Post by Jeff Gerke on Mar 8, 2007 10:02:50 GMT -5
Prupheen Gaz is a spineless, manipulative slime. He knows it. Everyone knows it. Obsequious should be his middle name.
Though the people in the fantasy realm from which he hails do not know the term "pathological liar," if they did they would use it on Prupheen.
But Prupheen would disagree. He knows when he's lying or pretending. The fact that this is just about all the time is of minor interest to him. A pathological liar doesn't know where the lies end and the truth begins. Prupheen is, he would say, a keen observer of character, and something of an actor.
Prupheen is small, ugly, and somewhat overweight. His face is pockmarked and his eyes are beady. He has a penchant for fine clothing but he often has to settle for less. His greatest fear is to be stuck in a life of poverty and squalor.
All Prupheen wants is a life of ease and wealth. And who has those things but the wealthy and powerful? And so he gravitates to them as naturally as deer to a salt-lick.
How can he obtain ease and wealthy except by mooching it from those who have it? (Don't mention hard work to him! That's something to be done by others, so he can benefit from it.)
Prupheen gets what he wants by being a master manipulator. Though his style seems oily and insincere, it is nevertheless effective.
His method has three phases: fishing, hooking, and reeling in.
Let's say Prupheen has arrived at the outer gates of a wealthy duke's property. A guard stands there, miserable in the rain. Prupheen requests entry but is denied. And so arises the problem: life and ease--inside; access blocked by guard.
Time to start fishing.
"Awful weather, huh?"
The guard grunts.
"Bet the Duke ain't standin' in no rain."
Hmph.
"How long you got to be here? When you get off?"
"Coupla hours."
"A couple of hours? Mate, you'll catch your death and the Duke'll have to find a new guard--and one as fine as you be hard to find, I wager."
The guard turns to Prupheen with an imporing look. "That's what I keep tellin' the Captain!"
And Prupheen has his fish on the hook. He fished and found a way to get through to the guard. Soon he'll be through the gate and closer to his life of ease and wealth.
If the guard hadn't responded to Prupheen's first tactic, he would've switched to another tack, like, "So what's the Duke's wife look like? A looker? He bring in some friends of the feminine persuasion, if you get me? Bet he does. Bet you help him, too. Bet he don't appreciate you like he ought, that's what I bet."
He'd keep trying different baits until the guard finally bit on one. Then, with the fish on the hook, he'd reel him in. Prupheen is the fisherman of a thousand baits.
Note that once Prupheen got to the next person, he'd observe that new fish and take on a personality and manner of speech that would be most likely to get him past THAT obstacle. Perhaps he'd adopt an accent from a neighboring kingdom. Perhaps he'd speak in educated, condescending tones. He's a chameleon. Whatever it takes to get the person connected with Prupheen, that's what he does.
And if he can't get past one obstacle, he'll find a way around or (in one of his favorite techniques) he'll find a way OVER that person. He'll go to the person's boss and fish until that person is in his pocket, and then he'll have the boss go and order the underling to do what Prupheen needs.
If there's one thing Prupheen knows it's that there's a way around any problem. All you need is the right line, the right approach, and the right bait. Once the fish is on the hook, he's Prupheen's.
Okay, so now we know a little about Prupheen's M.O. Now let's think about what happens when the SF people arrive.
Talk about power and a life of ease! These people have machines and flying vessels and all sorts of magical devices. Prupheen would be drawn to them instantly. He would, indeed, be one of the first fantasy people to make friendly contacts with the offworlders. They might even want to appoint him as an ambassador--and he would take that role if it got him closer to what he wants. The fantasy folks would see him as a traitor, but that wouldn't bother Prupheen in the least. If necessary, he could fish/hook those people later.
Prupheen would find that these advanced people are just as weak and susceptable to persuasion as any on his home world. It's a universe primed and ready for Prupheen Gaz.
So he begins baiting his hooks and moving closer and closer to the ease and wealth he longs for. To shift metaphors, he's like a tick sinking deeper and deeper into his host's flesh until he bites directly into the lifeblood he craves.
