Sarsaparilla Surprise

Sarsaparilla Surprise (a.k.a. The Velvet Trickster)

A spitting image of the kind of pony that the name of her Bannermanes chapter evokes, Sarsaparilla Surprise is the shining red jewel of the High Rollers of Dakilai. Known to her fellow High Rollers as "Sarsy" or "Ate Sarsy" to her juniors. She prides herself as a senior member of the organization, acting as a sort of older sister figure, doting upon anyone whether they wish or not. However, one should never be caught calling her the 'S' word (or any other word meaning old for that matter) lest they wish to bear the brunt of her nasty temper.
Sarsy boasts a wide array of skills she picked up in her tumultuous youth and her storied campaigns as a Bannermane.
-First, she is an incredibly skilled gambler who takes on any challenge as long as she feels she has a chance to win, and if one thinks the odds against her are insurmountable she'll no doubt find a way cheat her way to her desired outcome. She has even been known to clean out many an unsuspecting casino, walking away with armfuls of gold pieces after being banned permanently from said locations (although she's never let that stop her from coming back for more). To the dismay of her peers she never remains wealthy for long, often spending it all frivolously before returning to HQ. Tabu doesn't seem to mind though as she always seems to have enough left over to fill the coffers of their little slice of the Bannermanes.
-Second, she is an unparalleled master of the bow. Not only is she able to consistently hit bullseye after bullseye at ranges of over 100 meters, she is also able to fire at an astonishing rate of 5 arrows every 6 seconds. Any who are unlucky enough to call themselves Sarsy's Prey have next to no chances of survival. Even if one were able to dodge 50 arrows every minute and escape her range, it wont be for long as her upbringing in the woods has given her an excellent ability to track down and hunt her prey. Sarsy often tells others she had been a Bounty Hunter in her past, but her viciousness and tenacity while enacting her hunt has led her fellow High Rollers to doubt the verity of her story.
-Third, she is an impertinent and imperceptible thief. A skill she picked up and perfected in the busy seaside market of Whitewater. So bold and skilled in her ability to pilfer and purloin she has been known to pickpocket ponies before their very eyes without being noticed. In the rare case one would suspect her of larceny she is able to deftly slither back into the shadows, even despite her often ostentatious appearance. Thankfully for the High Rollers she only seems to use this skill for their benefit, though the bar in the HQ has bottles of rare vintages vanish every once in a while. Not that anyone would ever press Sarsy about it.
-Fourth, she is a terribly savvy cosmopolitan. Astillon is a large and often unforgiving continent, and Sarsy has seen nearly all it has to offer. Due to her frequent and extensive "vacations" she always has some form of connection or confidant to help Sarsy keep her ear to the ground, and even when without a connection she is quickly able to endear herself to the populace within an hour. Concerningly, the relationships of Sarsy are oftentimes unlawful in nature, leading her colleagues to controvert over her past dealings. Tabu waves these rumours off though, as this rare skill of hers allows the Bannermanes to infiltrate nefarious institutions when their ambitions get too lofty and need humbling. The most disturbing of her connections is her familiarity and rapport with the infamous A Pimp Named Buckback, making one wonder just how she can be so comfortable around organized crime. Even if you ask her closest companion "Jackpot", he just seems to vanish into thin air.
With these talents in tow, one would guess her to be an Assassin of some sort at first glance, yet the High Rollers know her simply as big sister Sarsy, an affectionate and devoted member of their organization. They consider themselves very lucky to be able to call her an ally and a friend, but secretly... Sarsy believes she is the luckiest one of them all, to be given a second chance to be the big sister she failed to be many years ago.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Early Life
Hours spent watching the scenery go by from the window of a locomotive, sticking to the shadows and alleys of cities to avoid the curious eyes of crowdgoers, riding upon her large bellied mother's back as dead leaves crinkle underhoof in the wilderness. These are Sarsaparilla's earliest memories. Why they had to leave their home in Dakilai, she did not know. All her mother told her was she had an issue with her Employer and that she had ti find work elsewhere. The kind of white lie a parent has to tell when her first child is too young to understand the world. Packing up what little they had, a confused filly follows her mother with little choice in the matter.
Gulls in the sky and the salty smell of sea upon her nose, her new home appeared into view. After months of travel they had finally made it to Whitewater, a bustling town of sailors and trade in Astillons southwesternmost corner. About as far away from Dakilai as you could get. With little to do for finances the Surprise family couldn't afford to make a home within the city's borders, settling for a small treehouse they stubled upon in the forest. With rotten boards, a holey ceiling, and no ladder to climb it was clear that society had forgotten about this place many decades ago. The only thing making a home of this place were the countless spiders that would crawl in to spin their webs, much to Sarsy's contempt. Gathering up straw to lay on, and stealing patio furniture after dark, her mother did her best to make this place home. Leaning into their lives as runaways, the Surprise family learned to enjoy their secret home free of rent and tax.
"Always look after her, Sarsy. Creamy needs her Ate to be strong". Shortly after settling in Sarsy's little sister Creamsicle Surprise was born. Was she the reason they had left Dakilai? Thought Sarsy for a moment, remembering a time where she watched her mother get yelled at by a well-dressed hippogryph through the window before she burst through the front door in tears. A thought wiped completely from her mind after holding her orange-maned baby sister for the first time.

