Denholm Freedman
Denholm Freedman is a self made man.
His factory holdings were an inheritance from his grandfather, along with his half-orc blood. Nigel Feedman was proud of his "native" heritage, a mostly undiscernible 1/16 orkish blood. Wishing to reconnect with that heritage, he ensured that he found a powerful stud from a stable of orks used for the fighting pits for his daughter. Denholm's heritage was far more evident than his grandfather's, and that made it far less fashionable for other businessmen and customers alike.
When he inherited Freedman's Forge, he found himself slighted and ignored by other businessmen and noble ventures alike. Struggling in the face of bigotry and discrimination, Freedman made a decision based on a simple, unavoidable truth: Money Talks.
Freedman found success by underselling every other factory in his business. Nobles and purer-blooded businessmen might snub him in society, but they couldn't deny the fact that his factory could provide what they needed at a better price than any other. Snobs they might be, but business was business, and Freedman made sure that his clients had to admit to doing business with a half-orc because of their bottom dollar.
Of course, to accomplish that goal and keep his prices lower than his competitors, Freedman stripped his factory of every safety measure, every kindness and concession. Freedman's Forge was the employer of last resort in the Embers. Its safety ratings were abysmal, and few of its workers survived their time on its floor unscathed. Freedman didn't care. There were always more workers desperate for a job, always someone willing to take the risks and the brutal hours in order to feed themselves or their family. His wages were a pittance, but they were better than nothing at all. He had had to fight to get where he was, had to face hatred and derision. He saw himself as the underdog, but he was a fighting dog. If those poor souls on the floor of his factory didn't have the strength to strong and brutal enough to rise to the top, that was not his problem.
His factory holdings were an inheritance from his grandfather, along with his half-orc blood. Nigel Feedman was proud of his "native" heritage, a mostly undiscernible 1/16 orkish blood. Wishing to reconnect with that heritage, he ensured that he found a powerful stud from a stable of orks used for the fighting pits for his daughter. Denholm's heritage was far more evident than his grandfather's, and that made it far less fashionable for other businessmen and customers alike.
When he inherited Freedman's Forge, he found himself slighted and ignored by other businessmen and noble ventures alike. Struggling in the face of bigotry and discrimination, Freedman made a decision based on a simple, unavoidable truth: Money Talks.
Freedman found success by underselling every other factory in his business. Nobles and purer-blooded businessmen might snub him in society, but they couldn't deny the fact that his factory could provide what they needed at a better price than any other. Snobs they might be, but business was business, and Freedman made sure that his clients had to admit to doing business with a half-orc because of their bottom dollar.
Of course, to accomplish that goal and keep his prices lower than his competitors, Freedman stripped his factory of every safety measure, every kindness and concession. Freedman's Forge was the employer of last resort in the Embers. Its safety ratings were abysmal, and few of its workers survived their time on its floor unscathed. Freedman didn't care. There were always more workers desperate for a job, always someone willing to take the risks and the brutal hours in order to feed themselves or their family. His wages were a pittance, but they were better than nothing at all. He had had to fight to get where he was, had to face hatred and derision. He saw himself as the underdog, but he was a fighting dog. If those poor souls on the floor of his factory didn't have the strength to strong and brutal enough to rise to the top, that was not his problem.
