Captain Narouc Goldengut is a Dwarf shrouded in both mystery and contradiction. The owner and master of Crom's Riddle, a formidable sailing ship renowned for its ability to circumnavigate the treacherous waters of the Island of Moog and beyond, Goldengut has a reputation that shifts depending on who is telling the tale. To some, he is an honorable seafarer, a man of his word who, despite his rough edges, is loyal to his crew and true to his ship. To others, particularly his rivals and enemies, Goldengut is a ruthless pirate, a man who rose to power through treachery and bloodshed, with a past stained by smuggling and the illicit trade of human lives.

The story of how he came to captain Crom's Riddle is often told in hushed tones in taverns and docksides. The official version, the one Captain Goldengut himself might share, speaks of a harrowing encounter with a flock of harpies, during which the previous captain was tragically killed. Goldengut, then the first mate, took command of the ship and led the crew to safety. With the support of the grateful crew, he declared himself the new captain, a position he has held ever since. But there are darker versions of the tale, whispered by his competitors, who claim that Goldengut orchestrated a mutiny, murdering the captain and using the harpy attack as a convenient cover for his treachery. Whether these rumors hold any truth is known only to Goldengut and his crew, who remain fiercely loyal to their captain, suggesting that if there was treachery, it was not without reason.

Goldengut is a man of peculiar habits and tastes. He is rarely seen without a cigar clenched between his teeth, a cloud of smoke trailing him wherever he goes. His cabin is said to be well-stocked with fine spirits, which he hoards jealously, offering a drink only to those he truly respects—or when the situation demands a bribe. The captain's appearance is as distinctive as his reputation; he wears the hat of a naval officer from the Free Peasant Republic of Yaland, a symbol of his disdain for nobility and his embrace of the republic's values. At his waist, he carries a wand of web, a magical tool he uses with surprising skill when words fail to resolve a conflict.

Goldengut tells the stories of sailing the open seas. He had a good 120 years of sailing in his youth, before the seas shut down with filth, as he calls it. He dreams of returning home one day, but only under power of sail.

Despite his rough demeanor and questionable past, Captain Goldengut is a man who commands respect from his crew. They trust him, not just because he has kept them alive through countless storms and skirmishes, but because he shares their contempt for the world's ruling elites. Goldengut's hatred for royalty and any form of social hierarchy is well-known, and it is this shared disdain that binds him to his crew, a motley band of sailors who have all, in one way or another, been wronged by the powerful.

In the quiet moments, when the sea is calm and the moonlight dances on the waves, Captain Goldengut sometimes hears the haunting songs of the harpies that took his predecessor's life. Whether it is the memory of that day or something more supernatural, he cannot say. But the song is a reminder of the fine line he walks every day, between honor and infamy, between life and death.

Worked with Sentinels of Seregon on the Case of the Missing Boson.