Duffy
01-24-10, 06:39 PM
Name: Duffy Bracken
Alias: Monkey Man, Duffy, Lysander Brandybuck, the Tantalum
Titles: Tantalum, the Thayne Tantalus, Troupe Leader
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 129llbs
Hair Colour: Mouse Brown
Eye Colour: Jade Green or White
Occupation: Thief/Actor
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Accent: Norfolk Broads/Kentish Town
Languages: Trade Speak, Common, Scara Braen Slang
Literacy: Excellent
History: As time goes by, (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=19907) one discovers a certain modicum of self restraint, a certain pride in one’s origins. (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=19485) With so much turmoil in the lives of all of the members of the esteemed Tantalum Troupe, one can certainly lose a sense of self – replaced instead with a communal throng. Recent events in the city of Scara Brae, as well as far flung reaches of Corone, and the Raiaeran and Salvar states have seen Duffy Bracken and Ruby alike come face to face with the true extent of their predicament, as the unraveling threads of fate bring the War with Lucian Lahore ever closer. It is fast approaching the second year since he first appeared, since that last celebration of Lucian’s Call; something approaching a lifetime in the fast pace of city life.
Duffy has matured through his trials, encountering the Rangers in the forests, as well as discoursing with the living breathing embodiment of his plays in the twilight realms. In meeting Lysander, he began to accept and acknowledge his role to play in the rise of Lucian and the dwindling prosperity of the troupe as a whole. It may have given his connection with the newly discovered Aria a boost, but at the same time, he is still reluctant to call on its potency, for fear of succumbing to the talents of the unreal. This came to its full fruition as Duffy fought Lucian in The Aria itself, a battle which culminated in his and Ruby’s exile to distant lands, leaving them unsure of the future of the city. In their trials, they discovered their origins, leading to a meeting of minds in a performance of a raunchy nature, some six weeks after their return.
Lucian’s origins have been fully revealed, and the next move of the troupe is decided. Duffy will draw upon The Aria and personify Lysander as a full extension of his own personality, of his right to be called the Tantalum and his right to claim a part of Tantalus’s soul. Ruby will govern the troupe whilst Duffy seeks aid in the highest and lowest of places, for he shall require four more allies to fight Lucian’s six selves at the culmination of the coming confrontation. He contracted the aid of the mutant Lorenor in Radasanth, a paradoxical move tying oneself to such an evil and potent force it may be, but darkness can often be discovered to be lighter than it first appears.
With the Sword of The Western Wealds being forged, Ruby now placates the corruption in the city as best she can by having the troupe tend to the shadowy ruptures and cracks in realities which are slowly beginning to appear all over the streets of Scara Brae. Children can be heard singing ancient Cantors through the streets at night, like a midnight mass to condemn the evil mankind itself has unleashed. It is a simple waiting game, whilst the troupe can ill afford a prolonged conflict, they can do nothing but wait for Lucian to return from his slumber, from his eternal machination and plotting, biding their time for the end that few can see beyond.
The Aria:
The sound of all things accompanies Duffy’s every move, an ocean of sound and knowledge locked in his mind. It is a connection to Tantalus himself, the Thayne of Art and Drama and the gambit king of the stage. When the going gets tough, the ocean churns great waves and sings songs of battle and war, and when it is quite, and romance is in the air, or sorrow, it sings requiems and arias to still the soul. Only those who are chosen by Tantalus or those who show great dedication to the Tantalum Troupe can hear this wondrous affirmation of faith. Each person can draw upon this vast resource, each in an individual and peculiar way. Ruby La Roux can drain the waters and channel magic into her songs as a Spell singer, Lilith can channel the skills and lives of the servants of the stage, learning how to cook, knit, sew, paint great murals for backdrops and rig rope for divides almost sub-consciously. Blank is a swordsman, a silent guardian of legend, and they say Pete is the embodiment of a character called ‘Oliver,’ a scamp of fables told the world over. Duffy, however, draws on The Aria in two ways, that of the Narrator, the omniscient man of the stage who voices concerns and surprises with ominous precision, and that of the Channeled, the Method Actor, drawing on the vast repertoire of roles from time itself and taking on those mantles as if he were possessed. Sometimes, when he summons the Aria, his eyes glow with inner fire and he takes on a mantle of an aura, visible like flames surrounding his body. The music and song that he hears during these times can be heard by others but much faintly.
