Name:Barris Isengrim
Titles: None, or at least none he has any claim to anymore.
Aliases: N/A
Age: 64
Race/Ethnicty: Dwarf
Continent of Origin: Carthus
Gender: Male
Class/Subclass: Rogue, Gunslinger
Strength: 11
Dexterity: 18
Constitution: 13
Intelligence: 14
Wisdom: 8
Charisma: 11
Height: 4'7''
Weight: 120 lbs
Appearance Description: Short, stout but not particularly bulky in muscle or fat. With a fair-lengthed red beard, and short tied back red hair. He has steely grey eyes and slightly tanned skin.
Day To Day Attire: Hooded Red Cloak over leathers over a mail shirt and gambeson, linen trousers, heavy work boots.
Strengths:- Marksmanship
- Endurance
- Iron Will
Weaknesses:
Loyal * Driven * Libertine * Proud
Sexuality: Hetero
Relationship Status: Officially Single, with various relations throughout his travels but nothing serious.
Personality: Barris has a fairly carefree, yet also reserved attitude around most he meets. He doesn't care particularly what people do in their time, so long as he is left alone to do what he wants with his. Easily animated after a few drinks or a good game, he can talk someone's ear off with stories of his various exploits in many regards to any who care to hear, but only on his own terms. He has no patience for condescending or mightier-than-thou types who'd criticize him or his lifestyle choices, and can be quick to anger when pressed. Though his anger usually manifests in him threatening to blast someone's kneecap before they even realize what hit them before any of the typical Berserker-rage of his kind's fabled warriors.
To his friends and associates, he's loyal and dependable. And he's not comfortable leaving a job unfinished, if it takes him a month to track down a mark, so be it, he'd rather that than tarnish his own name or reputation for his business. To which end, he's particularly proud of his skills and track record, in his mind with good reason considering his abilities, though to those who don't know him it can come across as vain or brash.
Habits:Hobbies: Gambling games, Barris is a big fan of games involving wagers, and has made it his goal to learn to play as many as he can. He's knowledgable in several varieties of card and dice games both of Dwarven and Human varieties.
Fears:- Spheksophobia, or the fear of Wasps and getting stung by them.
- Cynophobia, or the fear of Dogs.
- Kinemortophobia, the fear of Zombies, the Undead, and being turned into one of them.
Likes:- Precious Metals
- Precious Gems
- Drinking
- Gambling
- Women
- Shooting
Dislikes:- High Elves
- Sorcerers
- Cheats
- Priests
- Bankers
- Dwarven Traditionalists
- Skill:Forge Touched The Natural Ability of Dwarves to make them temporarily resistant to intense heat and non-fatal blows, a hand-over from their centuries-old lifestyles within their mountain empires.
- Skill:Quick-Draw A skilled gunslinger, Barris's reflexes with a gun are among the top tier within Carthus.
- Skill:Keen Eyes Barris has very good eyesight, both for far off and up close situations. Helps him spot quality items, imperfections in his weapons, and helps him hunt and track marks.
- Skill:Gunsmith Barris's specialty craft is in the creation and maintenance of firearms, and everything that goes with them, from bullets and gunpowder to weapon attachments.
- Skill:Ambidextrous As capable with a weapon or tool in one hand as he is in another.
- Skill:Mule-Riding Though its rare when Victor is not carrying Barris' luggage and is free for the Dwarf to ride, Barris has the skill to ride Mules and other similarly sized steeds.
Possessions Generally On Person:- Item:Pack Mule A reliable and stout steed named Victor or Vic for short, usually carries Barris' luggage.
- Item:Puzzle-Trunk Most valuable item in Barris' possession, a Trunk with a specialty lock system design worked into the box's surface ensuring that even if one has the key, they'd need to expend more effort to open it. Barris keeps all his money and valued possessions (His weapon maintenance tools being the other major item of value) in here if they aren't literally on him. Made for financially paranoid people who don't trust banks.
- Item:Powder-Bag A dry-bag of leather designed to carry gunpowder and keep it dry even in the most wet conditions, short of opening the bag and dumping water in, of course. 5 lbs bag for bulk storage.
- Item:Pack of Spare clothes and furs Self-explanatory.
