Bartimus Codswallop

"Firecracker"

Bartimus Codswallop is a human wizard originally hailing from Vorba.

History

Bartimus Codswallop, or Barty to his friends and family, is the youngest of three boys born to the proprietors of Codswallop Arms, a successful blacksmith and weaponry in Vorba. Barty’s father ran the forge, and his mother ran the shop. The access to materials brought in through the port afforded Mr. Codswallop everything he needed to make high-quality weapons, but even so, the quality of his work with metal was unique. Some even said that the magic that runs through Winderia blessed his forge. Codswallop arms is well known in Vorba and even beyond, as is their slogan: “Codswallop Arms. Our arms pack a wallop!”
Barty’s two older brothers, Alec and Jon, both took after their father. They were tall and athletic and strong. Both were star athletes in their youth and took to soldiering naturally in their careers. Jon, 20, has served the past few years as a member of the City Guard in Vorba. Having developed his own arcane talents, Alec, 24, left the city guard last year for Mystryl and joined the eldritch knights of the Holy Guard.
Unlike his brothers, the 16-year-old Barty takes after his mother. Mrs. Codswallop is short and slender and more likely to rely on her intellect and wit than on strength. Nevertheless, she is a tough and shrewd businesswoman and undeniably responsible for the success of Codswallop Arms. She always doted on her baby boy and protected him from the good-natured bullying of his older brothers. Mr. Codswallop is a kind man and loves all of his sons fiercely, but Barty has always sensed (or imagined) his father’s disappointment that he is not like his brothers.
Unable to excel in physical activities, Barty took on an apprenticeship at the local library. There, he met his mentor, Nigel Faraj, who first took notice of Barty’s aptitude for the arcane and taught him that there is an answer for any question, you just need to find the right book. Barty decided that this must mean that once he found the right book, he could use magic to make himself strong like his brothers.

The Goblin Incident

After months of research and study, Barty believed he found a ritual that would enhance his physique. He sneaked into the library late one night with the necessary components and, by candlelight, attempted the ritual. Unfortunately, Barty misread the draconic runes of the spell, and instead of becoming a big, strong human, he was transformed to a small, green goblin. In his frustration over the discovery of his failure, Barty accidentally knocked the candle over onto the book, and half the ritual was lost before he could smother the flame.
In the following months, Barty sought answers wherever he could. The effect of the ritual appeared permanent. No simple polymorph or restoration spell could manage to reverse the effect. Barty and his mentor looked everywhere for the solution but were unable to find any answers in all of Vorba. As they were searching, Nigel—who was well on in years—took ill. His health faded quickly, and he passed on not long after. The last time Barty saw him, Nigel handed him a piece of parchment with a symbol drawn upon it that Barty had never seen before. Nigel told him that he believed that this symbol may be the key to returning Barty to his human form, and that Barty must seek more information in the Great Library at the Magic University of Mystryl. The day after Nigel’s funeral, Barty set off in search of answers.
After Barty helped save the Great Library from a murderer and attempted arsonist, he was welcomed into the University, but he did not enroll. Instead, he sought the advice of a transmutation professor on how to reverse his change into a goblin. The professor was fascinated by the situation and eagerly offered to help. After the two conducted extensive research, they discovered that the symbol Nigel had given Barty was an ancient abjuration rune rather than a transmutation one, and Barty had in fact cursed himself rather than polymorphed himself. They scrambled around the second floor of the library, concocting potions and preparing abjuration circles. Finally, Barty was standing in the center of a room with four golden dragon heads aimed at him from all directions. He closed his eyes and braced himself. When the ritual was over, he found himself in his old body again, his goblin failure in a puddle at his feet.

Relationships

Bartimus Codswallop

youngest brother (Vital)

Towards Alec Codswallop

5

Honest

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Alec Codswallop

eldest brother (Vital)

Towards Bartimus Codswallop

5

Honest

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Ethnicity
Human

Age
16

Career
Wizard
School of Transmutation (arcane tradition)

City-State
Vorba
Organization(s)
—

Spouses

Siblings

Alec Codswallop (eldest brother)