Ricard Joyce

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Just before the Mordish Civil War, Ricard Joyce was one of the most powerful crime lords in Port Thresthelm. He ran a network that distributed illegal potions and drugs. Ricard employed smugglers, sellers, and enforcers. He rose to prominence in a desire to enact justice on the Kaiser for the wrong done on his family. Ricard had been born in Toalla to a family of rich inventors. That life ended when agents of the Kaiser ruined his family’s reputation. In AeP 447, Ricard took part in the assassination of Gavin Bellest. Ricard delivered the killing blow.

## History

Born in Toalla as Galien Remont, Ricard was raised in a wealthy family with a high standing in the West Merchants Association. His mother was a genius inventor and his father was a well-respected businessman. Together they created many intriguing devices, but none as useful as the Machigraph. It was only a prototype, but it accelerated the creation of standardized, single page, machine-written papers. A public demonstration of the prototype to the West Merchants Association was a great success. Then there was a fire. It destroyed their home and business, including the new machine. The fire coincided with evidence Galien’s family had tricked the WMA. A sorcerer confessed that he used incantry to create the written paper rapidly, and that the Machigraph was an illusion. They were discharged from the guild, branded criminals and left to rot in the city streets. After years of hard work, Galien’s parents were able to create new identities and lives in Carufell. His parents took jobs doing back-breaking labor. Despite the hardship, they assured him that they were happy to be alive with a hearth to come home to. Galien had his suspicions as to who started the fire. Everyone knew that Iron Tempest Commandos lurk in the shadows of every government, ready to strike at any moment. His suspicions were confirmed when he found a note to a Carufell diplomat. It was a single page, not lettered by hand, but by iron blocks used in the Machigraph. The note bore the Kaiser’s seal. Galien decided right then to travel to Mordehall and exact revenge. He believed his father's mistake was in branding the machigraph as a tool for the people, a way not only to create more written works, but to create more people who could read and learn.

He moved to Port Thresthlem, taking the name Ricard Joyce. There he used skills taught to him by the WMA, to grow a network of operatives. Slowly, Ricard began to take over the drug trade in the city. He hired enforcers, found blackmail, and gained a reputation as a sauve but merciless businessman. It was all in the name of revenge. His first chance came in Ghuramus AeP 447. Ricard was contacted by the Mordish Birding Society. They asked for his help taking out Gavin Bellest, Shipmaster of the Kaiser’s yards. Ricard took the job, not for the money, but for the chance to kill one of the Kaiser’s key allies.

## Appearance

Slightly shorter and thinner than an average Toallan, Ricard had brown hair and hazel eyes. He wore resplendent, multicolored robes. Additionally he sometimes sported a scratched and fairly plain silver band on one finger.

## Relations

The primary factor driving Ricard’s decisions was the love of his parents. Everything he did was to exact revenge for their mistreatment. He cared deeply for them.

Jorso and Ricard knew each other prior to their involvement with the Mordish Birding Society. Jorso had been hired a few times by Ricard to steal things and bypass security. Though Jorso exasperated him, Ricard knew he was reliable.

Rocard found Carufell to be an uncivilized place. Still he had to respect the strength of his two Carufellan companions within the Birding Society. He found Alekiai to be crass but effective in a fight. He felt the same way about Willa. Ricard even offered to accompany Willa when she went to Dorlon. This in part was motivated by his desire for revenge on the Kaiser. But still he found Willa a decent companion.

## Powers

Ricard was known throughout Port Thresthelm by his fearsome reputation. He was known to be cruel but fair. People in the underworld feared him. People of high status respected his name with reluctance. This reputation allowed him to get many things done with ease. Ricard was also benevolent to his allies. Those he did business with knew him as fair and reliable, always trusting he would pay on time. This reputation was partly spread by Ricard himself. After the death of Gavin Bellest, Ricard pretended he had killed the man by forcing him to swallow acid, when in truth he killed him quickly with a sword. By evoking his reputation and using his wealth, Ricard could gain access to many things and places. And when that failed he had a gang of enforcers to back him up.

## List of Appearances

**Campaigns**

1. One Crime at a Time Session One: A Storm is Coming
2. One Crime at a Time Session Two: Revelations
3. One Crime at a Time Session Three: Homor Among Thieves
4. One Crime at a Time Session Four: Rat in the Trap