Otto von Geist, "The Ghoul"

Biographical information

Birthplace Alliria Born Died Age 28 Home Anywhere but Alliria Sexuality Pronouns

Physical description

Race Human, suspected supernatural lineage but never confirmed Sub-Race Gender Male Height 5'10" Mass 160 lbs Hair color dark brown Eye color brown Skin color white

Political information

Affiliation(s) Occupation Thief Clan(s) Caste Domain Masters Apprentices Alias(es)

Out-of-character information

Writer Last_Origin Created on 11-18-2021 Avatar https://www.worldanvil.com/w/agrilisa-shadowrunner/a/menschen-species

A charming thief with a troubled past and an axe to grind against people in high places

Appearance

Otto has a smile that melts the hearts of most young women--and men, and most mortals really--and a charming affect to his voice that lands on the ears with a buttery-smooth delivery. He's almost always dressed better than the people he's robbing, and even some of the nobles he used to spend so much time with in the Allirian Court. Even the blade he carries is a rapier with an ornate handle and guard, with steel so polished you could mistake it for silver. He often wears a single earring on his left ear, and alternates wearing rings of various size and ostentatiousness, all the more to dazzle the victims of his thieving crime sprees.

Skills and Abilities

Charm: Otto's main skill, he is usually able to woo just about anyone into agreeing with him, and is a master of striking good deals in his favor on the negotiating table.

Connections: Otto has some small connections to the criminal underworld, but nothing major.

Friends in High Places: Inside the Allirian Court, some are sympathetic to Otto's story and would be willing to help him should the occasion arise, short of actually getting him back into Allirian society, of course.

Standard Skullduggery: Otto can pick locks, sneak around, and disable mechanical devices at a competent level, though he's nothing special at it and more complex locks are beyond his ability.

Personality

Otto is a charming individual with a quick tongue and a quicker mind. He has a penchant for getting out of sticky situations using only the power of conversation and this natural talent of his made him initially cocky and a bit careless. After his exile from Allirian society, however, and the theft of his great love, he is more careful and calculating and uses his charm almost as a weapon, being more prudent about when to speak and when to bite his tongue. In his heart he is still a thief through-and-through, but exile has made him more sympathetic to castaways and victims of high society, rather than being a part of the highborn problem himself. He is a conflicted individual recovering from losing everything, and still trying to understand why he is being punished.

Biography & Lore

Otto was born into the lowest rungs of society and lost his single mother when he was 10 years old, leaving him stranded as an orphan in the lower parts of Alliria. He turned to a life of crime, working with local gangs and criminal groups, stealing just to get by and always a few gold short of being able to be honest. He was usually the frontman during these operations, as he possessed a natural talent for persuasion, but these would largely go unappreciated by such criminal elements.

One chance encounter would change everything. When he was 17, he met a young woman named Marjorie Livona in the market, as the two happened to buy an apple from the same merchant at the same time. The two had a natural connection, and over the next few weeks they would meet at the same apple vendor "by chance" until finally Marjorie made a proposal to Otto: that he leave his life of crime behind, and join her as a courtier in the upper class parts of Alliria. Otto accepted, and initially he enjoyed being a part of a much safer environment, at least on the surface. However, word of his exploits soon reached the rest of the nobility, and before long, he found himself doing "favors" for various other nobles--stealing valuable items, planting objects on various people to make them seem like rogues, and even pickpocketing petty cash for other nobles, with the threat of imprisonment always being held above his head. Due to these actions and his status being unfortunately well known in the court, Otto was given a cruel nickname by the nobility: "The Ghoul," in reference to the honorless acts he would usually perform. Despite this, he always had Marjorie to brighten his day and bring him happiness, but the sword of Damocles would soon fall on Otto's unsuspecting head.

The noble house of Regisford had a son named Harold who was in need of a wife. Marjorie, from House Livona, seemed the perfect fit. Otto begged her not to do it, and in desperation, made a plea to her to elope with him. She asked for 48 hours to answer him; however, tragedy struck as a conspiracy between Regisford and the city guard, specifically with a Captain Meroe, was set in motion, and Otto faced sudden, swift criminal charges against the people of the high court. He was to be executed, but for Marjorie's intervention, at which point they simply exiled him instead. Otto was left penniless, without love, and without a home, and has since fallen back into a life of crime in other places.

Otto von Geist, "The Ghoul"