Zullo

[b00seven]

First Name: Zullo
Last Name: 'unknown'

Appearance:
This old human walks about leaning heavily on a long oaken staff which curves wildly at the top. He is often found smoking a long curved intricately carved wooden pipe. Brown and blue robes flutter about as the old man slowly makes his way along his travels. An insignia can be seen over his left breast, that of a castle with candlelight flames rising from its towers. He has long flowing white hair and a long white beard and moustache. His left eye is solid white with cataracts, and there is a scar going down his left cheek from that eye.

When not skulking the halls of the library of Candlekeep, overseeing in the Keep infirmary, or attending to experiments at the Spellflicker's Tower, he can be seen walking in any corner of the land, forests, roads, mountains, leaning heavily on his staff, puffing his pipe or stroking his beard in quiet contemplation or the occasional self-mutterings of an old man, often appearing oblivious to his surroundings.

Race: Human
Age: 87
Height 5'7" (if standing up strait)
Weight: 130lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: White
Facial Hair Style: Long mostly kept beard

Personality Profile:

General Health: Feeble, chronic cough, poor vision, slightly hunchbacked, occasional shakes.

Deity: Oghma

Initial Alignment:

Profession: Scholar, Sage, Avowed of Candlekeep, Candlekeep Physician, Alchemist, Biologist, Linguist, Investigator

Base Class & Proposed Development: Wizard, Arcane Scholar, Priest of Oghma

Habits/Hobbies: lore seeker, Scholar, constantly smoking a long curved wooden pipe, Traveler (seeker of Candlekeep), Researcher (anatomy and physiology of denizens of the sword coast, medicine). Often travels the woods in search of alchemical and medical reagents. Occasionally offers guidance to travelers who have wandered too far from the trade roads. Has a warm personality but is sometimes impatient and/or tempermental (impatient bitter old man sometimes bubbles up).

Zullo has History in anthropology and investigation in decades of adventuring experience excavating ancient ruins in search of magical items and lost knowledge. He has spend considerable time studying and researching the crafting and history of many magical items (craft magical arms and armor). Zullo has also worked as a teacher in Medicine and/or Arcanum in the Spine of the world, Neverwinter, and the Arcane Academy of Doron Amar.

Languages: Common, Elven, Dwarven... Zullo is conversational in these and about half a dozen others... He is often able to make out bits and pieces of even the most obscure languages.

Weapon of Choice: Hired Help, the preferred use of his staff being that of a 3rd leg or the magical item used to keep him from falling over.

Goals: Spend his golden years serving faithfully as an avowed of Candlekeep. Maintaining good relations between Candlekeep and the other factions of the realm. Serving Oghma faithfully.


Background: summary

Zullo trained as a physician in his youth in Cormyr. He later studied the arcane arts in the seclusion of the spine of the world, along with planar and theological matters in various places. He is a bit of tinkerer, and can look engaged in a conversation with even the most animated gnome. Zullo has traveled much of the world, spending extended periods in Cormyr, the silver marshes, the dalelands, the spine of the world, neverwinter, and the moonsheas, eventually settling in as an avowed of Candlekeep.


Period of Medicine

Zullo speaks little of his early past or any family. What is known is that he grew up in Arabel, the largest inland city in Cormyr. In his youth he studied medicine and had a successful period of working as a physician.


Period of Adventure

Zullo was quite content and comfortable with his life in Arabel. One day he was summoned by a local inn keeper. Apparently an old wizard rented a room, and when his coin ran out, the inn keeper found the wizard holed up in his room with the stench of death about him. The old man was dying of some exotic plague. Zullo healed the old man, who later noticed the young physician had a talent for the arcane. As payment for the healing, the old man offered to train Zullo as a Wizard. Zullo accepted, and began his training as a mage.

