Kayne Blacksail

## History

#### Early Life

Life in **Lightreach** is easy, as long as you obey the laws. Of course, when your father is a criminal and your mother bailed shortly after you were born, life seems a lot less easy. That was Kayne's life. Born as just Kayne to a criminal father and a prostitute, he didn't even have the luxury of a last name, and the normally utopia-like civilian benefits within Lightreach didn't apply to him due to his father, who didn't want him in the first place, much to Kayne's confusion as to why he kept him around.

In his early years, Kayne's father was abusive. He forced him to stay quiet most times, and only spoke to him when he wanted him to do something. They lived in poverty; a two room home, with the second room belonging to his father for his bedroom, and the second room being where everything else went - including Kayne. He was never given toys, nor was he ever shown love.

At first, Kayne tried to work legitimately - he worked numerous odd jobs when he was old enough to walk and talk. Most of it was carrying things, or cleaning. He did this for several years, until he was about 8 years old. At that point, he realized it just wasn't enough, and started thieving. Stealing from shops, and later on, pickpocketing became very lucrative for him - the people of Lightreach were well off, and often didn't expect thievery.

On his tenth birthday, when his father came back home drunk, he found Kayne eating well - he'd saved up enough money to buy a whole cooked chicken as a birthday present for himself, and his father, in his drunken rage had assumed the boy had stolen from him. He took a broken bottle, and slashed it across his chest, giving him a wicked scar. Kayne, in response, grabbed a nearby knife, and rushed his father.

He was too drunk to put up a defense, the knife Kayne had grabbed found purchase in his father's throat. It had happened so fast, Kayne barely knew what had happened. He looked down at his father, gasping and dying, grabbing at his own neck, and at the handle of the knife within him - and he just didn't care. There was no remorse, yet there was no joy.

Thinking fast, he took all of the gold he could, the knife, and locked the door, and then fled through the back window. But, even with the meager amount of gold, a boy with nothing but a bit of gold, the clothes on his back, and a knife, was no match for the real world. Worse, Kayne had no healing or medicine skills, and knew none who could help him - the ghastly wound on his chest. A week later, his father's body was found. A week after that, Kayne turned himself in - his wound had gotten infected, and he felt as though he was going to die. So he allowed the courts to take him, knowing they would - and they did - heal him of the infection, saving him from death.

He told his story, telling the courts that his father attacked him, and he retaliated. The courts pitied him, but Murder was a serious crime, and he was still sentenced to community service, and house arrest. He was given a small, one person hut to live in, and was forced to help clean-up the city, and do hard labor when he was strong enough. If he didn't show up, the Guard was sent. In many ways, he felt like a slave - a slave to Lightreach's unique idea of a utopia. Although the ones overseeing him claimed that it was meant to enlighten him, and rehabilitate him, he never felt it.

After 5 years, when he became an adult, his charges were cleared, and Kayne took everything he could and left. He looked for many ways to leave the city, before eventually finding a docked airship, large, with most of the crew on shore leave, and he stowed away.

#### Adulthood

Of course, he was caught. The Airship was a few days out before he was caught though. By then, they were far enough away from civilization that they didn't want to get rid of him. The Captain, known as James Blacksail, told him he'd have to work off his debt on the ship, and it was to this that Kayne took like a fish in water. He learned exceptionally quickly, forming rapid bonds with the crew - they loved him. They treated him like a veritiable mascot of the ship known as the **Sparrow**.

By the end of the trip, Kayne wasn't getting off, and James knew it. So the boy traveled with the crew, and over the course of many years, became the First Mate of the Sparrow. During his 20th year on the world, James had gotten a contract from an esteemed Noble of Lightreach to participate in some very unsavory activities, the corrupt noble desiring to put one of his rivals in his place. Unknown to the crew, it was a trap, one the Noble wanted to spring - the enemy Noble had hired numerous individuals to help him.