The Narrator: The Narrator might be a man, or perhaps it is just a burly woman with buxom breasts and a moustache, it’s impossible to tell. There is no control over this, he or she simply adds commentary or manifests audible music from The Aria to accompany Duffy’s actions at utterly inconvenient moments. In technical terms, it means there’s a very slight chance of detection of something sneaks up on Duffy, but at the same time, a slight chance his own hiding will be given away. It adds commentary to epic battles, and adds social deviancy in polite society. Can be used four times per thread, such uses will be written in red, instead of normal different text, to represent they’re ‘uses’ as opposed to creative flair. In a battle, it can be used twice per thread, with similar method to above. This is a free ability, anyone involved in rp’ing with Duffy can use it to their advantage or to lighten the mood as they see fit.
Method Acting: Such is Duffy’s belief in some of his creations and roles, that he can draw on that belief in moments of passion or dire need to channel their abilities. In order to do this, a special connection must be formed between Duffy and the role, be it through acting it countless times with conviction, or through meeting someone similar in real life. At the minute, he only has the manifest ability to channel one personality, that of the Blade Singer Lysander, but he can develop new ones of all walks of life in time. Duffy can draw on an aspect of a personality three posts per thread, be it to channel a character’s voice, his speech or mannerisms, or his abilities. Each sub-personality will be requested as a spoil as it develops, and added below. If ever Duffy’s ability is weakened, or The Aria deserts him, so will his ability to ‘become’ the people he admires.
(Caveat, each person or 'job' or identity he channels or calls upon has both a strength and weakness. Strengths increase with persistent believe and with the level of adoration Duffy has, but so do the weakness. Essentially, as more of the character comes through, so do their flaws.)
Lysander Brandybuck, The Hero of the Western Welds - A proud and enigmatic hero, a force and avatar of the Light that holds all the forces of good together. Such a role springs forth from Duffy’s first full play he wrote and performed himself, Lysander’s Flock, and his fervent belief and love for the character actually created a new life in the world. Duffy began to develop this ability through meeting Lysander himself, en-route to Corone, and at the minute, when he draws on The Aria, he can channel one of two aspects of Lysander’s power. (At such a moment as this). He can wield his Katarhna with average skill for one post, which can extend to one attack/parry/block of an equally skilled opponent. He can channel some small resemblance of the Bladesinger’s power. This may be to increase the strength of a single weapon up one grade for a post, or to solidify flames from his Tinder Gear to last twice as long. To increase this persona, Lysander’s Flock must be performed, or further conversation, meeting and discussion on the nature of Lysander’s appearance in Althanas will certainly help.
Strength - Bladesinger, valiant, good, loyal, loving and incredibly Thespian-clique.
Weaknesses - Upper class, too moral, abhors theft or dishonourable deeds.
Skills/Abilities: As a jack of all trades, an urchin of the streets, Duffy has a wide repertoire of skills, not necessarily a master of them all, but certainly he is likely to know something to point him in the right direction in most normal, and some unusual circumstances, represented as follows:
Rogue's Gambit; As the Tantalus, Duffy hears and sees allot that he shouldn't, and he has the rapport to talk his way into a location where most would resort to a large axe, to represent this, Duffy is considered to have persuasion, knowledge (, local, and arts/culture,) he has minor knowledge of Radasanth and surrounding countryside, and is awakening to the struggles there, troubles beyond his own little world. His encounter with Lorenor brought to light that Tantalus is not the only ’Thayne’ and he is aware of N’Jal, possessing below average theory. Duffy can apply these skills wherever applicable, although care and consideration should be applied both to his age, and to wherever or not a human would otherwise know the knowledge/facts being used.
