Player: [NightHawk]
Character Name: Effendi Gabonno Mbongja
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 168 lbs.
Race: Human "of swarthy complexion" (black)
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Title: Effendi (Ottoman equivalent of the English "Sir")
Occupation: Merchant of exotic wares
Physical Description: Gabonno, despite his imposing stature and strong build, is a very disarming man who opens every business and chance meeting with a wide smile of his perfect, white teeth. His skin, true to his heritage, is a dark brown, and he sports bushy, black eyebrows and wiry dreadlocks that reach his shoulders (fortunately, only his dreadlocks reach his shoulders, not his eyebrows!). Gabonno is never seen without a pair of dark glasses that almost always obscure his eyes, which are violet. When asked about them, he will relate the story of his great-great grandmother, who was from Feyrdust to the far east; her lineage converged to make his eyes violet; he is often regretful that her ears did not override the "elephant's ears" of his own people. Gabonno dresses in flashy merchant's clothes, but he always wears a fine pair of black boots, and he accents his garb with "a cloak bought locally" of fine, hard, black weave.
Weal or Woe: Gabonno is easygoing and natural in a cosmopolitan setting. He does not particularly express strong feelings toward any given situation unless he is directly involved in or affected by it.
Personality: In addition to being easygoing and a people person, Gabonno Mbongja enjoys telling stories from his homeland. He makes certain that the first thing everybody knows about him is that he hails from "The Great Kingdom of Kalina" and is a buyer and seller of exotic goods.
Weapons and armor: Gabonno claims to be an accomplished fencer, and he carries a very fine rapier at his side. It is not inconceivable that he may have a dagger hidden in one or both boots for emergencies and surprises. Under his clothing, he always wears a shirt of fine, mithril chain and a pair of bracers on his arms.
Magic: Gabonno claims to be rather leery of magic in general; he does not trust any power to which he has no access. In the case of someone else casting a beneficial spell on him, he asks only that he be able to brace himself for the "unsettling feeling that settles onto me and seeps into my bones."
History: Gabonno hails from The Great Kingdom of Kalina, far to the south and near the world's equator. When his brother, Jhalil, squandered all his money while gambling, Gabonno took him in and gave him work as his "man of business." Gabonno, however, seems to consider his brother a disgrace and often "forgets" to mention their relationship until someone else points out that the two are nearly identical. Except for a three-inch height difference (Gabonno is the taller), the two are identical and dress much the same way. The two have traveled all across much of the northern regions of the world, selling their goods. They return to Kalina once every so often to restock their Kalinan goods, but much of the time, they find it simpler to trade between northern countries, bartering and selling exotic items found there.

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Player: [NightHawk]
Character Name: Jhalil Mbongja
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 121 lbs.
Race: Human "of swarthy complexion" (black)
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Title: None; Gabonno's "man of business"
Occupation: Merchant of exotic wares
Physical Description: Jhalil looks much like his slightly elder (by seventeen minutes) brother, except that he is much shorter in stature and very slight of build. While Gabonno is lean and muscular, Jhalil is slightly toned and willowy.
Weal or Woe: Jhalil, like his brother, is rather quiet on any given subject unless he is affected by it. But other than that, he holds up no virtues nor succumbs to many vices.
Personality: Jhalil is much quieter than his elder brother. He sometimes seems resentful of Gabonno for having such motivation, but Jhalil relies on the man for his lifestyle. Jhalil much prefers silence to speaking, and if words are necessary outside the business setting, he often leaves the speaking to Gabonno.
Weapons and armor: Jhalil, like Gabonno, is a fencer, and he learned the art from his brother. Jhalil isn't quite as skilled, and despite this and his smaller stature, he actually prefers to wield a slightly longer sword than his elder brother. He, too, wears fine, almost invisible armor under his clothing, of the same construction as Gabonno.
Magic: Jhalil shares his brother's wariness of magic, but will, like Gabonno, allow himself to receive beneficial spells if he is allowed to "brace for impact."
History: Much the same as Gabonno. With the exception that he sometimes likes to drink a bit more than necessary.