Lupin Ridley
Some people are defined by the opportunities they seize, others by the opportunities they miss.Tairos has always been a place for enterprising minds and risk-takers. The land offered riches, magic, and every possible chance to leave one's mark. Yet, in the wake of The Queen's Rebuke the entrepreneurial spirit that had been so commonplace was slowly replaced by a desire to exploit what little of value still remained. Resources dwindled, Manacite became scarce, and control became more worthwhile than aurins. It's in this new world that men like Lupin Ridley thrive. Lupin's life began in Theawood , one of the colonies of Ghal Pelor fifty-six years ago. He grew up around the rock quarry amid the hammering, blasting, and raucous nightlife that unfolds after work hours come to a close. He learned a few formative lessons in his hometown that became the bedrock of Ridley's foundation: how to negotiate, how to handle himself in a scrap, and how to never settle for the life of a common man. Every moment of his early years was spent reaching for things just out of his grasp. He spent his youth as a member of one mercenary company or another, earning quick aurins where possible and stealing extra shares when the opportunity arose. His reputation quickly became a muddled one. Some companies spoke highly of him, others wanted him dead for stealing their loot. While navigating these ever-shifting relationships, Lupin was able to secure the financial foundation he needed to escape Theawood before the consequences of his actions caught up with him. With this nest egg in hand, he quickly relocated to Ghal Pelor. Life in the big city forced him to uplevel his skills immediately. In Theawood, he stood out, and in Ghal Pelor, he was one of a legion of other hustlers. He spent time as a cutpurse, an informant, a hired sword, and a ruin sweeper. However, it's working with the Black Thorn Society where he truly came into his own. Lupin worked his way up the ladder, following orders regardless of how grizzly they might have been. It's also where he earned his nickname, the Spider. When people ask about the title, he'll say it's because of his legendary second-story work. And, while it's true that Lupin never met a wall he couldn't scale or a window he couldn't slip through... that's only a veneer. The truth is, Lupin Ridley is a master of poisons. Those who needed Ridley's unique talent knew it always came bundled with his poison knives which he referred to as the Spider Bites. Lupin's time was impactful but short-lived with the Black Thorns. He was well on his way to becoming the Sharp of Lakewatch Vale when a disastrous storm struck that area of the city, leveling most of it. The Black Thorn holdings included. This was a particularly devastating time for many in the city, but the Black Thorn Society suffered extensively. Many lower-level members were killed, and all of their businesses were impacted, strangling their profits and turning the lucrative Ghal Pelor Thorn into a black hole. This is when Lupin parted ways with the Black Thorns, as many members did, taking the opportunity to go independent. For seven years Lupin parlayed his profits into bigger and bigger returns, some legitmet and others less so. His most valuable connections were with House Celodin of Melanthris and with Rylan's Damien De Torreblanca, owner of the Vista logging company. He needed both if his latest scheme was to pay off, one that he'd been slowly developing for the last several years... In the days just after the storm that flattened all of Lakewatch Vale rolled through, Ridley made sure to turn over all the prime real estate that was now partially underwater. His primary target being the jewel of the district, the MacMurdaugh Hotel. In its flooded basement he found something, a storage box belonging to famed gnome explorer Tabel Fink. The box contained notes and journals about his scouting expeditions the woods surrounding Carda and detailed the wonderous artifacts he was able to bring back. It also detailed the potential riches waiting there to be unearthed. Lupin knew he could never haul all of it out of the forest but he could do the next best thing... take a cut of every little heirloom that sees the light of day. He would build an outpost there and spread the word all across Tairos that the old gnome kingdom was open to any who had the courage to venture in. And that a new settlement was nestled just at the edge ready to support their expeditions. Ridley's Prospect was born out of this gambit. The settlement was engineered to tax and squeeze those arriving for the treasure hunts. The promise of riches left moldering in the woods served to assauge anyone concerned about Lupin's land taxes. Gnomish protesters from Homestead did their best to hault the progress of this glorified grave robbery but Lupin's wealth and powerful allies were more than enough to squash these dissenting voices. Much of the money used to silence the gnomes, as well as resources used to clear the land and build his castle came from House Celodin and Vista Corporation. These were loans, not favors, the both patrons had their debt collectors orbiting Ridley at all times, pressuring him to begin turning profits. So, with only a few months of preparation and very little scouting of the surrounding region, Ridley's Prospect was open. Lupin remains the ever-talented showman though. He billed the settlement as a place for the freespirited to be free from the oppressive oversight of the other great nations. It was somewhere they could come to be truly free, truly independent, and to be the masters of their own fate. This was a very attractive idea to a specific audience but also a lie. In truth, all those who come to the Prospect are little more than vectors for profit in Lupin's eyes.
Mental characteristics
Education
Lupin never attended any formal education but he has numerous fake accreditations claiming him to be a graduate of Ghal Pelor's university
Morality & Philosophy
Lupin holds little to be scared. His most consistent trait is the willingness to trample upon those that consider him an ally if it means improving his odds of profit or survival
Personality Characteristics
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Lupin isn't a spellcaster himself but he is very savvy with operating magic items to their maximum effectiveness. This includes spell scrolls (which he used to help build his castle).
Alignment
Neutral Evil
Current Location
Species
Ethnicity
Age
62
Children
Current Residence
Castle Ridley
Sex
Male
Gender
Man
Height
5'10
Weight
220
Other Affiliations
Ruled Locations
Comments