The Shadow
I don't know what his game is, but so long as it keeps everything running smoothly? I'm not going to argue. I have other things to worry about, things like that band of giant raiders...The halfling known as 'The Shadow' is an interesting case, as there seems to be little history of him widely known prior to the founding of Pendelholm. Those who live in the region know him as a figure with a habit of staying occupied with keeping an eye on traders and merchants in the city. Others who know him personally tend to find other topics to talk about when he comes up. People talking to him directly sometimes are given reason to 'stop asking questions' with the point of a knife.
Despite these issues, the Shadow is quite a capable handler of commerce in Pendelholm. The Arichala Valley has seen more trade caravans in the latest decade than the previous one, and the coffers for the city have stopped 'bleeding gold' as a result. Furthermore, the city guard reports how crime seems to be relatively rare save for the occasional impulsive pickpocket. Those particular troublemakers don't have long to ply their trade, however, often being found tied to signposts.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Despite founding a frontier city and helping guide it to prominence in the Highlands Province, very little is known about the halfling known only as "the Shadow" or simply "Shadow". There are no clear records of anyone using that name which could also be linked to this individual until some additional information came to light. The scope of the information only can piece together events in the Shadow's adult life, but they are remarkable regardless.
The Shadow began to be noticed working as a second-story man for thieves operating in the Vinland Province, targeting nobles who were known for showing off opulence. Imperial Guard reports cited the halfling as a "nuisance", since there were no injuries reported. This changed one day during a robbery where the Shadow and a partner were suspected of several murders in the city of Beston. Only the partner was captured, and he quickly placed the blame on the Shadow. It was said the Shadow had been trying to coax the Penglove family to turn over all their valuables, but became violent when Lady Penglove refused to part with her wedding band. Following the interrogation, the Shadow was not seen for years in that part of the Empire.
However, reports of a halfling operating in Sanguine contained details similar to the non-violent robberies. One interesting report suggested the halfing took a job stealing from the elven ambassador, though nothing was definitively proven at the time. Details acquired from other sources say the Shadow was indeed responsible, and turned the objects stolen over to the White Fox themselves. What purpose this job had, what objects were stolen, and the final disposition of the matter remains unknown at this time.
Following this, the Shadow became a favorite agent in order to keep things stable between thieves' guilds in the Empire. The sources which brought this information up were clear when indicating the deeds of the Shadow, and explained it had been an important thing to know the White Fox had arranged these jobs. Only after many years did the scope of events become clear: he had quietly unified the guilds to serve the White Fox. Ever since, crime has been a considerably more "organized" affair, though disagreements have tended towards being more public and intensely bloody.
The Shadow began to be noticed working as a second-story man for thieves operating in the Vinland Province, targeting nobles who were known for showing off opulence. Imperial Guard reports cited the halfling as a "nuisance", since there were no injuries reported. This changed one day during a robbery where the Shadow and a partner were suspected of several murders in the city of Beston. Only the partner was captured, and he quickly placed the blame on the Shadow. It was said the Shadow had been trying to coax the Penglove family to turn over all their valuables, but became violent when Lady Penglove refused to part with her wedding band. Following the interrogation, the Shadow was not seen for years in that part of the Empire.
However, reports of a halfling operating in Sanguine contained details similar to the non-violent robberies. One interesting report suggested the halfing took a job stealing from the elven ambassador, though nothing was definitively proven at the time. Details acquired from other sources say the Shadow was indeed responsible, and turned the objects stolen over to the White Fox themselves. What purpose this job had, what objects were stolen, and the final disposition of the matter remains unknown at this time.
Following this, the Shadow became a favorite agent in order to keep things stable between thieves' guilds in the Empire. The sources which brought this information up were clear when indicating the deeds of the Shadow, and explained it had been an important thing to know the White Fox had arranged these jobs. Only after many years did the scope of events become clear: he had quietly unified the guilds to serve the White Fox. Ever since, crime has been a considerably more "organized" affair, though disagreements have tended towards being more public and intensely bloody.
Accomplishments & Achievements
I'm not sure where he's from, but I can't fault how effective he is. If most adventurers showed his initiative, the Empire might be a better place for it.After joining with Restun Gloomwing and the other companions, the Shadow became less active outside of adventuring pursuits. These pursuits included a number of incidents which have much longer reports classified by the Imperial Surveyors.
- Siege of Stonefist Hall. Lord Thalamar Stonefist had led his companions to his old clan hall as part of a ruin search. When the quartet arrived at the hall, they found it being besieged by an army of goblinoids and giants. After several hours of combat, the hall remained standing - though it would later be abandoned due to the damage done during the siege. According to witnesses, the Shadow had cut the hamstring of a giant before a pair of throat-blows put it down for good.
- The Fallowdale Incident. After Pendelholm had begun being restored, Lords Restun Gloomwing and Thelun Arkady began investigating local villages. They wanted to understand exactly what they were charged with protecting, and to personally meet many of the people who would pay them taxes. During this time, Lord Arkady discovered an ancient runestone which bound a demon to a fallow field. Utilizing arcane rituals, the group drew out this terror and allowed the village to witness its death at the hands of Lord Stonefist. Afterwards, the Shadow reportedly had agents looking into the possibility of other such troubles for the rest of the year.
- Battle of Rosewall Castle. Towards the end of the year, an army of elven renegades marched on Rosewall Castle in Firos. They were led by a Disciple of Ashes, whose ties to Wythra were discovered later. While Lord Gloomwing led the defenses, the Shadow was known to be scouting the attackers and counteracting attempts to sneak up the defenders. Survivors have indicated a number of confirmed kills considerably higher than the others, even Lord Gloomwing.
Failures & Embarrassments
Huh? What happened to his face? No. We don't like to talk about that. Stop asking.
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