Pirate Town:

Map of Mound (map note: I have not drawn in every building - every block in the town is crowded with small residences and the shops or workrooms of local craftsmen)

 

This small town or village of about 700 people is hidden on a finger of land in Dragon Bay, fifteen or twenty miles west of the mouth of the river which flows from Lake Iylyria (Elanora River). GP Limit: 200 sp

 

Power Center: nonstandard - Ship's Council of 7

secondary power center; nonstandard - adventurers group (NPC's)

Alignment; Chaotic Neutral

 

The finger of land is relatively low, curving at the tip to form a sheltered cove. It is heavily forested, and the villagers have used this to their advantage. They have constructed (or perhaps it had long been here and they merely took advantage of it) a mound wall some 100’ wide and 60’ high across the finger of land behind their village, and planted trees on it. On the town-side, the mound is much steeper, with a retaining wall about 30’ high. Thus from a distance, even from above their presence is difficult to spot. Trees are left to grow in the town’s center and on the shoreline, further hiding it from unwanted eyes. The tree-belt along shore is at least 120’ wide, in most places closter to 200’. No buildings have windows on the seaward side. No building in town is over 2 stories high except those against the wall. They are permitted to be as much as 3 stories. All buildings are wood with the exception of those agains the wall which are stone. All roofs are thatch or turf, and many of the turf roofs are planted with small bushes or other plants to help disguise them from aerial notice.

 

The town was once a pirate haven, and much of that feel still lingers. After the pirates were driven off, Prince Starbow based a small contingent of the kingdom’s navy there. But since his death in the Dragonwar, things have changed for the worse again. Pirates have returned, albeit in lesser numbers. The naval presence is reduced to one ship which is frequently on patrol, and the pirates disguise themselves as legitimate merchants. Indeed, many of them are half-time merchants who turn to piracy only when it looks easy and safe.

 

The town is growing sadly cramped, and one of the most popular discussions now active is the concept of burrowing into the Mound to create dwelling space there. Indeed, some of the building owners on the wall have already begun to do exactly that. Who built the mound and why are not known by the pirate folk. The town was here before the pirate trade became lucrative, and does still make some income for itself fishing. Indeed, one of the things that has recently been found in the waters off Mound are a rare type of clamñshell that can be used to produce a beautiful purplish-blue dye.

 

Mound is also a well-known starting point for adventurers interested in either sea-based or land-based adventures. With easy access back to Greenvale by ship and being within simple walking distance of wild forestlands, Mound is the perfect launching spot for many adventurers' careers. A dozen or more of this sort of person have now taken up residence Mound, and claim it as home base. This has caused a rapid expansion of the numbers of shops, craftsmen and other businesses in Mound. For a small, secretive town on the edge of nowhere, Mound has a lot to offer both locals and visitors.

 

Locations:

1.Captain Steward’s House

Captain Steward is the only naval officer left in Mound. He commands only one ship, the Seagull. It is a dromond, with a crew of 263, and is a very competent warship. Unfortunately, the town should have four or five more smaller ships for its fleet. However, Parliament has not seen fit to station more vessels here since the war.

The Seagull is a Dromond with a crew of 263. It is far and away the largest and most powerful vessel in Mound. It mounts 3 heavy ballistae. It boasts 3 castles (each end and amidships). The fore and aft castles are large, providing space for 20 men and 10 archers. The center castle is lower and smaller, providing space only for 10 men and 5 archers. Two ballista are mounted near the rear castle, the third near the front. It has no other special features.

The Seagull’s crew rates as a trained crew, receiving +2 to morale and ñ1 to initiative. Each ballista has a specialist, giving it a +1 to hit. There are 200 oarsmen, divided into 2 shifts of 100 each, subdivided into port and starboard units.

Each of these four units has a leader. Oarsmen are 1st-lvl ftrs, HP 8, AC 12. They fight as secondary boarding parties and in other necessary situations. Leaders are L2 ftrs, HP 15, AC 14. They will lead and fight with their crews. It is from the ranks of the off-duty oarsmen that archers to man the castles are drawn

There are 40 crack marines, including their officers. They are L4 ftrs, AC 15 (studded leather and dex), armed with shortswords. In ship to ship combat, these men are stationed in the fore and aft castles, waiting for a chance to board. In ground action, they will form the teams that assault the shore, leading other oarsmen teams as needed There are 3 4-man ballista teams, 2 drummers for the oarsmen, and 5 officers (1st mate, 2nd mate (ship’s priest), bosun, navigator (ship-mage), ship’s Marine Captain.

