The Repentant Forger

From The Fifth City Wiki

"He's trying to make an honest living as a painter these days. He's staying on the straight and narrow path for the most part."[1]

The Repentant Forger is a former counterfeiter who now deeply regrets his criminal past. He has recently been released from prison,[2] and has chosen to walk a more honest path by using his artistic talents for legitimate commissions.[3] He takes money from art collectors, but with friends, he accepts payment in fine wine.[4] The Forger still has contacts within London's criminal elements,[5] and his former associates still seek him out and try to convince him to take up forgery again,[6] but he always refuses... unless he likes a client enough to take a risk[7][8] or is threatened a little too personally.[9]

Introduced as "a handsome, dark-skinned man,"[10] the Forger is polite and refined, but "a little melancholy."[11] His studio in Veilgarden[12] is shabby and run-down,[13] but he can often be found there, stooped over a canvas and completely absorbed in his work.[14] He misses the life he had on the Surface, and especially the light and warmth of the Sun, but is no longer able to return.[15]

The Forger likes the Sardonic Music-Hall Singer,[9] and occasionally drinks coffee with the Last Constable, to whom he appears to be a father figure.[16] He has a mysterious connection to the Dawn Machine, and has been censored and questioned by the Ministry of Public Decency over this matter.[17]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Visit your acquaintance, the Repentant Forger, Fallen London
  2. ↑ The Repentant Forger, Fallen London "You are sharing a cell with a Repentant Forger whose sentence is nearly done. You strike up a friendship, and the time passes a little more comfortably."
  3. ↑ Pose nude for a painting, Fallen London "You agree to pose nude for a painting. The work is completed quickly, and is bought immediately by an anonymous collector. You just hope nothing untoward is going on."
  4. ↑ Commission a painting of someone you're trying to Fascinate, Fallen London "The portrait is complete, and is very much appreciated. The Repentant Forger is drunk for days, but that only seems to improve his work."
  5. ↑ Drop by for a chat, Fallen London "[...] Although he's sorry about his previous life of crime, he certainly seems to know a lot about what's going on in the shadier parts of the Neath."
  6. ↑ Old habits, Fallen London "You hear raised, angry voices[…] The Repentant Forger is refusing to admit the two gentlemen. You […] see him waving […] banknotes at the two ne'er-do-wells. No, he will not return to his forging ways. Coins and paper currency will have to see to themselves."
  7. ↑ Sell forged tickets, Fallen London "You have contacts with expertise; arranging the use of an underground printing-press for an evening is a trifling matter. Soon, you have rolls of fresh, crisp tickets for Odin's Horse. You sell several dozen to the hopefuls..."
  8. ↑ Call on the Repentant Forger to produce some banknotes, Fallen London "The Forger won't respond to cajoling or threats. It turns out he's hurt the lady didn't ask for his help herself. You keep trying, but he's impassive."
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Call on the Repentant Forger to produce some banknotes, Fallen London "The Repentant Forger is fond of the Sardonic Music-Hall Singer, but he's fonder of remaining out of prison. You have to resort to mentioning one of the Forger's darkest secrets before he agrees to supply the Echoes the lady needs."
  10. ↑ She's not alone, Fallen London "A handsome, dark-skinned man sips coffee with her. He looks up and smiles as you approach."
  11. ↑ A visit from the Repentant Forger, Fallen London "He's sketched a caricature of you on a slab of jade. He leaves it by your bedside as you chat. He's a little melancholy, and he doesn't do much to lift your spirits, but you sense he's glad of the company."
  12. ↑ Visit the Repentant Forger, Fallen London "He keeps a studio in Veilgarden. He said he wouldn't be working this afternoon."
  13. ↑ Drop by for a chat, Fallen London "The Repentant Forger's studio is run-down and shabby, but he has the oddest visitors. The Forger himself knows surprising things."
  14. ↑ A familiar, paint-splattered figure, Fallen London "You spot the familiar, stooping form of the Repentant Forger. What can he be doing here?"
  15. ↑ Flint, Fallen London "I miss the Sun. I had a life on the Surface. I'm a painter; and I'm a child of daylight. To live without sunlight is very hard. But I can't go back."
  16. ↑ She's not alone, Fallen London "You join the Repentant Forger and the Last Constable. He's teasing her: asking to paint her portrait. She smiles more than usual. When he pats her shoulder, he's avuncular, almost fatherly. You spend a pleasant half-hour with them both."
  17. ↑ Your Salon: invite the Repentant Forger as a guest of honour, Fallen London "A curiously worded note with the censorship stamp of the Ministry of Public Decency. Words have been blocked out, but the sense appears to be that he is helping them with their enquiries, and will be indisposed for a little while. The cause is '__ the  of the __ in my paintings; the pigments __ __  __  ___.' The last two blockings out are a little hasty. You can just make out the words 'Dawn Machine' underneath."
Retrieved from "https://thefifthcity.wiki/w/index.php?title=The_Repentant_Forger&oldid=19665"