17.39 The skill of Thievery.

Thievery is the cornerstone skill of the Thief profession and covers a vast array of abilities, from the simplest of pickpocketing to speaking in tongues, complex offensive trickery and theft, the intricate and highly-evolved art of locks and lockpicking, the utilisation of a diverse range of proximate and/or inventory-centered abilities for self-perservation, subterfuge and indeed whatever aspect of the lifestyle of the thief one may wish to pursue. Crowning the already impressive set of abilities native to all practictioners of Thievery, there comes a choice - made after full master of the skill has been attained - whereupon a specialisation must be selected: that of the burglar or the assassin. The burglar gains deepest insight into the covert arts, lock-kits, inevitable theft and most secret subterfuges. The assassin learns the ways of cunning slaughter, lightning fast martial artistry, abilities to maim and decapitate.

Both specialisations are equally potent and it is up to the character of the individual thief which he or she selects. Thieves of sufficient status (Elders of over two hundred years or guild-leaders) may type SPECIALISTS to view a rollcall of burglars and assassins, just as specialists themselves may type it likewise to gain an inkling into those professionals sharing their rare, sought-after knowledge. If you wish to pick a specialisation and have Ultimate Thievery, type SPECIALIST IN BURGLARY or SPECIALISE IN ASSASSINATION. You must gain acceptance by the majority of active fellow-specialists to be graced with this unique divergence in the last dozen or so abilities in the Thievery skillset.

If you are a witness specialist, present at the ceremony of admission and a potent but non-specialised thief has requested leave to join the ranks of the burglars or the assassins you may type ADMIT <thief name> BURGLARY or ADMIT <thief name> ASSASSINATION (assuming you are one of the aforementioned specialists) to give your consent to his/her joining your ranks. Once the majority has been attained, the decision is rendered permanent and the floodgates of final phase of the thief's development laid bare.