Jan Schreuder is a figure that commands both fear and intrigue in Seregon, embodying the worst excesses of corruption and violence while hinting at something far darker. Standing tall and broad-shouldered, Jan is burly and overweight, with a menacing presence that makes it clear he’s not someone to cross lightly. His skin is an unusual light blue, a feature he prefers to keep hidden in the shadows. When caught in the light, the blue hue of his skin betrays his inhuman heritage, and the gills that grow on his arms mark him as something far from ordinary.
Jan is a Rakshasa Incarnate tied to the Deep Ones, ancient and malevolent beings from the depths of the sea. This lineage is evident in the algae that grows from his head in place of hair, a grotesque reminder of his otherworldly origins. To cover this unsettling feature, he usually wears a hat, although his true nature is never far from the surface. His eyes, cold and calculating, seem to shimmer with an eerie light, adding to the unsettling aura that surrounds him.
Despite his monstrous appearance and violent tendencies, Jan Schreuder is a cunning and ruthless leader. As the High Protector of the Guild of Pilots and Masters, he controls the Bargemasters Guild with an iron fist, commanding scores of legbreakers and enforcers to maintain his hold over Seregon’s waterways. His violent outbursts are legendary, and those who challenge him or fail to meet his expectations often meet a brutal end.
There is, however, a strange dichotomy in Jan’s character. Despite the whispers that the Deep Ones are pulling the strings behind his decisions, Jan seems to be very much his own master. His disdain for Great Old One cultists is well-known, and he refuses to smuggle their dangerous artifacts or allow their members or victims into the city. This refusal to engage with the cultists is one of the few boundaries Jan maintains, suggesting that while his methods may be brutal, he operates according to his own twisted code of ethics.
Jan Schreuder is a complex and terrifying figure, a man whose monstrous appearance is matched only by his ruthlessness and cunning. Yet, beneath the surface, there is the lingering question of how much control he truly has—or whether he is merely a pawn in a much larger, darker game.