scorched Information
Player Name: Emma
Player Journal: atraphoenix
Character Name: George Cooper
Fandom: Song of the Lioness
Timeline: Following ‘In the Hand of the Goddess’
Character's Age: Around 25
Canon History: George Cooper was born in the rough lower city of Corus, the capital of the kingdom of Tortall. He was the only child of Eleni Cooper, a former priestess, and an unknown father. His mother raised him alone and, despite her best efforts, the young George soon fell in with the Court of the Rogue, the network of thieves and other small time criminals that operated throughout Tortall. He learned to fight, steal and speak street slang and he was even arrested for theft and taken in front of the Provost’s Guard on more than one occasion.
At the age of seventeen, he rose to the position of the King of the Court of the Rogue by killing the previous Rogue in a fair fight, becoming the youngest ruler of Tortall’s criminal underbelly in the history of the kingdom. Like many generations of his predecessors, he ruled from an inn called the Dancing Dove and kept the criminal world running fairly and smoothly. He also used his magical gift of the Sight to keep an eye on his followers and on any potential threats to them and to him.
Three months after taking the crown, he encountered the young Alanna of Trebond - disguised as a boy, Alan, to take her twin brother’s place and train as a knight - riding into Corus. His intution and his magic told him to befriend her and he kept a close eye on her for a few months before they finally met when Alanna ventured into the city on a market day. He invited her - along with her companion, Gareth of Naxen - back to the Dancing Dove for a drink. In time, he was also introduced to another of Alanna’s friends from the palace, Prince Jonathan. Despite initial reservations on both sides - with George worrying about how his friendship with the nobles would effect his position as the Rogue and the nobles, particularly Gary, wondering if he would try and use their rank for his own gain - they soon became fast friends.
He taught Alanna to fight in the manner of the street in order to give her an edge in her feud with Ralon of Malvern and eventually sold Alanna her first horse, Moonlight, at a substantial loss to himself. (He would have given the animal to her directly, but he’d known that she wouldn’t take it.) He also became the first person outside of Alanna, her brother and their two most trusted servants to learn her true identity. He kept the secret, though resolved to call her Alanna in private to make sure that she never forgot who she really was. He also began to carry secret letters between Alanna and her brother Thom.
By the time Alanna became a squire, George had fallen in love with her. He didn’t hesitate to show her how deep his feelings went, but Alanna was initially afraid of falling in love and eventually, though George didn’t realise it immediately, entered into a relationship with Jonathan. Although he was hurt when he realised the truth, he was patient and loyal and continued to support Alanna on her quest to become a knight and when she endured the Ordeal of Knighthood to earn her shield. Since being knighted and having her true identity revealed to the court, Alanna has left Corus for the Great Southern Desert. George will continue to wait for her. Regardless of who she chooses and whatever happens in the end, she will always have his friendship and his love.
Personality: For a criminal, George is reasonably honest person. He has no qualms about theft or about making a profit - he isn’t a Robin Hood type figure - but he won’t take things from people who can’t afford to lose them. He grew up in the poorest and roughest neighbourhood in the city of Corus and, because his father wasn’t around, he found himself looking after himself and his mother from an early age. Stealing was the best way to make sure that they had enough money and enough food to live. He kept his eyes and his ears open while he was growing up, drinking in the practical knowledge that the streets had to offer, including how to fight and how to survive. The lower city is a dangerous world, but George is determined and a survivor. He worked his way up the ranks of the criminal underworld to become the youngest King of the Court of the Rogue in the history of Tortall. He lives by (and knows that, ultimately, he will die by) his wits.
As the ruler of the thieves and criminals of the kingdom, George has to be ruthless when the situation calls for it. In fact, he is well known for his collection of ears. When one of his rogues makes a mistake, they get a warning. He takes an ear to mark a second mistake. A third mistake results in the loss of the other ear and, even more importantly, everything that goes with it. If he issues an order, he expects it to be carried out properly. Avoiding mistakes keeps him and his followers out of prison. Furthermore, he has to be tough in order to command the respect of his fellow criminals. It isn’t a one sided relationship, though. He’s as loyal to them as he expects them to be to him. George will protect them and make sure they remain safe and get a fair deal on any business transactions, legal or otherwise, that they carry out. When Alanna first met George, she noted that there was something “almost royal” about him and, in a way, that is true. He might not have been born a king, and he might hold court in an inn rather than a palace, but he is the ruler of the lower city. It is his duty to keep order, set the rules and make sure that everything runs smoothly. People rely on him.