 

The Ship’s priest is a follower of Sithlar, L6.

 

The Ship’s mage/navigator is an evoker specialist of L5.

 

2. Captain Harwynn Coldfrost L3/3 fighter and wizard, 1/2 elf. NE Harwynn was driven out of the elven community of Greenvale after he killed another mage in an argument. He drifted south, ended up in Mound almost by accident, and has been here for about 3 years. He would not mind settling down somewhere to do spell research, but can’t be bothered to stop making money right now. He is evil through sheer lack of empathy. He is both mercantyler and pirate. His raids are always conducted well away from Mound, and he usually takes his goods to Marig to sell. However, Mound is his preferred port, where he can repair damage unseen by more watchful eyes.

Harwynn’s ship is the “Last Fair Maid”, a longship.

 

3. Captain Mosen Windcast L7 ftr, human male, CG 27 yrs.; Mosen drives his crew hard. He wants wealth, wealth and more wealth. Some people believe he has a magic device to allow him to summon and control winds, thus his nickname, but others say he is just a canny weather-reader. Mosen mistrusts almost everyone, making him unreliable. He has a strongly chaotic nature. He has black hair worn in a ponytail, and a tattoo of a snake on his left upper arm. Mosen wears fine linen shirts and woolen trousers made especially for him. He is a clever captain, but not much of a mercantyler. He is not a pirate and would resent any implication of such.

Mosen’s ship is the “Song of the Sea”, a cog.

 

4. Captain Martie Deathweed L6 ftr, human male, NE, 44 yrs; Martie is driven by lust for money, but also a sense of adventure, love of risk, and love of creating fear. He is a very dangerous man, who holds a grudge for years and never ever gives up. His cruelty is deliberate, and he will go out of his way to inflict it. Martie was a merchanter of sorts in Mistland before taking up piracy. It is said that one of his ships was sunk by a kraken and he spent six years hunting it back to its lair before slaying it himself in a titanic underwater battle. He wears any old trousers and tunic that come to hand, stained and dirty from long wear. Martie is the most openly piratical captain sailing out of Mound. He boasts openly of his takings, but is smart enough to lie low around Captain Steward.

 

His ship is the “Kraken’s Revenge”, a cog.

 

5. Captain Catha Southreaver: L10 ftr, human female, LN, 37 yrs; Catha is very strong, very ugly, and very stubborn. Her temper is legendary, and she has been known to throw men off her ship into the sea when truly angry (she does NOT go back for them). She despises men, and nearly half her crew are women. She also dislikes priests. Some say her family died at the hands of a priest of Centarius. She is brown haired, muscular, scarred on hands and face, and wears leather pants and sleeveless shirts. Catha is absolutely honest and forthright, but she does occasionally raid another ship - usually one whose captain made the mistake of angering her while he was in port. She hates Mirani ships and their captains with a passion, and may raid one of them for sport.

Her ship is the “Siren” - a longship.

 

6. Captain Rannon the Strong: L6 thief, human male. LE, 29 years; despite his name, Rannon is a slender if muscular man. His name comes from his powerful grip. He is the newest Captain, only having been in town for two years. He is a member of Greenvale’s Thieves’ Guild, and keeps tabs on the pirates to report back to them (in Marig).

His ship is the “Faithless Lass” but when he puts into a lawful port it becomes the “Faithful Lass” - a longship.

 

7. Captain Gwedyris Redriven: L9 ftr, 1/2elf female, LN, 71 yrs; Gwedyris is a pirate only because her lover, now dead, was a pirate first. She dislikes killing in general, but has no other skills. She is known for her merciful treatment of captured crews, and for never permitting abuse of captives. However, she is a pirate and does not hesitate to do what is necessary to make a living. Her ship relies on the use of magic more than any other except Harwynn’s. Her name comes from the copper-red color of her hair. If given a chance, Gwedyris would probably be willing to become a merchant/sea-guard for a legitimate group. Gwedyris’ crew is about 1/3 female, and has more non-humans than any other, being about 1/4 half-elven. One of her crew is a lizardman.

Her ship is “The Raven” - a cog.

 

8 -13. Warehouses. Each of the merchant/pirate captains has his own warehouse, except that two (Catha Southreaver and Gwedyris Redriven) must share.

