Andreas is in his mid thirties. He was probably once considered a very handsome man but years of catching thieves
in the markets of South Ward have left visible scars. Once, when he was twenty-seven, he chased a young girl who
had stolen a handful of amethyst necklace beads. Winding through the crowded streets of South Ward was tricky when
one was careful to avoid the street peddlers, merchant vendors, tradesmen, journeymen, horse-drawn carriages, and
the city's everyday bustle. Given the crowding on the streets that particular day, it was downright dangerous to
run at a full-on sprint. Through the blurring throng he saw the girl in the beige woolens disappear behind a large
overturned fruit wagon. Rounding the corner, Andreas drove headlong into the burley chest of tiefling. Rebounding,
hesteadied himself by shaking his head to get his bearings. The girl was midway down a small alley that had been
neatly concealed behind the large wagon. A beautiful woman with jet black hair and oval, elvish eyes exchanged two
coins for the young girl's stolen purple amethysts. Andreas swore under his breath--he recognized the dealings of
the thieves guild all too well.
Andreas tensed as he heard the dark tiefling utter something that vaguely sounded like "die," and leapt towards the
street. A flash of light produced dancing specks in the center of his vision. The street and buildings narrowed to
the size of a pinhole, blackness swallowing them. A sharp, searing pain wracked the left side of his head as he
tumbled to the street on the other side of the overturned wagon. Without looking back he scampered on all fours to
the nearest merchant's tent and slid under a table displaying swirling glass vases from the farthest reaches of the
Sword Coast. His left ear rang, and went silent. Andreas chanced a cursory look into the shadows behind the
overturned wagon; the tiefling's horns appeared first. Curved and sharp, they reminded Andreas more of a bull than
of a devil. The tiefling looked right then left, and Andreas held his breath as the tiefling's searching gaze
passed over the table with the ornate glass vases. Satisfied the intruder had fled, he ducked back into the
alleyway.
Andreas hesitantly touched his left ear. Sound exploded inside his head as if he had rubbed his eardrum directly.
Andreas winced and pulled his hand away, but not before he felt raw skin just behind his ear where his hair had
been. Then he smelt it. An acrid, gagging stench extended from his left side and forced him to close his eyes as
his tongue and throat convulsed with the desire to empty his lunch. I've been burned; burned badly. Jelsenna's
going to be disappointed about not getting her jewlery back. Hopefully Lady Alisse can restore some of my hair with
one of her tonics.
His hair just behind his left ear never grew in fully, and his ear remains horribly disfigured. It did not dissuade
him from persuing theieves, however. A city thrives on order--Erathis requires it. And, as such, the theieves guild
has no part in ensuring progress and social harmony.
Subject: Andreas of Waterdeep 
Tue Jul 21, 2009 1:04 am