Jeff
Though the people in the fantasy realm from which he hails do not know the term "pathological liar," if they did they would use it on Prupheen.
But Prupheen would disagree. He knows when he's lying or pretending. The fact that this is just about all the time is of minor interest to him. A pathological liar doesn't know where the lies end and the truth begins. Prupheen is, he would say, a keen observer of character, and something of an actor.
Prupheen is small, ugly, and somewhat overweight. His face is pockmarked and his eyes are beady. He has a penchant for fine clothing but he often has to settle for less. His greatest fear is to be stuck in a life of poverty and squalor.
All Prupheen wants is a life of ease and wealth. And who has those things but the wealthy and powerful? And so he gravitates to them as naturally as deer to a salt-lick.
How can he obtain ease and wealthy except by mooching it from those who have it? (Don't mention hard work to him! That's something to be done by others, so he can benefit from it.)
Prupheen gets what he wants by being a master manipulator. Though his style seems oily and insincere, it is nevertheless effective.
His method has three phases: fishing, hooking, and reeling in.
Let's say Prupheen has arrived at the outer gates of a wealthy duke's property. A guard stands there, miserable in the rain. Prupheen requests entry but is denied. And so arises the problem: life and ease--inside; access blocked by guard.
Time to start fishing.
"Awful weather, huh?"
The guard grunts.
"Bet the Duke ain't standin' in no rain."
Hmph.
"How long you got to be here? When you get off?"
"Coupla hours."
"A couple of hours? Mate, you'll catch your death and the Duke'll have to find a new guard--and one as fine as you be hard to find, I wager."
The guard turns to Prupheen with an imporing look. "That's what I keep tellin' the Captain!"
And Prupheen has his fish on the hook. He fished and found a way to get through to the guard. Soon he'll be through the gate and closer to his life of ease and wealth.
If the guard hadn't responded to Prupheen's first tactic, he would've switched to another tack, like, "So what's the Duke's wife look like? A looker? He bring in some friends of the feminine persuasion, if you get me? Bet he does. Bet you help him, too. Bet he don't appreciate you like he ought, that's what I bet."
He'd keep trying different baits until the guard finally bit on one. Then, with the fish on the hook, he'd reel him in. Prupheen is the fisherman of a thousand baits.
Note that once Prupheen got to the next person, he'd observe that new fish and take on a personality and manner of speech that would be most likely to get him past THAT obstacle. Perhaps he'd adopt an accent from a neighboring kingdom. Perhaps he'd speak in educated, condescending tones. He's a chameleon. Whatever it takes to get the person connected with Prupheen, that's what he does.
And if he can't get past one obstacle, he'll find a way around or (in one of his favorite techniques) he'll find a way OVER that person. He'll go to the person's boss and fish until that person is in his pocket, and then he'll have the boss go and order the underling to do what Prupheen needs.
If there's one thing Prupheen knows it's that there's a way around any problem. All you need is the right line, the right approach, and the right bait. Once the fish is on the hook, he's Prupheen's.
Okay, so now we know a little about Prupheen's M.O. Now let's think about what happens when the SF people arrive.
Talk about power and a life of ease! These people have machines and flying vessels and all sorts of magical devices. Prupheen would be drawn to them instantly. He would, indeed, be one of the first fantasy people to make friendly contacts with the offworlders. They might even want to appoint him as an ambassador--and he would take that role if it got him closer to what he wants. The fantasy folks would see him as a traitor, but that wouldn't bother Prupheen in the least. If necessary, he could fish/hook those people later.
Prupheen would find that these advanced people are just as weak and susceptable to persuasion as any on his home world. It's a universe primed and ready for Prupheen Gaz.
So he begins baiting his hooks and moving closer and closer to the ease and wealth he longs for. To shift metaphors, he's like a tick sinking deeper and deeper into his host's flesh until he bites directly into the lifeblood he craves.
Jeff
