====== Rogues ====== The world is filled with all sorts of people of varying moralities, views on life, and ideas of normality. Despite the high variance, Rogues still find ways to go against the grain, gaining a reputation of being mischief makers, tricksters, and smooth talkers. In truth, most people are likely “Rogues” in some fashion or another. What truly defines a rogue is that they are highly skilled individuals. Rogues aren't just charlatans or thieves, they're survivalists, performers, spies, sometimes even chefs. ===== Rogue Creeds ===== By focusing on honing specific skills, Rogues may find themselves taking on nearly supernatural qualities. Some find themselves able to pass by others unnoticed, others find it easier to manipulate others. The creed a rogue follows showcases their extreme skill in their chosen field, whatever that may be. ==== Creed of Shadows ==== Rogues following the Creed of Shadows are hard to find. This is not to say they are a rarity, they are literally hard to find. They move through the world like ghosts, passing by scrying eyes undetected, especially in the dark. Those following the Creed of Shadows are extremely stealthy. They make for good spies and assassins, dealing a critical strike to an opponent before disappearing into the dark. Make sure to watch your back, because otherwise you’ll never see them coming. ==== Creed of Nightshade ==== Rogues following the Creed of Nightshade are brilliant. They are able to make poisons for most any occasion, increasing their potency, disguising them as other liquids, or even targeting specific physical capabilities. Those following the Creed of Nightshade tend to be known as poisoners, chemists, and share many similarities with alchemists. Sometimes they overlap or share notes. Some also make questionable doctors. ==== Creed of Silvertongues ==== Quite the smooth talkers, those following the Creed of Silvertongues are socialites. They find others to be quite susceptible to their charms and wiles. They are able to use their words to easily persuade or deceive most anyone. Rogues following the Creed of Silvertongues make for good public speakers, politicians, con artists, and so on. ==== Creed of Hunters ==== The Creed of the Hunters is followed by all types of survivalists. Not just standard hunters, but trappers and archers. Some would go so far as to call them rangers. They are commonly the most equipped to survive for long periods of time out in the wilds, away from civilization. They are usually phenomenal crafters and great navigators. They also are good at seeing weaknesses in whatever beasts they choose to fight, as any skilled hunter can. ==== Creed of Fates ==== Lady Luck is a fickle thing. She clearly has her favorites. Those blessed by luck sometimes become rogues following the Creed of Fates. They’ve found a way to turn luck into a sort of skill. Being great gamblers, these rogues have good intuition and a love for random chance. Some are even said to be able to cheat death with their luck. Some may think them braggarts, sophists, or even cheats. But in truth, they’re just incredibly skilled, or incredibly lucky. ==== Creed of Desperados ==== Rogues following the Creed of Desperados are known for dealing lots of damage. Quick and agile, these rogues focus the most on fighting. Their attacks are swift and surprising. They have a tendency to be critically deadly. Unlike the Creed of Shadows, those following the Creed of Desperados are loud and boisterous. You will see them coming, and you will feel the pain. ===== A Note on Morality ===== While not all rogues are morally dubious swindlers, assassins, thieves, what-have-you, this is in fact the common stereotype of a rogue. This is precisely where the name “rogue” originates from. A rogue is quite literally defined in most dictionaries as a person who is dishonest, uncontrollable, and a scoundrel. This creates the mental image of someone who has thrown off the shackles of morals and who lives without a care for what is right or wrong. This, however, is a very bleak, black-and-white view on the world. In truth, many people deemed as rogues or outlaws have a strong sense of morality, sometimes becoming elevated to the status of folk hero. In reality, rogues are opportunists. They achieve their goal by any means necessary. One may become a thief and steal gold to enrich themself, while another may become a thief and steal gold to provide aid to the poor. Both are rogues with goals who saw it through, no matter what legally questionable action they had to take.