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Message: <blockquote data-quote="EvolutionKB" data-source="post: 3831244" data-attributes="member: 47833">Actually I meant that for Redbeard.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> I am unsure of the exact timeline of Col so let me know if this can be worked out…Col is middle aged and how long ago was it that he became “mad?”  It seems to be too late to think right now, but I am trying to figure out if Redbeard can be young(10yrs old or so)have his father take the trip and not come back.  Redbeard then learns his way, putting him at about 20 currently.  From Col’s history is seems like he was aboard the vessel not very long ago, but correct me if I’m wrong.  If so, I may have to rework some things below.Edit:  Redbeard will be 20, not 22.[sblock=background for Redbeard, newly updated and more details may come later]Nicklas “Redbeard” Norstrom grew up in a small village not far from Sasserine.  His father was a sailor, and spent much time in Sasserine trading with various peoples.  When Nicklas still just a boy his father came home, with a big grin on his face, and a bag over his shoulder.    “There be great news, a man has been offerin’ me a job on ‘is ship, the Midnight Fury!  It be payin’ handsomely, we not be be strugglin’ no more!”  He dips his shoulder and dumps the bag over the crude table where his boy and wife were eating.  Gold and silver coins clinked together on the wood.  Nicklas’s mother began to cry at the sight of the riches, and the adults embraced.      “That mean we won’t be sailin’ for a while Pa?”  Nicklas was fond of going with his father down the coast to with him on their small sailing boat.    “’Fraid so my boy, but I be promisin’ we be goin’ we I be back.”Over the remainder of dinner, which Nicklas had helped prepare, his father explained that he would be leaving in the morning to set sail and on his return he would have more riches for them.  He never came home.    For two years Nicklas’s mother grieved.  Not only had she lost her husband, she was so happy with their new money she went out that day and spent it on new things for the family, exquisite linens, a wonderful bottle of Elven wine, and a fine clothes the whole family.    Now widowed and worse off than before, Nicklas’s mother did all she could for the family.  She planted a garden, and with Nicklas’s help grew enough to feed themselves and made enough coin to get by.    After a particularly wet season though, food was scarce, and even with Nicklas’s green thumb, times were harsh.  One day a pair of travelers came to the Norstrom’s home, they admired the garden, even in it’s rundown state.  Nicklas proudly exclaimed that he was the primary tender of the greenery, and the two travelers looked to his mother for confirmation.  The travelers were looking for a place to stay for the night, and a hot meal if possible in exchange for good coin.  Being as hard off as they were, Nicklas’s mother eagerly invited the pair to stay.  The two watched Nicklas wander among the plants and lovingly pick out the best ones for their dinner.  The two thoroughly complimented Nicklas on the meal he prepared, with the help of his mother.      In the morning, the pair was amazed, but not surprised to see Nicklas up with the dawn, doing his best to tend to the garden.  They talked amongst themselves and then approached Nicklas’s mother.  They haned the woman a handful of gold coins, ten times the cost of the meal and the night’s lodging.    They spoke to the woman, “We see talent in Nicklas, he is capable beyond his years in attending to the garden, and a fine cook as well.  He skillfully avoided the poisonous parts of the plants that he used to season the stew we enjoyed last night.  We saw in the fields earlier in the day yesterday, he was speaking to a bird of prey, as if it was his pet.  We would like to take him and further hone his skills, train him in our art.”    The woman nodded, but looked slightly confused.  “Nicklas has always been a bit bigger than the other children.  They be makin’ fun of ‘im.  He be spendin’ a lot of time out there.  He be always bringing pets home to be showin’ me.  Last week he be bringin’ in a frog the size of my head.  I be not knowin’ how he carried the thing w’out it jumpin’ away.      She then glares at the men, and says, “How I know ye be tellin’ the truth and not just wantin’ to take him for a slave or somesuch like the folk he be rantin’ about when he used to visit Sasserine with his Pa.”    “He’ll be safe with us.  Not all the Olman’s are slaves either, many of them are just working off debts from trips to the city to earn a better living.”  To prove to the woman they are trustworthy, they each whistle sharply.  There is a shriek as an eagle lands on the sill of the window.  Shortly after a wolf lopes into view, Nicklas laughing crazily gripping tightly onto the fur of the beasts back as he bounces along.  Even the wolf had trouble carrying the chubby boy.  The two men smile at the sight of Nicklas, who had somehow calmed the beast enough to climb onto it’s back.    Nicklas’ mother nods her head, astounded.  “I be seein’ what ye mean.”    That was it, Nicklas went with the two, to their home, they trained him the druidic arts.  He proved an apt student, smart and hardy enough to live in the wilds.  He still loved to cook, almost as much as he loved to eat.******************    Many years went by since the time he left with the pair.  Nicklas, now went by the name of Redbeard.  Redbeard is short and overweight at 5’8” and 215lbs.  His blonde hair is goes to just past his shoulders and is not kept clean.  Likewise, his unruly red beard is long(about 6”)and unkempt.  The smell of an unclean body, pine needles, and the earth follows him around.  He now makes a living in Sasserine, as a sailor and helper on the docks.  He is a regular in on the whaling ships of the Azure district.  He stays aboard to make sure they follow the regulations that he helped to set.  He values the lives of the whales, but he makes sure they do not suffer unduly and that their population doesn’t suffer.  He is a firm believer in the balance of life, and humans(as well as other races) have a place in this world as well.  That doesn’t mean he lets evil go unpunished, as they are the most likely to despoil all they he seeks to preserve.  Redbeard often also rides aboard ships, if only hired as a cook.  He is one of the better ship cooks, known well for his meals of bacon wrapped salmon fillets, with a fried seaweed salad.    More than once he has helped to crusade against those who would take nature’s bounty for greedy or just for the sake of destruction.  With the help of other sailors, Redbeard has stopped and jailed many a poacher.  Redbeard is more often than not accompanied by his loyal canine friend, Ralph, a dog large enough for a Halfling to ride.  Ralph has an appetite as large as his belly, and loves to slobber on those that attempt to pet him.***********Current hook:Redbeard had heard rumors of Vanthus Vanderboren and his smuggling of various creatures.  This upset Redbeard, so he meant to find if the rumors were true himself.  He went around to various bars.  He tried sweet talking drunks, buying them drinks, but finally he gave up.  He was never one to have a way with flowery words, not like the young man Anar or the elf Kalen, who he had met on occasion.  He then did what he had to do, he took a cook job aboard a ship whose crew comprised some people who knew things.  After a particularly hard day at sea, the crew was exceptionally hungry, this was when Redbead decided to make his offer.  While making dinner, he had seperated the tobacco and mint smoked shrimp he was going to serve into two seperate pots.  To one, he added his secret ingredient.  If the crew ate that one, there would be disastorus consequences.As he presented the two pots to the famished men,  he lifted the lids, a wonderful aroma emerging from the smoked shrimp.  Then he declared, "I be knowin some of ye know of the Vanderboren's and the man Vanthus and 'is smugglin' ring.  All be well if ye confirm these here rumors and be gettin me a meetin' with the Vanderboren Lady, or just be findin' Vanthus.  As ye may know, I be havin' issues with the mistreatin' of the creatures.  If ye be givin' me truth and a way to be speakin to the Lady ye can be eatin' the feast I be slavin' over in peace.  If ye be keepin' secrets, I be keepin' secrets too, and ye won't be likin' the secret I added to one of these 'ere pots.  When no one spoke up, he had the men come to the pots, which were hidden from their view.  Redbead scooped the tainted shrimp onto the pplates of those that know things that are not meant to be known.  Redbeard sat and waited.Soon after several men ran to the side of the ship.  