Muddy Waters
Fishmonger (Slums)
Randall Whipwreck was born and raised in the slums, and is proof positive of many clerics' ideas that the parents make the children. Randall's father was a petty extortionist in the slums, until an encounter with an orc one night ended his life. His mother was a whore, and disappeared when Randall was 12. In his eyes, it wasn't a big loss.
Resorting to thievery, Randall managed to secure a small amount of money, and set up a fishmonger within the slums, catering to the people who toil in the swamps for a living. By paying thugs to keep the competition in dire straits, Randall was able to secure a large client base for buying and selling fish. And with a legitmate business as a front, he turned to more profitable, if less lawful, pursuits. Muddy Waters is now the largest fence in the slum area. Regular shipments of fish into the main part of the city are a cost efficient, and well-concealed, route for transporting stolen goods. Sure, the picking are slimmer in this part of the city, but the odd expensive item does make its way through Muddy Waters.
Plot Hooks:
He's a fence. That's a plothook right there.
Beyond stolent goods, Randall is also a packrat for information. He has rumors and bits of info on everything from a beggar who's actually a wererat to the magical properties of several artefacts in the royal treasury. Mind you, only 30% of what he knows is true.
Randall has made an enemy in the slums, a group of ruffians who were ripped off by the rogue. Randall will pay the PCs a hefy price to get rid of them, either by killing them or more lawful means.
Randall Whipwreck, male human Exp3/Rog1: CR 3; ECL 4; Medium-size Humanoid (human); HD 4d6; hp 16; Init +3; Spd 30 ft; AC 15 (+2 padded, +3 Dex); Melee +1 dagger +3 (1d4+1/crit 19-20); Ranged +1 dagger +6 (1d4+1/crit 19-20); SA sneak attack; AL NE; SV Fort +1, Ref +6, Will +2; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 9, Cha 12.
Skills and Feats: Appraise +6, Bluff +8, Decipher Script +6, Disable Device +9, Forgery +6, Gather Information +8, Hide +7, Innuendo +6, Listen +4, Search +7, Spot +4, Use Magic Device +6; Dodge, Mobility.
SA–Sneak Attack (Ex): Randall Whipwreck deals +1d6 damage against an opponent with a discernable anatomy who is denied a Dex bonus or is flanked.
Equipment: +1 dagger, +1 padded armor, masterwork thieves tools.
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Runner is a 14 year old boy whom Randall uses as messenger and spy. He's small and quick and easily overlooked, allowing him to slip into places unnoticed. With good listening skills and the ability to read lips, Runner is an invaluable source of information for Randall.
Plot Hooks:
Runner admires Randall, yet hates him at the same time. He doesn't like being used, and Randall doesn't give him anything more than he needs. Runner is more than willing to 'skip the middle-man' and deal directly with customers if the opportunity persists.
Runner, male human Rog1: CR 1; ECL 1; Medium-size Humanoid (human); HD 1d6; hp 6; Init +4; Spd 30 ft; AC 14 (+4 Dex); Melee unarmed strike -1 (1d3-1); SA sneak attack; AL N; SV Fort +0, Ref +6, Will +0; Str 8, Dex 18, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 12.
Skills and Feats: Bluff +5, Decipher Script +4, Disguise +5, Hide +8, Listen +6, Move Silently +8, Open Locks +8, Read Lips +4, Spot +2; Alertness.
SA–Sneak Attack (Ex): Runner deals +1d6 damage against an opponent with a discernable anatomy who is denied a Dex bonus or is flanked.
Equipment: thieves tools.