Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2015 19:16:55 GMT
Talen Palmer
Age: Twenty-two
Occupation: Merchant
PERSONALITY
Talen learned to survive on his own, and to do that he had to learn what the most important thing in life was – himself. He is very self-serving because in his line of work he has to be in order to survive. He’s not likely to take on any task unless he can see profit in it for himself. As much as he’d like to help every sad story in the Kingdom…no actually, he wouldn’t. Self preservation is always the first thing on his mind.
Shrewdness and cunning are the two traits that have made Talen successful. He understands the needs of the people, and knows how to cater to them, but he also knows just how much the common people are willing (or able) to pay for his goods and services. Blessed with a sharp mind, Talen takes every opportunity he can to use his wits – whether that’s getting himself out of trouble, or finagling a few extra coins for that last roll of lilac silk.
The young man has developed a love for poetry and music, though he’d be loath to admit it. Whenever he picks up a new book he means to sell, he’ll usually leaf through it, staying up long into the night to take in as much as he can. The written word has proved to be a steadfast companion on nights when he had no one else to talk to out in the wilderness.
The benefits of living such a nomadic life is that he finds himself very rarely tied down to one person, which has made him a notorious flirt. He is never vulgar or crude, in fact he is quite the charmer; quoting from his favourite poems, bringing back small tokens and trinkets - he uses any means at his disposal to help win over the current object of his affections. However there is always the chance that she’ll wake up in the morning to nothing more than a note as he moves on to the next town, and it could be weeks before he reappears.
HISTORY
Talen grew up the son of a travelling merchant, spending almost his entire life on the road, sleeping in inns, and never staying in one place long enough to make any real friends. His father was left to raise the boy on his own when Talen’s mother died of a sudden sickness soon after his third birthday. Without any other family who could care for the boy, Talen’s father took him along on his journeys, teaching him all the tricks of the trade; how to haggle and swindle, where to get the best goods, and how to stretch one piece of coin a long way.
Life on the road cannot be said to be an easy one. Two years ago the transient lifestyle finally caught up with his father. As they were travelling between Itaia and Arana the old man grew ill with a fever. He now lies in an unmarked grave not far from the main road.
And so at twenty years old Talen began making his own way in the word, continuing on in the fine traditions of his father. He has a discerning eye for goods, and knows what will sell well in the different cities. Spices, silks, illuminated manuscripts, raw metal ore, and whispered secrets from near and far – all in ample supply.
The merchant also has a strange relationship some of the land’s thieves – he’s been known to act as a fence for stolen goods when they cannot find a buyer willing to pay, or do not wish to draw attention to attention to themselves. Talen knows exactly who would be willing to turn a blind eye to the origins of a good for the right price. Of course, that does not mean that he has not had his own run-ins with the bandits. On the road, no one is really safe.
Money rules his world, and anything can be bought. A little silver across his palm, and anything can be yours. He might never commit the thefts himself – but he knows the people willing to do so.