Several pulled down their pants, rumps hanging off the side of the ship, screaming in pain as a horrible smell came over the deck of the ship.  Just as they thought their torture complete, they spun around, still unclothed from the waist down, and began to dry heave, before throwing up the remains of their dinner.  This process repeated itself several times.  Redbeard could only smile, the bloodflower was one of nature's secrets.  He felt bad for the men, but they had a chance to save themselves.  After a few minutes Redbeard spoke.  "I be havin an herb that be neutralizin' the one that I be puttin'  in ye food.  Simply tell me what ye know."  A man then crawled across the deck, dragging a chamber pot with him.  He was red in the face, as well aas his arse.  He had to pause several times across the deck to gather himself."A man named Shefton...he took the some people that were hired by the Vanderboren Lady...hired to find her brother...they went to Parrot Island, I haven't seen Shefton since, but the others are back in town.  They would know of Vanthus if anybody would."  The sailor reached for the vial that Redbeard carried but quickly flinched when Ralph emitted a low growl."Who be the ones the Vanderboren lady hired?""The lady's man Anar, Mad Col, and big Olman, Chongo among others.  They will have answers!"  Satisfied, Redbeard handed the vial to the man, who drank it down, the red color fading from his skin.  Not wanting to see the others suffer, he handed them vials as well.  He then returned to his cabin, having no fear of revenge by the sick sailors, with Ralph guarding the door.Once Redbeard returns to solid ground, he begins his search for the odd group, starting with Mad Col.***********Relations with other PCsCol:  Redbeard has seen the mad sailor often, they may have shared a drink or two, as Col pressed Redbeard for any information he could gather about the habits of the local sea creatures.  Col was definitely a strange one.  If Redbeard knows of Col’s voyage Midnight Fury, he has yet to ask him of it, and if he knows if his father had perished as well.Anar:  Redbeard and Anar probably have met, perhaps aboard the Velvet lass.   He would keep his distance from the attractive young man, merely because he is jealous of the attention he receives from the opposite sex.Kalen:  Redbeard may or may not have seen the elf in the city.  Redbeard does frequent bars and such, they have met there.  If they have met, Redbeard would like the elf, he had met some in his druidic studies, and Kalen is much different from them.Bael:  The other elf might have met Redbeard at a sage, when Redbeard first came to the city.Eyvi:  Redbeard probably met the barbarian aboard a sailing vessel assigned to hunt down some whale poachers.  The large man’s….talents would be suitable to dealing with those who harmed nature.  From there on out, Redbeard probably befriend the man, and they would often eat together, and they both can eat a lot.Lavinia:  Redbeard may have done some investigating on his own about the Vanderborens once he heard that her brother was involved in animal smuggling.  Word travels fast at the noble circles, and Lavinia and her brother may have heard of the large red-bearded man asking about them.  Lavinia could have learned much about him, enough to know that he is a capable sailor, and could be of suitable help to her already hired help(now short a healer).[/sblock][sblock=mechanics]Redbeard at level two would have the same ability scores he has in the character sheet above(28 pt buy, that looks to be what you used).  His feats would be augment summoning and spell focus conjuration.  3rd level feat would be the spontaneous healer feat from CD.  Spells normally prepared would be produce flame and lesser vigor as well as a snake's swiftness.  Skill points would be much the same.  By himself Redbeard is not a melee threat until wild shape kicks in(a while in a PbP I know), but his war trained riding dog Ralph makes up for it.  With leather barding, Ralph has an AC of 18 but otherwise attacks as a normal riding dog(+3, 1d6+3 w/ trip on a hit, 13hp).  At level three he takes a big jump(AC 21 w/ leather barding , 22 w/dodge feat; attack at +6 for 1d6+4 damage and a trip attempt, as well as 26hp).  Equipment would be minor, a depleted wand of vigor or CLW, some potions and scrolls, a weapon and armor.[/sblock]</blockquote>

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