Jocelyn Emmarask
| Jocelyn Emmarask | |||||||
| Male Human (Toril Chondathan Cormyte) | |||||||
| Player: Xephis | |||||||
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| General Information | ||||||||||
| Full Name: | Jocelyn Tancred Audemar Emmarask | |||||||||
| Nicknames: | Joss, to his friends in Suzail - he does not encourage this | |||||||||
| Age: | 24 | |||||||||
| Deity: | Tymora, Beshaba and Tempus | |||||||||
| Alignment: |
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| Occupation: | Gentleman | |||||||||
| Faction/Rank: | Cipher, Namer | |||||||||
| Place of Birth: | Suzail, Cormyr, Toril, Prime Material | |||||||||
| Physical Attributes | ||||||||||
| Height: | 5'11" | |||||||||
| Weight: | 185 lbs | |||||||||
| Eyes: | Hazel | |||||||||
| Hair: | Dark Brown | |||||||||
| Complexion: | Pale | |||||||||
| Physical Build: | Athletic | |||||||||
| Physical Features: | The number 72306 is crudely tattooed along his right forearm | |||||||||
| Skills | ||||||||||
| Bluff, Discipline, Heal, Listen, Parry, Profession (Herbalist), Sense Motive, Spot, Tumble, Wilderness Lore | ||||||||||
| Equipment and Items | ||||||||||
| Well cut suits, hats, a selection of rapiers and main-gauches as well as general adventuring equipment | ||||||||||
Appearance
Jocelyn is of a good height and build, though neither particularly tall nor sturdy. His complexion is quite pale, in contrast to dark eyes and hair. He is normally well groomed and dressed. He speaks in what some might recognise as an upper class Suzail drawl. His manner is typically lighthearted, but with a certain patrician aloofness and a hard streak that occasionally surfaces, hinting at a life that has not been entirely sheltered. The number 72306 is crudely tattooed along his right forearm, although this is almost always covered.
The Chant
Those making it their business to enquire about Jocelyn could discover the following with relative ease.
Current habits and frequented locales
- He lodges at the Golden Bariaur near Lord's Row in the Lady's Ward.
- He spends many an evening at the gaming tables of Fortune's Wheel, in the same neighbourhood. He is known by staff and patrons alike as a skilled card player who always pays (and collects) his debts.
- He is often seen at the Great Gymnasium, where people might confirm that he has been inducted a Namer in the Transcendent Order.
- He spends a good deal of time on the Aspodaez Coast, where he maintains an apothecary in a lighthouse near Hillard's Bay.
- He often visits fellow herbalists, including the Sage of Faunel, the Maat ferryman and a wisewoman in a certain village of genesai on the Water Plane.
- He occasionally spends an evening at the fighting pit beneath the Butcher's Block.
Associations
Jocelyn employs a certain Julietta de Fiore to manage his affairs. Tradesfolk and staff at Jocelyn's favourite establishments have learned that it is much easier to deal with Julietta than her employer.
Jocelyn appears to be on friendly terms with a number of Sigil's current adventuring community, including Alec, Aria, Balthazar, Charley Thorne, Emma Coronis, Fhaori Biryukovi, Jack Silvence, Jaelle, Jay Ralithel, Joanna Smythe, Karsperus Blake, Kira Roth (Sara), Mean Joe, Naaziira Karcxi, Saevio Silverbludgeon, Sah'el, Senna and Thilidar Villder (Dusk).
Other friends, now absent for some time, include:
- Alea Ar'thyr, with whom he shares an interest in herbalism;
- Moreg, whose tailoring shop he patronises with dashing effect;
- Indithrael, who guided his early attempts to practise meditation;
- Teague, who began his instruction in the arts of healing lore;
- Abe Reinhart, who helped him get his bearings in his earliest days in The Cage; and
- Shen Shou Zeng, who recruited him into the Transcendent Order.