Education

Sarsaparilla was coerced into dropping out of school at the age of 11 to become more deeply involved with the gang and it's inner workings.

Employment

Sarsaparilla is a veteran of the High Rollers Bannermane chapter, being there for now over 10 years. She is working her way towards becoming the Mainstitch of the High Rollers when Tabu finally decides to retire.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Bannermanes History Sarsy, exhausted, broke, and dejected from her failed quest to find her sister, goes to Dakilai, a city rumoured to be a playground for those with nefarious talents and a thirst for game. She's built up too much regret to go back to her old way of life, as she prowls the streets she comes across the front doors of the High Rollers HQ. She opens the doors and demands a spot within the organization, stating that she'll even gamble for it. Intrigued, Tabu offers her a seat at the table, the rest is history.
Recognizing her strong gaming talents, early on she was utilized as an income generator for the High Rollers. This mostly entailed journeying to high stakes tables and bringing home the winnings. After building much trust in the High Rollers, her jobs evolved to using her ranger/rogue abilities to track ne'er do wells in secret, steal from criminal storehouses, and to disrupt said criminals from crossing the threshold from petty to serious. It's rumoured within the HQ that she's even been on red-tape black-ops style missions, but obviously those things are so hush hush that evidence of such biddings are non-existent.
These days within the High Rollers, she's taken on more of a mentor/senior role with many members referring to her as "Big Sister" or "Ate Sarsy" (mostly on her insistence though). Tabu often tasks Sarsaparilla with accompanying newer Bannermanes on their first few missions to evaluate their skills and to prevent premature peril.
A couple of years ago a Missing Ponies Report was sent to the Bannermanes from some high profile professors at the CAATS University. By pure coincidence on an excursion, she found a pony matching the report's description in a busy market. As she stalked and studied the pony through the streets the next few days she learned of his particular talents for thievery and hygiene. Fearing that the meek personality of her mark would eventually bring him into great danger and hunger, Sarsy stepped out from the shadows and introduced herself to the one known as Triple Sevens (who she affectionately refers to as "Jackpot" referring to his name and mark of destiny). With her overbearing personality she decides to take him under her wing, but under the condition that he join the Bannermanes so that she may more closely monitor his progress, and also his safety for the sake of Triple's parents.

Morality & Philosophy

Sarsaparilla is no stranger to the realities of life in the slums, and formally a perpetuator of those realities as well. She will not hesitate to do what she feels is needed to resolve a situation, but her recent turn of life has prioritized paths of kindness to be attempted whenever available.

Taboos

Although most of her life has left her calloused to most everything... Sarsparilla seems to become affixed, silent, and stunned when she observes complete and happy family units.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Sarsaparilla secretly hopes that her adventures as a Bannermane will eventually lead her to finding her sister, Creamsicle.

Likes & Dislikes

Likes: The colour orange, root beer, games of chance
Dislikes: ginger beer, settling down, budgeting
Hates: spiders

Social

Contacts & Relations

a few sympathetic/particularly altruistic fellows within the shadows who need not be named.
Sarsy is particularly well versed in the underworlds and black markets of Whitewater, Goldenport, and Dakilai.

Family Ties

A mother who is most likely dead, and a sister missing at large for 13+ years.
She finds family value in her new Bannermanes family, and is most fond of Triple Sevens who reminds her of Creamsicle, and is therefore very protective of him as she doesn't want to squander her second chance at being an older sister.

Speech

Sarsy speaks in a strange accent which confuses the letter sounds of F and V with P and B respectively.

Wealth & Financial state

Poor

A playful mare with a thirst for game and mischief. With bow in hoof and aces up her sleeve, no pony or pocket in her sight is safe! Luckily for you "ate" just wants to tease you a bit and go on another one of her "vacations"

View Character Profile

Alignment

NG

Age

Dont Ask (34)

Date of Birth

Unknown (2/12)

Birthplace

Whitewater

Current Residence

The comfy couch in the High Rollers HQ

Gender

Female

Eyes

Pine Green

Hair

Dark Red

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Silver White