BRYNJOLF

echofael | 25 | ~12 years

Personality Depending on the day, and the job, Brynjolf can be two seemingly different people. When he's out mingling in the crowd or working his stall he's as charming as can be, always privy to exactly the words he needs to make a sale. He could scam an old woman out of her weekly food money if he wanted to (thankfully he's got bigger fish to fry; you're safe, old ladies) and if he thinks he can get your coin, he'll certainly make a try for it. Suffice it to say he has more luck with the female side of the populace more often than not, but hey, if it puts gold into the guild coffers then he's more than willing to play up the charisma. It helps that he smells nice and always dresses well. Business in The Ragged Flagon is a different matter. When he's directing the other thieves to their jobs Brynjolf is serious, to the point, and doesn't much appreciate dawdling- though he's a relatively patient man and won't mind answering questions as long as it doesn't take half an hour. As one of the most reliable, and knowledgeable, members of the Guild Brynjolf is usually the one the others come to for advice and inquiries. He doesn't mind, but really, he wishes Mercer were more approachable. Fielding the entire Flagon takes up a man's time, you know. The Nord has a cool head and a normally even temper, but he's been known to get short with particularly idiotic novices- and, of course, he doesn't stand for threats to his coalition whatsoever. Words are one thing, but if you set foot where you're not welcome, he won't hesitate to set the men (and women) on you. After hours Brynjolf enjoys kicking back in the Flagon with a few (or more) tankards of mead and whatever Vekel can cook up. He's got a sense of humor that sometimes leads him to chipping in on some harmless pranks on some of the senior members, like Delvin (poor guy). He tends to joke around a fair bit with those close to him, particularly when he's had a little bit too much to drink, and he's a warm friend to those who earn the loyalty. Although he's not normally one to forgive someone who betrays his trust, Brynjolf's a logical man and completely capable of seeing reason. But he's not an idiot, not even a little, so don't expect to pull the wool over his eyes. You'll likely get a dagger in the gut for your trouble. Likes- Gold, sweets, books, good mead, dogs Dislikes- Being cheated, whiners, Dwemer aesthetics, disobedience Preferred food- Straight meat and potatoes; maybe a vegetable if he's feeling frisky. Just make sure it fills his stomach and isn't lathered in fancy spices and sauces Preferred drink- Mead. He's a Nord. And a man. History It all began on a small farm outside of Riften. To spare the boring details, Brynjolf was an only child to a pair of poor farmers. His mother was too frail to give him any siblings- she nearly passed away just giving birth to him- and he spent most of his childhood either helping with the chores, playing in the woods, or sneaking into the city. He didn't start stealing out of boredom or childish mischief, but when he was ten he began to clue in to just how hard his family had it. Their only animal was an old cow that barely produced milk anymore, and what crops they could grow and sell barely stood up to the stuff the bigger, richer farms produced. So he stole a neighbor's chicken and told his parents he'd saved it in the woods from a fox. It was a young hen, and the eggs she gave added a much-needed bit of nourishment to the table. Then came another chicken, and another, all from different farms and missing a few feathers- Brynjolf was a clever lad, and he always made a point to leave "evidence" of the chicken's "death" around its original coop. The owners thought the culprit was a fox, and Brynjolf's parents began to make a small living off of the eggs. They used the extra money to build a coop, then to buy a rooster and breed more chickens, which yielded more eggs and more money. By the time the young redhead had turned twelve, his family could afford the upkeep of a fertile piece of cropland, some new cows, and a couple of goats. Brynjolf stole to help his family, but that single act sparked something in him that he couldn't quell. He began to grow restless on the farm and spent more and more of his free time in Riften, loitering in the market and watching everyone with a sharp eye. It took a few months but, finally, the boy couldn't help himself. He swiped the purse off of a noble. He was promptly caught, and he avoided jail only because he was a kid. Maybe if the guards had thrown him into prison he'd have changed his tune, but getting "away" with the crime only spurred him on. The second attempt yielded a fat coinpurse and no guards, and it only went up from there. Brynjolf was a teenager when he was officially invited into the Thieves Guild by none another than Mercer Frey; he hesitated at first, but after a bandit-guard battle near his farm got both of his parents killed he accepted the invitation. Life as a footpad was typical. Brynjolf started off as a petty thief, and he got caught a fair amount of times. Thankfully he was a quick study; his lockpicking skills skyrocketed, he escaped jail usually within a few hours, and soon he stopped getting caught altogether. His good looks and charisma began to come in as a useful tool for robbing hapless citizens. Eventually Brynjolf developed his con scheme, and paired with his excellent grasp of economics, he found himself moving up the ranks in the Guild relatively quickly. Gallus' murder at the hands of Karliah, and the elf's subsequent desertion, promoted Mercer to the position of Guild Master. The man chose Brynjolf as his second, and the rest is history.

