Fourth Act

The **Fourth Act** is a popular theatre troupe. They were originally started by Sylmore Burnett, and has since changed hands a number of times.

## Description

The purpose of the troupe was twofold, to provide a home and place to work for those who wished to work in the field, and also to gain entry to otherwise difficult to access but lucrative venues for the purposes of robbing the place. Those in the group usually used the group as a starting off point for their careers or as a way to start over after escaping a life they did not like. The legitimate actors were usually unaware of the unscrupulous side of their work. As their leader, Sylmore, began writing the Star Walk serial, they found themselves with consistent work, the demand for the popular play high.

Demanded as they were, they were frequently hired to work in upper-scale areas, either in theatres or in the homes of those who hired them. When invited into homes, they would use that access to locate valuables and scope out the security measures in place. They would then send in a thief or a pair of thieves to rob the place during the performances or some time after the troupe had left town. They would also sometimes use their popular actors as bait, securing invitations into the homes of the rich for similar purposes. It was also not uncommon for them to send pickpockets through the crowd if the venue allowed for it. Their targets were almost exclusively nobles with more wealth than they knew what to do with, a personal decision made by Sylmore when he began the troupe, and a sentiment carried through its later leaders.

### Fourth Act Publishing

After Belxari took over the troupe, she and Sylmore used their combined wealth to create a publishing company. This was used to publish the many Star Walk books, including transcripts of the play, the novelizations, and the spin-off novels. As an official company, it has also published other works, including the pulled book by Cecily Cardew.

## Notable Members

### Belxari

Main article: Belxari
Found and raised by the troupe as an infant, she had inherent talents in both second-story work and acting, which were put to good use. After a falling out with Sylmore after a job went particularly bad, she left the troupe for several years. Upon her return, she used her newfound wealth and skills to take over from the now-retired Sylmore. She would eventually retire, her newfound god responsibilities making it difficult for her to continue her work with them.

### Grah

Grah was the chief of the orc clan Fire-Under-Mountain. She and Sam became involved after a chance encounter, and Grah ended up pregnant. She killed the entire clan in order to leave with Sam, as they would not allow her to do so. Her primary desire in life was for Sah to end up the ultimate Murder Princess.

### Izora Burnett

Main article: Izora Burnett
Though her work with the Fourth Act was not long-lived, she worked with them for a few years in her late teens. Having grown up with them in her life and being the founder's daughter, she was familiar with both sides of their work. She aided them in robbing the maiden voyage of the train system between Wolis and Taapeltwog, Belxari's final official job with the troupe. She parted ways soon after, choosing instead to work on her magic.

### Merric

Merric was the son of a well-known thief who hated living under her shadow. He was eventually recruited from the Wolis thieves guild by Sylmore. He was best friends with Sam, wielding a rapier whose twin was owned by Sam. He was was the one who found the infant Belxari among one of Caius' rituals, and was primarily responsible for training her in the second-story work when she was older. He was injured and unable to work early in this training, then killed in another job that went sideways several years later. He was revived, but retired shortly after.

### Nibs

Nibs was a monk who specialized in second-story work, but also played the role of Mouth the Talking Cat in the play The Monsters of Paw-ket. He was the only one present to escape the trap laid by Renard Blackwood which would claim the lives of Sylmore, Grah, and Merric.

### Ruby

Ruby was one of the actresses in the troupe, and one of the few to travel with them on a near-permanent basis. She was a friendly woman, but was the sort to have a very secret history which could only be guessed at. She was primarily in charge of the costumes. She ultimately left the troupe in order to marry Porter, the butler for the Burnett estate.

### Sah

Main article: Sah
Born into and raised by the troupe, Sah usually performed more as muscle than as an actor or thief. She was best friends with Belxari, and left with her when she had her falling out with Sylmore.

### Sam

Sam was a bard and best friends with Merric, having a matching rapier with him. On a mission outside of the troupe, he encountered and ultimately married an orc chieftain's daughter, Grah. The two would have a daughter together, Sah. When drunk one night, he was found by Caius and, via magic, tricked into believing that he had caused Sah to be cursed. He set out on a journey to cure that curse, but failing miserably, faked his death to avoid being murdered by his wife. He was later found by Sah, the curse was revealed to be fake, and he returned to the troupe.

### Sylmore Burnett

Main article: Sylmore Burnett
The creator of the group and the primary leader for most of the existence of the troupe. He was responsible for creating the plays which the troupe performed and planning the jobs for the second-story teams.