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At a Glance
Anders Payne. Anders is a man you can trust. You may roll your eyes at him more than you actually speak to him, but his word is his bond.
Key Info
- Name: Anders Payne
- Heritage: Human
- Class & Style: Smuggler, information broker, and hired muscle — nimble and hearty, keen-eyed at sea and good with a blade, though hopeless at navigating a social interaction.
- Where You’re From: Northern Aldion, near the border of Razorleaf
- Signature Detail: Won't crack under pressure, and keeps his wits about him no matter how bad things get — "the day a sailor loses his wits is the day he becomes crabfeed."
Early Life
Anders grew up in northern Aldion, near the border of Razorleaf. Now, home is wherever the coin leads him — preferably a place with a clean bed, but you can't always be choosy. Anders' mother was a cobbler and raised him until her death when he was 15. His uncle worked as a local guard captain and trained Anders to defend himself from an early age. Following the death of his mother, Anders took work on a merchant ship but found the money lacking. After mooring briefly in Blackden, he took work on a pirate ship and learned to defend himself further. Anders was always nimble, and took to life on the sea naturally. His keen eye also proved useful on the open water, both to spy for land or hostile vessels. He's hearty and could sail any sea before him, but he's hopeless trying to navigate a social interaction.
Inciting Incident
- What Happened: Anders' last voyage saw him break the cardinal rule of a smuggler: the cargo is not your business, just get it to its destination in one piece. His last voyage found him smuggling a powerful item for a private party out of the Eratus Empire.
- What It Cost: Upon learning the item's power, Anders thought it best that no one possess it, and he buried it at sea. But his conscience cost him all credibility as a smuggler and made fresh enemies out of his buyer, as well as the individual he stole the item from.
- What It Changed: He's been working as an information broker and hired muscle in Unified Caldor ever since. His respect as a smuggler may be gone, but he won't crack under pressure, and he's good with a blade.
Goals
- Short-Term: [What you want in the next few sessions]
- Long-Term: In a perfect world, Anders would return to the Eratus Empire and travel the seas with Leina as he had intended.
- What You Won’t Do: [A hard boundary]
Flaws
- Personal Flaw: [A habit or weakness that causes trouble]
- Social Flaw: He's hopeless trying to navigate a social interaction.
- Pressure Reaction: Sailors can't succumb to rage — you can't scare the sea, so you need your wits about you when she starts fighting you.
- Temptation: [The thing you struggle to resist]
Relationships
- Closest Bond: Bennet Nevda, a local smith in Owlreach, and his wife Mary, a local tavern keeper — they took him in when he was forced to abandon his last ship and settle inland.
- Unfinished Business: Leina, his paramour in the Eratus Empire, who nearly saved him from himself — he squandered any chance of keeping her safe with him, and hasn't had the heart to see her since.
- Party Connection: He's crossed paths with Night Kantly a handful of times in a professional capacity, and Aurgan Nalakina has helped him on occasions requiring more brawn than he could muster; Ava Shassi assisted him on his final voyage and helped him realize the power of what he had.
- What You Hide: He knows information about an expensive, famous item that others want.
- What Could Break You: The wizard from the Eratus Empire who owned the artifact he stole, and the buyer who never received their cargo, are likely still willing to pay a handsome sum for Anders' head.