His magical gift of the Sight gives him an edge when it comes to survival and ruling the rogues. As well as using it to spot potential threats to his crown or to his people, he can use it to keep an eye on the comings and goings of Tortall’s criminal fraternity. He is permanently alert, even when he appears to be physically relaxed. He trusts his instincts and relies heavily on his intuition. (It was intuition that led him to befriend Alanna and, in time, Prince Jonathan. He doesn’t regret that decision, though he does worry that his friendship with Jon will cause trouble for him one day. He suspects that he might be torn between his relationship with the future king and the people that he rules. He has also fallen in love with Alanna, who is in love with and currently in a relationship with Jon. He won’t act because of his deep feelings for both of them and because he wants her to be happy even more than he wants her. Furthermore, he’s a very patient man. If necessary, he will wait indefinitely for her to notice him in that way.) He’s also rather mischievous and good humoured, with a ready smile and an easy laugh that he will make use of whenever he has the chance and particularly when he is with his friends. If you earn George’s friendship and trust, you will have earned yourself a friend for life. He is very loyal and won’t hesitate to fight alongside you or put himself in danger to look out for you.
Powers and Equipment: George is skilled in hand to hand combat, showing a particular skill with and a fondess for knives and daggers. Since he isn’t a knight or a noble, he isn’t restricted by their laws of chivalry and he won’t hesitate to use dirtier tactics to win a fight. He is strong and fit and can also ride well. Because of the hazardous nature of his life of crime, he is permanently on his guard and never goes anywhere without at least one or two (and preferably more) knives hidden about his person. He’s stealthy, swift and uses disguises as well as extensive personal experience to remain unseen or unnoticed when it suits him.
In addition to these skills, he canonically has a form of magic known as the Sight. It enhances his ordinary vision, allowing him to, in his own words, “see more clearly than most”. In George’s case, the Sight means that he is able to see through the majority of lies and sense threats or deceit. It also allows him to sense when other people have a magical gift of their own, though they are shielded by their own power, which prevents him from gaining a more detailed insight.
Player Journal: atraphoenix
Character Name: George Cooper
Fandom: Song of the Lioness
Timeline: Following ‘In the Hand of the Goddess’
Character's Age: Around 25
Canon History: George Cooper was born in the rough lower city of Corus, the capital of the kingdom of Tortall. He was the only child of Eleni Cooper, a former priestess, and an unknown father. His mother raised him alone and, despite her best efforts, the young George soon fell in with the Court of the Rogue, the network of thieves and other small time criminals that operated throughout Tortall. He learned to fight, steal and speak street slang and he was even arrested for theft and taken in front of the Provost’s Guard on more than one occasion.
At the age of seventeen, he rose to the position of the King of the Court of the Rogue by killing the previous Rogue in a fair fight, becoming the youngest ruler of Tortall’s criminal underbelly in the history of the kingdom. Like many generations of his predecessors, he ruled from an inn called the Dancing Dove and kept the criminal world running fairly and smoothly. He also used his magical gift of the Sight to keep an eye on his followers and on any potential threats to them and to him.
Three months after taking the crown, he encountered the young Alanna of Trebond - disguised as a boy, Alan, to take her twin brother’s place and train as a knight - riding into Corus. His intution and his magic told him to befriend her and he kept a close eye on her for a few months before they finally met when Alanna ventured into the city on a market day. He invited her - along with her companion, Gareth of Naxen - back to the Dancing Dove for a drink. In time, he was also introduced to another of Alanna’s friends from the palace, Prince Jonathan. Despite initial reservations on both sides - with George worrying about how his friendship with the nobles would effect his position as the Rogue and the nobles, particularly Gary, wondering if he would try and use their rank for his own gain - they soon became fast friends.
He taught Alanna to fight in the manner of the street in order to give her an edge in her feud with Ralon of Malvern and eventually sold Alanna her first horse, Moonlight, at a substantial loss to himself. (He would have given the animal to her directly, but he’d known that she wouldn’t take it.) He also became the first person outside of Alanna, her brother and their two most trusted servants to learn her true identity. He kept the secret, though resolved to call her Alanna in private to make sure that she never forgot who she really was. He also began to carry secret letters between Alanna and her brother Thom.