Perform; Duffy is adept at the performance of most common dances, tango, waltz etc, as well as some of the Scara Brae variations/court dances etc. In addition to the dance, Duffy can sing and play the flute, common harp, harpsichord (, or similar) at an above average level. Duffy can spontaneously play common styles, utilising the arts/culture knowledge skill, and can perform acrobatics as a performer/athlete, to within the normal confines of human physiology. He is a parkour/freerunner user, and capable of backflips/gymnastics/vaulting and wall leaping, this is considered excellent skill wise. This is his best skill, and he’s often called Monkey Man as a result. Duffy can also ‘act’ drunk to a below average level. (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?p=158448#post158448)
Infamy (Duffy & Ruby); The Tantalum's name in the city of Scara Brae is now one of hot gossip and discussion, both because of its skill and excitement, and because of it's tendency to go missing, just like the purses of its audience. This Infamy has a reciprocal effect, in that most will know Duffy and Ruby's face, and some will respect them greatly; but others will be nervous at their sight or outright aggressive to them. The price of fame, 'ey?
Knife Combat (Above Average): Duffy is becoming ever more proficient in his own illustrious and acrobatic fighting style. It is a style, or lack thereof built up from Generic Street fighting utilising two knifes, back flips, feint attacks and full use of his mobility to overwhelm opponents with speed and surprise and guile, as opposed to any noticeable degree of brute strength. Over the last two years, such a style has certainly become more proficient and has been developed in countless Citadel battles, run ins with Lucian and ‘disagreements’ with various members of Scara Brae’s nobility and underclass alike. Finally, it can be said that Duffy’s combat proficiency, perhaps showing his development in the training of the Blade Singer Lysander’s sword has begun to be adept enough to manifest its own flair, its own sense of being, and as such, he is currently beginning to symbolize and remember various maneuvers and their effects in combat. The level of this ability will not increase just yet, until the fundamentals of his experience are solidified and unique styles and understanding appear.
• The Defensive (Vibrato): In this stance, both daggers are held in reverse and focus is shifted into the deflection and avoidance of being struck. Here Duffy’s movements are erratic and trapeze orientated, swinging, hoping and rolling around the arena of battle and using the environment as a climbing frame. Whilst concentrating on defence and avoidance, Duffy’s offense is weakened, his strikes become simple slashes and unfocussed pummeling. He uses swinging and pirouette movements to form the basis of this style.
o Butterfly Catch (Average) – a defensive move permitted once per thread or battle that brings back daggers together with lightning reflexes to form a scissor shape. Duffy attempts to catch and thus prevent a downward, diagonal or sideways slash or swing with a bladed or pole based weapon, nothing heavier than a long sword or human sized hammer and stall it. If successful, he can then release and hop to one side safely, delivering a spiraling or feinted counter-attack.
• The Offensive (Staccato Form): In this stance, Duffy goes all out with lunges, complicated footwork born from the various dances he has learnt and driving, piercing punches with his daggers. Here is brash, often succumbing to a patient opponent as he drains his stamina too quickly in a vibrant and monkey like assault. Although it might be said that the best defence is a good offence, whilst attempting to drive home his daggers to their targets, Duffy’s concentration is on damage, not on the prevention of counter blows, so his defence suffers whilst his ability to penetrate the defence of another is improved, as should be expected.
o The Rolling Stone (Average) – a simple but surprise based attack, featuring a sudden forward judo roll and a deadpan setting of the off foot to stop Duffy in a crouched position, from which he can launch a low thrust or slash to the legs, or an upward arced high thrust to the torso or shield arm.
Equipment:
Tinder Gear; The Tinder Gear is both an artisan's tool and weapon system, depicting the balance between the everyday and the darker side of the street. It comprises of small, almost invisible packs of a fuel known as agelethien, which are pumped along the pipes visible on the backs of Duffy's arms, and a bracer/jettison system coupled with a pair of flint strip covered gloves. All the materials are available readily, leather/oil/simple metals and flint etc. The gloves, when brought together with force make a loud clap, like a firecracker, and when moved past each other sparks are spread, to 2 feet (, no combat use, but good as a fire lighting tool). With a punching movement, the packs under the arms and along the back are squeezed, forcing the material to spray outwards, and the sparks from the gloves ignite the fuel which can produce flame up to nine feet long in short bursts of 1-2 seconds, (which is a random time, as the fuel ejection cannot be controlled to any reasonable degree). This will cause burns or set clothes alight at best, and will never kill, although it can be used in a combat situation the fuel is too rare to be spraying every low-life thug Duffy is run into. Using a display of sparks, flames and zymology (, drawing images/circles on the floor then igniting them) Duffy conjures the core of his performance/entertaining ability - at the same time having a nasty surprise for any violent members of the audience. Events in A Cut of the Chord have hinted at another use, that of spraying the liquid on a target first, then igniting, to cause contact burns. Although this is risky, and dangerous to both, it can be done. It will not be fatal but will certainly leave it’s mark. (PC Permission required.) Using the Tinder Gear fully, for 3-4 strong sprays, costs 25% of gold earned in that thread, such is the expense of the liquid required to fulfill it.
