[Legends of the North] (Dramatis Personae) Jokkum, The Prayer in the Stone

[NoisyCricket]

Appearance


Jokkum is a tall, somewhat bulky man with pale skin and dark, almost black, curly hair which he keeps slightly long (to his shoulders), complemented by a thick, bushy beard. His eyes are similarly dark and would give him a stern appearance if not for his wide, friendly smile and easy banter. While he was a conman, he kept his beard trimmed and his hair swept back to look more rakish, but after his Second Breath, he has let them grow more full and wild.


He tends to dress in dark clothing with white fur trim. These are often fairly voluminous robes and cloaks over a tunic, vest, and pants.

Spoiler

(image credit goes to: http://browse.deviantart.com/?q=blacksm ... 0#/d330gq3)<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2012_02/truce_by_doubleleaf-d330gq3.jpg.27c36d7ea7af73814f4db95a67bb3123.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="23549" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2012_02/truce_by_doubleleaf-d330gq3.jpg.27c36d7ea7af73814f4db95a67bb3123.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>

 

[NoisyCricket]

Background


Jokkum was from a poor family (a mother, father, and a younger brother and sister) living in a medium-sized Emerald in the Haslanti League. When his father became sick, he journeyed out to help make money for medicine and supplies.


It was then that he found he had a way with words and swindling people out of their money.


While he never went overboard (he mostly focused his efforts on those he thought could handle a loss or two), he was willing to play shell games with anyone when times were tough. He spent 10 years doing this, from age 15 to 25.


While he never made a large amount of money at any given place, he moved around enough to avoid suspicion and too many tempers, while spreading around investments to go back to his family.


He was about to pull a fast one on a wealthy god-blood when he Exalted.


During his Exaltation he ran into his Sifu, the god of a stone carving which carries on it the teachings of the Arms of the Unconquered Sun Style. The god communicates through the stone carving, rarely, if ever, manifesting outside of it. The stone carving is small enough to be portable.


During his journey to Whitewall after his Exaltation, he met his familiar, a small mouse whom he calls Sniffs. Sniffs has pure white fur and black, inquisitive eyes.


He has some contacts in the city of Whitewall, mostly fellow conmen he met on the road, along with a couple of peddlers who make similar circuits as he did.

 

[NoisyCricket]

Character Sheet


Caste: Zenith Caste


Motivation: Turn the Unconquered Sun's face back on Creation by restoring Whitewall to its original splendor and having all citizens offer up prayer.


Intimacies: The sick (compassion), Conmen (Comradery), Whitewall (Hope), His Family (Love)


Attributes


Strength â—â—


Dexterity â—â—


Stamina â—â—â—


Charisma â—â—â—â—


Manipulation â—â—â—


Appearance â—â—â—â—


Perception â—â—â—


Intelligence â—â—â—


Wits â—â—â—


Abilities


Dawn


Thrown


War


Melee


Archery


â—Martial Arts â—â—â—â—


Zenith


â—Integrity â—


â—Resistance â—â—â—â—â—


â—Performance â—â—â—


â—Survival â—â—


â—Presence â—â—â—


Twilight


Lore â—


â—Occult â—


â—Craft â—â—â—â— (Earth)


â—Craft â—â— (Wood)


Investigation â—


Medicine â—


Night


Stealth â—


Awareness â—


Athletics


Dodge


â—Larceny â—â—


Eclipse


Linguistics â— (Native: Skytongue, Old Realm, Learned: Riverspeak)


â—Socialize â—


Bureaucracy â—


Sail


Ride


Specialties


Prayers (Occult) â—â—â—


Shell Games (Larceny) â—


Charms


Performance


2nd Performance Excellency


Presence


2nd Presence Excellency


Integrity


Integrity Protecting Prana


Craft


2nd Craft Excellency


Resistance


Durability of Oak Meditation


Iron Skin Concentration


Spirit Strengthens the Skin


Adamant Skin Technique


Invincible Essence Reinforcement


Martial Arts


First Martial Arts Excellency


Arms of the Unconquered Sun Style


Day and Night Kata


Spirit Over Clouds Approach


Combos


Light Holds Back the Shadows


1st Martial Arts Excellency, Day and Night Kata, Adamant Skin Technique


Backgrounds


Contacts (Fellow Conmen) â—


Sifu â— ()


Resources â—â— ()


Familiar â—â—â— ()


Virtues


Compassion â—â—â— (Great Curse)


Conviction â—â—â—


Temperance â—â—


Valor â—â—


Essence â—â—â—


Personal 13/13


Peripheral 28/33 (5 committed)


Willpower â—â—â—â—â—â—


Limit [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]


Panoply


Nice clothing


Traveling clothes (heavy cloak, hat, and gloves)


Walking stick


Lockpicks


Chain Shirt


Rations


Waterskin (full)


Wineskin (full)


Deck of cards


Shell game

 

[NoisyCricket]

Combat Stats

 

[NoisyCricket]

BP and XP Log


Martial arts 3 to 4 => 1 BP


Resistance 3 to 5 => 2 BP


Essence to 3 => 7 BP


Willpower to 6 => 1 BP


Valor to 2 => 1 BP


Invincible Essence Reinforcement (3 BP)


2nd Craft Excellency (3 BP)

 

[NoisyCricket]

Exalted Shell Games


He wraps himself up further in his furs as he walks along the road, the directions to The Traveler's Road still in his mind as he thanks Ignis Divine and all of the good Northern gods for the weather being as mild as it was that day.


