Your Name ∙ Roy or Spatzi works, we'll just go with Roy - but don't be surprised if I accidentally sign into the cbox as Spatzi
Contact Information ∙ I prefer PM or e-mail
Time Zone ∙ CST, States


Character’s Name ∙ Joseph "Luke" Rourke, Jr
Age ∙ 29 (June 171 HE)
Gender ∙ Male
Residing ∙ Upmarket District, Corus
Character Class ∙ Commoner
Occupation ∙ Former Birdie, now Innkeeper at The Sleeping Minstrel



Sexual Orientation ∙ Straight
Overall Personality ∙
Gruff and crude upon first impression, Luke seems to be the typical Lower Corusian with his heavy, simple Common. His appearance doesn't lend him either wisdom or debonair, and instead likens him instead to the thick-headed louts so often roaming about that part of the city. Aside from seeming dumb and uncultured, Luke seems like the type that'd sooner punch you and run off with your baby sister; too big for a pickpocket but too small to be a brute, Luke dances along the line of simply 'untrustworthy bastard'.

The ironic truth is, is that Luke is as loyal as any dog. He may sock you hard if you insult his buddy and he may flirt with your baby sister, but he's not all that bad. Despite his appearance, Luke is quite smart and quick-minded––after all, it was that sort of aptitude that's earned his place as a reliable Birdie in the Provost's Guard. While with most things Luke is trustworthy about, being an informant means Luke can't be honest about everything; lies and trickery also are also qualities Luke possesses to get the information he needs, though it would be a knife to the heart if he were forced to use it against one of his close friends. Lying was something Luke had always used to weasel out of trouble as a boy––he applied the same philosophy later on to save his hide from men who're worth fearing a lot more than his father with a switch. The best sort of lying, he figures, is either giving indirect answers or answers that distort the truth to make it work; these are also the best sort of lies to have up your sleeve. They're the sort of 'lies' Luke relies on mostly, that and little white lies. Flat out lies he only tells when he's positive he can get away with them.

Luke is a jovial man, he enjoys his drink and sport and a pretty face. It used to be that when his jobs allowed, Luke frequented the pubs and taverns for good company as well as information, but these days he'll let these things come to him at the Minnie. He can hold his liquor to a degree and won't drink more than he can handle unless he has a good friend to cover his back for him, but it does happen on occasion and he usually finds himself regretting the decisions the night before when he wakes up the next morning.

While boisterous when in the company of many especially with drink running through his veins, in smaller numbers Luke can sway between talkative or close-lipped, depending on who he is with; the times he has to be close-lipped is when he's speaking with superiors or when a situation requires "delicate" handling.

Luke is a proud fellow. His knees bend for hardly anyone unless he willingly serves, befriends or loves them. He takes pride in not only his reputation, but also in his appearance and charisma. With pride generally comes stubbornness, although being a birdie for the Guard taught Luke to let go of his obstinance; when a plan goes astray, you're a fool if you won't consent to a new plan straightaway. If you don't, you might lose a finger or, worse, get yourself killed. Pretty faces, sweet lips and heaps of charm go a long ways in persuading Luke in matters in which he would otherwise not budge, however.



Height ∙ 5'8"
Weight ∙ 153 lbs
Overall Appearance ∙
As far as height goes, Luke is as the shorter end of average with a stocky build to boot. It is not so much that he appears heavy set or bulky, but rather compact and solid. His gait falls comfortably into a swagger, which at times can be either intimidating or inviting; meanwhile, it's the sort of swagger that belies a small bit of arrogance: Luke never hunches his shoulders and carries his head proudly.

His face, meanwhile, is somewhat narrow and his cheekbones pronounced. While his lips are thin, they have a more sly quality than a grim one. His nose is straight, but not prominent, and his brows are dark but not heavy. The most striking feature in his face are his startlingly green eyes, certainly not something common among the swarthy folk of Lower Corus. As far as complexion goes, Luke himself could be counted among the darker Lower Corusians with his dark head of hair, but unlike most his skin is fairer and more likely to freckle and burn than to brown evenly.