Daggers; He carries several iron daggers, usually one slipped into each boot and one sheathed on his belt.
Wainwright’s Dagger: A masterwork iron dagger which has innate magical abilities, but only once combined with the spirit form possessed by Lucian. Has a ruby on the pommel, and cannot be sold.
Wainwright’s Heart: A spidery and priceless necklace possessing power over the other artifacts of Wainwright Jones, which must be combined with Lucian before being activated. At present it is dormant, and cannot be sold. (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=20162&page=2)
The Tantalus Menagerie: A thousand and one costumes and theatre props of all descriptions, musical instruments and writing implements, books on playwrights and records of plays.
Metallic Chain: A chain taken from Visla Eraclaire during their encounter behind the scenes of Lucian’s Call.
The Katarhna: A simple steel katana with a black handle and gold hilt. Purchased In Old Man Jacob’s Shoppe in Scara Brae, it is a non-magical blade that is held in a simple black Akashiman sheath, usually strapped to his back, tilted to the right. It can be drawn with either hand, but requires adjustment to do so with the left, making any such movement risky and more time consuming.
The Red Cutlass: A red cutlass captured from the captain of the Red Scourge. As of yet, Duffy does not use it, asides from a handy prop. In the future however, there might just be room for Duffy to take on the mantle of a pirate...who knows, maybe the Red Scourge will terrorise Scara Brae again some day...
Alias: Monkey Man, Duffy, Lysander Brandybuck, the Tantalum
Titles: Tantalum, the Thayne Tantalus, Troupe Leader
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 129llbs
Hair Colour: Mouse Brown
Eye Colour: Jade Green or White
Occupation: Thief/Actor
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Accent: Norfolk Broads/Kentish Town
Languages: Trade Speak, Common, Scara Braen Slang
Literacy: Excellent
History: As time goes by, (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=19907) one discovers a certain modicum of self restraint, a certain pride in one’s origins. (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=19485) With so much turmoil in the lives of all of the members of the esteemed Tantalum Troupe, one can certainly lose a sense of self – replaced instead with a communal throng. Recent events in the city of Scara Brae, as well as far flung reaches of Corone, and the Raiaeran and Salvar states have seen Duffy Bracken and Ruby alike come face to face with the true extent of their predicament, as the unraveling threads of fate bring the War with Lucian Lahore ever closer. It is fast approaching the second year since he first appeared, since that last celebration of Lucian’s Call; something approaching a lifetime in the fast pace of city life.
Duffy has matured through his trials, encountering the Rangers in the forests, as well as discoursing with the living breathing embodiment of his plays in the twilight realms. In meeting Lysander, he began to accept and acknowledge his role to play in the rise of Lucian and the dwindling prosperity of the troupe as a whole. It may have given his connection with the newly discovered Aria a boost, but at the same time, he is still reluctant to call on its potency, for fear of succumbing to the talents of the unreal. This came to its full fruition as Duffy fought Lucian in The Aria itself, a battle which culminated in his and Ruby’s exile to distant lands, leaving them unsure of the future of the city. In their trials, they discovered their origins, leading to a meeting of minds in a performance of a raunchy nature, some six weeks after their return.
