Adrian Roux

[Adrian Roux(H)]

Name: Adrian Roux
Age: 42
Race: d'Angeline
Sex: Male

Appearance: Even with the hardships he's endured Adrian has had the luck to age well, his red hair none the thinner for his years, brown eyes still shining with cleverness or dark mirth, whichever the situation manages to call for. His body has also served him well, his illicit dealings and lean times lending him a wiry musculature that many of the jaded ladies in the more run-down parts of Mont Nuit still find very attractive. His clothing is usually poorly cut and looks as any other commoners, though the fabrics are just a touch finer; in rough times, when it is too dangerous to work, they slowly become more tattered and moth-eaten, but like a bad penny he is soon back with new finery and coin to spend.

History: Born into a typically poverty-stricken family on a farm in Namarre, Adrian left as soon as he was able to rub two coins together, intent on making his living in the City with whatever means were necessary- surely anything had to be better than dying poor in the middle of nowhere while your children and parents died around you.

He'd always had dexterous fingers, and was soon running with some other teenagers who had dwelled in the City all their lives, Tsingani brats and foreign waifs who taught him the ways of picking pockets and sneaking into taverns to curl up by the kitchen fires, begging scraps. Even with the near starvation, ambition still rang through his bones and he dreamed of days for greater riches.

Soon he and his friends were all nabbed by the more powerful criminals in the City, used as runners for fencing stolen goods at first- then, through the ranks, as personal servants, then posse members for beatings and robberies before they were finally allowed to take jobs of their own. In every rank Adrian managed to excel, beating or conniving his way to the top when necessary, until he was a leader of sorts in his field.

Along the way he found a common woman who was willing to take him as a husband, to lend them both the slight respectability such a union can, and their first child came within the first year. Though they act like rivals and enemies there is a sort of true affection there, and whenever one of them is taken to jail the other is as well. The numerous children of their union are left to kin in such circumstances and have learned to mostly provide for themselves- and when their parents fall on good times, they share the wealth, and Adrian tries to see them usefully placed for the sake of the business.

Now a veteran fence, burglar, mugger and thug, and having ingenius ways to avoid detection, work is going better than ever; the loyalty of his gang is strong, and his family prospers. Only one of his sons hasn't returned to the fold, the arrogant and errant Bayard, an Eglantine tumbling adept- but Adrian is willing to bide his time. When he does, times will be even more splendid than before.

NPCs

Cecile Roux- 40- An attractive if tired-looking woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, she has been Adrian's wife for over twenty years, and often expounds on how much she rues that fact. In truth, she depends on him a great deal for his roguery and thinks him quite dashing at times. Her children are numerous and the wear strains her, leaving her with little attention to go around, though she does her best when she can. When not at home she's picking pockets clean to help scrape by or taking the occasional lover for whatever reason- money or entrapment being the main ones.