Born to a teifling "lady of the evening" in 1328 DR, Danny was the adored by his mother and the other women in the brothel she worked at. His mother, known simply as Sylvia, was one of the favorites of the sailors and pirates that frequented the docks. While she was feared, she was also admired by her other worldly beauty. Most men referred to her being "as charming as sin;" meaning something that shouldn't be messed with but to tempting to resist. Unfortunately, this charm would ultimately lead to her undoing.
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Danny grew well over the next few years, taken care of by the ladies of the brothel, he was pampered and spoiled. He was rambunctious and mischievous. He was dubbed an assistant to the ladies, and would take extra coins out of the customers clothes when they were not looking. Sometimes, under the guise of washing their clothes and then "losing them in the harbor" he'd even steal the customers blind. Leaving them to scurry back to Allelo's clothed in only a barrel with a couple of coins of generosity from the ladies as an apology.
When Danny was only 10 one of the many tricks the ladies pulled on customers went tragically wrong. A pirate and his crew came into the brothel and asked for company for the evening. The women pampered him because he had plenty of gold and was willing to part with it easily. Plates of food were cooked, casks of wine opened, and the brothel became the pirates play house. Danny went about his normal business, as the pirates were busy with the ladies he was busy with their pants, coats, and coins. 5 gold here, 10 gold there, he collected extra gold for the ladies' retirement fund. Yet, he may have gotten of eager. The captain took out his purse to pay for more wine and noticed some of his gold was missing, then he saw Danny digging through the pants of one of his crew.
He snatched the boy up by the throat and threatened to break the "thieving little devil's" neck. "I'll take me coin back in screams," he said as he ran a dagger down Danny's forehead, across his left eye, and down his cheek. That's when Sylvia stepped in. Her tail slid across the pirate's face, leaving a bright red welt, the sound of a whip crack trailed behind. The pirate stared at her shocked, and pissed. "You shouldn't have done that, Devil Witch." The pirate called. He pulled his sword and Danny watched, helpless and afraid, as his mother was ran through.
The other women of the brothel rushed to help Sylvia, but were either batted away or murdered outright. The pirates continued their pillage of goods and other "treasures" in the brothel as Danny was left to watch helplessly hiding under some table as all around him chaos erupted in the place he called home.
Hours later, after the pirates had left, and Danny laid crying in a puddle of blood next to his dying mother the Fist finally came to investigate the disturbance, probably alerted to a patron that had come in to get his kicks and saw the horrendous scene. Seeing that Danny was the only one alive, and focusing on his horns they instantly blamed him for the calamity and drug the crying boy to the dungeons to await the gallows.
Hearing of the incident a Paladin of illmater came to the boy and offered him refuge, knowing, or maybe only hoping, that the child was still innocent; he brought Danny to the orphanage in east gate and left the child in the care of the priests and nuns therein. Yet even there his patronage haunted him. Called devil child, demon child, and other things by the other children at the orphanage, he'd go to the priests and nuns for help only to be cast aside like the days dirty laundry. After a time he grew tired of being called devil and demon and began playing the part. He'd use his affinity at hiding and sleight of hand to steal from one child and place it in the possessions of another, just to get that child in trouble. He'd bluff his way into getting what he wanted by playing the priests and nuns against one another. Finally all that caught up with him however and he was cast out into the streets at 12.
Danny had to grow up fast, the streets were no place for a child. He took quickly to begging for gold, learning that if he hid his heritage, masked the slight scent he had about him with other perfumes, and played a convincing child that he could get an easy meal; sometimes even two. When the opportunity presented itself he'd even gain some extra gold from a pocket or two. It was then that one of the "begger boys" he hung out with told him of the gains from breaking and entering houses. Danny was intrigued.
((continued in next post))