Lucian’s origins have been fully revealed, and the next move of the troupe is decided. Duffy will draw upon The Aria and personify Lysander as a full extension of his own personality, of his right to be called the Tantalum and his right to claim a part of Tantalus’s soul. Ruby will govern the troupe whilst Duffy seeks aid in the highest and lowest of places, for he shall require four more allies to fight Lucian’s six selves at the culmination of the coming confrontation. He contracted the aid of the mutant Lorenor in Radasanth, a paradoxical move tying oneself to such an evil and potent force it may be, but darkness can often be discovered to be lighter than it first appears.
With the Sword of The Western Wealds being forged, Ruby now placates the corruption in the city as best she can by having the troupe tend to the shadowy ruptures and cracks in realities which are slowly beginning to appear all over the streets of Scara Brae. Children can be heard singing ancient Cantors through the streets at night, like a midnight mass to condemn the evil mankind itself has unleashed. It is a simple waiting game, whilst the troupe can ill afford a prolonged conflict, they can do nothing but wait for Lucian to return from his slumber, from his eternal machination and plotting, biding their time for the end that few can see beyond.
The Aria:
The sound of all things accompanies Duffy’s every move, an ocean of sound and knowledge locked in his mind. It is a connection to Tantalus himself, the Thayne of Art and Drama and the gambit king of the stage. When the going gets tough, the ocean churns great waves and sings songs of battle and war, and when it is quite, and romance is in the air, or sorrow, it sings requiems and arias to still the soul. Only those who are chosen by Tantalus or those who show great dedication to the Tantalum Troupe can hear this wondrous affirmation of faith. Each person can draw upon this vast resource, each in an individual and peculiar way. Ruby La Roux can drain the waters and channel magic into her songs as a Spell singer, Lilith can channel the skills and lives of the servants of the stage, learning how to cook, knit, sew, paint great murals for backdrops and rig rope for divides almost sub-consciously. Blank is a swordsman, a silent guardian of legend, and they say Pete is the embodiment of a character called ‘Oliver,’ a scamp of fables told the world over. Duffy, however, draws on The Aria in two ways, that of the Narrator, the omniscient man of the stage who voices concerns and surprises with ominous precision, and that of the Channeled, the Method Actor, drawing on the vast repertoire of roles from time itself and taking on those mantles as if he were possessed. Sometimes, when he summons the Aria, his eyes glow with inner fire and he takes on a mantle of an aura, visible like flames surrounding his body. The music and song that he hears during these times can be heard by others but much faintly.
The Narrator: The Narrator might be a man, or perhaps it is just a burly woman with buxom breasts and a moustache, it’s impossible to tell. There is no control over this, he or she simply adds commentary or manifests audible music from The Aria to accompany Duffy’s actions at utterly inconvenient moments. In technical terms, it means there’s a very slight chance of detection of something sneaks up on Duffy, but at the same time, a slight chance his own hiding will be given away. It adds commentary to epic battles, and adds social deviancy in polite society. Can be used four times per thread, such uses will be written in red, instead of normal different text, to represent they’re ‘uses’ as opposed to creative flair. In a battle, it can be used twice per thread, with similar method to above. This is a free ability, anyone involved in rp’ing with Duffy can use it to their advantage or to lighten the mood as they see fit.
Method Acting: Such is Duffy’s belief in some of his creations and roles, that he can draw on that belief in moments of passion or dire need to channel their abilities. In order to do this, a special connection must be formed between Duffy and the role, be it through acting it countless times with conviction, or through meeting someone similar in real life. At the minute, he only has the manifest ability to channel one personality, that of the Blade Singer Lysander, but he can develop new ones of all walks of life in time. Duffy can draw on an aspect of a personality three posts per thread, be it to channel a character’s voice, his speech or mannerisms, or his abilities. Each sub-personality will be requested as a spoil as it develops, and added below. If ever Duffy’s ability is weakened, or The Aria deserts him, so will his ability to ‘become’ the people he admires.
(Caveat, each person or 'job' or identity he channels or calls upon has both a strength and weakness. Strengths increase with persistent believe and with the level of adoration Duffy has, but so do the weakness. Essentially, as more of the character comes through, so do their flaws.)
