Ulsurlan d'Medani - a pen picture

Thanks for the drink, coulda sworn it was my round but what the hell. Where was I? Oh yeah, you were asking why a Dragonmarked1 “scion” of House Medani2 is hiring themselves out as a freelance inquisitive3. Well it all started years ago, back in my late teens I started sneaking out of the compound. I was always a pretty athletic kid, and it wasn’t much of a challenge. Course I soon figured out I needed some bodies to camouflage me –its hard to hide from House Medani2. That meant hanging out in some of the lower markets in some of my older clothes – after a bit of petty theft I managed to get in with one of the gangs of street kids. Things trundled on for a while, I’d sneak out as often as I could and hang out with Titch – an accomplished little halfling4 thief – and the others.

We used to go to the markets for the necessities of life – never paid for of course – and then explore the city. I still know the city better than most of the members of my house – I’ve had my hair crisped by the heat of lava in the cogs5 and been chased out of private gardens in Skyway6. Street kids back then were accepted as part of the furniture, a few of the more decent clerics would feed’em from time to time, various groups would give them a few coppers to run errands or watch people. They weren’t expected to belong to anybody, they were just everywhere, a part of the city. Not only that but they knew more of the city than anyone else – and loved it more. This city at its best is as majestic as any mountain range or forest. The sun breaking through the towers to illuminate the street to night creatures stalking the cities bowels at midday – I love this city.

O’course this was before those damn 7 turned up. I never did correctly know the politics around it – though I’ve no doubt they were there. That soon led things to change. The first clashes were pretty minor, but they had consequences. From then on people without affiliations who had to live in the lower wards became prey pure and simple. Even gangs of street kids started to clash with each other. Titch’s crew had always been small enough to get by with a coin here and a jest there. No longer. After a few minor scraps they started dispersing – joining one group or another. One of the crew freaked the others out – turns out he was a changeling,8 ended up joining the Tyrants9. I never did get to find out what happened to the others, ‘cause my family stopped me going out. Turns out they’d known all along – decided if they didn’t let me sneak out I’d disappear – not only that they decided it was good training.

I never forgave them for that, manipulating me like that. S’one thing I hate, being manipulated. Manipulators in general really, people who’re willing to sit behind a desk a hundred leagues away and send a coded message to order someone to convince someone else to kill someone. See, I learnt more about that after my wanderings were stopped, all those power groups that use Sharn10 as their battlefield, not caring about the little people that get squashed.

You’re starting to look a little nervous friend. Don’t worry I won’t start talking politics. I was just going to explain the final bit – how I came to be here. I was telling you how I was rather upset at my family; well half elves11 can afford to be a bit more patient than humans. After I completed my education, I was all prepared to tell my father to take his precious House Honour and stick it somewhere unpleasant, but he took the wind right of my sails. Gave me the lease agreement for an office in the middle wards and told me to go out and help people, it was obviously what I wanted to do. Said the House’d be there for me if I got into serious trouble, and may approach me for help every now and again.

So that’s what I’ve been doing since then. Made a few enemies – most recently in digging out a few members of the Watch that had gone really bad, of course if you’re lucky for each enemy you make a friend. One of my friends is Officer Mithran – if you look behind you you’ll see he’s just walked in. S’nice to see he got my message, there are still a few good street kids after all, the paralytic in your drink seems to be working as well. Just so you don’t think I’ve been manipulating you – since I did say I hated manipulators – this is what we call distraction, since it was me talking to you, rather than me getting someone else to do it. It’s been a pleasure talking your ear off, but I doubt I’ll see you again, and if I do, I’ll take great pleasure in claiming the bounty for bringing returnees from exile to justice.

Officer Mithran, he’s all yours.

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I'm hoping to start playing in a new D&D campaign soon, in the new Eberron Campaign Setting. This is what I wrote to illustrate the character, both to myself and the DM. The plan was to cover in as little space as possible, his feeling towards various groups, his lifestyle and how he got where he was. There is however a fair amount of setting specific terminology...

1. Mystical birthmarks borne by a small percentage of the members of 12 families that confer limited magical ability and an increase in rights and responsilities within that house

2. One of the 12 Dragonmarked Houses, specialising in personal protection

3. Eberron for private detective/investigator/journalist

4. D&D for hobbit. They didn't want to get sued for calling small, hairy footed, cheerful people hobbits

5. The bowels of the city. An area of heavy industry using lava flows as a heat source

6. The very highest level of the city. Approriately owned by the very highest in local society

7. A gap for the name of one of the organised crime groups in the city - I don't have the book with me

8. A race of mixed descent who can change their appearance at will

9. An organised crime group run by and for those who can change their shape

10. The name of the city all this is set in

11. Crosses between elves and humans. Now a true breeding race