 

14. Tavern - One Eyed Fred’s: a very noisy popular place to drink and wench and gamble (all at the same time). The owner is Fred’s widow, a plump middle aged woman named Jessica. About half her clientele call her Freddie. She gives the initial impression of being a jolly friendly type but underneath she is as cold and hard as iron. She is CN.

 

15. Distar the Merchant’s shop: Distar buys from the pirate captains, and resells some of the goods here, but mostly he stores the goods until his ship “The Daystar” comes into port and he can trans-ship to Marig or Newport, where he has a cover as an import-exporter. Distar is a small nervous man who looks upon the pirates as deadly but gullible.

 

16. Tavern and dosshouse run by a one-armed ex-pirate named Joe Blackleg. Joe is actually a L7 fighter, CG, who runs his place with loose carelessness, but never forgets a good or bad deed. No violence is permitted here, but there are excellent drinks and cheap beds (dormitory style).

 

17. Weaver, spinner, dyer and clothseller all in one. Enok Denby is an Expert Dyer and his wife Alda is an expert Weaver. The family also buys and resells textiles and clothing from seized cargos. They do good business here and ship quite a bit back to Greenvale to resell. Recently local fishermen have begun to bring shells to him which when properly treated produce a rich purple dye. Only Enok and his eldest son Edor know exactly how this process is conducted, but it requires crushing, soaking, filtering and cooking the dye-producing shells. The smell and mess created by this process make Enok's shop an unpleasant place to spend much time, and he is an eager proponent of expanding outside the mound into fresh territory.

 

18. Miller, baker and town oven. The mill is a small one, powered by humans. Frequently those who are being punished for some minor infraction are assigned a day or two of labor here. The ovens are large stone chambers where anyone in town can bring bread dough, meat pies, or other dishes and have them baked for a very minor charge. No other building in town is permitted to have an oven or an open fireplace more than 3’ across (except of course the Captains who obey no regulations). The Miller, Thomas, is a fat and lazy man, but not an essentially mean one. He survives in his rough town by not causing any conflict.

 

19. Bathhouse - run by an old woman and her dimwitted son, the bathhouse is popular with returning sailors. There are four public baths - three for men and one for women. Two of the men’s baths are just that - the third is a meeting place for prostitutes. The women’s bath is at the back, with its own entrance, and is fairly safe. The old woman is known as Milly (or grandmother), and her son is Mik. The woman is mean and bitter, the middle aged “boy” Mik is rather sweet and gentle unless drunk, when he gets violent. He is quite strong.

 

20. Whorehouse - run by twin sister and brother Gena and Bardo. They are in their late thirties - both are very attractive, and work the house themselves. They have 10 female employees, and three male. They are here because Gena was a prostitute in Marig and Bardo made extra money on the side robbing her wealthier clients. This eventually backfired on them and they fled Greenvale about 5 years ago with a price on Bardo’s head. They are very loyal to each other. They are NE.

 

21. Tavern - Sweet Fury - this small tavern is favored by ship’s captains and their mates. It serves the best liquors and wines. Prices are steep, quality is high, private rooms are easy to rent for meetings, and the girls are clean and safe. There is even entertainment in the form of a pair of musicians and a singer. The tavern is owned by a couple, Bors and Letha. They are an older pair who have lived here most of their lives. They are LN, mind their own business, and rarely do anyone harm or help.

 

22. Junk shop - Joris the junk man buys most everything from sailors who have spent their last copper and need another drink. He resells the good stuff to the taverns or shops, and puts the rest out for a few coppers.

 

23. Smithy

24. Carpenter

25. Temple to Zathunar - priest L5, 3 acolytes L1. They bless departing ships and generally do minor beneficial deeds in town. While not feared, they are not particularly admired either. Most every sailor offers to Zathunar for safety before going to sea. The priests do not condone piracy but it is the way of life here and like most of the townsfolk, they know no other.

 

26. Militia Barracks - this barracks houses 30 Greenvale Guardsmen and their Captain, Sir Thomas, a landed knight of Greenvale (L 4 Ari). Sir Thomas is an alcoholic and spends much of his time drinking or sleeping off his alcoholic haze. He is supposed to keep a careful eye on the town, but in truth his men have become more like the thugs and half-pirate sailors they are guarding against than not.

 

27. Temple to Centarius (in his “evil” face as the god of thieves) priest L7, 5 acolytes L2-4. This temple is the most popular one, and wealthiest. Most every sailor drinks to Centarius for luck before going to sea, and if the haul is a good one, most will make a furhter libation in hopes of future benefits.

