Wait a minute. There is already a phrase from the books used for this: the Thieve's Scar. I would imagine that would override the need for Cant in this case. A thief is scarred.
Ah, you are correct.. this is the term in the
common language. A cryptolect, such as The Thieves' Cant, however, deliberately morphs and obscures words and/or meanings.
On earth, the branding, tattooing, or scarring was designed to mark the offender publicly, with the double intend, most likely, of alerting others (particularly the authorities in any subsequent apprehensions of the perpetrator) that the individual has committed some specific offense, and to cause that individual public humiliation/ostracization.
Being the well-adjusted degenerates that we underworld types are, however, and due to our blatant disregard for the norms and mores of the society of the law-abiding, we have inverted this mark to a badge of honor, and wear it proudly!!
In the English speaking world of the criminal underworld, during the time of such brandings, (the marks were most often made by branding, which was quick, thus cost-efficient, and indelible for the most part) the criminals termed this process 'Charactering' and it is very likely that the term may very well have been coined originally by the authorities who imposed it, I imagine the reference being to the letter or symbol or 'character' used to brand the offender. Ear notches generally came from the pillory.. where an offender's ear was literally nailed to a pillar, and the offender was left there until he gathered the courage to tear him or herself loose.. thus tearing/notching the ear. The term 'Character' was thence applied to those who had been so marked.. and survives today in our phrases such as 'He's a real character.' or 'Watch out in that area, its full of characters!' where 'character' in this context carries the implied meaning of 'criminal'.
In our case, it would seem that once a thief has been caught.. whether by the authorities.. or caught 'poaching' (I imagine this would only apply to down and out 'subsistence' thieves, who are driven to steal out of necessity...) by the caste... and who would then be taken under the wing of a 'Doctoré' or mentor as an apprentice, and eventually work themselves up as journeyman and then master thief.
A question that puzzles me is whether the mark was given to a journeyman thief, or whether a thief had to work his way up to the rank of 'master thief' before earning his mark.... if branded by the caste... or, conversely, if they were simply marked by the authorities when apprehended for a first offense, sentenced to labor on the docks, aboard a galley ( if male ), in a brothel ( if female ), or to slavery (either gender). It would seem that if sentenced to slavery.. that would end the career of the thief.. unless the caste took the position that prior thieves sentenced to slavery could be re-claimed, freed (illegally), and embraced once again into the caste. It would make for interesting story-line conflicts.. though I tend to avert from the possibility of OOC conflict with irate legitimate owners... Whatever the case, I think that the caste would not free a slave who had been owned by a free person of the city in which they reside; and therefore ownership laws would no longer hold any particular jurisdiction.
For our purposes, I think that either method of 'charactering' - branded by the legal authorities, punitively (should be accompanied by some punitive labor sentence), or by the caste as a mark of competency would be perfectly acceptable. Perhaps we might develop a somewhat sloppy/hasty brand for those apprehended and thus branded, as the agent branding a thief would have little or no care for the appearance of such a brand and it would likely be shoddy work.
I was sentenced to a year of labor on the docks, flogged/whipped mercilessly and 'badged' which was how I earned my mark. I think that each thief should be able to choose whichever method they prefer, but I would hope that a role-players story should be at least somewhat in keeping with the way the Caste of Thieves is depicted in the chronicles, though I refrain from telling any other person how to play their character. It isn't my place.
So.. the term 'Badge' and/or 'Badging' is OUR term.. and the civilians.. culls and cullies, would not necessarily understand the terminology at all.
Regarding the Cant; the usual disclaimer applies, individual mileage may vary, and nobody is forced to use the Cant in RP. I tend to drop these terms into my RP, but if I am ever informed that this is offputting (by another thief) then I will simply set it aside. (If told so by non-thieves.. I think that I will probably ignore that.. if I am speaking the cant.. I am not, by force, speaking to them in any case, would not want them to understand me.. and my character would not care one whit what they preferred or did not prefer, and so... may the fun begin!! HA!!)
~ Diego