The crew of the Sparrow hovered their Airship over the Noble's villa in a surprise attack, sending a barrage of artillery fire onto the compound, killing several of the mercenaries. The Crew of the Sparrow descended in a vicious battle. Initially, it seemed as though they were at an advantage - until numerous ballista bolts shot out from the compound, tethered to the ground with chains, directly into the airship, preventing it from moving. The crew fought their best, with Kayne and James covering for their fellows to retreat to the ship.

It was futile. The Captain of the Guard killed James as Kayne began to scramble up the ladders, under arrow fire. The mercenaries took their time, summoning their own Airships, descending onto their ship and committing to a brutal deck fight - it was here that Kayne met one who shared his name; a man named **Cain**, the two of them engaging in a brutal fight, which left both of them near death, before Kayne collapsed from blood loss. It was decided that since he was now the Captain of the ship, he would be saved, and sentenced to prison.

He was in prison for 3 years, when he was abruptly released in a prison break orchestrated by someone else, with the intent to spring themselves out. Many criminals broke free that day, and after he was free, Kayne sought out his ship, stealing it from that same noble's own Airship Dock, and set off into the world. His old crew was gone; he was the last one. They were all dead in the fighting, or imprisoned then executed. Kayne was only kept alive to make an example of, as a prize for the Noble who had captured him.

It was time to make a new crew, a better crew, and to get revenge.

#### Crowfall

At first, Kayne had recruited any dregs he could find to help man the Sparrow. After that, he found himself traveling the world; one of his first stops was Catania, where he met one of his most valuable allies, a particularly stout Vigilant of few words, known as \_\_\_. With a bit of convincing, and helping him out of a tough spot, he had one of his first more reliable crewmates. The Vigilant, few of words, but strong of loyalty, would help to shape the crew into equally loyal individuals.

Next, Kayne went back to the Myandra Kingdom, having gotten wind of a particularly luxurious noble gathering happening for some reason or another, and finding this to be the perfect chance to get some easy booty, Kayne and a few of his stealthier men made their way into the party, sneaking into the upstairs while the party went on. His men spread out across the upstairs, stuffing sacks full of loot. Although after a short time, he began hearing loud thumps, and before long, a rather striking woman burst into the room he was in.

Kayne drew his weapon, and they fought. They were, at first, equally matched. They had similar fighting styles, and they parried, and struck, blow for blow, neither one landing anything more than a slight scratch. But she was inevitably the more skilled opponent, besting him after a flurry of strikes, and a quick kick to one of his legs, sending him to his knees, and his blade across the floor. She held her rapier to his neck, a droplet of blood oozing down the blade. Yet, there was something in her that Kayne saw - something in her eyes. A lack of fulfillment. She wasn't satisfied with her life, with how things were going. So he took a chance.

*"Join me. Join my crew."*

Those simple words earned him his neck crewmate, **Alita**, a skilled combatant and, while she may be sheltered, Kayne found himself taking a liking to the girl, and made it his goal to help her experience as much of the world as she could, but most of all, to help her take her own revenge against those who had wronged her, because even though she hadn't told him her story, he could tell there was a fire behind her ears that could only be quenched with blood.

The final piece of his puzzle that would become **Crowfall** was a unique woman he met during his travels... WIP

## Appearance

Kayne is a tall, imposing man with shoulder-length black hair, and striking blue eyes. He has well-angled features, and a relatively firm stance. If in the nude, Kayne's body would be relatively well-toned, but it would be clear that he is more focused on athleticism, rather than strength. Speed, flexibility, and general nimbleness were his key defining traits, and these were made obvious in his body as well. Although he has an unfortunate scar from his childhood, giving him an ugly scar across his chest.

When in his 'uniform', which is, in fact, a stolen Admiral's Uniform of Lightreach, Kayne is well-dressed and even formal looking. He is well-kept, and smells pleasant enough. A rapier rests at his hip, and within his coat, he also carries an array of small arms, in the event he may need them. Most importantly, Kayne also carries a rather worn and beaten looking knife in one of his boots.