Kazan Swiftwind

> *"Of course I'm a noble. I'm a Prince among Thieves, after all."* - Kazan Swiftwind
>
>

**Kazan** was a dragonborn rogue.

## Introduction

*The sound of footfalls can be heard in the direction of the stairwell leading to the basement, followed by the quiet chanting of a mantra. An average-height man clad in leather and an array of small weapons strapped to various parts of his body emerges, still chanting distractedly. He breaks off, a wide-toothy grin accompanying an azure-scaled, draconian visage as he looks about the room, moving aside to lean against the wall. He idly fingers at a crystal bound into the leather of one gauntlet's palm, his free hand checking to see that his equipment is stowed correctly. He pants softly, muscles slightly bulging as though he'd just finished some form of extensive physical work. His violet eyes wander over most of the faces gathered, the man remaining reserved until addressed by someone for the moment.*

## Backstory

"You walk the path of one who does not consider honorable actions," he said. Damn elders. "and so it is with regret that I must ask you to leave until you reform yourself, young one." Sure. Of course. As though this place has anything to offer me.

​​"I'm just surprised that you didn't come to this conclusion sooner. I was going to leave anyway, eventually." A smile, a sweeping bow. I won't let them have the satisfaction. He says something else, I don't bother to listen as I stand and turn. "You'll all be hearing about me, sometime in the future. I'm going to be a legend." I walk out of the Elder's house, to the gate and beyond. I can almost feel the weight; the only place I'd ever called 'home' was slowly growing smaller as I walked further. Damn elders.

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Kazan Swiftwind was born in a small settlement to a pair of Dragonborn, his father Venek and mother Celaine, both talented hunters and pugilists. Tragically, two years after the birth of their son, they both died in an accident while out hunting, leaving the hatchling under the care of Gerant Rockhide, the town elder. Kazan was always smaller than the other hatchlings his age, earning him the nickname "Runtscale", much to his dismay. However, he endured their insults and bullying, taking to the idea of using his size to his advantage, instead. Since he was faster than the others, he learned to easily evade hits and unbalance his opponents without landing a single blow himself. Sometimes he'd even manage to quickly undo a belt or drawstring to force a drop of his opponent's trousers. Soon enough, the "Runtscale" earned a different name, "Swiftwind" as he honed these skills, becoming quite difficult to catch.

As he had lost his parents, the boy had no true form of guidance aside from the Elder, which he was quick to disregard in favor of his own thoughts. If it was so hard to catch him, perhaps he could get away with...less reputable actions. Unfortunately, Kazan didn't quite consider the outcome of his actions, since everyone in town knew he'd be the most capable once items started to go missing. Certainly, he proved difficult for the others to gain considerable hold on him, but they had the advantage of numbers. One boy can't fight a whole settlement.

After his banishment, Kazan set out for the nearest town to find new and interesting ways to learn more about the art of being quick, silent, and...handy. He first observed the children, finding the accessible places and quick escapes; easy marks as well as the more profitable folk. The time he spent here was difficult, as his heritage made him stand out. Plenty of nights he spent going hungry because he couldn't appropriate a good meal. Hunger was an excellent teacher, however, and Kazan was a quick study.

Soon enough he'd drawn the attention of a certain man who began to follow the Dragonborn around. Sensing this, Kazan ducked into an alley only to find that the man had set a trap for him; others of his kind were lying in wait. Fearing for his life, Kazan took a deep breath, readying himself for the worst. "If you'll just calm down and let me explain, I have some advice that would make life much easier for you...if you'd wish to join us." Kazan had no choice. After listening to the man, he decided to accede, following him to a dingy door in the side of a run-down building. After being roughly shoved inside and down a flight of stairs, he was set before a woman who looked at him and smiled.

"Congratulations...young Dragonborn? How interesting to see that one of your kind has found us. Either way, you've passed the first test. And you seem to be ready for the next." she explained that Kazan indeed had the skill required to be a good thief, but he lacked worldly experience. If he truly wished to be accepted among them, he'd have to become versed in combat and cunning. He spent the next few months learning the arts of striking quickly and silently as well as deception and the language of the Thieves.

The woman called him to see her once more. "It's time, Kazan Swiftwind. You're going to leave this place and make something of yourself. Go out into the world. See what you can...'acquire' there." With a smile and a nod, Kazan gathered his things and set off.

Along his journey, Kazan witnessed the wonders of magic and observed its application in daily life. He thought to incorporate such power into his own arsenal, observing a group of novice wizards, studying their habits. Utilizing his contacts within the Guild, some identification papers were forged for him, relying on the magical expertise of one of his contacts to make them more genuine, thus gaining entrance into the local mage guild. There he studied the Illusionary arts, Enchanting, and magical theory to further augment his skills. 'Acquiring' a small magical crystal before he left the guild, Kazan joined up with an adventuring troupe for the sole purpose of blending his newfound knowledge with his previous skills, synergizing them to his satisfaction. All that was left, was to practice...