Isabeau Blackthorn
Isabeau Blackthorn is a rogue and one of the founders of the Brine Blades, whose intelligence branch she leads. Known as the Rogue Corsair, she is a master strategist who uses espionage and stealth to gather the information the guild's missions depend on.1
The streets of Neptun
Isabeau's journey began in the sprawling coastal city of Neptun, a haven for outlaws and rogues where the Empire's law held no sway. Born an orphan, she was left to the mercy of the streets and learned early that survival demanded wit and cunning. With no family to protect her she became her own guardian, mastering stealth to slip through the city's dark underbelly like a ghost and turning the secrets of its inhabitants to her advantage.2
She found refuge in the gang of the Hanged Devils, under whose tutelage she became a rogue of exceptional talent; her ability to outwit her adversaries, together with her agility and finesse, earned her the name "Blackthorn". Her closest friend, Pretty Face Randor, joined the Devils with her, and the two worked together for most of their time in the gang.3
A change of course
During a daring heist on a lavish nobleman's estate, as the nobleman's lifeless body hit the floor, Isabeau found a young girl staring at her with awe-struck eyes. The child's innocence, set sharply against what Isabeau was, moved her; haunted by that gaze, she vowed to leave her life of crime behind. Leaving Neptun was no simple task.2
Later that week, as she struggled with her inner demons, a piece of parchment appeared at her feet, bearing a cryptic message that invited her to a place outside the city. Desperate for a fresh start, she followed it to a secluded cove, where the sorceress Marisela Stormweaver and the fighter Captain Magnus Driftwood stood waiting. The three exchanged stories and their reasons for seeking a new purpose, and as they shared their visions a sense of unity took root. Magnus saw in Marisela and Isabeau the same determination that had once led him on the battlefield, and with Isabeau's addition the foundation of the Brine Blades was laid.4
Randor did not follow her when she left the Devils; he thought her choice reckless and weak, and the two drifted apart. When he later tired of the gang and asked to join the Brine Blades, his old friend rejected him, though Magnus and Marisela decided to give him another chance to win back her trust and friendship.5
In the Brine Blades
Isabeau disliked Gregory Dask from the outset, and their persistent disagreements led to his expulsion from the guild. It was also Isabeau who noticed the gnome inventor Ozzigus when he dispatched three headhunters in a tavern full of Brine Blades, and who offered him a place in the guild.6
Style
Isabeau fights by exploiting her opponents' weaknesses and keeping them off balance. She looks for a chance to ambush at the start of a fight, darts in and out of the shadows to avoid retaliation, and lands quick, lethal strikes before slipping away, which frustrates larger and slower foes. In a crowded fight she seeks out the most valuable targets, putting enemy leaders and dangerous individuals first, and she is known to use poisons. Magnus encourages her to use her skills to outflank the enemy. Her favourite work is espionage and assassination; she never kills children and does not harm people in their homes.7
Notes
- ↑BookMercenary Compendium, pp. 81, 82, 106, 161
- ↑BookMercenary Compendium, p. 81
- ↑BookMercenary Compendium, pp. 81, 116
- ↑BookMercenary Compendium, pp. 82, 102, 106
- ↑BookMercenary Compendium, p. 116
- ↑BookMercenary Compendium, pp. 72, 114
- ↑BookMercenary Compendium, pp. 82, 102
- ↑BookMercenary Compendium, p. 80
Sources
This article draws on:
- MCMercenary Compendium(Bad Badger Games, 2024), pp. 72, 80-82, 102, 106, 114, 116, 161
Images in this article
Mercenary Compendium (Bad Badger Games, 2024), p. 81. Art by the Bad Badger Games team.
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