Finkle The Outlaw (lvl 1)
Finkle was never gifted with the opportunity of a clan life. He was born on the streets of a city who's name he has forgotten. His family was never very fortunate so they sold their son of as a street performers apprentice. This life was not to horrible but the lack of life skills taught to him caused him to get into a great deal of trouble as a young man. His master “Lord Carlan Master of the Stinging Wasp” was a Half-elf street performer who specialized in knife juggling. Finkle studied his trade very hard and with earnest to please his master. Which it did, but his master not caring about the young Halfling other than an addition to his earnings did not show affection that Finkle craved. This being the case Finkle rebelled and started causing trouble for his master, getting caught stealing, getting into fights, playing pranks on the guards, and even trying to steal a kiss from the Duke's wife during a performance. Little did Finkle know at the time, he had attracted the attention of someone else.
Bree was also a Halfling without a home, she used to go the the street performers circle daily to see if any dropped money was unaccounted for. That is where she first saw Finkle, right in the middle of his masters favorite trick “The Dance of the Wasp”. The grace and smile on Finkle's face caught her attention right away, to the point where she forgot why she had come. Bree had watched him for the rest of the day. Right up until she saw Finkle attempt to kiss the Duchess of the city.
Finkle's antics really got him in trouble this time. The Duke was not amused and ordered Finkle's execution. Carlan did not even try to fight to save his student and let the guards drag Finkle to the barracks for holding. That was the last Finkle ever saw of his master or his trade. Night had fallen, Finkle sat in his cell wishing he had used his head better. Suddenly a pebble landed in Finkles lap. Looking up Finkle saw a young Halfling girl with beautiful red hair peering through the cell window above him.
Confused and scared Finkle cried up to her. “Come to throw stones at me?”
“No, well yes, but only to get your attention.”,replied Bree. Finkle just looked back down frustrated with himself. “Are you going to sit down there this whole time? Or would you like my help?”
Stunned that a stranger was offering him help, he replied, “Who are you and why would you want to help me?”
“Because you are wonderful, full of life, and cute” Bree cried down. “Besides your talent could earn you a lot of money off the streets.”
Not knowing exactly what to think, he was sure of one thing. He did not want to be stuck in this cell until his gallows appointment. “Do you have a rope?”
Finkle waited nervously till just before Dawn for Bree to reappear in his cell window, she never came. His hour was upon him now and he was feeling worse now than he had in his whole short, dull, sad little life. The crowed had gathered to heckle him before death. Finkle scanned the horrid crowd and could see a familiar face in every person but no one he knew. He was alone, a lonely death for a stupid act. As the bag was placed over his head and the noose wrapped around his neck he could hear the crowd quiet with anticipation.
Not a sound to be heard in the courtyard except the Captain of the guard reading off a list of crimes. Bree sat on the rooftop with her crossbow steady. Sweat dripped off her brow with concentration. One shot, she had one shot so she can not miss. Scanning the area to make sure her plan was in place, she almost missed the countdown. With a quick pull of the trigger and the sound of the board dropping she thought her shot was too late.
The ground fell from under Finkle, this was it, he was going to... balance? Under his boot Finkle could feel the hard metal of a blade. Suddenly there was a loud twang above his head as if the guards started shooting at him. Finkle franticly worked the knot holding his hands to come free. His years training a street performer was actually doing something for him, saving his life. With his hands free Finkle grabbed the noose rope with one hand and, while blindfolded, kicked the blade up to his other hand. Cutting the rope Finkle fell to the ground tearing the bag off his head, the guards had circled around the gallows backs away from him as if looking for someone else. Taking this opportunity to slip away he ran to the side of the courtyard away from the eyes of the guards.
Bree had never seen anything like it. Just before her Bolt hit the rope a dagger appeared out of nowhere right under Finkle's foot. The bolt had missed as Finkle swayed balancing on the dagger. Thinking this was another tick of his she watched in amazement as he kicked the dagger up to his now free hands and tried to cut the rope. Noticing the guards rushing to him she made several shots to their feet then ran to a different building. As she had hopped the surprised guards had changed formation to now face there unseen foe. She scanned the yard for Finkle but saw no sight of him. With a smile of satisfaction she retreated off the backside of the building away from the guards.
As Finkle made his way to an alley he was scooped up by a cloaked figure and taken a different direction. Struggling to free himself he halted as he looked up and saw the familiar face of his master.
“You did it this time, Finkle, now I can no longer work here.”, Carlan said to Finkle as they slipped through the riotous crowd.
“You saved me?”, Finkle asked stunned, “But why?”
“Quiet, or we will be caught.” Is the only reply his master gave. Finkle remained hidden in his masters cloak as they made there way out of the city.
Night had fallen yet again, Finkle was sitting alone in an Inn outside of the city. His ale is all his comfort as he was running over the last words Carlan was saying to him. 'Its time for us to part, you have learned all I can teach.' What did that mean. Finkle knew nothing of the world, of the way real people lived. He had never been outside of the city. Finkle the juggler has now become Finkle the outlaw, and he didn't know what to do. If he had been in a better mood he might have noticed the guards come in.