Lysander Brandybuck, The Hero of the Western Welds - A proud and enigmatic hero, a force and avatar of the Light that holds all the forces of good together. Such a role springs forth from Duffy’s first full play he wrote and performed himself, Lysander’s Flock, and his fervent belief and love for the character actually created a new life in the world. Duffy began to develop this ability through meeting Lysander himself, en-route to Corone, and at the minute, when he draws on The Aria, he can channel one of two aspects of Lysander’s power. (At such a moment as this). He can wield his Katarhna with average skill for one post, which can extend to one attack/parry/block of an equally skilled opponent. He can channel some small resemblance of the Bladesinger’s power. This may be to increase the strength of a single weapon up one grade for a post, or to solidify flames from his Tinder Gear to last twice as long. To increase this persona, Lysander’s Flock must be performed, or further conversation, meeting and discussion on the nature of Lysander’s appearance in Althanas will certainly help.
Strength - Bladesinger, valiant, good, loyal, loving and incredibly Thespian-clique.
Weaknesses - Upper class, too moral, abhors theft or dishonourable deeds.
Skills/Abilities: As a jack of all trades, an urchin of the streets, Duffy has a wide repertoire of skills, not necessarily a master of them all, but certainly he is likely to know something to point him in the right direction in most normal, and some unusual circumstances, represented as follows:
Rogue's Gambit; As the Tantalus, Duffy hears and sees allot that he shouldn't, and he has the rapport to talk his way into a location where most would resort to a large axe, to represent this, Duffy is considered to have persuasion, knowledge (, local, and arts/culture,) he has minor knowledge of Radasanth and surrounding countryside, and is awakening to the struggles there, troubles beyond his own little world. His encounter with Lorenor brought to light that Tantalus is not the only ’Thayne’ and he is aware of N’Jal, possessing below average theory. Duffy can apply these skills wherever applicable, although care and consideration should be applied both to his age, and to wherever or not a human would otherwise know the knowledge/facts being used.
Perform; Duffy is adept at the performance of most common dances, tango, waltz etc, as well as some of the Scara Brae variations/court dances etc. In addition to the dance, Duffy can sing and play the flute, common harp, harpsichord (, or similar) at an above average level. Duffy can spontaneously play common styles, utilising the arts/culture knowledge skill, and can perform acrobatics as a performer/athlete, to within the normal confines of human physiology. He is a parkour/freerunner user, and capable of backflips/gymnastics/vaulting and wall leaping, this is considered excellent skill wise. This is his best skill, and he’s often called Monkey Man as a result. Duffy can also ‘act’ drunk to a below average level. (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?p=158448#post158448)
Infamy (Duffy & Ruby); The Tantalum's name in the city of Scara Brae is now one of hot gossip and discussion, both because of its skill and excitement, and because of it's tendency to go missing, just like the purses of its audience. This Infamy has a reciprocal effect, in that most will know Duffy and Ruby's face, and some will respect them greatly; but others will be nervous at their sight or outright aggressive to them. The price of fame, 'ey?
Knife Combat (Above Average): Duffy is becoming ever more proficient in his own illustrious and acrobatic fighting style. It is a style, or lack thereof built up from Generic Street fighting utilising two knifes, back flips, feint attacks and full use of his mobility to overwhelm opponents with speed and surprise and guile, as opposed to any noticeable degree of brute strength. Over the last two years, such a style has certainly become more proficient and has been developed in countless Citadel battles, run ins with Lucian and ‘disagreements’ with various members of Scara Brae’s nobility and underclass alike. Finally, it can be said that Duffy’s combat proficiency, perhaps showing his development in the training of the Blade Singer Lysander’s sword has begun to be adept enough to manifest its own flair, its own sense of being, and as such, he is currently beginning to symbolize and remember various maneuvers and their effects in combat. The level of this ability will not increase just yet, until the fundamentals of his experience are solidified and unique styles and understanding appear.
• The Defensive (Vibrato): In this stance, both daggers are held in reverse and focus is shifted into the deflection and avoidance of being struck. Here Duffy’s movements are erratic and trapeze orientated, swinging, hoping and rolling around the arena of battle and using the environment as a climbing frame. Whilst concentrating on defence and avoidance, Duffy’s offense is weakened, his strikes become simple slashes and unfocussed pummeling. He uses swinging and pirouette movements to form the basis of this style.
o Butterfly Catch (Average) – a defensive move permitted once per thread or battle that brings back daggers together with lightning reflexes to form a scissor shape. Duffy attempts to catch and thus prevent a downward, diagonal or sideways slash or swing with a bladed or pole based weapon, nothing heavier than a long sword or human sized hammer and stall it. If successful, he can then release and hop to one side safely, delivering a spiraling or feinted counter-attack.
