Difference between revisions of "Coriolanus Helstone"

Coriolanus Helstone is, quite simply, a very good lawyer.

Known to friends as 'Cory,' Helstone is a native of a well-established family in the eastern Amasynian town of Collingford. He studied law at a prestigious university there before setting up a private practice in Myrkentown.

He prides himself in maintaining a high level of sartorial fastidiousness, and has a wardrobe to be admired. On the town or in the courtroom, his hair is always perfect and his hands always neat; visitors to his office are known to notice its remarkable state of cleanliness.

To support his high standard of living, Helstone is a prolific worker, helping Myrkenites settle and process real estate disputes, draw up wills, mediate controversies and fix the day-to-day affairs of town, and has also spent quite a bit of time in trial as both prosecution and defense in criminal cases. Although he is not known to take pro-bono or charity cases, his fees are not known to be too exorbitant. For most affairs, at least.

Helstone keeps a brusque, businesslike exterior, but is generally a pleasant and genial face to meet around town. He is shy rather than suave when it comes to women, and remains a quiet but effective voice when speaking out about matters of Myrken Wood law, which he does quite often. He prefers diplomacy to swordplay and frowns on military solutions when lawful, book-borne resolutions can be gained. He also has a bit of a ruthless streak, although for the most part it is sublimated beneath layers of propriety; it is not seen often.

After a few alarming encounters, he hired a childhood friend, Rosamaria Ramirez, to serve as his personal security, and has been rarely seen without her in public.

Helstone spends a great deal of time in conversation with all sorts of people at the Broken Dagger, where he is known to drink black tea and the finest whiskey, and currently serves on the Myrken Wood Judiciary Council as the Councilor of Administrative Sanctions.

Currently

In mid-July, after a public speech that placed him as a visible and somewhat trusted authority figure to the Myrken people -- Helstone and his guard Rosamaria were abducted by the drow, and he was forced by Audmathus to write a letter implicating various citizens of Myrken Wood as traitors and the country of Thessilane as an enemy. Since his return at the beginning of August, he has disavowed the letter -- but the damage has been done.

There have been two recent attempts on Helstone's life: one, by Biske, who believes Helstone is Audmathus, and another, by an unknown assailant claiming to be a errand-boy of Suede Roschen.

He has also been seen in the company of Guili Maria N'Aralon and other rumors place him as visiting Alli and Reverie in the Myrkentown gaol before their dissappearance.

He and Rosamaria are currently staying with Maria and her landlord, Kish until other arrangements can be made, thanks to the unfortunate catapulting of their Baker Street building in mid-July.

Cases

-- In the summer of AR 205, Helstone served as counsel during a trial accusing then-Governor Altias Bromn, his bodyguard Ariane Carnath-Emory, and tavern bartender Mikhail of multiple counts of murder outside the Broken Dagger tavern. He secured a complete acquittal on grounds of self-defense and extenuating circumstances.

-- That fall, Helstone represented Councilor Suede Roschen when the Councilor was accused by Straka Captain Thomas Daniels of black-market activity and a possible slaying. Roschen has since been reinstated to the Council, and Helstone remains tight-lipped about his involvement with that matter.

17th-c. sketch.