Mercurial Carp Courier

Carp, for short.

Basic Information

Name: Mercurial Carp Courier
Type: Dragon-Blooded Exalt
Player: NPC
Aspect: Air
Concept: Member of the Hallowed Order of the Grass Spiders
Motivation: Get paid.
Political Affiliation: The Hallowed Order of the Grass Spiders
Anima: Carp's anima banner begins as subtle gust of wind swirling around him, but quickly picks up enough dust and debris to weave itself into a long, serpentine dragon that swims through the air around Carp while he fights. At totemic levels, the dragon spits out holographic money.
Likes: Money, eating, bragging, sparring, well-kept facial hair, fighting large opponents
Dislikes: Masculine women, effeminate men, complicated explanations, philosophy, bees

Background

Mercurial Carp Courier was born in Nexus to a well-off family of merchants. It was perhaps because of his relatively pampered upbringing that Carp eventually turned to Nexus's bloated underbelly. As an adolescent, he was always just steps away, but insulated from the world of crime that seemed poised to give his mundane life an injection of adventure his teenage self so naively craved. Never one to over-think things, Carp snuck out from family's Nexus apartment under the cover of night and showed up at the hideout of a local band of thieves, asking for work. He promptly got his ass kicked. This was to become to a theme in Carp's life.

Over the next few years, Carp would present himself time and again to local criminal circles, desperate to join their ranks, and time and again, Carp would leave bruised, bloodied, and undeterred. Eventually, he found criminals desperate enough to work with a privileged teenager, who started giving him simple jobs that primarily involved delivering illicit packages of various sorts. Although inexperienced, Carp had grown up well-fed, educated, and had plenty of leisure time during his childhood to train and play sports. Compared to many Nexus criminals, who spent of most of their lives simply scraping by, Carp was athletic and sharp-witted. He quickly proved his use as a courier, earning his title (which he retains to this day) and graduating to more serious criminal organizations. Carp quickly developed a reputation for his ability to elude authorities, gain access to tightly controlled areas, and make incredibly daring escapes. With higher profile work, however, came the attention of higher profile adversaries. Not every job went perfectly, and after Carp's first high-profile failure brought shame to his parents' business, they disowned him and cut him off. This forced Carp to make his hobby into his career, and he quickly learned the value of money. Contrary to the expectations of his younger self, crime didn't pay as well as he'd hoped. As he entered his second decade of life, Carp's position as a trusted courier for more powerful gangs provided some degree of financial cushion, but he noted that money tended to be concentrated at the top. Carp's life after leaving home was hardly plush, and though his life gave him the rush he craved, he found himself wanting a fatter payscrip.

That opportunity came when one of Carp's handlers decided a problematic business associate had to be taken care of. A mock delivery was scheduled, and Carp was instructed to assassinate the rival crime lord after making the delivery. Carp carried out his first hit without a hitch. He also carried this hit out without moral hesitation - years spent as a professional criminal had hardened him to reality of Threshold life. The hit brought with it respect and, importantly, money. As time progressed, Carp would occasionally be called on as an assassin, though most of his jobs remained high-profile, important deliveries. It was important to Carp's handlers to maintain the idea that Carp was still a messenger - after all, nobody would trust a courier with a reputation for leaving a trail of dead recipients. Carp's life changed forever when a man who wore multiple swords contracted Carp's services - for a hit. The client specified that Carp was to make it look like an accident, so as not to tarnish the client's reputation. Intrigued by the unique circumstances, Carp took the job and did it well, covertly pushing a liquor-drenched crime-lord from his apartment balcony and pretending to show up at the scene, package in hand, only after the crime lord had already fallen to his death. Upon returning, the client who hired Carp introduced himself as Tiamat and informed Carp that he'd be working for the Hallowed Order of the Grass Spiders now.

A year later, at age 22, Carp was thriving as an Associate in the Order. He was still used primarily as a courier; covert package delivery was critical to the maintenance of the Order's contact and trade networks. Still, he was occasionally employed for less savory tasks, and though skilled, he did nothing to disavow his reputation for recklessness. Carp would often plunge into dangerous situations without thinking of how to escape, and during one bleak looking situation, a burst of incredibly strong wind, evidenced by serpentine tails of interwoven dust, threw Carp's opponents to the ground and carried him over the edge of an impossibly tall fortress wall, completely unharmed. Carp had Exalted as an Air aspect, and was inducted into the Order as a member of the Shaded Templar the next year.

Carp's needs are simple and he loves the Grass-Spiders' lifestyle. It provides the thrills and jade he has always sought after, and for Carp, it doesn't go any deeper than that. He has a slightly nihilistic attitude, often mocking the meaning other members assign to their work; Carp still thinks of the Grass-Spiders as a glorified band of thugs, though he wears the label proudly and means this in the most affectionate way possible. As a member of the Shaded Templar, Carp hasn't changed much - he is still the most reckless member of the circle and his impatience and refusal to plan ahead often get the group into trouble. Still, Carp has shown an utterly supernatural knack for getting out of impossible situations unscathed and has a well-rounded skillset. His sneaking, stealing, and acrobatic abilities are in the Order's higher tier, though his skills aren't quite on the level of Apollo's larcenous talents or Opal's effortless tumbling. Furthermore, while not the best martial artist in his Circle, he can hold his own in a fight and seems to be able to take an incredible beating without slowing down.

Although his devil-may-care attitude and devotion to living in the moment may seem at odds with his Exaltation, Carp embodies his aspect quite well. He embraces the ideal of the Grass-Spider's lifestyle, seeking to do every job better than the last and loving every ridiculous situation his job gets him into. His simplistic, old-school attitude has earned him the friendship of Iron Shatters Oak, who finds his frank attitude and honest approach to life in the Order refreshing when compared to some its more troubled members.

What He's Been Up To

Carp has been relatively indifferent to the Veil War, calling it a "bunch of bullshit". That said, he doesn't go out of his way to oppose or support the war, unlike his circlemate Ryn. Carp is, however, fiercely protective of the Order's associates, and has physically asserted himself in their defense on a number of occasions when White Veil Society agents have put them in danger. As a result, he's had a moderate level of involvement in the Veil War. He was particularly active in Nexus, helping out Mesa whenever his missions took him to that part of Creation. That said, his involvement has always been limited to defending members in danger or lending a helping hand to members already engaged in Veil War business - Carp managed to wriggle his way out of being assigned any Veil War duties of his own. The past seven years have seen The Shaded Templar, originally a poorly matched circle, personality-wise, grow quite a bit closer and find a working harmony, much like what has happened with the Circle With No Name. The exception to this is Cello, who remains an outsider in the group. While Carp tries to include her (socially and professionally) whenever he can, he's also wary of forcing the issue and tries not to come on too strong. The results have mostly been discouraging, with Cello remaining a bit of an outsider.

Carp continues to work phenomenally well with his partner in crime, The Champagne Vagabond, with the two of them pulling off some the Order's most outlandish jobs (and, occasionally, the loudest failures). Aleni, the informal matriarch of The Shaded Templar, retroactively calls them "the original Ash and Mesa", a retcon which delights Carp's younger counterparts in the Circle With No Name. Although widely considered be too much of a loose cannon for leadership roles, Carp has the right combination of youth and experience to thrive as a Grass-Spider, and continues to be a valuable, versatile member of the Order.