- Item:Camp Kit Small Iron pot, Flint, Hatchet. Basic tools for camp and fire-making,
- Item:Small Barrel Usually filled with water, rarely with alcohol.
Weapons: - Item:Dirk Simple, small, and made of reliable and sturdy iron.
- Item:Brace of Pistols Six Dwarven-made Pistols, four holstered across his chest, and two at his hips. Short and simple to load with decent range and accuracy. Stamped with Barris' initials on the but of the guns.
- Item:Blunderbuss A long gun with a wide barrel, can be loaded with multiple shot or projectiles for a wide shot, effective within a few yards of the shooter or in a confined space.
- Item:Rifle Masterpiece of engineering, long gun with a narrow barrel, can be fitted with various attachments, designed for long-range shots when scoped and fitted, decent mid-range when not fitted.
- Item:Bola A short iron chain with two weights attached, designed to be thrown and trip fleeing individuals.
- Item:Mace A short one-handed mace designed for close-range bludgeoning.
Armor:- Item:Chain mail Standard forged shirt of mail rings, designed to defend his torso against blades and arrows.
- Item:Pauldrons, Greaves, and shoulder guards Forged of iron, designed to protect his joints on his arms and legs.
- Item:Leather Jacket Worn over the mail, basically just provides extra padding and make his armour less conspicuous.
- Item:Gamebson Worn under the mail, more padding.
- Item:Heavy Leather Boots Complete with metal toes, built for forge-work.
- Item:Leather Studded Gloves Designed for work as much as practical.
Pack Contents: - Item:Spare ammunition and powder horn A must for any travelling, Barris never leaves without spare bullets and powder.
- Item:Leather Waterskin Self-explanatory.
- Item:Length of rope with a hook or bolt attachment Always useful for a variety of situations even without the attachments.
- Item:Lantern Simply made, uses oil.
- Item:Spare food Varies depending on what is available, but usually it consists of stuff that won't rapidly rot. Hard bread, salted meats or jerky, and a few pieces of fruit or veg.
- Item:Map and Compass So that he never loses his way.
Magical Items: Potions: - Item:Minor Potion of Healing x3 Bought, low quality, but effective for dealing with minor injuries.
- Item: N/A
- Item: N/A
- Item: N/A
- Item: N/A
Creation Materials: - Item: Sulfur (A large jar full, component of Gunpowder)
- Item: Saltpeter (A large jar full, component of Gunpowder)
- Item: Charcoal (Smaller jar full, component of Gunpowder)
- Item: Lead Chunks (For ball manufacture)
- Item: Small cast mould (For ball manufacture)
- Item: N/A
History: Barris Isengrim was born in year 74 of the Age of Owls, to a lesser noble house within the Dwarven Empire of Viguard, with an illustrious line of warriors and craftsmen to its name and a fair estate in the city of Vyberg. Held in fair regard by Lord Magnate Vardin Theimer for their continued support of his efforts to unify the Dwarven Kingdoms of Carthus under his rulership from Viguard, the Isengrim family is one of decent political power, wealth, and standing within the Viguard imperial court and is a rising star of the houses, leading to competition among its own family members in an attempt attempt to out-do one another and earn the Emperor's favour, like all of the noble houses do to each other in turn.
A middling child, Barris often found himself getting the short end of the stick within his own house's political machinations and games among his siblings. Always in the shadow of his more senior siblings or relatives who'd made names for themselves as craftsmen, warriors, or scholars and never really feeling satisfied in his seemingly ordained role to be a third wheel to the house.
Thus, defying noble tradition and becoming the gossip of Vyberg for months afterwards, shortly after his 28th birthday, Barris submitted a request to the Imperial Registrar of Viguard, to be voluntarily disowned from all titles and family holdings of House Isengrim, and therefore annul any obligations he held to his House and family. Such an action was not unprecedented, but was usually the move criminals and social outcasts made to quietly slip away into obscurity, out of shame, and to cover the asses of the family heads who didn't want to have to deal with problem relatives. But Barris did it boldly and of his own free will, as a statement of defiance that he would make his own fortune and destiny rather than be bound and dictated by his family's interests, a family whom had shown him that they cared little for his own desires and more about their own social-political standings. In so doing, he stripped his relatives of any authority over him, he packed what savings and belongings he had obtained over his decades in the noble academies and odd jobs he'd worked under family artisans, and thus left the family estate in Vyberg with nary a backward glance, to the ire of his parents.
