http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt53/Gemethystisme/fagan1.gif
Butler: Fagan Kirkpatrick " An aging ex-pirate, Fagan is a huge, hulking human of some 6 and a half feet, with a wooden leg. He chews tobacco and likes to spit his chaw at or near people's shoes to test their mettle. He is overly fond of shooting off cannons and causing other loud general mayhem. He is not easily impressed. He'd been grounded for being too old and "useless" by his pirate crew. The man was caught stealing a meat pie to fend off starvation, and was then sentenced to hang for petty thievery (mostly because he pissed off the judge so much). Gem heard of his case from Uncle, her main street contact, and she arranged for his rescue on the way to the gallows. She liked the gruff ruffian and so she hired him as her butler. Fagan runs the place as if it were a ship. A pirate ship, at that. At his insistence a tower was built and four cannons were mounted in it, for a defensive measure (but mostly because he likes shooting them at any given time).
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt53/Gemethystisme/elsie.jpg Chef: Elsie Muir " An older woman who was at one time a famous chef for a certain family of the nobility. When her daughter grew old enough to learn at her side, she was hired by the same family. Unfortunately, the son of the family decided Elsie's girl was a toy for him to play with. The play got rough and the daughter was slain. Elsie sought grievance and reparation, demanding that the family at least banish the son (no one in noble families has to really deal with the law, in general). The entire family refused to even acknowledge the matter, so Elsie sought her own revenge. She poisoned the soup, and three of the family died (one of whom was the lecherous son). Having been sent to the gallows to be hung, she was diverted by the corrupt warden who wanted to utilize such a famous chef in his own kitchens. Treated by the warden's family as nothing more than a slave and being strictly watched to make sure no poisoning agents were available to her, Elsie cooked for them for several years, which was better than being hung, of course. Gem heard her story, one day, and having a particular dislike of the state of slavery, smuggled her out of the warden's home. Gem hired her as the cook for Quellarin. Good pay and good treatment have thus far kept any poisons out of the food.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt53/Gemethystisme/joseph3.jpg Groundskeeper & Accountant: Joseph Burrows " Joe was a big time Wall Street broker. He knew all the ins and outs of finance and economy. Falsely accused of embezzlement, he did time in Sing Sing, New York. He came to find out that it was his twin who had committed the crime and laid the blame for it on his own brother. Once he had served his time, a very embittered and disillusioned Joseph retired from the business and went into gardening and landscaping. He felt there was less to tempt people in that field. Joseph never found his brother, though he longed to confront him. The lout was probably off on a beach in Fiji or something. Somehow Joseph ended up in Rhydin (circumstances unknown). He found his way to Gem via the landscaping contacts, and has been in her service ever since. He keeps the grounds for her in the Elven way, while also handling Gem's finances. Joseph is smooth, urbane, handsome for a man in his forties, genteel, and polished.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt53/Gemethystisme/bart.jpg Footman: Bart Mayhew " Bart is a Conman Extraordinaire. He was caught selling fake diamonds to some upper class merchants, and was sentenced to be transported to a particularly nasty island prison for his crimes. He was travelling with a group of prisoners overland to the waiting ship in a guarded wagon that would bear them to their fate. Bart has a funny knack of being lucky at the worst of times, and unlucky at the best of times. In this case, his luck won out when the wagon was assaulted by a group trying to free one of the other prisoners. He managed to sneak off in the ensuing mayhem, and found his way back to Rhydin. Managing to arrive there starving, but whole, his bad luck won out, or perhaps it was his good luck, again? He tried to pick the pocket of a certain Elven woman, who happened to be Gem. She heard his story and promptly hired him onto her staff. He believes his own press more than anyone who ever listens to him. Bart has a particular fondness for the wenches. He believes himself to be the consummate Ladies Man, nevermind the receding hairline, the missing and blackened teeth (of which there are ever more appearing), or the pop-eyes that just make the man look very creepy. Bart also has a love of the rum, and is constantly trying to sneak some from either the wet bar or the cellar racks. Fagan keeps a close eye on him for both of the above tendencies, but Bart is a wily kind of guy. The maids in the house are constantly quitting because of Bart's Russian hands and Roman fingers, and so Gem has a constantly overturning bevy of them at any given time. For all his bad qualities, Bart has a few sterling ones that make up for the lack, like that knack for luck at the worst of times.