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| Profile
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| Full name: | Gristle Luckshield |
| Former name: | Gristle Ironshield |
| Nicknames: | The Warrior Merchant |
| Age: | ~60 |
| Race: | Shield Dwarf |
| Sex: | Male |
| Place of birth: | Ironfaar Hold, Western Heartlands |
| Alignment: | Chaotic Neutral (good leaning) |
| Patron deity: | Vergadain (The Merchant King, the Laughing Dwarf) |
| Profession: | Merchant-warrior, appraiser, document forger, performer, caravaneer |
| Classes: | Bard / Fighter |
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Personal description |
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| Height: | Gristle stands the exceptionally average height of 4 feet 3 inches (1.3 meters), not standing out in that department in the slightest. |
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| Build: | With an athletic build, this dwarf is not overly broad-shouldered, or fat for that matter. He seems in good shape, but seems a bit stronger than you'd expect him to be with his stature. |
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| Hair: | With jet-black hair, this dwarf stands out due to his city-like hairstyle. A side parting and undercut, showing him to possess a style uncommon for a dwarf. |
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| Facial Features: | He's got an impressive, long braided mustache flowing down his chin both sides. It accentuates the lack of hair on his chin even more, once again showing his lack of (recent) dwarven upbringing. At the ends, golden rings adorn his mustache, both keeping the braids in place, and focussing attention away from his brown eyes. He has an intelligent, yet mischievous look on his face, and is often accompanied by a smile or a smirk. |
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| Charisma: | While not possessing the ethereal good looks of an Aasimar, Gristle possesses an unusual charm and charisma... for a dwarf. Yet, even for human standards, most would likely deem him charismatic at the least. |
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| Attire: |
When ready for battle, Gristle wears well-maintained golden bronze plate armor. It is clearly an armor of someone who cares for more than just efficiency. His shoulder guards are ram heads, a gift from a captain when he used himself as a battering ram when another crew tried to enter the ship. He carries a multitude of weapons and shields. Amongst them, a round shield decorated with golden ornamental work on his left arm. On his back, another large shield, and different weapons each for a different approach.
On his belt, you'd still see tools of his trade:
- A hefty coin purse
- A satchel, containing various parchments and inks
- Another weapon...
When not in armor, he wears fine clothing befitting a wealthy merchant, and fine gold framed glasses. The spectacles have slightly magnifying glasses, allowing Gristle to better grasp the details of whatever he is investigating at that moment, be it merchandise or documentation. |
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| Personality: |
Gristle's personality is a walking contradiction. On one side is the silver tongued merchant, singer and bard. Finely dressed, calculated, calm. Quick with a joke, and easy to converse with. He'll be quick to try and win anyone over.
On the other side is the chaotic fighter. A battering ram on the battle field. As soon as he realizes conversation won't save him, he'll bash your head in before you understand what's happening.
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| Accessories: |
| The following accessories stand out: |
| ⚒ The thick gold rings securing his mustache braids. Anyone with an eye for mercantile would know they're made of real gold. |
| ⚒ A satchel he'd at time rummage through, with different seals and stamps. |
| ⚒ His shields of different sizes, each with their own uses. |
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Additional information |
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| Primary languages: |
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| Common | The common tongue. |
| Dwarven (Dethek) | His native tongue, though he speaks it less often these days. |
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| Secondary languages: |
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| Thorass (Common script) | The most written language. Due to his study of linguistics, a must have. |
| Chondathan | A very common language, and one often used in trading. Learned it on the road due to it's common use. |
| Alzhedo (Calishite) | The language of down south. Had to learn it to be taken serious in trading with local trading. |
| Illuskan | While Illuskan is spoken in Luskan (obviously), it was also a very usefull language to learn, when working with ... "privateers". |
| Shadow Cant | When working with ... "legal documents", one is bound to attract attention of other organizations. He learned the language in his past dealings. |
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| Religious views |
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| Vergadain | Primary devotion. The Merchant King, the Laughing Dwarf, the Trickster. God of wealth, luck, chance, and non-evil thieves. As soon as Gristle started wandering the surface, he'd devote more thoughts (and the occasional prayer) to Vergadain. |
| Tymora | Lady Luck receives occasional prayers, when a situation requires nothing more than luck. |
| Waukeen | While Waukeen would receive some lip-service, as the Merchant's friend, there prayers have become a lot less frequent the last years. Besides, there seems to be little response coming from Waukeen of late. |
| Mask | Secretly respects the Shadowlord's teaching that possession equals ownership. If you're clever enough to attain it, you deserve it. Something he'll sometimes tell himself, when doing financially and morally more dubious work. |
| Dumathoin | The Keeper of Secrets receives token respect, as Dumathoin aligns somewhat with Gristle's beliefs. Though his overall look on the dwarven pantheon is somewhat skewed. |
| Moradin | Respected as the creator of dwarves, but Gristle's history with his family put's him somewhat at odds with Moradin's teachings. |
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| Affiliations |
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| Current: |
| Independent Merchant-Warrior | Currently operates as an appraiser, document specialist, and caravan or ship guard (and even occasional singer) for hire. |
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| Former: |
| Clan Ironshield | Born to a defender clan of the Ironfaar Hold. He abandoned them when half his family chose to stay and collapse the hold, and the other half went to Kraak Helzak. |