 

28. Captains Council Hall - this is as much government as the town can handle. It is a meeting hall where the Captains discuss major decisions and rulings that affect the town. Once it was where the Pirate Captains planned their raids, announced treasure divisions and crew punishments or rewards, but now the business conducted there is much more ordinary. The council meets twice monthly. In between meetings, any of the Seven Captains in port can make temporary judgements in cases of criminal law or civil adjudication. When the full council meets, these decisions are generally ratified without much discussion.

 

There are a couple of holding cells where drunk and disorderly crewmen can be thrown to sleep it off, and there is a “library” where old pirate logbooks, charts and other documents both from the pirates and from their victims, are stored. Captain Steward is officially the leader of the Ship’s Council, but Captains Mosen and Martie actually take this role behind his back. Sir Thomas has an office here, and his secretary can often be found here, but the Captain is rarely present. The secretary, Edward the Fat, has become as venal and corrupt as any man could be, and takes bribes to turn a blind eye to any illicit activity; indeed he has recently taken to selling information on Captain Steward's movements to some of the other Captains.

 

29. Old Madman on the point. This elderly half-elf was once a knight of St. Romanus, but he was captured about 80 years ago by the pirates of the day, tortured until he betrayed his companions, and broken in mind and spirit. He is barely able to get about, using a crutch. He seldom goes into the village, but the children of the town like him because he tells wonderful stories about high adventure and great deeds of heroism. Unfortunately, life among the evils of piracy soon teaches older children that Theodoric’s words are only fantasy, and few pay him any heed once they reach their teens. Sir Theodoric sees his role here in the town as a penance for his sins as a younger man, and will not leave unless his life is at risk. He is no longer a knight, and is quite resigned to that fact. Actually he could regain his knighthood at this point if he simply rededicated himself at a temple of Centarius. He has amply redeemed his early failing. Theodoric has a habit of babbling nonsense around adults to help discourage harassment. He also feeds and talks to birds and other animals. He still has nightmares and drinks quite a lot because of his past failures. When drunk, he can seem quite rational for a time, but eventually always begins to rave about his “failures” and his “betrayal” of his code of honor.

 

30. One-time Prisoner Hold: this building is windowless, has only two doors, and is a single story. One door leads to a small office. The rest of the building is a series of pens constructed of iron bars set into the dirt floor and bolted to the wooden ceiling someø 15’ above. There is space for 40-50 prisoners at any time. This building was a prisoner holding facility when the pirates openly raided and returned here. Now it is disused and falling into disrepair.

 

Other locations; many common craft and professional businesses such as leatherworkers, tanners, fishermen, boatbuilders, chandlers, grocers and butchers, several more taverns, knife-sharpeners, carpenters and masons, turf-layers and thatchers, an herbalist and toothpuller, a temple of "all gods" and numerous boarding houses, apartments, cheap inns and brothels.

 

 

Town Population (does not include adventurers or ship's captains and crews):

Adepts: 1 of L1

Barbarians: 1 of L3, 1 of L2

Bards: 1 of L2, 1 of L1

Clerics: 1 of L7, 1 of L5, 8 lower levels, at minimum (see temple descriptions)

Commoners: 1 of L7, 2 of L5, 4 of L3, 61 of L2, 500 of L1.

Experts: 1 of L8, 2 of L6, 4 of L4, 8 of L2, 35 of L1

Fighters: 1 of L4, 2 of L2, 4 of L1

Rangers: 1 of L3, 1 of L1

Rogues: 1 of L7, 2 of L4, 4 of L2 and 8 of L1

Sorcerers: 1 of L3, 2 of L1

Warriors: 1 of L4, 2 of L2 and 39 of L1

 

 

The average ship’s crewman is a L1-3 expert sailor armed with shortsword or dagger. There are between 30 and 200 of them in port at any given time, depending on the ships in port. The sailors do not count in Mound's population because they are absent more often than they are present, but their numbers add to Mound's overall crowding. Their families are permanent residents and are figured in Mound's population.

 

The locals view strangers with minor hostility. At first outsiders will be watched, not spoken to. If they try to speak to any of the townsfolk, they are asked who they are, and warned to go away or state their business. Only those who can present legitimate business or are obviously under Captain Steward’s protection will not be warned off.