If there's ever one thing Luke could never forgive his little brother Ben for, it's the embarrassing, puckered scar that splits his lower lip and a good deal of his chin in a ragged, angry curve. At least, he consents, that the halfwit Healer had read enough books to know how to sew his face back together... elsewise Ben may not have survived to see the end of that week. The scar usually causes people to avert their eyes and become nervous when first seeing it, but it's something that an acquaintance easily grows accustomed to; even Luke himself hardly pays it any mind, except some days when it's more red against his skin than pink or silver.

When he was born, Luke had a slight deformity in his ribs. The last few ribs on the left side of his rib cage curled outward instead of arching inward––leaving him with an awkward, misshapen bulge in his lower chest. One thing Luke has found over the years is that it's hard to impress a lady upstairs with that, making his ugly scar pale in comparison.

Among other things, Luke has poor skin. During the winters when it becomes especially irritated, rashes and irritations tend to develop on his skin. Most often affected are his arms, thighs and neck, but from time to time patches appear in other places as well––even on his scalp. For the most part, though, as long as the air is not too dry or too cold, Luke's barely affected at all.




Family ∙
Joseph (Joe) Luke Rourke, Senior - 49
Luke's father is considered a good man by many, if not the wittiest. Although Luke doesn't like to give his father much credit, Joe is a good deal more clever than his son takes him for. He knows when somebody is trying to take advantage of him and his soft heart. In his early days as the owner of the Rourkes' shop, he got taken advantage of several times and paid the heavy price for it before he learned his lesson. What he learned then has kept the butcher and his family fed, safe from debt and out of trouble with the Rogues. While a good man at reading people, especially in his family, he's a poor learner when it comes to facts and letters. Joe has always trusted his knowledge to what he can see and what he can move with his hands, and about as abstract as he gets is putting facets of other people's personalities together.

With his sons, Joe had a difficult time dancing between the fine lines of doting and disciplinary; many times, especially with Ben, he relied on Peg's backbone and support to do the necessary evils to reprimand them. None of the boys have really a fear of Joe like most boys do of their fathers, but they did run when the saw him with a switch because Joe's tendency was to whip them more than needed to be sure he wouldn't have to do it a second time. Of his three boys, Harry is his favourite and the most like him; Ben is also a good deal like him, but it saddens him that he'll turn out a baker instead of taking up the family trade.

Luke is Joe's constant worry, a boy too smart for his own good and always strutting head on into trouble, and the child that the butcher has always been hardest on––especially as a boy. In truth, Joe was afraid that without discipline his eldest would set a poor example for his siblings and lack the work ethic needed to run the butchery. But the sad irony turned out being that Luke distrusts his father, is quick to criticize him and turned his back on carrying on the family business altogether.

Peggy Louise Owen - 44
Luke's mother had been many things in her youth, a flowergirl, a stablegirl, a housemaid, a small-time player and a milkmaid. She came from a much poorer and versatile family than Joe's, and as a result became a woman of many talents. When she married Joe, she adapted the butcher's trade with ease, and not to impress her inlaws but instead out of the same sense of necessity that helped her through her many other careers as a younger woman. Despite her lowly life, Peggy is a proud and stubborn woman and because of her upbringing as a good deal of sass and fight in her as well. Her hard life has left her with a heart full of tough love though, and she raised her boys with a stern mother's attitude: berating them when they did something stupid, sending them to their father's switch to build their character, and kissing their scraped knees to make them feel better. Against her nature, Peg's favourite boy to coddle has always been her baby Ben and unlike Joe she doesn't hold it against him that he's off to be a baker instead of a butcher. Luke, however, holds a special place as her oldest and also the son most like herself; like Joe, Peggy was always hard on Luke, but she too only had the best intentions in mind. Perhaps the only reason Luke doesn't resent Peg like he does Joe is because it's a lot easier for a boy to forgive his mum, especially when she always has a slice of pie for him when he comes home.