Zullo traveled with the old wizard as his apprentice, and learned what he could before the old wizard passed of old age. Zullo continued his travels as an adventurer and healer for various adventuring parties in and around Cormyr, The Dalelands, The Silver Marshes, and the Moonshea. Most of his adventures involved excavation missions in search of ancient artifacts and magical items. During this period Zullo became quite versed in Dungeoneering, exotic texts and languages, and magical items and artifacts. He ended up joining a long time adventuring troupe and they had many years of adventure together. Some nights Zullo can be found in a tavern stall after too much wine, reminiscing about his adventurous youth.

Period of Arcanum

But not all expeditions went well. Sometimes those embarking into the deep dark places of the world find things which were better left buried. Sometimes expeditions led to events which Zullo would rather not recall. One such event led him to leave his life as an adventurer, and seek seclusion in the frozen north along the Spine of the World.

While in the frozen north Zullo lived as a hermit for some time. Though eventually he found a reclusive coven of mages and decided to join them became a member, and later their leader. This coven had chosen the far north for the secluded locale it offered to practice some of the less palatable aspects of magic, away from the more superstitious regions of Toril. Much of his magical prowess was honed during this period. But this was a dark time for Zullo as well.

The rivalries that emerged between the coven mages often made it look more akin to a Red Wizard enclave. In many ways one was more alone within the coven than if facing the solitude of the frozen north alone. On more than one occasion, Necromantic or demonic ritual had gone awry causing various trials and tribulations in the cold mountains where the coven reside. Their tower was often avoided and held in fear and ire by local Barbarian tribes, who told stories of the wizards within to scare their children, and one-another, into staying indoors at night. Occasionally a Coven wizard and Hunting or scouting party encountered each other. Twas a rare occasion indeed when such encounter did not end badly for one party or the other.

Though a dark period, Zullo's rise within the coven brought a period of relative stability for a time. Eventually however, the wizard decided to leave the secluded north for the confines of civilization yet again.

Scholastic Period

After wandering for several years Zullo eventually settled in Neverwinter. He gained some fame for saving the life of a prominent noble's firstborn, which caught the attention of the local Academy. He found he much enjoyed working as an instructor in the College of Neverwinter. Reclaiming his history in medicine, Zullo enjoyed a relatively comfortable and stable period during his time in Neverwinter. During this time he developed a love of research and knowledge, and became a devout of Oghma. One day, for reasons unknown, Zullo resigned his position and set out to venture south along the sword coast. An old man now, Zullo's colleagues wondered what madness would possess him to make such a sudden departure... Zullo only responded "By Oghma's will I go to Candlekeep!"

Since coming to the sword coast:

Since joining CandleKeep, he has become a successful seeker, and was appointed attending physician of the keep and it's residence.

He has spent his time in the sword coast studying the anatomy and physiology of the denizens of the realm, most recently focusing on the hyper-metabolic regenerative properties of trolls... possible applications for Teifling and Aasimir blood, and a categorization of various types of naga, their diets and reproductive habits.

More recently Zullo has traveled at the behest of the Readers to Cormyr, Thay, the Dalelands, and the Moonshea. During this trip Zullo suffered some injury to his left eye, which is now solid white, apparently a severe case of cataracts, his eye socket and surrounding flesh acquiring red sunburst discoloration around it, as though burned, a scar running down his cheek (ooc knowlege). The source of this injury is for most a complete mystery.

Zullo is hoping that his studies and contributions to Candlekeep will culminate in an original works excepted into the library of Candlekeep, elevating him to the rank of Reader.


Possible Plot-Hook Ideas and Misc Facts:

Physician angle is fairly unique for Zullo's participation in quests. I also have the craft magical arms and armor feat, which I would be happy to participate with lower level (or higher) events in contribution to the RP origins of some DM magical items rewards. Generally happy to be a source for RP for newer Rpers in the realm as well as the established parties.

[DM RabidBadger]

*bump. Waiting to see them in game to reward.

[b00seven]

Is traveling in the eastern lands of Cormyr, to visit the lands of his youth, and the Dalelands in search of knowledge to return to Candlekeep (without a gaming computer, back in December, still up to date and somewhat active on forums).

[b00seven]

Updated appearance, general health, and background.

[DM RabidBadger]

Reviewed and rewarded.