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt53/Gemethystisme/eli.jpg Groundskeeper Assistant & Underfootman: Eli (No known last name) " Human teenaged male sentenced to having his hands cut off for burglary. He was rescued at the last minute by Gem, Uncle, and some street kids. His manner is ebullient, untamed, and the world is his oyster. His loyalty is firmly given to Gem, who teaches him some thieves skills as he needs to know them (as the local Thieves Guild is run by a real piece of work named Ganrom, who doesn't train or mentor his new thieves). At some point he will move on from being employed by Gem to being a full thief in his own right. Thus, the Den of Iniquity will add more crime to the streets of Rhydin in due time.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt53/Gemethystisme/elsie.jpg Chef: Elsie Muir " An older woman who was at one time a famous chef for a certain family of the nobility. When her daughter grew old enough to learn at her side, she was hired by the same family. Unfortunately, the son of the family decided Elsie's girl was a toy for him to play with. The play got rough and the daughter was slain. Elsie sought grievance and reparation, demanding that the family at least banish the son (no one in noble families has to really deal with the law, in general). The entire family refused to even acknowledge the matter, so Elsie sought her own revenge. She poisoned the soup, and three of the family died (one of whom was the lecherous son). Having been sent to the gallows to be hung, she was diverted by the corrupt warden who wanted to utilize such a famous chef in his own kitchens. Treated by the warden's family as nothing more than a slave and being strictly watched to make sure no poisoning agents were available to her, Elsie cooked for them for several years, which was better than being hung, of course. Gem heard her story, one day, and having a particular dislike of the state of slavery, smuggled her out of the warden's home. Gem hired her as the cook for Quellarin. Good pay and good treatment have thus far kept any poisons out of the food.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt53/Gemethystisme/joseph3.jpg Groundskeeper & Accountant: Joseph Burrows " Joe was a big time Wall Street broker. He knew all the ins and outs of finance and economy. Falsely accused of embezzlement, he did time in Sing Sing, New York. He came to find out that it was his twin who had committed the crime and laid the blame for it on his own brother. Once he had served his time, a very embittered and disillusioned Joseph retired from the business and went into gardening and landscaping. He felt there was less to tempt people in that field. Joseph never found his brother, though he longed to confront him. The lout was probably off on a beach in Fiji or something. Somehow Joseph ended up in Rhydin (circumstances unknown). He found his way to Gem via the landscaping contacts, and has been in her service ever since. He keeps the grounds for her in the Elven way, while also handling Gem's finances. Joseph is smooth, urbane, handsome for a man in his forties, genteel, and polished.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt53/Gemethystisme/bart.jpg Footman: Bart Mayhew " Bart is a Conman Extraordinaire. He was caught selling fake diamonds to some upper class merchants, and was sentenced to be transported to a particularly nasty island prison for his crimes. He was travelling with a group of prisoners overland to the waiting ship in a guarded wagon that would bear them to their fate. Bart has a funny knack of being lucky at the worst of times, and unlucky at the best of times. In this case, his luck won out when the wagon was assaulted by a group trying to free one of the other prisoners. He managed to sneak off in the ensuing mayhem, and found his way back to Rhydin. Managing to arrive there starving, but whole, his bad luck won out, or perhaps it was his good luck, again? He tried to pick the pocket of a certain Elven woman, who happened to be Gem. She heard his story and promptly hired him onto her staff. He believes his own press more than anyone who ever listens to him. Bart has a particular fondness for the wenches. He believes himself to be the consummate Ladies Man, nevermind the receding hairline, the missing and blackened teeth (of which there are ever more appearing), or the pop-eyes that just make the man look very creepy. Bart also has a love of the rum, and is constantly trying to sneak some from either the wet bar or the cellar racks. Fagan keeps a close eye on him for both of the above tendencies, but Bart is a wily kind of guy. The maids in the house are constantly quitting because of Bart's Russian hands and Roman fingers, and so Gem has a constantly overturning bevy of them at any given time. For all his bad qualities, Bart has a few sterling ones that make up for the lack, like that knack for luck at the worst of times.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt53/Gemethystisme/eli.jpg Groundskeeper Assistant & Underfootman: Eli (No known last name) " Human teenaged male sentenced to having his hands cut off for burglary. He was rescued at the last minute by Gem, Uncle, and some street kids. His manner is ebullient, untamed, and the world is his oyster. His loyalty is firmly given to Gem, who teaches him some thieves skills as he needs to know them (as the local Thieves Guild is run by a real piece of work named Ganrom, who doesn't train or mentor his new thieves). At some point he will move on from being employed by Gem to being a full thief in his own right. Thus, the Den of Iniquity will add more crime to the streets of Rhydin in due time.