found a small vial of blended chemicals: a mixture that’d keep the mystery man asleep for another day. His body needed rest more than anything right now, and Cad did not need a panicky patient as strong as this guy disturbing him in the night.

Magic/Abilities/Items Used

Graft (Competent.)

[Cad Revel]

Timestamp: 15th of Vhalar, 721
Location: Almund

The next day the mystery man was still sleeping, and time had allowed Cad’s soul to recover from the strain of his heavy casting. Fortunately today’s task was only light work.

The first thing Cad did was work his fingers over the stump left behind on his patient's other arm, closing the veins and nerve ending and removing the scraps of dead flesh. He might not be able to replace the hand anymore, but he could at least make sure it no longer hurt. With that done, Cad turned his attention to the multitude of red and black splotches that coated the man’s skin. They looked hideous and raw, painful even, but were only skin deep. It wouldn’t take much to repair them.

The only problem was that Cad’s graft spark wasn’t exactly the repairing type.

Cad ran his hands across the man’s skin, feeling the power of his spark flow through him and warp the man’s skin. Where he touched enervation energy flowed through it once more, fixing that which was injured. Fixing, but not restoring it to the way it had used to be. Where his hands touched the skin turned tough and grey, a cosmetic mirror of the shark flesh the man’s hand was not made of. It seemed that his spark had decided on the theme it wanted for it’s latest masterpiece: a blend of shark and man.

By the time it was done the mystery man’s skin was entirely grey, and held that same aquatic sheen that fish and other sea creatures did. He was a rough-and-ready looking man as it was, with the kind of mug that was never going to win any prizes at a beauty pageant, but now he more closely resembled a mer than a human. Still he would at least live, would not be in constant pain, and would hopefully have fully functional limbs. That was more than most others who went through what this man had could claim.

“Where- am I?…”

Cad looked down at the table, to find the mystery man’s eyes cracked open ever slightly. He was blearily looking up at him, still half trapped in a daze.

“Safe.” Cad replied bluntly. Now was not the time for fancy wording. “Sleep, my friend. You need it.”

“Capt’n… where is he?”

Cad’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “A captain? There was nobody else where I found you.”

He’d expected the mystery man to be distressed by this news, and he was, but not in the way Cad had expected. The fist of his new hand clenched tightly and his jaw stiffened. “… kill ‘im. I swear I’ll kill him…”

“Not tonight friend.” Cad replied softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Sleep now. Your revenge can wait until tomorrow.”

Those words seemed to be enough for the mystery man. The tension bled out of his body as his eyes shut once more, and sleep once again claimed him. Cad examined the stranger curiously. It seemed that he was certainly in for an interesting conversation tomorrow.

Magic/Abilities/Items Used

Graft (Competent.)

[Cad Revel]

Timestamp: 16th of Vhalar, 721
Location: Almund

A day had passed by, and late into the morning the mysterious man awoke once again. This time Cad was better prepared, and had some food, water and coffee waiting for him. Of course reaching for said food revealed to the stranger his missing left hand and replaced right one, but his grogginess after two full days of sleep did wonders to dampen his panic.

After some time to process the unexpected changes, the mystery man was calm enough to listen to Cad’s retelling of the circumstances leading up to his transformation. Once he was finished, it was the man’s turn to speak.

“The name’s Jack, but most just call me Mutiny.” He began, gritting his teeth in anger at a memory. “I was the quartermaster on a Blackbrine pirate ship: The Flying Rharneman.”

Cad raised an eyebrow. “With a nickname like that I think I can guess what happened.”

“The captain was a Jackass!” Mutiny roared, gripping the table with his new hand tightly enough to leave an indent. “Always too cautious; willing to let big prizes slip through our fingers if there was the slightest risk! Screw that! I became a pirate to find fortune, not to stay warm and cozy in my cabin! I thought the rest of the crew did too, but I overestimated them. When I took a stand against the captain’s incompetence those who swore they’d stand with me backed down! They stood back and watched as I was thrown overboard in the middle of a storm!”

Cad hummed thoughtfully. “And yet you survived.”

“I got lucky. Found a piece of driftwood.” Mutiny snarled. “Spent close to two days adrift at sea, then got attacked by the f**king shark right off the coast. The next thing I know I’m waking up here: missing a hand and grey as concrete.”

Cad winced. “Apologies. I judged your life more important than your appearance. I can see if there’s a way to try and fix your looks if you want?”

Mutiny waved his hand dismissively. “Pah, forget that! Looks are for pansies. Tell me-…” He grinned wickedly, his smile looking ironically shark-like by itself. “Can you make me stronger?”

“Stronger?”

“Aye, stronger.” Mutiny flexed his hand. “This new thing you’ve gave me is clumsy as a log, but gods is it strong! I could throttle an oxe with this. If I’m gonna look like a freak anyway can’t you at least make me a powerful one?”

Realization dawned on Cad. “You intend to seek revenge on your old captain, don’t you?”

“Him and the rest of that yellow-bellied crew. So what do you say? Can you make me stronger?”

Could he? That was an interesting question. While Cad was a decent hand with his graft spark, he was far from the level needed to turn someone into a living tank. One mistake could leave Mutiny stuck in constant pain for the rest of his life. Just one little oversight could ruin his life.

Some of what he was thinking must have shown on his face, because Mutiny eyed him darkly. “Can’t do it?”

“More afraid I’ll injure you in the process.”

“Ha! You think I care about a little injury!” Mutiny pushed himself to his feet. “What good is a quiet life? A safe life? I ain’t never gonna be happy until each an’ every on of those bastards is sinking to the bottom of the ocean. What’s the point of life if you ain’t chasin’ your dreams?”