 

Soon after unwanted outsiders without legitimate explanations for their presence arrive, a group of 10 - 12 sailors accompanied by a few women and children as observers will approach them. They are likely to be threatening and rowdy, frequently at least somewhat drunk. The sailors may well try to start a brawl. If the PCs do not attack, or only brawl with fists and a few rocks, bottles, etc... the battle will last until at least 1/2 the sailors or PCs are subdued, then everyone draws off. At this point a truce of sorts can be drawn and the PCs accepted into the community, albeit with some remaining suspicion. Any flagrant display of lawful good behavior or religion will be a sign to restart the combat, unless Captain Steward and his crew are currently ashore in Mound.

 

NPC Adventurers who may be found dwelling in or around Mound at the time the PCs arrive:

Pansy Sweetsong

female hobyt Brd2; small humanoid (hobyt); HD 2d6+2; hp 11; Init +2; Spd 20'; AC 15 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +2 armor), touch 13, flat 13; BAB/Grapple +1/-3; Atk +3 melee (1d6, masterwork small longsword) or +6 ranged (1d3, +1 small sling); SA spells; SQ hobyt qualities, bardic music, bardic knowledge, countersong, fascinate, inspire courage +1; AL CN; SV Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +3 (+2 vs. fear); Str 10, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 15.

 

Skills & Feats: Bluff +7, Climb +3, Diplomacy +7, Gather Information +7, Hide +6, Jump +3, Listen +3, Move Silent +4, Perform +7, Search +2, Sense Motive +4, Spellcraft +7, Spot +2, Tumble +7; Dodge.

 

Spells Known (Brd 3/1, base DC 12): 0 - Dancing Lights, Daze, Ghost Sound, Mage Hand, Read Magic; 1st - Hypnotism, Magic Weapon.

 

Possessions: Masterwork small longsword, +1 small sling, masterwork studded leather, 10 crossbow bolts, potion of eagle's splendor, 3 potions of cure light wounds, wand of summon monster I (25 charges), hand harp, flute, tambourine, 30 sp.

 

Pansy is a tallish and slender hobyt who loves to sing and dance. She performs on street corners and tells tales in taverns for her supper. She knows many stories about the local surroundings and can share them with other adventurers for only a small fee. She rarely adventures herself, but occasionally goes out with friends for few days to explore. Her motivations are enough money to keep herself fed, sheltered and clothed, and finding more music to play. Pansy's low wisdom often causes her to trust folk she shouldn't, and despite her above average intelligence, she frequently gets cheated or wheedled out of her fair share of real wealth.

 

Languages spoken: 'Valer (4), Dwarven (3), Elvish (3).

 

Darron of Elfort

Male Human Cleric 4 of Kehret

Chaotic Good Medium Humanoid

Domains: Strength and Metal

Init: +0; Senses: Listen +3, Spot +3

Languages: 'Valer (3), Harothan (2)

AC 19, Touch 11, flatfooted 19

+1 Half-Plate with Masterwork Armor Spikes, Amulet of Natural Armor +1

HP: 27 (4d8+4)

Fort: +5 Ref: +1 Will: +7

Speed 20 feet

Melee Masterwork Cold Iron Heavy Mace +6 (1d8+3(x2))

Unarmed Strike +6 (1d3+3(x2))

Ranged Javelin +3 (1d6+3(x2)) Range 30 feet.

Base Attack +3 Grapple +11

Ability Scores Str 17 +3 Dex 10 +0 Con 12 +1 Int 13 +2 Wis 17 +3 Cha 10 +0

Feats:Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Brew Potion

 

Skills (Armor check penalties included)

Appraise +3, Appraise Armor +5, Balance -7, Concentration +5, Craft: Armorer +10, Craft: Weaponsmith +5, Heal +7, Hide -7, Knowledge: Religeon +4, Knowledge: Local +3, Move Silently -7, Profession: Armorer +4, Search +3, Spellcraft +8, Swim -11

Equipment:

+1 Half-Plate Mail with Masterwork Armor Spikes, Amulet of Natural Armor +1, Masterwork Cold Iron Heavy Mace, 5 Javelins, Silver Holy Symbol, Backpack, Waterskin, Bedroll, Sack, 5 Tindertwigs, Pouch, Masterwork Artisan Tools (Armorer/Weaponsmith), 4 Flasks of Holy Water, 2 Flasks of Silversheen, 3 Potions of Bulls Strength, 2 Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds, 250 sp

 

Darron is a very good armorer but also a keen adventurer. He seeks knowledge of ancient armoring techniques and will gladly seek out old ruins or dungeons in hopes of finding such. He also loves to wrestle or indulge in other feats of strength. When meeting a new friend he often suggests a round of arm wrestling as a way of getting to know him or her. He's a bluff, hearty young man who rarely sees the bad in anyone, but if he takes a dislike never forgets it.

