<div class="floatleft">(http://cdn.dstv.com/www.dstv.com/content/DStv/Images/Nic/Thor/Thor_loki.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Sebastian Varta<br/><strong>Title:</strong>Theiri King<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Market Place, back alleys, to be continued in the Theiri Castle<br/><strong>Tags:</strong>NPCs- A few locals<br/><hr/><hr/><br/><br/>'Get yer potayyyy-toes! Nice and ripe, straight from the green fields of Theiri!'<br/><br/>'Books, Puzzles, Chess sets! Everything a growing little Theiri laddie and lassie need to be the next King Varta!'<br/><br/>Perception was always his foremost gift. His people revered him, which on most occasions became able charge to coddle his ego. But as he strode through the mercifully busy marketplace, happy to have his auditory reflexes accosted by an unceasing cacophony of a great city in its waking bustle. Theiri, for all purposes,<em>seemed</em>thriving. His fears<em>seemed</em>to have met with one of those rare occasions where their legitimacy was left sorely wanting.<br/><br/>Only Sebastian Varta's skills of scrupulous observation seldom led to a path he had not deduced prior. His sudden excursion from the safety of his throne had revealed several illuminating events. This produce , in fact, might become the very last instance of a profitable day in trade. He had intercepted news hinting at a delay with the next cargo.<br/><br/>Influx of money too was steadily dwindling. Indeed, rumors along the taverns along the roads directed him to believe their neighbors were courting an inexplicable reluctance to resume business. The fertility of their fields was under fierce question ever since he had to enforce a tap on the kingdom's water resources to prevent their complete disappearance. And should the tattle tales he had enjoyed held truth, Varta suspected only one force capable of coodinating such a widespread crippling of his empire.<br/><br/>'Paintings! Paintings graced by the touch of the Queen herself! Treasures that caught the imagination of Princess Kiara!'<br/><br/>'Armour! Fine Armour made from the best Theirian steel! Get your war gear here! Would you like a second glove, good Sir? It seems rather pointless to wield but one magnificent weapon such as that- Lord Almighty, my Ki-'<br/><br/>The merchant's eyes grew to the girth of saucers. Varta's flashing smile hit him first, hidden beneath a finger pressed upon his lips, demanding silence. The next thing the poor, heavy set man who stapled his living with the fortunes of weapons and shields knew was the sliver of his King's dusty cloak and the streets were returned to the able care of the people themselves.<br/><br/>Sebastian's cloak garnered the unforgiving muck of the city's abandoned alleyways. The Boy King's lips twitched in a small smile,<em>'Artfully abandoned alleyways',</em>he thought as his overactive mind threw him back to a set of fortunate circumstances.<br/><br/>When his rule was yet in its infancy, he had ventured into the teeming underbelly of the great city. Unfortunately, he was yet to harden as the man he now was, though even then he forced himself to honour extravagant promises. But to a boy, not even the responsibility of kingship would deter the pillaging pull of hunger.<br/><br/>So Sebastian Varta stole. Fruit shops suffered a constant deficit of apples. Money lenders forsook their stationery establishments and enlisted caravans. But Varta's swiftness, combined with a inch precise knowledge of his city ensured any edge gained was lost even before they could bask in their brilliance. Thus rose the legend of Theiri's Whispering Death, who, despite a long hiatus. continued to empty dark alleys for his sneaky travels.