• The Offensive (Staccato Form): In this stance, Duffy goes all out with lunges, complicated footwork born from the various dances he has learnt and driving, piercing punches with his daggers. Here is brash, often succumbing to a patient opponent as he drains his stamina too quickly in a vibrant and monkey like assault. Although it might be said that the best defence is a good offence, whilst attempting to drive home his daggers to their targets, Duffy’s concentration is on damage, not on the prevention of counter blows, so his defence suffers whilst his ability to penetrate the defence of another is improved, as should be expected.
o The Rolling Stone (Average) – a simple but surprise based attack, featuring a sudden forward judo roll and a deadpan setting of the off foot to stop Duffy in a crouched position, from which he can launch a low thrust or slash to the legs, or an upward arced high thrust to the torso or shield arm.
Equipment:
Tinder Gear; The Tinder Gear is both an artisan's tool and weapon system, depicting the balance between the everyday and the darker side of the street. It comprises of small, almost invisible packs of a fuel known as agelethien, which are pumped along the pipes visible on the backs of Duffy's arms, and a bracer/jettison system coupled with a pair of flint strip covered gloves. All the materials are available readily, leather/oil/simple metals and flint etc. The gloves, when brought together with force make a loud clap, like a firecracker, and when moved past each other sparks are spread, to 2 feet (, no combat use, but good as a fire lighting tool). With a punching movement, the packs under the arms and along the back are squeezed, forcing the material to spray outwards, and the sparks from the gloves ignite the fuel which can produce flame up to nine feet long in short bursts of 1-2 seconds, (which is a random time, as the fuel ejection cannot be controlled to any reasonable degree). This will cause burns or set clothes alight at best, and will never kill, although it can be used in a combat situation the fuel is too rare to be spraying every low-life thug Duffy is run into. Using a display of sparks, flames and zymology (, drawing images/circles on the floor then igniting them) Duffy conjures the core of his performance/entertaining ability - at the same time having a nasty surprise for any violent members of the audience. Events in A Cut of the Chord have hinted at another use, that of spraying the liquid on a target first, then igniting, to cause contact burns. Although this is risky, and dangerous to both, it can be done. It will not be fatal but will certainly leave it’s mark. (PC Permission required.) Using the Tinder Gear fully, for 3-4 strong sprays, costs 25% of gold earned in that thread, such is the expense of the liquid required to fulfill it.
Daggers; He carries several iron daggers, usually one slipped into each boot and one sheathed on his belt.
Wainwright’s Dagger: A masterwork iron dagger which has innate magical abilities, but only once combined with the spirit form possessed by Lucian. Has a ruby on the pommel, and cannot be sold.
Wainwright’s Heart: A spidery and priceless necklace possessing power over the other artifacts of Wainwright Jones, which must be combined with Lucian before being activated. At present it is dormant, and cannot be sold. (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=20162&page=2)
The Tantalus Menagerie: A thousand and one costumes and theatre props of all descriptions, musical instruments and writing implements, books on playwrights and records of plays.
Metallic Chain: A chain taken from Visla Eraclaire during their encounter behind the scenes of Lucian’s Call.
The Katarhna: A simple steel katana with a black handle and gold hilt. Purchased In Old Man Jacob’s Shoppe in Scara Brae, it is a non-magical blade that is held in a simple black Akashiman sheath, usually strapped to his back, tilted to the right. It can be drawn with either hand, but requires adjustment to do so with the left, making any such movement risky and more time consuming.
The Red Cutlass: A red cutlass captured from the captain of the Red Scourge. As of yet, Duffy does not use it, asides from a handy prop. In the future however, there might just be room for Duffy to take on the mantle of a pirate...who knows, maybe the Red Scourge will terrorise Scara Brae again some day...