Aliases are alternative forms of a reference. They can include actual aliases for characters, nicknames, plural variations, gendered versions of some [Classes], and even typos.
“Look, I don’t care how the Human cities do it. We don’t give out bounties for beating up [Thugs]. How do you know they were guilty anyways? Did you just beat up some kids? In the future, let the Watch take care of it. Next!”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if every [Footpad] and [Thug] in the city’s memorized our faces. And the [Shopkeepers]—dead gods, we’ll be lucky if we can buy a loaf of bread for a gold coin!”
“It’s so strange. He never mentions any of that to me. He’s just Uncle Zel when he visits. He eats pies, beats up [Thugs]—I can’t ever picture him being a big hero on the battlefield.”
One of the other [Thugs] muttered as the Drake with the knife began sawing through Selys’ bindings. Selys tried to breathe normally. She was being mouthy, but she was terrified. She waited until she felt the bindings fall off her claws and then grabbed the quill.
Selys looked up. The [Thugs] had come to a decision. Five went over to the door, while two folded their arms, looking annoyed. The one with orange scales came over to Selys.
He turned as the Drake he’d wounded grabbed at his shoulder. Pisces whirled, and the [Thugs] in the room cried out in shock. Pisces smiled, his white robes shining in the lantern light, his bloody rapier held at the ready.
Selys shouted. A [Thug] was throwing one of the knives he held in his claws. Pisces blurred as something dropped and appeared three feet to his left. The knife missed him and the [Mage] flicked his finger. Selys saw a ring on his finger glow, and a bolt of white light shot across the room and struck the knife-thrower in the chest. She heard a crack and the Drake folded up with a hole in the upper right hand part of his chest.
He was shaking with fear. Pisces stared at him. The light from the lantern in the room flickered suddenly, though there was no breeze. The [Thug] jumped.
“I’m not an idiot! But you were, rushing in there! You could have been killed! [Mages] die after being stabbed, and taking on a bunch of [Thugs] with knives is a death sentence! What were you doing?”
“That’s unclear. The Drakes didn’t say much—well, only one was conscious, so we’ll have to rely on truth spells when the other two wake up. We’ll charge them for kidnapping and attempted extortion, but my guess is they’re just hired [Thugs] and [Rogues].”
Typhenous tossed the cuffs to the ground. The [Thug] carefully felt at Eltistiman’s pulse and then laid the [Magician] down. He walked back over to the door, rapped twice on it, then bent to pick up Typhenous’ staff and handed it to the [Mage].
Typhenous accepted the staff and leaned on it. The man with the cudgel looked back to the door as it opened. Three more men slipped in, all wearing dark leather armor concealed by dark cloth. The thing about these men was that despite the fact that all were [Thugs], they were quite snappily dressed. Dark cloth and leather didn’t have to look bad, and these four stood straight and nodded to each other as they stepped into the inn.
