Savage City: Wolfram Pertl, The City’s Richest Merchant (Wildcard)

Wolfram Pertl looks like an emaciated, humble old man in a modest tunic. A stranger could even think he was a beggar, but everyone in town knows he is the richest merchant of the region. Wolfram makes his home at Location 11.

Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d10, Spirit d10, Strength d6, Vigor d8
Skills: Fighting d10, Guts d10, Intimidation d8, Knowledge (Trade) d10, Notice d10, Persuasion d10, Steetwise d6, Taunt d6
Charisma: +2; Pace: 4 (+d4); Parry: 7; Tougness: 6
Hindrance: Lame, Wanted (minor)
Edge: Charismatic, Alertness, First Strike, Command

As a young man Wolfram Pertl was one of the Spider Knights. This order ruled the east with an iron fist and the power of an ancient evil. In the last days of its reign, Wolfram realized what he was doing. He ran off days before the Union of Freedom was founded.
He could have redeemed himself by joining the Union, but he had promised his pregnant wife that her protection would have priority over saving his very soul. So they settled in the ruins that would become the Savage City, with riches stolen from the Spider Knights. Nobody asked questions here, and later their son Elin Pertl was born. This happened before Sir Hensley II appeared. When the Spider Slayers started to roam the lands for the escaped knights a decade later, Wolfram had already built a fortune by trading. He even gave one-third of his earnings to the poor and one-third to the gods, by way of the temples. Around this time the 35-year-old merchant decided to risk a desperate move to get rid of his Knight Aura: an alchemist from afar offered him help. In a ritual the alchemist ripped out the aura—literally.
The once mighty warrior was crippled, but he hurled the source of the aura, the Spider Gem, into Shark Lake, hoping to leave behind the evil ways of his youth forever. Another decade has passed since then, and Wolfram spends most of his days walking around the marketplace, leaned over his stick, or instructing his agents. He looks much older than he really is. Still, most of his scars are hidden under his modest tunic. He loves to talk to strangers and ask them about their travels. He does not need to spend a lot of time with his business anymore, as everything is set up and most of the money comes from the long-distance trade of spices and other ingredients. Sometimes, though, he likes to choose the caravan escorts personally.
Wolfram Pertl is harmless nowadays and loathes everything evil or chaotic. He is a conservative and religious man. He would never, for example, lend money to anyone because he regards this as a sin.