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,border-radius: 0px 0px 20px 20px;] Character Name Brynjolf Age 35 Race Nord Sexuality Heterosexual (or possibly even asexual) Faction, Army, or Allegiance Thieves Guild Occupation Thieves Guild second-in-command; com man and all-around thief Werewolf or Vampire N/A Major Skills Con Man- Brynjolf has a way with words, particularly when it comes to parting you and your gold. He's charismatic, articulate, and has been known to charm even married women into giving up their purses for his products. How else could he continuously be outed for having useless wares and still manage to drain Riften's pockets with every new miracle cure? Pickpocket- When he's not busy scamming the ever-loving beejeezus out of Riften's citizens, Brynjolf's relieving your pockets of their contents. Sometimes he plays con and pickpocket at the same time. Talk about multitasking. Daggers- Exactly that. Usually he dual-wields (with devastating effectiveness), but he's also quite capable of throwing his blades with deadly accuracy. The thief doesn't have the same range as a bow does, but it still makes him dangerous even at a distance. Economics- Brynjolf's not the second-in-command of the Thieves Guild for nothing. The Nord has more of an understanding of business than a lot of Imperials; he can estimate the value of an object (or a person) with a single look, and he has an almost intimate knowledge of how gold flows to and fro. Sneaking- Even Brynjolf was a common footpad once, so he's got the basics of being a thief down- including the ability to sneak in the shadows without getting caught. He's since perfected the art and has been known to slip in and out of rooms while in seemingly full view. Lockpicking- Once, before he was as excellent at his job as he is now, Brynjolf had a habit of getting thrown into prison. Thanks to his numerous metal friends, he was never in jail long. Now what was once a symbol of freedom has become a tool to open just about anything. There's no lock this Nord can't pick, given time. Weapons, Armor, and Belongings Guild Master's Armor- He's not actually the guild master, but he's still given access to the armor. It's his usual attire of choice when he's not in his stall. Glass Daggers- Brynjolf has two that he displays on his belt, but you can bet that he's got a couple more hidden on his person. Just in case. Fine Clothes- People are more willing to trust you when you look good, and Brynjolf looks good when he dresses for it. He knows how to work a crowd. Small chest of books- Yes, he likes to read. He's an educated man. His collection currently includes the entire Wolf Queen set, the Biographies of Barenziah (as well as all of The Real Barenziah), and a smattering of other historical texts. He may or may not have a copy of "Thief of Virtue," he's not telling.

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This wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

Brynjolf at least had the sense to wait until the footpads had retired to the Flagon before approaching Mercer. The guild master had a habit of working late and then falling right into bed- socialization wasn’t in his blood, and the older man liked to appear distant and frightening to the younger members. It worked, and for all Brynjolf himself wasn’t above sharing drinks and swapping stories with even the greenest thief, he didn’t want anyone witnessing him at the explosive end of Mercer’s temper.

“Mercer.”

The man was going over account books. “What is it, Brynjolf.” It wasn’t a question, which meant the redhead only had a small window of patience to work with.

“You…do realize that we’re in the market for new blood, right?”

“What of it? That’s your responsibility, not mine.”

Brynjolf shifted his weight. “Then why do you keep sending every thief I recruit off to get killed?”

That got Mercer’s full attention, and he turned a glare full of daggers at his second-in-command. “I’m not a guild master of weaklings and crybabies, Brynjolf. If they can’t handle this line of work then they’re better off dead.”

