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.
Showing posts with label Savage City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Savage City. Show all posts
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Savage City: Elin Pertl, Wolfram’s Son (Wildcard)
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d6
Skills: Climbing d6, Driving d10, Fighting d8, Gambling d6, Persuasion d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Streetwise d10, Taunt d6
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughess: 5
Hindrances: Yellow (Guts d4–4)
Edges: Attractive
Some call him the best catch in town, others a spoiled brat. Whatever side you belong to, everyone has an opinion on Elin Pertl, the only son of the richest merchant Wolfram Pertl. Elin is a handsome and athletic man and turned 20 recently. He is a skilled fencer and even better horseman, driving a two-wheeled curricle. Still, he would be a coward in a real fight. People with experience notice that within a minute.
Nevertheless he has achieved everything he ever wanted to. He just did not need to put much effort into anything. People say he exploits his father, using the old man’s money for the yearly spring, summer, autumn and winter festivals that have turned from religious ceremonies into carnivals.
But Elin feels no guilt for wasting his father’s money, since he knows how dirty the basis of all this wealth is. When he was still a boy, he became secret witness to the ceremony that crippled his father. Watching would not have been enough for Elin to hate Wolfram though. But that fateful night the curious kid secretly exchanged the magic Spider Gem for a similar-looking, but harmless, shard of colored glass, while the alchemist tried to revive his father. Elin hid the Spider Gem in the deep well in the cellar of his father’s house. Whenever he would climb down there and press the magic stone against his forehead, he could see and feel the past crimes of his father.
While Elin confronted Wolfram with his dark past, the former Spider Knight does not know that Elin exchanged the gems. Elin would prefer to die than to tell a stranger about his father’s crimes though. On this subject he is not cowardly at all. It is quite possible that his personality will change drastically if his father is openly accused. Elin does not believe his father changed into a good man, but believes that you have to stick to your family. He is unable to understand the the paradox of his own behavior.
Elin spends most of the time chasing girls or racing the countryside. He sees other young and talented people as rivals, or uses them as a means to play tricks on his father.
Skills: Climbing d6, Driving d10, Fighting d8, Gambling d6, Persuasion d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Streetwise d10, Taunt d6
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughess: 5
Hindrances: Yellow (Guts d4–4)
Edges: Attractive
Some call him the best catch in town, others a spoiled brat. Whatever side you belong to, everyone has an opinion on Elin Pertl, the only son of the richest merchant Wolfram Pertl. Elin is a handsome and athletic man and turned 20 recently. He is a skilled fencer and even better horseman, driving a two-wheeled curricle. Still, he would be a coward in a real fight. People with experience notice that within a minute.
Nevertheless he has achieved everything he ever wanted to. He just did not need to put much effort into anything. People say he exploits his father, using the old man’s money for the yearly spring, summer, autumn and winter festivals that have turned from religious ceremonies into carnivals.
But Elin feels no guilt for wasting his father’s money, since he knows how dirty the basis of all this wealth is. When he was still a boy, he became secret witness to the ceremony that crippled his father. Watching would not have been enough for Elin to hate Wolfram though. But that fateful night the curious kid secretly exchanged the magic Spider Gem for a similar-looking, but harmless, shard of colored glass, while the alchemist tried to revive his father. Elin hid the Spider Gem in the deep well in the cellar of his father’s house. Whenever he would climb down there and press the magic stone against his forehead, he could see and feel the past crimes of his father.
While Elin confronted Wolfram with his dark past, the former Spider Knight does not know that Elin exchanged the gems. Elin would prefer to die than to tell a stranger about his father’s crimes though. On this subject he is not cowardly at all. It is quite possible that his personality will change drastically if his father is openly accused. Elin does not believe his father changed into a good man, but believes that you have to stick to your family. He is unable to understand the the paradox of his own behavior.
Elin spends most of the time chasing girls or racing the countryside. He sees other young and talented people as rivals, or uses them as a means to play tricks on his father.
Savage City: The Market Square
This was created by me as part of the cooperative Savage City project. You can find it in an old Sharkbyte issue.
I described the market square, the richest merchant in town and his son. Somewhere on my harddisk there should be still infos on the wife/mother.
The market square is surrounded by some of the biggest buildings in town. The farmers and fishermen of the region sell their goods here twice a week. But even on other days a few kids and elders are sent to make some coins.
It is not unusual to have the occasional stranger from faraway lands at the market either. These people are normally guests of Wolfram Pertl, the richest merchant in town. Even if there are no strangers, who the street kids point at, one can find all the goods not locally produced at the stands of Pertl’s agents: spices, as well as rare weapons and sometimes even a potion or two.
Except for the wooden stands the paved square has two further attractions to offer: the guardian statue and the stocks.
The statue is called “The Armless Guardian,” as it is that of a warrior. It seems to be quite old and even the scholars have no idea who could have build it. Only the features of the warrior’s face seem beaten by centuries of weather as
the rest of the statue is in perfect condition—except for the missing arms. The townspeople regularly try to fix this flaw, but no matter how inventive or costly the restorations, after a few days the new arms simply fall off.
Still the statue serves its function as a symbol for the city’s rights because the guardian of stone carries a sword. The sword is not held in the missing hands, but is fixed to the back of its head, by the handle. The blade rises far above the guardian’s features. The very same scholars that cannot tell you about its origin will tell you that the shadow of the sword has to point somewhere when the sun is at a certain level.
By contrast the stocks are not mysterious at all. They are regularly filled with petty criminals and attract a crowd of mainly poor kids and nosy women. Only in rare cases, when the city guard exhibits a goblin or another unusual creature, do the stocks get more attention.
I described the market square, the richest merchant in town and his son. Somewhere on my harddisk there should be still infos on the wife/mother.
The market square is surrounded by some of the biggest buildings in town. The farmers and fishermen of the region sell their goods here twice a week. But even on other days a few kids and elders are sent to make some coins.
It is not unusual to have the occasional stranger from faraway lands at the market either. These people are normally guests of Wolfram Pertl, the richest merchant in town. Even if there are no strangers, who the street kids point at, one can find all the goods not locally produced at the stands of Pertl’s agents: spices, as well as rare weapons and sometimes even a potion or two.
Except for the wooden stands the paved square has two further attractions to offer: the guardian statue and the stocks.
The statue is called “The Armless Guardian,” as it is that of a warrior. It seems to be quite old and even the scholars have no idea who could have build it. Only the features of the warrior’s face seem beaten by centuries of weather as
the rest of the statue is in perfect condition—except for the missing arms. The townspeople regularly try to fix this flaw, but no matter how inventive or costly the restorations, after a few days the new arms simply fall off.
Still the statue serves its function as a symbol for the city’s rights because the guardian of stone carries a sword. The sword is not held in the missing hands, but is fixed to the back of its head, by the handle. The blade rises far above the guardian’s features. The very same scholars that cannot tell you about its origin will tell you that the shadow of the sword has to point somewhere when the sun is at a certain level.
By contrast the stocks are not mysterious at all. They are regularly filled with petty criminals and attract a crowd of mainly poor kids and nosy women. Only in rare cases, when the city guard exhibits a goblin or another unusual creature, do the stocks get more attention.
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