Zaresh Al-Shahrokh: The Beggar Merchant

[Vlaid]

   

I don't have many screenshots to share so a little story and then the screenshots I do have.

Zaresh began as a beggar growing up beneath the opulence of the Pashas of Calimsham. He had very little and everything he had was earned, never given. At the onset of the Darkening survival became hard if not impossible for common men like Zaresh. Desperate to find a way to survive, he heard of a strange merchant, a peddler of rare and exotic goods that may allow even a common man such as he to survive this harsh world....more on that later.

He arrived in Sanctuary as a poor merchant, slowly trading and selling in ever larger amounts. Along the way he had dealings with the Watchers and Warders, the Covenant and the Exile Collective. He was the model scheming merchant who would pick no sides but that of coin. But overtime, he began to resent the harsh treatment he and many of his friends received by both the Covenant and the Watchers and Warders. In his heart all Zaresh wanted was to enjoy the delights of the world he was never able to in his past life and for all people to be free to do as they wished with their lives....free of tyranny and free of restrictions; naturally this slowly led Zaresh to pick a side, he would become the secret, and later not-so-secret, political hand of the Exile Collective.

Over the months he used his affluence and general friendly charm to make many friends, turn people against the Watchers and Warders, speak in vaguely favorable terms of the Exile Collective, plant the seeds of the prefect alliance/rebellion and ensure the Covenant would be drawn into it so they would not be tempted by the offers of the Watchers and Warders. There was a great deal of small details that went into the scheming and politicking before and after the Prefect alliance that would be dull to explain fully. Needless to say it was one of if not the most enjoyable period of EFU for me to play in.

Now onto the screenshots. No loot shots sorry, only had some boots and forgot to take a screenshot.



Despite being a Prefect, Zaresh had a disdain for beauracracy and a love for cutting through or around laws and arbitrary legal procedure whenever possible. He once held a murder trial with a fellow Prefect in the basement of the House of Trade. He took great amusement in cutting the Watchers and Warders out of the process.




Rare photo of Jared Fogle before going on subway diet. Rare screenshot of Zaresh before he went on the Mouldercrest beetlecrest diet challenge. Came up with the idea after I realized the Prefecture toga made Zaresh look like some sort of horrorific half used up tube of toothpaste. Fat models don't work well with the hak model armor and clothing....especially if it's only on your lower torso.



A peak into the last surface mission about a month or two ago where a new group/cell was led from the surface to the Exile Collective while with a group of decidedly anti-Exile Collective PCs through a bit of wit, manipulation and a lot of luck.



I don't remember where this happened in the timeline, but it was very cool getting to talk directly to the Spellguard Commander himself (or his projection) and get a peek at Final Sanctuary. It is glorious and lives up to its "dicks-getting-blown-off" descriptions. I only hope it becomes a more accessible and real aspect of being a "Citizen of Final Sanctuary" in the near future.



The halftime conclusion of the declaration of the Prefects declaring the Law Book void and all legal power flowing only from the Directorate and their appointed Prefects. It went over about as well as you'd expect when messing with a mechanical tyranny bent on complete domination of the city state. It was amazing and a blast all the way up to and beyond our loss of our Prefectures. Don't try to do anything big if you're afraid to get stomped by NPCs now and then.



The last supper meeting between the Prefect Alliance and Burke after the declaration was made. Zaresh always had a soft spot for Burke and tried to get him to reject or fully embrace the Watchers and Warders, Sanctuary is no place for half measures. Even while scheming against him Zaresh was trying to help him find his way to becoming the corrupt Prefect tool of the Watchers and Warders he thought he needed to become.



What could this mean....?



The heroes finally reach the beginning of their journey after being flung into the upperdark many miles away from Sanctuary.



Finally got to follow in his footsteps but not on the PC I wished to see it on. A bittersweet moment for me OOCly.



Zaresh was kinda good at making wealth. Got up to around 65k at his highest. I was trying to break the record of Frum Highhill of around 150k, but I didn't even get close.




And lastly, a portrait Zaresh had painted for him by xeron. Originally Zaresh was going to buy, sell and deal in souls after having sold his soul to a devil for his merchant prowess and near legendary devil's luck. He was all too happy to tell all his friends that the Spellguard had forced him into a soul contract with a devil in an effort to control him. He was adept at telling many half-truths and half-lies about the Spellguard to fan the flames of hatred for the Spellguard and their Watchers. He was not an evil man, not even a corrupt man. Just a man comitted to the freedom of every man to choose their own way in life free of the tyranny of the Spellguard, the domination of the Dread or the restrictions of the Covenant. That was Zaresh's ideal definition of freedom.


Thanks to everyone in the factions, the prefects and the DMs involved over the last couple months. It was a blast.

And thanks for all the shekels.

[The Old Hack]

That old son of a camel! I never did complete a bargain with him without a vague feeling that I had just been suckered. Except, of course, on the PCs I play who are easy to sucker. On them I knew I had been suckered. o.O

Wonderful job!

[Halfbrood]

Great screenshots :)

[Ironside]

Shekel-slinger extraordinaire

[RagingPurpleGiant]

Great character I have a soft spot in my heart for overly pleasant plump merchant PCs

Now give Elga back her sending privileges you dick

[SanTelmo]

Why wasn't that first picture your character's portrait? :(

[Golgo13]

Why wasn't that first picture your character's portrait? :(

No sick goatee. Portrait is obviously evil. Duh.

[The Void That Binds]

Son of a camel indeed.
Well done, Vlaid!

[Kinslayer988]

Everyone wins with Zaresh!

[CollegeDropout]

Only the best plotting with Zaresh. Awesome stuff, a shame you had to take a break when things began heating up with Iso. Live on, brother zarehs.

[Random_White_Guy]

I can't stop using Shekel IC on all my characters. I motion for official use imo.

[Vlaid]

Why wasn't that first picture your character's portrait? :(

Haha honestly I don't usually care that much about my portrait selection and don't even know how to turn images into portraits, maybe I'll learn so I can pick cooler portraits in the future.

[Dina]

I could never tell whose side Zaresh was really on!  Best merchant ever.

[The Crimson Magician]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-AzEQpS0hs

` ConvertPortrait image when image.jpg is in your portraits folder

I love Zaresh!