The Dwarf hopped around the Empire for several years, taking odd crafting and security jobs where he could, there was no shortage of need of extra hands for Masters were busying on an almost perpetual basis, if not crafting weapons to fight monsters within the tunnels or to guard the northern boundaries of the realm, then to wage petty wars or conflicts alongside various other powers, there was also always the ever-present threat of the Ostguardian Empire to their south making a push to take them by force . . . if they were to ever decide upon it in their committee meetings that made up their government. In time though, he grew tired of his own kind and after making some money, he traveled into Vicelle lands.
Under happy circumstance, he made his way into the company of a Gnome tinker named Chartwick. Being some of the best tinkerers and inventors to rival even Dwarven crafts, Gnomes had traditionally been either at odds or creative partners with Dwarves over the years given different situations. Both being travelers in lands foreign to them, kindred spirits of similar plights, and neither having any friends outside of their own kind, Barris made a deal with Chartwick, to be the Gnome's more intimidating muscle and travelling companion so that he would be free to conduct his work without much fear of persecution or robbery, and in exchange instead of a wage he would pay Barris in apprenticing him under the Gnomish science of Blackpowder inventions, a science which had intrigued Barris ever since his days in the academy of Vyberg. The two became traveling partners for 5 years as they putted around from town to town in Human and Dwarven lands selling all manner of Gnomish invention to those with the money to buy them, and Chartwick put his strict but fair instruction to bear upon the Dwarf apprentice.
Parting under amicable circumstances, Chartwick and Barris went their own separate ways after their time together, with Barris now skilled and knowledgeable in the arts and usage of various firearms and the creation of blackpowder and bullets. He had made pieces of his own, under his Gnomish Master's instruction of course, a fair brace of pistols and two different long guns, a prime project to graduate one from Apprenticeship which passed the Master's inspections. Armed with his knowledge and training, he went to seek work that would hone his skills further as a Gunslinger. Following rumours within Taverns among particularly shady individuals within Carthus territory, he descended along more sparsely traveled routes in the mountains, descending down into the depths of the world, to the place where all manner of criminals, Freeholders, thrill-seekers, and those seeking escape from ordered society for whatever reason founded beneath the roots of the world, The Charred Republic. Supposedly founded by some particularly industrious Tieflings who saw no fear in what they were and instead embraced how much of the world's people hated them, they had used their power to carve out a place where all of a similar candor could come and partake in the freedom to do as they wished and in time, many seeking escape and criminal delights came from all over the world, the only entry fee being that they find their way to it first.
Barris found his way there, and set himself up as a gun-for-hire. A rarity among the forlorn and often wretched individuals who made their way to these depths, few were skilled in the arts of gun-slinging, not to mention in making black powder. He spent many years taking marks from clients within The Charred Republic, chasing traitorous associates, cowardly debtors, and rivals of various individuals, and while he also took bounties above ground often too over the years, there were few places on Ithea that could give Barris what he craved that the place where all the refuse and unwanted of the world could congregate could not. And thus, such is how Barris has lived his life thus far, a relatively young Dwarf formerly of noble heritage, who cast it aside in the desire to make his own fortune out from the shadow of peers, and instead walking the line between criminal hitman and legitimate bounty hunter as a kind of quasi-mercenary. Mostly comes down to one's perspective as to which he is.
Could he have had an easier life? Perhaps, but he wouldn't trade the freedom he has to make his own fortunes and the people and places he's met and seen along the path towards that goal, for all the world.
Character Quote: "Live life like there's no tomorrow, be true to yourself, and try not to leave any regrets. Take it from the Dwarf who shoots guns for a living: No matter which Gods you believe in, there's no guarantees you'll get a second shot at living."
Theme Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcjZZIRRBNA&list=RDvcjZZIRRBNA "You Know My Name" cover by Poets of the Fall, originally by Chris Cornell for the film Casino Royale. (Cornell's is great but I prefer Poets' version's ending and overall style a bit more.)
Anything Else: