Lorning is a dashing and suave minor functionary. He has no title or lands. He works with the Seneschal, procuring ducks and minor supplies. He occasionally travels to other lands just to get spices and such. In fact, he often travels with nobles visiting other courts to assist some more major domo in making appropriate arrangements. He likes travelling because he can be more extravagent on the coin of the Kingdom. Except for that he is very charismatic, he would be a total background character. He is also the Dark Hand of the King. As an agent of great skill and cunning, he inflicts policy (death) on those the King deems, steals what the King needs, and has literally saved the world four times.

65 xp 8,734 views

Special Equipment:

The Kings Spymaster is a firm believer in deceptive items that are not magical (as magical items can be detected). These seemingly mundane items can withstand a visual search and any basic one, yet will become useful equipment as time goes on.

Most frequently used

*)Micro-crossbow that shoots grappling lines. The micro-crossbow is made by combining several toiletry items.
*)Smoke Bombs, sometimes the smoke creates eye buring irritation. They appear to be buttons or glass gems.
*)Clawed Gloves that allow him to climb efficently and strike in hand to hand combat visciously.
*Armbands with retractable garrote lines.
*)Bootheels with acid hidden in a secret compartment.
*)Boots with hidden blades.
*)Armbands that shoot blades ready into the palms of the wearer (or throws them weakly).

Appearance:

Lorning is a man of average height and build. He is athletic, but not bulky. He has dozens of scars all over his body. His face is what people remember. He is not classically handsome. He has a rugged charm and sexuality that leaves an imprint upon every female he meets.

Background:

Lorning is a man with a minor noble pedigree. He was sent to the Academy early on, first as a page, then a student. It was there he was noticed by Master M (the Crown's spymaster). He received some special training at the academy and served well in the field. After proving himself as an officer, he was recalled to Mystral Winery behind the Castle and far from the Academy. (He was told to tell everyone that he was retiring from military service.) There he was given the intensive training of all the King's Hands. These agents secretly support the Crown, feretting out traitors, investigating military and political manuverings of other countries, stealing copies of plans and spells that would unbalance the status quo, and in short, making the world safe for good decent people and the Crown that supports them. Lorning was a youngest candidate every to reach the most proficient ratings. After a year or two, he was assigned to the Seneschal. Over the last decade or so, he has proved to be a useful functionary... though occasionally a bit lax in his duties and prone to daliance and extravigance in his duties.

Over that decade or so, he has become the King's Black Hand... one of possibly three top agents... who are impliments of policy. This man has not only saved the country, he has personally saved the Crown three times, and actually saved the world four times from several 'great threats' like the The Dark Mask (See Link below). No one except those who become hands/ agents will ever know of his bravery and skills. They are written in the Journal of The Hands, the chronicles of the Hands. (These are written in code AND hidden in the winery). Perhaps someday.


Roleplaying Notes:

He is a calm and polite man. He is an excellent courtier. He is charming enough to engage the interest of any woman he meets (and some men). When he is menacing or violent, it is such a sharp contrast it is twice as effective for bluff and intimidation.

While it seems that he is doing everything by the seat of his pants, he is actually a master strategist. He has planned out every possible option before hand and has probably cached needed equipment ahead of time so when he needs it, it will be right there.

In most cases, unless the players are intimately involved in the action, they will not know that anything 'odd' is occuring. They may meet Lorning in his daily guise before and after any 'events' he might cause. In fact, since most adventurers are an odd sort, they might be blamed for the 'events' that he might cause. Nobody would suspect a court functionary, when known tomb thieves and dealers with the strange are right here.

Note: He is also a master actor, so he can take on any role he needs. When Lorning the courtier is not sufficient, he becomes foreign military officers, grooms, or delivery guys. Anything to get the job done.

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Discussion

7 comments

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  1. Siren no Orakio

    Smells of James Bond. Well done adapting him to the fantasy situation, however, as he's an archtype rarely encountered there.

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  2. KendraHeart

    Lorning, Sir Lorning.

    I like the combining of genres and settings to produce something new. They had spies in the Renaissance times, each prince/ household against the others. I could see a campaign of spy vs spy set in Italy in the late 1300s.

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  3. CaptainPenguin

    I must say that I really love this character's gadgetry and dashing Bond-ness. I'd use a different name, perhaps, make him more exotic, but that's just my preference.

    Thumbs up!

    4/5.

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  4. MoonHunter

    Actually, Ian Flemming came up with the name after meeting a postal clerk. The man was boring and non descript, the most non descript man he had ever met. That man had the name James Bond. He choose it because it was so 'common' and so 'boring'. I guess if he was an American author, we would be saying 'Brown, John Brown,' instead.

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    1. Murometz reply

      False. He named James Bond after an *American* Ornithologist named, James Bond. :)

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  5. MoonHunter

    Updated: Updated for spelling error.

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  6. valadaar

    A good reskinning of Bond. I could see him being used :)

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