Tallow Sprathen
 
 
Race :  Human Class: Fighter
STR: 20 DEX:
INT: 13 CHR: 15
WIS: 8 ALT: 12
CON: 9'' LUC: 13"
 
Hit Points:  j-f' Social Status: Freeman
W
Salta. Just the name of the city is enough to conjure up images of intrigue and treachery to most of Arketh Providence's population. Not particularly large, but1 one of the ,pre fall cities that did not lie along the coast and thus;' was spared many of the ravages of the post fall times, Salta is the location of Bradford's Hold. Bradford, the Arketh Providence representative to the Kethem Council, represents power and wealth beyond the imagination of most. Between his Great Hold income and the portion of the Kethem Council budget Arketh provides, Bradford directly controls about 1,600,000 gold piece yearly income. Not surprisingly, wealthy draws power and both of these draw the greedy, the.^power hungry, and the unscrupulous. .
M '"'= I        ^ "'                    .',.' : .-:--'-                                                                           ••'••"•                                         ' '-'
,You were born to a silver ring "officer" in Bradford's hold.. Bradford maintains a thousand troops, and your father lead a company (about 100 men) . A respectable post, but never enough in your eyes. Your father was a typical silver ring ?• — drafted into government service when he could not pay the bi-annual tax, he had the intelligence and capability to make a decent career but not the initiative to do it on his own. He had gone about as far as he would go as company commander.
You, on the other had, seemed driven by a heed for, status, The military life .introduced you 'to the concept *of "^rank and status, both of which you sought with single minded devotion. Status would come with fighting prowness, rank would come with intelligent application of your skills. Your father was mystified with the obvious burning desire that kept- you on the training field, doggedly practicing attack and .parry long after the others had gone home, but he supported you iri 'your efforts. You came to realize that dexterity was not your strong suit; brute strength was were you excelled. The advantages of sword and shield were not lost on you, but ..the goal was not to actually prepare for battle, but to make the most significant impression. Thus you specialized in two handed weapons. Then an event occurred that would radically change your life, ,
You returned from the training field to find a note on the door of the set of rooms you and your father occupied. It stated that your father had been arrested for embezzling hold funds. You visited him in the dungeon; he appeared bewildered and confused. Over the next few days, you dipped into a world completely foreign to you. The accounting department was in an uproar. Frelic Tyson, the head accountant under the gold ring
 
holder Treasurer Pong Allican, was scrambling to maintain his position due to unaccounted for overcharges to military operations (including several with your father's company). One accountant, Mihar Groust, seemed to you to be rather pleased with the current situation. You dug in, finding a world of hidden deals, back stabbing, and jockying for position. It was clear that this situation was not the clear cut theft it seemed.
Desperate attempts seemed called for. You came up with a plan and discussed it with Pong. Pong would actually embezzle funds from a different source. These funds would appear in Mihar's personal accounts with the books doctored to show the increase. Not only would the money be unexplained, but careful examination would show the doctoring, making it appear that Mihar himself had attempted to make the money look legit. Pong, in a corner, agreed. You and a trusted minor accountant did the deed that night. Pong accused Mihar of stealing the funds the next day. Miharfchew what had happened, but not how; he was broken of all rank and sent out of the hold penniless. Your father was freed. You, however, had a new perspective on life. It wasn't the strong and direct that held ultimate power; it was the politician, the manipulator, the backstabber.
Your emphasis changed. Gone were the days of sweating over developing weapons skills. You studied accounting; you could do it, but not superbly. Likewise, the nuances of diplomacy and tact were not your strong suite; your military training made you too aggressive, too much on the attack. Finally it came to you; people were always underestimating your intelligence because of your large boned frame and almost too handsome face. You began using this to your advantage; people would say things around you that were closely guarded secrets. A few words in the Chancellor's ear gained his attention. Quillin Unguay used you to everyone's benefit, and in four years you became the leading spy for Bradford Hold. You recognized, however, that you were at your peak. You were becoming too well known to be effective. It was time to move on.
Major Holder Grance Farrow was one of the most powerful holders in Salta. His niece, Mia Farrow, was not the most attractive woman in the world, but she represented a road to power. You courted her gently, carefully, using your utmost skill to learn her little secrets, using them in turn not to threaten, but to entice, to seduce. . . in a year, she was yours. You made some powerful enemies, sons of holders who resented a lost opportunity, some perhaps who actually liked Mia, but it was worth it. You new that in another year, after your probationary period in the new hold, you would become a gold ring holder. Where things went from there...
The next year was solid work. Sixteen, twenty hour days seven days a week left you exhausted, beat, dead on your feet. It also fueled a bright career, an enviable rise, a promoter of many jealousies, small and large. It also made Mia bitter, suspicious of your original intentions, and generally
antagonistic. Surprisingly enough, you found this to be difficult to take. Somewhere in learning Mia well enough to take her, you had come to love her as well. But you knew you could make that up to her shortly, a few more months of hard work was all that you needed...
An opportunity arose. Bradford was organizing an expedition to Tawhiem to open relations with the Kirander, a tribe that maintained tight relations with the elves. Bradford asked all Major Holders to send support, a politically sensitive way to invite review of his actions by the other major holders. Grance knew your background, knew you had a handle on Bradford's staff. You were a natural. Grance also dropped hints about not only a gold ring, but the retirement of Ligin Reston, the chancellor of the hold. Opportunity rung, and you grabbed it.
When you told Mia you were going to Tawhiem for two months, she exploded. She told you that she wouldn't be there when you got back. She told you that she had other men that were glad to spend time with her, to be nice to her. The night was not a pleasant one, and a suspicion was planted. You left the next morning.
The expedition centered around Pedwar Pythaen, who had killed Myya Zerhundia, the Kirander Chief Myya Zerhun's son, when the son attempted to return from his manhood rites with three Moratyr heads instead of the four he had promised. This saved the Kirander Chief's honor, and put him in debt to Pedwar. Kethem Naval Intelligence saw an opening into the tribe with the tightest ties to the Elves and attempted to establish friendly relations through Pedwar. Pedwar was of Bradford hold, and KNI needed him; Bradford saw an opportunity to be involved in one of the biggest political coups in years. Thus a hodge podge group of diplomats was created.
While in Nol, you ran into an elf named Hotherial. Somehow Hotherial seemed like someone you could trust with your secrets, a habit you did not encourage with fellow status seeking humans. You told him of your last night with Mia. He suggested you see a Salsenahain named lant Uial ["twilight bridge"], who told you that your wife was cheating on you with Pedwar. You went berserk, picking up Pedwar by the throat and squeezing until his eyeballs bugged out. KNI stopped you, however, and you were sent back to Kethem in disgrace. You were stripped of all rank, tossed out of Grance "s hold. Mia was indeed gone when you arrived, something Grance held you responsible for. Everything you had worked towards for the last eight years was wiped out. You were destitute.
 
Spells:
None Items:
Two handed sword
Chain
26 gold
v\
Skills:
<^«.v'^a^          \ffl'
Crytpography       75%
Forgery            70%
Horseback riding   70%
Hide in sight      601 k
Bribery            50%
Lock picking       50%
Swimming           30%
Accounting         30%
£lvx>Vv                      -^"f,
Weapons Training:
Two handed sword
Crossbow
flail
two handed axe
 
Spells:
Magic Missile Jr" ^€5 v^ We\ ;  ^e^ Berserker 1,2,3  c,4-^0~s
Mina Boil: fe&V6',a*:M-6£ /f p
Skills:'
Speak Urakai : 90%
Speak Low Ore: 50%
Bartering:     40%
Accounting:    40%
Swim:          40%
Items:
Leather
Medium Shield
Longsword
Horse
1467 Silver pieces
Charged Item, 4 charges, Flamearc 2  (Urakai)
Charged Item, 1 charge, Stoneflesh 3 (Urakai)
Ring, nonmagical, blue stone (Urakai)