Mountebank

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Mountebanks are a combination of confidence trickster and streetwise magician found in the League.

Give me a dagger, a coinpurse and a smile, and nothing is impossible

Cicero Telerio di Sarvos, Mountebank

Give me a dagger, a coinpurse, a pair of trousers, a Varushkan fur lined hat, a length of rope, a jar of wine, a map of the sewers, a monkey, another jar of wine and a smile, and nothing is impossible for Cicero Telerio

Antoni Telerio di Sarvos, Mountebank

Part con-artist, part street entertainer, Mountebanks are street-mages with a (sometimes ill-deserved) reputation as thieves and scoundrels. Mountebanks rely on their wits, often engaging in complex scams and long-term cons against the richest and most powerful members of society. A group of mountebanks combines magical lore with a variety of other skills, doing whatever works to complete their goals. Unlike many ritual groups, mountebanks often experiment with improvisation rather than relying purely on formulaic rituals, tailoring their magic to the specific situation they are in. This is expensive in terms of resources and talent, but can be very rewarding.

Not all mountebanks belong to groups. A street-mage like this may be working alone for a variety of reasons, some of which they will be unlikely to share. They may just prefer the freedom of working as and when they please, or they may be avoiding the telling of a dark secret or escaping a dark past. For whatever reason, these mages work hand-to-mouth and alone, or very occasionally with another, though the nature of these partnerships is transient - more often a Mountebank will team up with somebody with skill at arms, or another skill that they do not share.

The most famous Mountebank in League history is one Cicero Telerio di Sarvos, who operated out of Tassato in Year 469. Stories about Cicero are mixed - some say he was responsible for the theft of a great diamond, the size of a child's head, from the Imperial Mint. Some say he was responsible for saving the city from an overwhelming but unspecified danger. Either way, he has not been seen since, but "A scheme worthy of Cicero" is byword amongst some companies for a grand plan.

"Where a Mountebank goes, trouble follows."

Holberger saying