Sniffs makes a small sound from somewhere in his robes and furs, disgruntled with all of the walking as Jokkum thinks back on the reason he is making this journey...


------


A small city in the North...


The Godblood, Near to Ice, stood in front of Jokkum's street stand with its three shells as Jokkum smiles innocently at him. "Would you care to play a game my friend?"


The Godblood smirks as he puts down a few small silver coins. "I could use some entertainment."


Jokkum shows him the pebble underneath the right shell, then begins some small talk as he shuffles them around.


"I don't believe I've met anyone here quite as impressively dressed as you are friend. I am surprised to find one of such class and style in this place." His hands stop moving and he gestures toward Near to Ice to choose a shell.


Ice points out the left shell and grins as Jokkum shows the pebble underneath. "Your eye is better than your hand. I practically own this town." He puffs himself up as he sees Jokkum look suitably impressed. "I made my fortune on trading interesting, and sometimes magical, pieces of sculpture."


Jokkum leans forward, clearly entranced. "That sounds fascinating friend, are there any pieces you are particularly proud of?"


Ice nods, happy to be able to dazzle a foreigner. "Yes, one piece I have kept to myself is a small tablet that shows a figure in a sort of dance. I have yet to find someone who knows what style it is, but I plan on pulling some favors with the Guild soon, I have connections with a rather well placed individual..." He says the last somewhat conspiratorially.


Jokkum whistles, "Well friend, I wish you luck! I should get back to my games."


As the godblood walks off, Jokkum looks at the thin man wandering up and presses a silver coin into his hand. "Well my friend, you were correct, he seems an easy mark if one is prepared...and you say you have seen the layout of his home as well? There is more silver in it for you, if you are correct..."


------


That evening, outside of Near to Ice's home


Jokkum, dressed as a local grocer, sets down the box marked 'Western fruits' he was carrying and slips into a corridor in search of a sculpture or two to pilfer.


The home was kept cool, as befits a godblood from a Northern elemental or god, Jokkum hadn't done that much research since it hadn't seemed relevant. The corridor he found himself in had sculptures in small alcoves, but none that looked valuable enough to sell.


He was hunting for something magical, a big prize to let him drop stealing and conning forever...


...and that tablet sounded perfect.


It took him several rooms, and one close call with a maid whom he fast-talked into believing he was just recently hired, but he finally found the tablet.


It was on a glass (or possibly ice) pedestal in a large receiving room, clearly designed to impress visitors, and the piece was impressive.


As Jokkum looked at it, the tablet began to shift, showing someone dancing...


...no, that wasn't quite right.


It looked more formal, and some of the movements..martial possibly? Or some sort of exercise.


It would be perfect, some Dynast would love this piece to sit on his mantle while he held some massive party or orgy or whatever Dynasts did with all of their money. He shook his head to clear it as he reached for the piece...


"Put that back!" Jokkum jerks his hand back, startled by the guard who he hadn't noticed coming in.


"Oh, I'm with the cleaning staff..." Even as he says it, he can tell the guard isn't going to buy the lie this time, and grabs the tablet, running down the hallway toward a servant's entrance as he hears the guard charge after him.


This is not going as planned...


As he reaches the outside door, throwing it open he almost collides with another guard.


Jokkum looks back at the guard closing behind him, then to the guard in front, drawing his chopping sword, then glances at the tablet, debating throwing it...


...but the images aren't a dance. His mind fills with the moving image on the tablet.


This is a strike from a martial art.


Suddenly, it's as though his mind has exposed the shell game of his life, memories flood in from many lives.


Some of them show him moving through combat, sutras upon his lips.


Others show a woman, whom he knows to be him as well, slowly going through the form in an immaculate garden, surrounded by dragonblooded students.


Finally, he stands on the deck of a sort-of ship, though the windows show the ground far below instead of the ocean. A four-armed figure stands with his back turned to both him and Creation outside of the window.


"Seek out my city, restore it. In doing so, restore my faith in you, my Chosen."


The memory is gone, but at the same moment, Jokkum's arm snakes out, striking a crushing blow to the guard, who cannot parry in time.


Jokkum, now The Prayer in the Stone, slips out into the night to find his destiny...


-----


The road is still long, but Jokkum takes a moment to look around. "Creation will worship you again."


And he trudges on.