 

Brakh Urudan Kevelkhar

Dwarf fighter 3

LN Medium humanoid

Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Listen +1, Spot +1

Languages Dwarvish (4), 'Valer (2)

AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 18

hp 29 (3 HD)

Fort +6 (+8 vs. poison), Ref +2, Will +2; +2 bonus vs. spells and spell-like effects

Spd 20 ft.

Melee mwk bastard sword +9 (1d10+3/19–20)

Ranged mwk mighty composite longbow +5 (1d8+3/x3)

Base Atk +3; Grp +6

Atk Options Cleave, Power Attack

Combat Gear: potion of bull's strength, potion of enlarge person (2)

Str 17, Dex 13, Con 16, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 6

SQ dwarf traits

Skills Craft (bowmaking) +7, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (local) +4

Feats Cleave, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword) (b), Power Attack (b), Weapon Focus (bastard sword)

Possessions combat gear, masterwork bastard sword, masterwork composite longbow (16 Str), 20 masterwork arrows, masterwork banded mail, masterwork heavy steel shield, masterwork artisan's tools, 190 sp

 

Brakh is a typical dwarf fighter - strong, competent and sturdy. His only unusual feature is preferring a sword to an axe in battle, and a composite longbow to a crossbow. The sword he weilds is as tall as he is. His bow is even slightly longer. Brakh has a good temper, and will put up with teasing about this, as long as it is friendly. He loves to explore and will be found frequently in the forests and hills around Mound, looking for caves or ruins to investigate. He will happily hire on as an NPC for almost any adventure that involves exploration. Brakh's only flaw is his extreme lawfulness - he will try to enforce a strict code of behavior on those he travels with - he addresses anyone "senior" to him as Sir, and follows orders precisely. Those who don't follow suit earn his distrust or even dislike very quickly.

 

Brakh knows Pansy, and feels sorry for her - he's seen her get cheated out of a sizeable chunk of money more than once, and feels that she is a bit of a "helpless soul". Anyone who aids her is a good person in his eyes. Brakh was from Koruzd originally, but somehow earned the status of outcast. He will not go near there, nor to Thrakshold, unless it is a dire emergency.

 

Harold Beck

Male human rogue 4

CE Medium humanoid

Init +7; Senses Listen +6, Spot +6

Languages Common

AC 17 (+3 Dex, +1 shield, +3 armor), touch 13, flat 14; uncanny dodge

hp 19 (4 HD)

Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +2; evasion

Spd 30 ft

Melee mwk rapier +5 (1d6+1)

Ranged mwk mighty composite shortbow (+1) +7 (1d6+1)

Base Atk +3; Grp +4

Special Atk sneak attack +2d6

Combat Gear 4 potions of cure light wounds, potion of darkvision, potion of neutralize poison

Str 12, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 10, Cha 8

SQ trap sense +1, trapfinding

Feats Improved Initiative, Shield Proficiency, Skill Focus (Hide).

Skills Appraise +8, Disable Device +10, Hide +12, Listen +6, Move Silently +9, Open Lock +11, Search +8, Spot +6, Tumble +9, Use Magic Device +5, Use Rope +5

Possessions combat gear, masterwork rapier, masterwork mighty composite shortbow (str +1), masterwork studded leather; masterwork buckler, 20 arrows; rope, silk (50'), masterwork thieves' tools, cloak of +1 resistance.

 

Beck (as he prefers to be called) is a typically greedy rogue, especially suited to sneaking and hiding. He frequently makes his living as a burglar, but finds Mound a bit small for his favored trade. He fled Marig just ahead of the law and the guild, so he's hiding here for a few months until things cool off. Beck may need to leave Mound quickly at some point as well, and would find adventuring a likely excuse. He's shifty, dishonest and not very likeable, but in a pinch a group might find hiring him to be preferable to not having a rogue in a group. However, Beck is as likely to steal from friends as foes. When he dislikes someone, he will probably try to humiliate them publicly. He bullies Pansy every chance he gets.