Marlowe Thistle
Skills
Skills
Physical
(Total: 3 Points)
Marlowe avoids direct conflict. But she’s not helpless. Her physical skills are about evasion, precision, and survival — not combat.
Stealth [Proficient] (3 Points)
Grew up in a city where being seen could mean being moved on, questioned, or worse. She knows how to slip through alleys, vanish into crowds, and listen from the shadows. Moves like a draft under a door.
Marlowe avoids direct conflict. But she’s not helpless. Her physical skills are about evasion, precision, and survival — not combat.
Stealth [Proficient] (3 Points)
Grew up in a city where being seen could mean being moved on, questioned, or worse. She knows how to slip through alleys, vanish into crowds, and listen from the shadows. Moves like a draft under a door.
Mental
(Total: 6 Points)
This is where Marlowe shines. Her mind is her weapon. She’s self-taught, relentless, and observant.
Investigation [Proficient] (3 Points)
Her trade. Learned filing, record-keeping, and archival work at the Ministry of Niceties — then used it to spot patterns no one else did. Knows how to track missing persons, falsified reports, and buried evidence.
Jurisprudence [Trained] (2 Points)
Knowledge. Not just what the law says — but how it’s twisted. She’s read the Imperial Code cover to cover, knows loopholes, jurisdictional gaps, and how the Ministries use legal theater to mask power.
Forensic Observation [Novice] (1 Point)
Knowledge. She notices the small things: shoe scuffs, ink smudges, inconsistencies in alibis. Still learning — but already dangerous.
This is where Marlowe shines. Her mind is her weapon. She’s self-taught, relentless, and observant.
Investigation [Proficient] (3 Points)
Her trade. Learned filing, record-keeping, and archival work at the Ministry of Niceties — then used it to spot patterns no one else did. Knows how to track missing persons, falsified reports, and buried evidence.
Jurisprudence [Trained] (2 Points)
Knowledge. Not just what the law says — but how it’s twisted. She’s read the Imperial Code cover to cover, knows loopholes, jurisdictional gaps, and how the Ministries use legal theater to mask power.
Forensic Observation [Novice] (1 Point)
Knowledge. She notices the small things: shoe scuffs, ink smudges, inconsistencies in alibis. Still learning — but already dangerous.
Social
(Total: 3 Points)
Marlowe moves between worlds: the gutter and the archive, the dockside tavern and the clerk’s office. She knows how to speak to beasts who don’t want to talk — and how to make them.
Fast Talk [Trained] (2 Points)
Trade. She can bluff her way into restricted areas, talk down a suspicious guard, or redirect a conversation before it turns dangerous. Uses wit, not charm.
Logical Debate [Novice] (1 Point)
Knowledge. She can dismantle a lie with facts and structure. Not flashy — but effective when she has the floor.
Final Total: 3 (Physical) + 6 (Mental) + 3 (Social) = 12 Points
Marlowe moves between worlds: the gutter and the archive, the dockside tavern and the clerk’s office. She knows how to speak to beasts who don’t want to talk — and how to make them.
Fast Talk [Trained] (2 Points)
Trade. She can bluff her way into restricted areas, talk down a suspicious guard, or redirect a conversation before it turns dangerous. Uses wit, not charm.
Logical Debate [Novice] (1 Point)
Knowledge. She can dismantle a lie with facts and structure. Not flashy — but effective when she has the floor.
Final Total: 3 (Physical) + 6 (Mental) + 3 (Social) = 12 Points
General Information
- Age: 32
- Species: Mouse
- Biological Sex: Female
- Pronouns: She/Her
- Size: Extra Small
Physical Description
Marlowe is slight of frame, with close-cropped dark brown fur, sharp black eyes that miss little, and ears that twitch at the faintest shift in tone or movement. Her whiskers are neatly groomed, often twitching when she’s thinking. She keeps her tail coiled tightly when standing, a habit from years of avoiding snags in narrow alleys. She dresses practically: a worn but well-maintained coat with pockets, a collar, and no shoes. Despite her size, she carries herself with quiet authority—back straight, gaze level, never flinching from a stare.