By the time Alanna became a squire, George had fallen in love with her. He didn’t hesitate to show her how deep his feelings went, but Alanna was initially afraid of falling in love and eventually, though George didn’t realise it immediately, entered into a relationship with Jonathan. Although he was hurt when he realised the truth, he was patient and loyal and continued to support Alanna on her quest to become a knight and when she endured the Ordeal of Knighthood to earn her shield. Since being knighted and having her true identity revealed to the court, Alanna has left Corus for the Great Southern Desert. George will continue to wait for her. Regardless of who she chooses and whatever happens in the end, she will always have his friendship and his love.
Personality: For a criminal, George is reasonably honest person. He has no qualms about theft or about making a profit - he isn’t a Robin Hood type figure - but he won’t take things from people who can’t afford to lose them. He grew up in the poorest and roughest neighbourhood in the city of Corus and, because his father wasn’t around, he found himself looking after himself and his mother from an early age. Stealing was the best way to make sure that they had enough money and enough food to live. He kept his eyes and his ears open while he was growing up, drinking in the practical knowledge that the streets had to offer, including how to fight and how to survive. The lower city is a dangerous world, but George is determined and a survivor. He worked his way up the ranks of the criminal underworld to become the youngest King of the Court of the Rogue in the history of Tortall. He lives by (and knows that, ultimately, he will die by) his wits.
As the ruler of the thieves and criminals of the kingdom, George has to be ruthless when the situation calls for it. In fact, he is well known for his collection of ears. When one of his rogues makes a mistake, they get a warning. He takes an ear to mark a second mistake. A third mistake results in the loss of the other ear and, even more importantly, everything that goes with it. If he issues an order, he expects it to be carried out properly. Avoiding mistakes keeps him and his followers out of prison. Furthermore, he has to be tough in order to command the respect of his fellow criminals. It isn’t a one sided relationship, though. He’s as loyal to them as he expects them to be to him. George will protect them and make sure they remain safe and get a fair deal on any business transactions, legal or otherwise, that they carry out. When Alanna first met George, she noted that there was something “almost royal” about him and, in a way, that is true. He might not have been born a king, and he might hold court in an inn rather than a palace, but he is the ruler of the lower city. It is his duty to keep order, set the rules and make sure that everything runs smoothly. People rely on him.
His magical gift of the Sight gives him an edge when it comes to survival and ruling the rogues. As well as using it to spot potential threats to his crown or to his people, he can use it to keep an eye on the comings and goings of Tortall’s criminal fraternity. He is permanently alert, even when he appears to be physically relaxed. He trusts his instincts and relies heavily on his intuition. (It was intuition that led him to befriend Alanna and, in time, Prince Jonathan. He doesn’t regret that decision, though he does worry that his friendship with Jon will cause trouble for him one day. He suspects that he might be torn between his relationship with the future king and the people that he rules. He has also fallen in love with Alanna, who is in love with and currently in a relationship with Jon. He won’t act because of his deep feelings for both of them and because he wants her to be happy even more than he wants her. Furthermore, he’s a very patient man. If necessary, he will wait indefinitely for her to notice him in that way.) He’s also rather mischievous and good humoured, with a ready smile and an easy laugh that he will make use of whenever he has the chance and particularly when he is with his friends. If you earn George’s friendship and trust, you will have earned yourself a friend for life. He is very loyal and won’t hesitate to fight alongside you or put himself in danger to look out for you.
Powers and Equipment: George is skilled in hand to hand combat, showing a particular skill with and a fondess for knives and daggers. Since he isn’t a knight or a noble, he isn’t restricted by their laws of chivalry and he won’t hesitate to use dirtier tactics to win a fight. He is strong and fit and can also ride well. Because of the hazardous nature of his life of crime, he is permanently on his guard and never goes anywhere without at least one or two (and preferably more) knives hidden about his person. He’s stealthy, swift and uses disguises as well as extensive personal experience to remain unseen or unnoticed when it suits him.
In addition to these skills, he canonically has a form of magic known as the Sight. It enhances his ordinary vision, allowing him to, in his own words, “see more clearly than most”. In George’s case, the Sight means that he is able to see through the majority of lies and sense threats or deceit. It also allows him to sense when other people have a magical gift of their own, though they are shielded by their own power, which prevents him from gaining a more detailed insight.