Harry Owen Rourke - 27, Lucy Cobbler Rourke - 22
After Luke comes Harry, the only Rourke son who plans on continuing the family trade and also the only one who's tied the knot. In many ways Harry is much like his father, but he shares his dark appearance and his stubborn nature with his mother. Growing up, he and Luke got along well enough, but he always had a lot more sympathy and patience with Ben than Luke ever did. Harry is recognized by others as an honest man, but also very naïve––Joe often sees in Harry his younger self, and hopes that Harry will have the strength to recognize his mistakes and the will to be sure he doesn't make them again, just as he did many years ago. Three years ago Harry married Lucy Cobbler, the pastrymaker's daughter, and so far she has been diligent in learning her new family's trade. Luke often remarks to his brother that Lucy is as good as or better a woman than Harry deserves, but like the rest of the family he believes the two of them to be well-matched. Lucy has had one miscarriage early on in their marriage, but the two are now expecting another child and thus far things are going smoothly.

Benjamin Walter Rourke - 25
Luke's youngest brother, Ben always aspired to be just like the oldest Rourke as a child. Luke was big and tough and the way he gutted a pig seemed as easy as slicing butter. Ben didn't have any different upbringing than either of his brothers, but more than once when Luke demonstrated something to him and Harry, Ben was left to sit and watch the spark leave the animal's eyes the moment the hammer struck the poll or the knife deftly slit the throat. Peg, not coming from the trade herself, could sympathize with Ben over this and when he was a wee lad would find excuses for him to not have to be around for it.

Eventually Ben came of an age where everyone felt that he had better start contributing to things; it was agreed he'd help his father with the cuts instead of his brothers with the messy work. Nervous as he was working with knives, remembering very vividly the manner in which his brothers would use them, Ben was very timid and jumpy with them early on. Because he was so afraid of cutting his own fingers, Ben was slow when he first started out; so slow that on Trickster's Eve his punishment was to spend the night in the shop finishing skinning rabbits. Luke, rowdy from a night of fun and mead, snuck up behind Ben and gave him such a scare that in the scuffle that ensued Luke's chin and mouth were split in two by a wide, bloody mess of a gash that's left him with the scar he has today.

The Rourkes stuck out two more years hoping Ben would settle into butcherhood, but soon enough everybody became exasperated with his antics and he was apprenticed to a baker. The work suited him perfectly and he was always eager to go off and show his family he wasn't a halfwit momma's boy afterall. Not only did he learn quick, but he fast developed a love for bread and baked things. The running joke in the family is that Ben himself is like a kaiser roll: tough and crusty on the outside, but soft and fluffy on the inside. Although Ben still admires Luke greatly, part of him feels that not all his brother does is good and honest. Like Joe and Harry, Ben holds a strong belief that a man should make an honest living––and he does that well before the crack of dawn, day after day.

Sweetheart
The old, mean-tempered cart pony that came with the Minnie when Luke bought it.


Birthplace ∙ Lower Corus District - The Rourkes, being butchers, had a decent living. His family still lives on the outer fringes of Lower Corus, but Luke's ability to speak decently and his personal charisma were part of what helped him make his way into the Upmarket District.

Background ∙ Born in Lower Corus, Luke is the son of a common butcher and his missus. Once Luke was old enough and sensible enough to handle a knife and an hatchet, his parents set him to work in the butcher's shop. One of the first jobs he was given was simply being an errand boy; lopping the heads off of chickens came next, and it's easy to surmise what other tasks were soon to follow. Death was so early a fact of life for Luke, that he hardly understood what it was until his childhood mutt was kicked in the brains and killed by some nasty old nag––and Luke never did like horses after that.

