Sloan
Sloan
About My Character
Early life
Sloan was born in the wilds. His mother gave birth to him while travelling to Alexandria. She did not survive to see the city of Alexandria. After irth she fell ill and passed within a month. Sloan's father continued on to the city. Carrying Sloan in a pack, He was a caring man in his own right, but he was a fighter. The move from the land of the Aesir to Alexandria came about because of opportunities for a martial man of skill. Sloan spent most of his formative years in a modest dwelling. His Father's constant companion until the age of 5, and then His father was gone. Not dead, just gone. Off to war and adventure. He thought he had Left Sloan in good hands. the landlady of the home where they dwelled was paid in coin to see to Sloan and provide his meals. She wasn't unkind, the meals were always there, but she wasn't particularly mindful of the boy either. While havign a bed to sleep in, and meals more or less every day, Sloan eventually found himself wandering the streets.
The Streets.
Sloan fell in with other street kids in Alexandria. An eraly bloomer, He found himself at 10 years old, as big as almost any 15 year old he met. This led to smaller kids in his neighborhood looking to Sloan for protection. While very little of his learning came from schooling, the Aesir boy was nevertheless not stupid, and he found himself gaining an education on the streets. Sloan learned to fight. He learned where to hit someone so that he wouldn't have to hit them a second time. He learned to keep an eye on his surroundings. He learned that anything is a weapon if you try hard enough, and that sometimes the best defense was offense. He learned the safe places in town, he learned to rely on his own wits, and he learned that the streets had their own laws, and you obeyed those laws. It wasn't a soft education. the tests didn't allow for repeats, and failure meant pain or worse. Sloan had lost friends to those tests.
The Change.
This was the life that Sloan led up into his late teen years. fighting, running, battling, Protecting his turf and his friends. Enforcing the laws on the streets. By 16, it had become normal for the neighbors to find Sloan to help settle issues in the neighborhood. the quiet things, and the dark things that had to be dealt with, but would bring shame to a family if the outside world knew about them. Like the time Sindry Lawson had been caught stepping out with a boy a few streets over. Her father had gotten a little too zealous in his discipline with her. the doctor had needed to be called. the neighbors had decided that it was too much, and Sloan had been sent for. He had come, and sindry's father, a blacksmith and powerfully built had been reminded of one of the laws of the neighborhood. 'You don't beat a helpless child.' Sloan had been careful to make sure that he could still make his living, but you don't need all of your teeth to make horse shoes. just like you can work a forge with a broken nose. That was another law of the neighborhood. you don't take away a person's ability to provide without a good reason. there were myriad laws like this in the neighborhood. an area where the constabulary never ventured unless necessary. small laws, based around providing for your family and watching out for your neighbors. Neighborhood laws that kept people decent with each other, Unwritten things in the social contract that kept people with close to nothing to lose from preying on each other. and Sloan was their enforcer. the police might take you away for a night or 2, but they had rules. Sloan learned that there were no rules here. Just the laws.
This was they way of things for a few more years. it was shortly after Sloan's 21st birthday that the change really happened. He had been heading home from the pub, a night of visiting with friends and holding court in the Gryffon's Head had led to Sloan taking the back ways back to his home. He'd almost missed the sound behind him. A quiet whimper in a side alley. Something had made Sloan look. 2 men had been there. One brandishing a knife, another holding a yound man, about Sloan's age in an arm lock. It was a robbery. that would have been nothing new for Sloan and he might have let it pass at this point. the young man was an outsider and not subject to the laws of the neighborhood. It was the blood that stopped him. they had taken the boy's money, but they hadn't let him go. they had held onto him, and had been cutting him for fun. There were no words in Preamble. Sloan had slipped his hand into the pocket of his pants, fingers slipping into the familiar grooves of a pair of knuckles that had been made for him as a thank you a few years before. Sloan's hand came out, and he went to work. the fight didn't take long. Both men lay on the ground, beaten and broken, Sloan himself had been cut in 3 or 4 places in the melee, but was still standing. He had led the young man out of the alley after that. Had taken him towards the nicer parts of town. the last thing he remembered was the sound of running steps coming around the corner, something yelled, blinding light, and then Darkness.
The Offer.
In a situation like that, 9 times out of 10, that would have been the end. you woke up in the next life and carried on. Sloan woke up in a bed. An actual bed with a mattress that wasn't made of mildewed straw. his wounds had been tended to, and a serving girl stood near the foot of the bed. When she saw that Sloan was awake, she wordlessly left the room. She was replaced minutes later by a pair of armed men in matching uniforms, these 2 flanking a third man in his late 50's to Early 60's. The man appraised Sloan for a moment before speaking brusquely. "I am Lord Halston. It was my Son that you assisted the other night. I apologize that my men mistook you for a threat when they found him with you, but they are paid to act, they are not, you will find, paid to ask questions first. I have an offer for you. My son needs a Valet. I am not often home as my business necessitates that I be away for extended periods. You will be given Food, Lodging, evenings and 1 day off per week. you will be paid a handsome stipend. In return, you will see to the day to day affairs for Geoffrey. Help keep him out of trouble, see to it that he is cared for. If this is amenable to you, then I will send you to the tailor this afternoon after you have eaten and bathed. Actually Bathed first, you smell. If you do not wish to take this offer, I will have your clothes brought to you, Laundered, you will still be offered the Bath and a meal. I will pay you 50 gold pieces for the service you offered to my son, and I will bid you good day. In either case, I will shake you by the hand now, and take your leave." This all said without Sloan having a chace to reply, the Aesir man considered the offer, then finally reached out wordlessly and shook the Lord's hand. Sloan has worked in Lord Halston's employ as Geoffrey's Valet since that time.
Recent Events.
Sloan has since left the employ of Lord Halston. Geoffrey having decided to join the ranks of the adventurer's guild himself, he is now off roaming the lands looking to see interesting new places, meet interesting new people, and hopefully not get killed by them. Having found himself a Gentleman's gentleman without a gentleman to be a gentleman to, Sloan has taken employ with the Shining Chalice as a Butler. in his off time, he is still found in the low rent districts.
Roleplay Hooks
- Live in the Blue collar districts? Sloan can be found there in his off time. Having lived in those areas most of his life, he is fairly well known.
- Visiting the Shining Chalice? Allow me to take your cloak sir or Madame. will you be requiring anything while you are on the premesis? Tea or Coffee Perhaps?
- Need information? There are some interesting things about Servants in the houses of Nobility. 1) Servants are a lot like furniture. They blend in until you need to put down a glass or you stub your toe on it. as such, a lot of people are careless about what they say in front of servants. 2) Sloan knows a lot of the dwellers of the below stairs world in Alexandria.