Cad frowned, more intrigued than he’d care to admit. “You’d risk your safety for a dream?”

“Every time.”

Was that it? Was that the answer he’d been searching for? Safety would never be an option when trying to harvest wells, but perhaps he’d been naive to assume that safety was all his employees would care about. Just as he dreamed of world domination, so too would they all have dreams if their own. Dreams that, like his, would cost money.

If he couldn’t take away the dangers, Cad could at least make the risk worth it. He could ensure that those who worked for him shared in the wealth, and do whatever he could to help them achieve their dreams as well.

“I can’t promise to make you a titan of strength right away.” Cad began, pacing around the room. “My skill as a mage is not yet at that level. But I have a dream of my own. How about you work for me, help me achieve my dream, and I’ll keep making you stronger and help you achieve yours?”

Mutiny grinned viciously. “Buddy, now you’re speakin’ my language.”

Magic/Abilities/Items Used

None.

[Cad Revel]

Timestamp: 122nd of Vhalar, 721
Location: Almund

Everything was falling into place.

The construction of his magecraft workshop was almost complete, and under his supervision Cad had installed a number of secret, non-lethal traps to protect against unwanted intruders. Nothing magical, but a lot of classics from stories: pressure plates that triggered tranquiliser darts, trapdoors that slid their victims into the bathroom waste pit, and even tripwires that caused the main staircase to turn into a flat slide. He’d have preferred to install a few more deadly traps, but there had been a few incidents during installation and his newfound employees had complained, so strictly non-lethal had been the compromise.

Luckily these non-lethal traps had been easier to hide from the inspector that came around on the merchant guild’s behalf, and the following day a letter had arrived confirming The Revel Magework’s full acceptance into the merchant’s guild. Employees had been hired, debts had been paid, and tomorrow the first group of employees would brave a fracture in search of wells. It would not be long before the money started to flow in.

Cad sat in the main office of his workshop, contemplating the changes that had occurred these past few seasons. He had sworn himself into the service of the new goddess of ruin, established his business, and found the first of what he hoped would be many henchmen to follow him in his path of evil. Already Mutiny had begun hiring bandits, pirates and other crooks to serve as his minions. The setup was finally complete.

Now he could make his first real debut into organised villainy.

Cad looked at the map of Scalvoris Town spread out across the desk in front of him, and allowed a sly smirk to grace his face. What better way to break his henchmen into their new role than with a little robbery?

Magic/Abilities/Items Used

None.

[Doran]

Cad:

Knowledge:
Graft x 4
Medicine x 2

Loot: -
Lost: -
Wealth: -

Injuries: Cad's use of Expert techniques at Competent Graft lead to Heavy Overstepping. For the remainder of Vhalar he will be dealing with a case of Spark Whispering:

The mage is compelled to mold and shape flesh. They dream of the feeling of flesh in their hands, the Spark pushing their curiosity constantly, ever forward. This overstepping always pushes the mage to experiment and sends them progressively further and further into overstepping by its very nature.

Renown: 5
Magic XP: Yes, for Graft.
Skill Review: See below.
Points: 10

Consequence: Cad saved Mutiny's life. He managed to give him a new hand out of shark flesh, but due to Cad's only having Competent Graft, Mutiny's hand will not be functional. In time and with more experience, Cad might be able to improve Mutiny's hand though!

- - -

Comments: Oh my! Cad is such an entertaining villain. I really enjoyed reading about his secret plan for world domination. Joining the Merchants’ Guild and opening a business is a great way for Cad to get the money that he needs to realize his plans, so I hope his application will be accepted!

He’s a black-hearted rogue and a villain, but he cares about the wellbeing of his employees, even if he shouldn’t. I love that he isn’t a one-dimensional bad guy. I read his background story earlier today. You actually made me wish that Cad’s plans will be successful!

I was quite curious as to what Cad would do with the shark attack victim. He did end up playing doctor, but not in the way I suspected. Your use of Graft was highly creative in my opinion. Making a new hand out of shark flesh and attaching it where the man’s damaged hand used to be, was very clever. The fact that the man’s skin turned grey when Cad fixed it was surprising. Does it have something to do with his mutation “Easel”?

Mutiny was far less upset than I would be upon noticing the shark hand and the grey skin. I really enjoyed the backstory you wrote up for him. This was a great way to acquire this particular NPC!

~~~

There were two issues with this thread that I could see.

First of all, you overplayed Cad’s Medicine skill. Cad amputated Mutiny’s hands that were damaged beyond repair with a bone saw. Cad has Novice Meditation, but amputation is only available at Competent Medicine.

Secondly, Cad made a new hand for Mutiny out of shark flesh. He has Competent Graft. You need Expert Graft/Corruption in order to reshape flesh and/or change the function of it. Furthermore, the Adhering technique “Mimic” is only available at Competent Graft. The following morning, Cad fixed Mutiny’s other hand before fixing the multitude of red and black splotches all over his skin.

This is a case of Heavy Overstepping in my opinion. For that reason, I’ve decided to assign the overstepping consequence you can see above.

With that being said, enjoy your rewards, and let me know if you have any questions, please!

P.S.: I would have added “Socialization” and “Leadership” to the list of skills used in the review request, for interacting with the man from the Merchants’ Guild and Mutiny and the builders respectively – and maybe “Detection” as Cad noticed various things throughout the thread.

P.P.S.: I noticed that you requested 4 Graft and 4 Medicine knowledges. You only get 6 knowledges for a solo. I gave you 4 Graft and 2 Medicine knowledges. Let me know if you'd rather have different knowledges, please!