Followed by two younger brothers, Luke's job was not only to get them started in the butcher's trade but to look after them and protect their sorry arses. Harry was thickheaded and set for butcherhood, but little Ben was sentimental as a little girl and cried whenever he had to wring the neck of a chicken. Ben was also a fool with knives and fretted about accidentally taking off one of his fingers––and nearly split his brother's face in two on one occasion instead. Eventually though, fists and cussing and brotherly nurturing guided Ben to the butchering ways until the Rourkes found a way to send him off to be a baker's apprentice instead.

Although Luke did well at the work he had grown up doing and knowing all his life, he soon realized he was much cleverer than either his father or Harry. Spending his days in the butcher's shop soon seemed to drag on and on and the stench of blood, guts and meat seemed to become intolerably suffocating. So at fifteen, Luke stuffed a knapsack full and snuck out his bedroom in the middle of the night; Harry slept too deep to notice and Ben didn't remember a thing about it the next morning, elsewise Luke said he'd be back to knock the daylights outta him if he told ma or pa. Luke's few coppers didn't last him long and soon enough he was out in the streets––and there's nowhere to go in the streets except smack into trouble.

One night Luke got hauled into the Kennel for making some ruckus in alleyway. He was caged up well into the morning before he was let out to get questioned. Seeing that he was a young punk, the first questions were: "Okay kid, who're your parents?" And so on––but Luke wasn't about to go high-tailing it home just yet. Weaving a tale about how his pa was a drunk and his mama was toss-out brothel whore, he convinced that sending him back to his folks wasn't the best thing for him. Lying the best to his ability (even this surprised Luke at the time, for the whole time he was spinning his tale, he was convinced he was going to get caught any second––good thing Luke's never been much of a nervous sweater!), Luke won the sympathy and the listening ear of the hound who was questioning him. Once they got comfortable enough, Luke struck a deal––he had no idea what he was getting into, or how it would work, but he started telling the guard Dog about a con man named Freddie Javers. And that bit about Freddie Javers was what made Luke what he is now: a regular Birdie for the Provost's Guard.

Luke was never officially initiated as a Pup. The best Birdies usually aren't, because that sort of thing makes them all honourable and conspicuous. After Freddie Javers was brought in for good, the Senior Guard at the Kennel invited Luke in to have a chat with him. They discussed his options, and for a kid broke and hungry on the street, it sounded a degree more righteous and exciting than opting into the Rogue. From that point on, Luke was given people to look out for and Dogs to report to––all with the especial instruction to watch his tail. He was never teamed up with another Birdie because that sort of thing rouses suspicion. In fact, the Provost's Guard is so particular about their good Birdies, that they never introduce one Birdie to another.

What Luke discovered about the trade he had to found out on his own. Evidently he was good at too, because the tips he brought in must have built up the Senior Guard's estimation. Luke did admit to the Senior Guard after a few years that the story about his parents was a lie, but after that length of service and that much success, the Senior Guard knew he could trust Luke. He figured that all those years ago, Luke was just a boy in trouble looking for options, and it was better to have him in the Provost's Guard than in the Rogue. While there was lots of trouble in Lower Corus, the Senior Guard had a word or two with his superiors about Luke and got him working in the Upmarket district instead. He knew Luke had a keen eye for mischief, and that if Luke wanted to, he could lay on the charm and present himself real nice.

After several successful operations in Upmarket over the past fourteen years, Luke scrounged up enough money to buy himself a run-down inn and tavern in the northwest corner of the district. For years it was known as The Sleeping Minstrel––"The Minstrel" or "The Minnie"––and Luke has no good reason to change it, moreover for lack of better ideas. With a thorough cleaning and a little work, the place has as much potential as a place can in that part of Upmarket. His decision to 'settle down', at least in one aspect, was largely influenced by the fact that he wasn't getting any younger and that a birdie's living doesn't give a man a lot of security for the future. However, old habits die hard and what with taking Issabel Wood under his wing, he's bound to find himself serving ale to the very sort he worked long and hard putting into Kennels.






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