The Tattered
The Tattered are driven by hatred. All their lives they have done without, and given a chance to close in on those who 'have' they kill with disturbing intensity.
The Tattered are quite far from the stereotype of the assassin, as they are, they barely qualify as assassins. Each of the tattered shares a common bond, and a common history, they were all street orphans. Some were orphaned by violence, others be disease or war, but each of the Tattered (generally between 14 and 18 years old) have lost both parents.
Each has lived on the streets, huddling in gutters for warmth, begging alms from the church, and proving their skills at surviving not only the street life of constant hunger, lack and shelter and water supply, but also the politics that exist at that level. There is the schoolground mentality of cliques and gangs, but in these, loosing face could be the difference between getting into the church shelter for the hard frost, are being forced to weather the cold in an alley.
Each of these children are lean and hard, with a hungry look in their eyes. They have seen the lowest to which a person can sink. In the winter, when the cold eats at the soul, what is to stop a starving child from turning on one of his fellows who has already succumbed to the cold and death. Cannibalism, rape, and petty violence are especially common in such squalor. Some of this may seem graphic, and it is, and may only be suitable for mature gaming groups, and nitty-gritty campaigns.
Enter Nobody, the hermit. Nobody, as no one knows his rela name used to be a man of power and influence, ecclesiatical given the nature of his grammar and education, but he lost his grace, and position. He wears a hood, and keeps his hands and faced wrapped in the manner of a leper, though he does this to hide the pox scars of the divine wrath he suffered. Nobody fosters several of the most promising of the street urchins, molding them into weapons. He asks small tasks, steal this, beat this person up, kill this person in X manner. In exchange, he offers them hot food, or clean water, or even more desired, warm clothing.
Once the student is ready, usually a year to three years after he begins working with them, he brings them into his 'confidence' and initiates them into the Tattered Brotherhood. The name is almost a misnomer, as girls are slightly more prevalent than boys.
Nobody remains elusive, except to his Tattered. Through a network of street urchin informants, he is able to keep tabs on the thieves guild, as well as know when someone is looking for an assassin. Someone wishing to hire one of his for a job will generally approach the Fountain of St. Duncan and speak of a person they dislike and wish would dissappear, leaving a pouch of money in the fountain. If Nobody, informed of the mark, and given the money deems it is enough, he sends two of his Tattered to see the mark.
Knives, strangulation, and other forms of bloody, or protracted death are common. The Tattered are driven by hatred. All their lives they have done without, and given a chance to close in on those who 'have' they kill with disturbing intensity. Nobody has indoctrinated these youths into the idea that those who bear wealth do so at the expense of the Tattered. A victim of the Tattered is often ritually mutilated, the body desecrated. Their homes is ransaked for valuables, which to the tattered still include food, and clothing.
The Tattered should feel desperate, and cult-ish with their unwavering devotion to Nobody...the only person who showed them the love and compassion they have hungered for for so long.
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? Responses (6)
They would be harder to catch then most assassins, as most people would underestimate them and think of them as homeless scum.
Memorable, usable, thought provoking!
Nobody reminds me of Fagin, the Tattered remind me of Nadsokor, City of Beggars.
no plot hooks? Thats not like you :D
I like it.
Plot Hook: Nobody's Dead - In the dead of night Nobody died. His body, long-ago ravaged by the pox, finally gave out on him and he choked to death in his sleep. Now, the Tattered, devoid of leadership, have gotten it in their heads to get even with those who exiled their master and put them through years of suffering as children. The corpses of nobles are appearing on the streets with a startling regularity.
It might be that my window is open, but I think this one gave me chills. Good job.
Except for plot hooks, this lacks nothing.
A very good piece.
Sad, but effective.
I'd imagine the failure rate would be high unless their targets are frail, though cost of replacement is sadly not terribly high.
One of these who makes it to adulthood would make an effective villain I would expect.