Rumours
- Despite his light hearted manner, he is known at the Gymnasium to be dedicated to his training and is showing signs of potential in grasping the Cipher's philosophy in combat although the extent to which he has adopted it in other aspects of his life is, as yet, debatable.
- He is working to open an apothecary on the Aspodaez Coast of the Outlands.
- He is the principal behind the charitable Aspodaez Foundation.
- He was victim of a plot by a wizard named Amthar Rod to harvest souls for some unknown dark purpose, which presents an ongoing threat to his soul.
- He was responsible for stopping the murder of Guardinals by a sentient weapon of dubious origins.
- He is a murderer on the run from Cormyte law.
- He owes various mysterious creditors a huge amount of money.
Background
- Jocelyn is the second son of Albryn Emmarask, a well-regarded Royal Knight and younger brother to Roland, the current head of House Emmarask. He was raised with his siblings and cousins in the Emmarask mansion in Suzail.
- As a youth he fell under the influence of a fast set at court. Gossip about rowdy evenings at the Golden Goblin and the Osculatory gradually became increasingly concerned with duels over nothing in particular and dockside brawling.
- The death at Jocelyn's hands of Martyn, a son of House Farrowbrace and a good friend of Jocelyn's, precipitated events beyond even the Emmarasks' ability to control. Although the duel was conducted legally, it was apparently frivolous and the Farrowbraces made their anger widely known at court, with several threatening vengeance. To avoid a feud and in fear of Jocelyn's behaviour bringing further scandal on the Emmarasks, Albryn and Roland decided not to defend his prosecution and he was sentenced to five years hard labour on a prison hulk in Marsember docks.
- Nearly three years into his sentence, after the dust at court had settled, his family quietly persuaded the crown to commute his sentence to serve the remaining time under the supervision of an old family retainer, one Alberic Chandler, in Arabel. Forbidden from passing outside Arabel's city walls by the terms of his parole, Jocelyn took to escaping these restraints by way of a gateway to Sigil.
Personality Profile
Jocelyn is a thrill seeker at heart. Impetuous to a fault and utterly convinced of his own superiority to most, he tends to act first and consider the consequences later.
He enjoys any kind high spirited activity but dueling most of all, to the point that he is addicted to the rush of facing a foe over crossed blades. He does not mind losing a duel to a superior opponent and has great respect for those willing to back their words with steel.
He is extremely bitter about his family, although he remains torn between seeking revenge and their admiration. A black sheep he may be, but he remains an Emmarask to the bone, and has all the instincts of one of the Suzail court's most careerist and politically astute families.
Although publicly scornful of 'philosophy', he is seeking some greater meaning to his life. Since arriving in Sigil, he has become drawn to the Ciphers' emphasis on instinct over reflection and lack of a rigid organisational structure. Whether this deceptively simple philosophy will have a significant impact on him remains to be seen.
The Dark
It would be unlikely that anyone without a personal connection to those involved could discover much of the following.
- The quarrel that led to the fateful duel was over insults apparently uttered by Jocelyn about Martyn behind his back. Martyn challenged Jocelyn, who accepted, knowing his friend to be a skilled swordsman himself and thinking that a fight to first blood would clear the air.
- In fact, the story of Jocelyn's insults had been invented and artfully spread by one Raynaud Illance, a rival to Jocelyn for the affections of a certain Ines Darendaal. Furthermore, Raynaud also laced Martyn's breakfast before the duel with just the right amount of willowbark to start affecting him at the appointed time. Within moments, Martyn was skewered by a thrust that Jocelyn had expected him to parry easily and events had taken on a life of their own.
- Jocelyn remains ignorant of Raynaud's scheming. However, he does know that someone was spreading falsehoods about him, as he did not slander Martyn. Despite his protestations, Jocelyn's father and uncle refused to be convinced this, allowing him to be condemned, which is the source of much bitterness. He also remains mystified by Martyn's lapse of skill during their duel, although he has no proof of foul play on that account.