033 - A winter in Tharbad

Wintering in a Frontier town

This post documents the abstracted character development of the PC in the campaign between Session 10 and Session 11. The next report referring to a live session is 034 -  The Lossoth people of Laakvesi.

Tharbad, circa Fourth Age 15

Thannolf the Northerling

Biography

Birthday : 7th of Lothron (May)


Basic Stat block:  ST 11, DX 11, IQ 10, HT 12, Per 12

Early Life (Age 0 - 12)

Thannolf was born in the foothills of the Ettinmoor while the war of the ring was raging in the south. It was a dark time for Northmen as orcs and trolls descended from the mountains to raid settlements with increased regularity. Following the defeat of Sauron, the influx of orcs in the North became a real threat. Thannolf's community relocated to the West in the ruins of Fornost: the ancient capital of the Arthedains. With the arrival of travelers from the south, a fever started to spread, causing them to die or scatter away. Thannolf was separated from his family during a night raid by orcs when he was 12 y.o. He wandered south, and never found his kin again. 

Skills: Area Knowledge (North) [8 pts], survival (woodland) [4 pts], survival ( tundra ) [ 4pts], brawling [4 pts], weather sense [2 pts], 

Languages: North-tongue (Native, illiterate), Westron (Broken), 

Trait: Light sleeper, Luck, Dislike (Orcs), Empathy

Years of Wandering ( Age 12 - 13 )

He spent the first year of wandering on his own, fending off hunger, loneliness and wolves. He discovered a special affinity with animals: he could understand them even though they didn't speak the same language. He befriended a pack of wolves which stopped stalking him and coexisted with him for the rest of the summer. When winter came, the hunger became too much for the beasts: Thannolf had to leave their territory. Winter was a miserable time of deprivation and isolation. He eventually returned to Fornost to find a deserted place. He met with soldiers of Gondor who provided him with shelter and food against his services as guide and kitchen hand. When Fall came, the soldier marched back to Tharbad. Thannolf found himself alone and jobless in a foreign city.

Skills: Survival (woodland) [8], running [2], hiking [4], 

Language : Westron (Accented, spoken only)

Traits: Animal Empathy, restrictive diet (vegetarian)

Years of Soldiering ( Age 14 - 16 )

He was employed sporadically as a runner for the Commander of Tharbad, where he gained a taste for possessions. Earning money, trinkets and fine clothes went straight to his head. He seeked more earning opportunities, became bolder. He wanted to gamble for profit but the manager of the Alehouse, Lady Arda, refused to let him in. He was soon in the habit to steal from the army stores to resell on the black market. Eventually, he realized that living off crimes in a small community was dangerous: he took up an appprenticeship with the riverine sailors. With the sailors, he learned the ropes of river navigation and learned too soon to enjoy one too many drinks each day. His fellow sailors liked him, although they didn't trust him all that much: Thannolf was always ready to pick up extra work for a handful of coins.

Skills: carousing [2], gambling[2], streetwise[4], savoir-faire (military)[1], soldier[2], knife[4], brawling[4], head butt(brawling)  [2pts], knee strike (brawling) [1 pt], ,wrestling [2], smuggling [2], profession (sailor) [2], knot making [1], area knowledge ( West Gondor ) [4], lock picking[1], pickpocket [1], searching [4], Acting [4], Body Language [4], Acrobatics [4], Fast-Talk [8], Detect Lies [2]

Trait: Greedy, Compulsive carousing ( self-control: 9 ), Social Stigma (Northmen), combat reflex

Recent Events ( Age 16 )

Thannolf was caught stealing from the army store once more while on shore leave in Tharbad. He was thrown into jail until the new Captain of the Watch demanded to talk with him. 

Trait : Social Stigma (criminal)

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Notes on playing Thannolf

Thannolf has had a hard life. He developed a near obsession with acquiring things. He likes to be able to afford the nicest booze, clothe items and other possession. If he sees a more valuable dagger than his, he will endeavour to get his hands one it. he is not fundamentally dishonest, but may freely choose to be if it helps in his pursuit for more stuff. Nearly all of his decisions comes down to whether this will be profitable for him or not. Another trait of Thannolf is that he has the disadvantage compulsive carousing. He must do whatever he can to party and drink alcoholic beverages each day. He is not alcoholic: his need is not a physical addiction but rather something that he has to indulge regularly. Resisting the urge to party requires a Will check, skipping a day temporarily gives him the disadvantage bad temper. 

It makes sense for Thannolf to join with the Palantir Commission because 1) it gets him out of jail, 2) will take him back to the great North and, 3) these guys are treasure hunters... Right?

What Thannolf knows about the Great White North

Thannolf's grand-father was from the Forodwaith, beyond the mountains of Angmar. He has heard tales of how terrifying the great white north can be: giant beasts, night terrors and snow wraiths. He speaks natively the North tongue and has some knowledge of the Ice Bay of Forochel from stories and tales. He knows the Lossoth people for the fierce nation of survivors that they are as some of their blood still flows into his veins.
Thannolf may teach North Tongue to his fellow Company members, but he himself osn't much of a teacher. 

014 - The sword under the river fortress

Oct 14th, FA 15

Kasper, Galdor and Finbert entered the Alehouse and stretched their feet. The two Gondorian knights have been displeased with the company's leadership from the beginning, and wanted no part in the chit-chat with the commander of the city. In fact, Galdor's interest in the Palantir is really only in hope that the glamour of bringing home a national treasure would earn him enough reputation so he would not have to train as a man of law anymore. Kasper, in turn, was drawn to become Galdor's squire mainly to escape the drab routine of a Gondorian beacon posting in Anorien. Neither had much interest in getting all excited over a crystal ball, nor be told what to do by a gentile career watchmen. Finbert was in the Alehouse for a more direct reason, there has to be food in a place like this, and life owed him a meal or two since that they set out for Annuminas. 

013 - An audience with the Commander of Tharbad

Oct 14th, FA 15

The company finally reached Tharbad in the waning lights of mid-October afternoon. The air was heavy, but the freezing rain had seceded for the time being. Tharbad, once a mighty city, appeared like a walled enclave build on the bank of the Gwathlo river. From their point of view, only an imposing wall with matching fortifications could be seen. There were no suburban farming, no traffic in and out of the city. Maybe a dozen of workers laboring on the fortification itself. The road met the wall at a drawbridge that was yet to be functional, and a large barbacane structure with its porticullis left up. A small group of watchmen met the company as they arrived.