The communion between the abandoned and the forgotten takes place, in a darkly appropriately manner, in the dismal underground.
Yet, the atmosphere is not one of dread or wistfulness, but one of camaraderie and hope. This is thanks to the efforts of one Kavian Aminar.
Once a street urchin like the rest of the gathered scoundrels, Kavian's supreme natural wit and charisma led him to soaring above his lot in life - at least in secret.
In reality, though Kavian and his gang may still live rather squalidly, thanks to Kavian's efforts, they do not starve, and they always have a warm place to stay the night. Furthermore, their trained efforts in information gathering have led them to a position where they hold valuable information, that can both serve their community, and act as a powerful tool of negotiation, if handled with great care.
Tonight, the group - cast in the sharp, messy shadows of an ancient grotto - simply shares what they have earned. Younger boys pull out loaves of bread or stale fruits, while the older boys bring out spare scraps of wealth. The earnings would be measly and insufficient for any one individual, but when selflessly pooled together in this way, everyone has just enough to scrape by for another short period of time.
Every member of this group has undergone vetting to ensure they have the determination to not reveal any of Kavian's secrets. The older ones have also been trained personally by Kavian, on how to carefully and accurately gather information.
For this reason, every pair of youthful eyes present, holds behind it a raging fire of will and spirit, a desire to see their lots in lives improve, and a devotion to their adopted family, in the form of Kavian and their brothers.
While this fortitude is not often put to the test, Kavian's instincts tell him these younglings, from children to adolescents, would surprise him in how far they would go to protect this little community.
Kavian's group currently numbers in at about a dozen. Fourteen of them, to be exact. All young males, the group has grown over time as Kavian has occasionally accepted new members from among the riff-raff.
Perhaps it saddens Kavian, or perhaps not - but no matter his efforts, he knows his current influence is not enough to save every child from poverty. Furthermore, there is nothing he has done for young women or little girls. For whatever reason(s), his group is solely comprised of males.
Currently, every one of the fourteen inducted members are present. There are many other individuals who are helped by Kavian's group, but none of them have been shown much of anything.
The fourteen young men and boys that are currently feasting and playing around Kavian:
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OOC : Feel free to use as much of this as you want. I'm creating some profiles here, but you can change any of the ones you don't like or would rather replace with different ideas.
You can also mention if you want to the number of members to be higher or lower than I set them as
Ruhan Aminar, 14Y, Tall/Average/Handsome, responsible, capable and extremely loyal
Background: Your first mate, so to speak. He has been with you the longest and would probably die for you if it came down to it. Ruhan speaks the most freely with you out of everyone, and is also a sort of leader in absentia for the other kids.
Amir Aminar, 13Y, Tall/Thin/Average, cautious and patient
Background: Often paired with Mabarak to counterbalance his 'reckless' tendencies. Taken off the street five years ago, by Ruhan.
Mabarak Aminar, 13Y, Average/Wide/Ugly, rough and somewhat impatient
Background: Often paired with Amir to counterbalance his 'cowardly' tendencies. Taken off the street four years ago, by Ruhan.
Khan Aminar, 12Y, Average/Strong/Handsome, intelligent and unempathetic
Background: A young boy with a powerful physique and a naturally ruthless mind. Shows little care for anyone beyond the group, and even within the group is known as a relatively cold person. Not unloyal. He was found after killing an assailant who attacked him.
Tamur Aminar, 11Y, Average/Chubby/Average, quiet, diligent and loyal
Background: He is a bit slow, but he follows orders to the letter and without complaint. Rescued from starvation two or three years ago. He has an almost puppy-like loyalty to Kavian and Ruhan in particular.
Qassar Aminar, 11Y, Tall/Average/Average, perceptive and intuitive
Background: the abandoned bastard child of a merchant and a prostitute, Qassar seems to have inherited the sharp mental tendencies of a merchant. Qassar was found in a bad place, soon after being abandoned by his mother who could no longer care for him. His mother died of disease soon after.
Laz Aminar, 11Y, Towering/Strong/Average, brotherly, humble and highly loyal
Background: The physically strongest member of the group, Laz is actually somewhat of a gentle giant. However, he does not shy away from violence if he is told to deliver it. Rescued from starvation two or three years ago, he is fully loyal to Kavian who personally took his hand when he needed it most.
Bazat Aminar, 10Y, Short/Fat/Average, hardworking and pessimistic
Background: Bazat is paradoxically someone who is unmotivated, but someone who puts in maximum effort during assignments. Bazat was previously part of another, disbanded group of urchin boys. Has some immature skills as a thief or scout
Sharid Aminar, 10Y, Short/Average/Unattractive, no descriptors (quite bland)
Background: A newer member. Not much to say about him.
Yasil Aminar, 10Y, Short/Thin/Scarred, blind and depressive
Background: Yasil was blinded in a freak accident, and could no longer perform most types of labor. Since the incident, he has been chronically depressed and even verging on suicidal. However, he is highly adaptive, and has learned to perform many tasks even without his sense of sight. He has a promising talent, according to Ruhan. Kavian may or may not recognize that.
Salim Aminar, 9Y, Short/Thin/Average, eager and excitable
Background: A member of one year, Salim fits in very well because he is outgoing and cooperative. He doesn't have any particular skills, but he is good enough at most things that don't require extreme caution in execution.
Anzar Aminar, 9Y, Average/Average/Average, talented, bright, clever, and optimistic
Background: A natural genius (though not at the level of Kavian), Anzar is still young but seems to be good at everything he touches. Ruhan has been struggling to decide how to apply his talents. Kavian has the final say, of course.
Ishrami Aminar, 9Y, Short/Emaciated/Average, chronically unhealthy, silent and terrifyingly intense
Background: Ishrami is the only member of the group who was first to approach them, instead of the other way around. He first appeared, terribly injured but completely in his wits. After lots of questioning, it was confirmed no leaks have taken place. Ishrami somehow managed to deduce your existence on his own. He was accepted into the group, as he has never refused or failed a single job he has been sent on. Ishrami is a complete loner, and the other children avoid him because his eyes give off an overwhelming feeling of intensity that few can face for long. Even Kavian and Ruhan find it exhausting to deal with him for more than a minute.
Najid Aminar, 8Y, Short/Thin/Cherubic, delicate and shy
Background: Ruhan refuses to say how he found Najid. He seems traumatized by whatever it was. Najid is ethereally beautiful, his every feature painted with complete innocence and delicacy. Najid is currently too young to do much, and he rarely says a word. However, Kavian has noticed that merely having him around has had... some sort of effect... on the group. It's hard to pinpoint, but Kavian's instincts tell him to keep the boy around, and his wits inform him that the direction of their lives are being accelerated in a favorable direction, ever since Najid appeared.