Once upon a time there was a city by the sea. It was a wealthy city from which Dhows were built and sailed for thousands of kilometers bringing books and wines and glass and porcelain and dyes and beasts and silks and spices and slaves and more to it's grand bazaars, to which galleys, holks and cogs came. With this commerce came wealth which the merchant masters of this city used to build grand houses, opulent temples and commissioned works of craft and art for both themselves and to sell to foreigners for even more money. But with money came those who coveted it. Pirates, inland rivals and bandits all sought to scarf up a slice of it's trade income. To combat these threats all free men of the city were required to keep arms and form into companies when danger came while a percentage of the city's profits went to arming the masses and training them up for war. In this realm the value of a man was determined by two things: his aptitude for turning one coin into two and his mastery of bow, spear and scimitar to keep his country's wealth and people secure.





This fellow here was adept at the latter, but soon found that he was for the most part Rubbish at the former. His family despaired as it took him two days to move a cart of figs during the week leading up to the Feast of the Lady of Fire while baring bringing in enough coin to cover costs. But he was a protege with a blade and steel shield and his fencing master frequently told his fellows to follow his example. As such, on his eighteenth birthday he announced that he would leave the family business in the much more capable hands of his sister and go off to prove the value of the family name on the field of battle. The high standard of marshal competence of the area had generated a new export: mercenary companies. He signed up with the Thousand Blades the next day and shipped off to war.





The Thousand Blades was a well respected company and though they steadfastly refused to engage in any action against their home city they still found plenty of work in the myriad small wars which filled the continent. His odd speech, aversion to eating meat during the day, burning of prayer papers and mirror plate often set him apart from the local knights and sergeants the Thousand Blades fought alongside, but most were impressed at how he could carve through a spear wall with his curvy sword.