| Caravan Guard Companies | Worked for several smaller Caravan companies as a guard. Became known for his battle prowess, combined with his silver tongue. Both invaluable on the road. And to a lesser extend became known for his uplifting spirit on the road, something that made travel a lot lighter, and even bolstered the other guards combat capabilities ... or so they say. |
| Privateer Crews | The step from caravans to vessels was a small, but logical one. Here too, his combination of spirit-lifting and combat capabilities were well respected. His way around harbor masters, tolls and "official documentation" were naturally also very much appreciated. |
| Thieves' Guild (loose connections) | While never a formal member, his way around documentation and mercantile drew the attention of ... other guilds as well. |
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| Background |
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| Family & Heritage |
| Berin Ironshield | (Status unknown) Gristle's father, a well known defender of Ironfaar and devoted follower of Moradin. Chose to remain when the hold was collapsed, believing duty demanded he be entombed with their ancestors. |
| Kathra Ironshield | (Status unknown) Gristle's mother was a skilled armorsmith. She followed her husband's decision to remain in the collapsing hold. |
| Thorgut Ironshield | (Presumed alive) Gristle's older brother takes much after his father. While he didn't stay to collapse the hold, he still disapproved of Gristle for "abandoning the clan" as he sees it. Probably now serves as a warrior in their new home of Kraak Helzak, upholding the Ironshield name. |
| Mira Ironshield | (Presumed alive) Gristle's younger sister who also fled to Kraak Helzak. She was the only family member who didn't condemn his choice, as she understood wanting something different. |
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| Ancestor: | Sheera Songshield, a bard of some renown six generations past who married into clan Ironshield. Her magical gift for music and storytelling was considered an oddity in a warrior clan, but she used her talents to preserve clan histories and boost morale during battle. The bardic magic runs thin in the Ironshield bloodline, manifesting rarely. Gristle is the first in three generations to inherit it. His father viewed this "gift" with disdain, seeing it as evidence of "soft blood." and unworthy of a warrior. |
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| History |
Gristle came from a warrior, or rather, dwarven defender clan in the Ironfaar hold. The Ironshields were well known for their defensive capabilities, shield use and discipline. While Gristle was quite well versed in the use of the shield, he would never please his father.
Where his father chose defense, Gristle chose offense, bashing his enemies in the head with his shield.
Where his father chose discipline, Gristle was chaotic. Late for practice, stuck in bars, singing, dancing.
They were always at odds. While Gristle might follow the spirit of the family's creed (which sufficed in Gristle's mind), he did not follow the letter.
This stood out even more, as Gristle's brother Thorgut was a spitting image of their father, and thus Gristle would always suffer by comparison.
Gristle endured for many years. But when the moment came where the clans decided to collapse the Ironfaar Hold, Gristle saw his chance. His mother and father felt obligated to ensure no Duergar would escape the collapse, and told their kids to ensure the continuation of the bloodline, by joining the rest to Kraak Helzak.
Gristle told his parents he would not. He told his father he wasn't the continuation of the bloodline, and hasn't been for as long as he could remember. That he would abandon the stoney holds of dwarves for the open road. His father didn't flinch, alsmost as if saying he was accustomed to the disappointment. His mother, not as cold as his father, told him: "I hope Vergadain offers you what Moradin could not."
His brother and sister pleaded him to join them to Kraak Helzak. His brother trying to guilt-trip him, his sister genuinely concerned and understanding. When even they couldn't convince him off the road, his brother ended with a "The lineage indeed died in you. You should count yourself lucky I'm here to continue the legacy."
That, for him, was the last straw. He would no longer beat himself up for not being like his father.
What followed were years of travelling. With caravans, with ships, to cities in the south, villages in the north, honing his skills and forming his own path, free from his family... And now he landed in Baldur's Gate.
"When Ironfaar fell, I learned something my family never understood: stone breaks, but gold flows. I chose the fluid life over the rigid regime, and felt more alive than I ever have."
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| Skills & Specializations |
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| Professional Expertise: |
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| ⚒ Appraisal: Years of travelling with different "trade" organizations has given him a keen eye for value. From mercantile to weapons and armor, from clothes to jewelry. |
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| ⚒ Document Forgery: The tedious part of trade, is explaining your mercantile. Cargo manifests, import taxes, tariffs... They'll drain the money before you make it! Unless of course, you have the "right permits"... Or something that looks the part. |
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| ⚒ Performance: Gristle is also a singer, something he does to bolster morale and cohesion between the caravaneers. His bardic magic, inherited from ancestor Sheera Songshield, manifests through his performances. Sea shanties coordinate ship work, drinking songs build tavern camaraderie, and work songs pass time on long journeys. He uses performance as both entertainment and distraction. |
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| ⚒ Diplomacy: For a dwarf, Gristle possesses unusual charm and negotiation skills. While he's a capable fighter, he'd just as likely talk his way out of a situation... Especially if that means more profit. |
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| ⚒ Combat Proficiency: The use of a shield is where the comparison with his family stops. An added adventage of his aggressive shield fighting style is that it doubles perfectly as a way to clear boarding planks. As long as he's able to hold a shield, he's not picky in weapons, and proficient in using just about any weapon. |
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| Future |
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Vergadain teaches that fortune favors the flexible. Gristle's future remains open and flexible, but will likely contain:
⚒ Establishing legitimate merchant operations (with flexible definitions of "legitimate")
⚒ Building a network of profitable contacts across trade routes
⚒ Serve as diplomatic intermediary
⚒ Continuing to develop his forgery expertise and document services
⚒ Maintain professional relationships with *ahem* guilds and merchant networks
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