Why was he the one to get promoted to guild master, again? Brynjolf wondered for the umpteenth time. Sure Mercer was a damn good criminal, but he had no sense of what it took to really keep the guild thriving. It was good for being a rogue but not for being a leader. “Aye, but there’s a difference between being able to handle this work and being dropped in over their heads on the first job.”

“You think we should coddle them until they can learn to sneak properly?”

“I think we probably shouldn’t send them to Jorrvaskr on their first run.” His last recruit had been found dumped outside of Whiterun with a hole through his stomach and three arrows in his neck. It looked like he’d just been slain and chucked over Jorrvaskr’s back wall.

Mercer straightened and shut the account book closed with a sharp snap. “Listen, Brynjolf. Your job is simple. You recruit the men, you handle the men, and you micromanage the senior thieves. Me, I arrange the jobs and decide what we do, and what I say goes. If your recruits can’t even get in and out of a building without dying, that’s on you.”

Brynjolf gritted his teeth together, but he knew his window had closed. The conversation was over, and he said nothing as Mercer stalked away to retire for the night.

---------------

“So, how’d it go with Mercer?”

Brynjolf scowled into his tankard. “You know very well how it went, Delvin. You just want the gossip.”

The other man grinned. “So spill already. How angry did he get? Did he threaten to kick you out of th’ guild?”

“No.” With an inward sigh Brynjolf turned in his chair, leaning against the bar so he could watch the commotion around the Flagon. At least he could see his successes- Rune, Vipir, Thrynn, etc.- and not feel like he was losing his edge. “Just the same thing as usual. He won’t budge and there’s no forcing him on a matter he’s made up his mind on.” The Nord took a long drink, trying to banish the tiny, nagging voice in the back of his head. It didn’t work. “Can you keep a secret, Delvin?”

“Of course! I’m surprised you even had t’ask.”

Brynjolf rolled his eyes. “I’m serious. If this gets out you don’t want to know where I’m going to send you.”

“Fine, fine. What’s on your mind?”

“Sometimes I get this feeling…that Mercer’s doing this on purpose.”

“What, killing off your recruits?”

“That’s the most of it, but you’ve seen the same things I have, Delvin. That last lad I found was promising, but he wasn’t ready to handle the Companions. What was Mercer thinking?”

Delvin was quiet for a moment. “You remember last week when ‘e told Vex to go into that Dwemer ruin he’d scouted?”

Brynjolf frowned. “Yeah? She said the entrance had collapsed by the time she got there.”

“She made it collapse, Bryn. Said she couldn’t even get past th’ main hall- th' place was crawling with those spiders and creepy rolling balls.”

Despite the gravity of the realization Brynjolf found himself smirking. “You can just call them spheres, Delvin.”

“Whatever. The point is she rigged some oil and fire contraption to blow the entrance in. She would have been killed if she’d tried to go further.”

Brynjolf’s mead was gone. He sighed and slid the drained tankard back onto the bar. “Maybe it was empty when Mercer was there.”

“Maybe. But it’s still a bit odd, don’t you think?”

Brynjolf said nothing. He was probably just being paranoid, anyway. Mercer would never send someone as valuable as Vex into a death trap if he knew it couldn’t be breached, and he’d always been a hard-ass when it came to recruits. The man just had no empathy at all.

“We should look into getting a creepy rolling ball to guard th' Flagon. What d’ya think, Bryn? Find a mage to make it like us, let it roll around th' Cistern.”

“Spheres, Delvin, and that’s a horrible idea.”

“You just have no imagination.”

“I have plenty of imagination. It just doesn’t involve getting us all shot in the head by a homicidal machine.”

He contented himself with banter the rest of the night, and he did his best to forget the notion of a guild master who wanted to destroy his own guild.


(I figured there had to be a reason Brynjolf was relatively easy to convince about Mercer's betrayal in the quests xD Especially after working alongside the man for so long. I'm also playing off of the fact that the first quest Mercer gives you is essentially "Hey newbie, go infiltrate the place that almost killed our best infiltrator. You know, to prove yourself.")

I have no problems here. Just remember, no godmodding canons in posts!

You simply need Taiya's acceptance.

ACCEPTED!

All of what Kent said! You have the two approvals that you need in order to obtain this character! And yeah, there had to be reason he accepted it so readily XD