Inventory and Real Estate
Inventory:
- Leather satchel – Worn but sturdy, lined with compartments for notes, evidence bags, and tools
- Brass magnifying lens – Her most trusted instrument; keeps it clean and close
- Notebook bound in oilcloth – Waterproof, filled with case notes, sketches, and cross-referenced data
- Feather and ink vial – For quick documentation; uses a fast-drying formula to avoid smudges
- Small folding knife – Concealed in her sleeve; used for opening sealed envelopes, cutting rope, or self-defense if cornered
- Forgery kit – Tiny: wax stamp blanks, ink matching chart, fine brushes (for replicating Ministry seals when necessary)
- Lockpick set (miniature) – Stored in a slim metal case; used sparingly and only when no legal entry exists
- Copper token from The Slups – A keepsake from her mother; carried for luck
Real Estate:
- A single-room flat above a tea stall in Zann’s Alley, Bully Harbour
- Sparse: cot, small desk, bookshelf made from crates
- Walls covered in pinned maps, suspect sketches, and red-string-connected case boards
- No official signage — visitors must know how to find her.
Personality
Marlowe is quiet, precise, and intensely observant. She speaks only when necessary, and when she does, every word is measured. She doesn’t seek attention, but she refuses to be ignored. She has a dry, understated wit—often lost on those who expect a detective to be loud or dramatic. She believes truth is not revealed by force, but by patience. She is not cold—just cautious. She helps the helpless, but only if they’re honest. She has little patience for liars, whether they wear rags or uniforms. She doesn’t trust easily. But once she does, she is fiercely loyal.
Strengths
- Exceptional observation skills – Notices inconsistencies others overlook: a mismatched button, a hesitation in speech, a forged signature
- Mastery of bureaucracy – Knows how the Ministry system works—and how to exploit its gaps
- Stealth and evasion – Can move through a guarded building unnoticed, vanish into a crowd, or listen without being seen
- Relentless focus – Once she takes on a case, she won’t let it go, no matter the risk
- Adaptable social presence – Can blend into a dockside tavern or stand firm in a clerk’s office without changing who she is
Weaknesses
- Physically vulnerable – Cannot win a direct fight. Relies on escape, misdirection, or outside help if cornered
- Underestimated constantly – Due to her species, size, and gender, many dismiss her as a clerk, a nuisance, or a joke
- Limited resources – No official backing, no budget, no access to Ministry databases unless she steals it
- Trust issues – Hesitant to rely on others, even allies
- Forensic knowledge is still developing – She can spot a stain or a wound, but may misinterpret cause without expert input.
History
Marlowe Thistledown was born in The Slups, Bully Harbour, to a seamstress and a dockhand who vanished during a Ministry “labor audit.” Officially, he was reassigned; unofficially, he was never seen again. Raised by her mother, Marlowe learned early on that paper could be more dangerous than a blade. She taught herself to read by sorting through discarded Ministry forms found in gutters and back alleys. By the age of twelve, she could understand legal jargon, and by sixteen, she had falsified a work permit to secure a filing job at the Ministry of Niceties’ Central Archive.
For years, Marlowe worked as a low-level clerk, silent, efficient, and invisible. However, she kept her eyes open, noticing troubling patterns: missing persons reports buried under routine logs, death certificates with mismatched ink, and ships that sailed with full crews but returned with only half. When she raised her concerns, she was transferred, then demoted, and ultimately dismissed. But she didn’t give up. Marlowe began taking on private cases, finding missing sailors, uncovering fraud, and exposing falsified cargo manifests.
Word spread in the lower districts: If you need the truth, go to the mouse in Zann’s Alley. Now, she operates in the gray area between law and justice. Not a cop. Not a criminal. A detective.
