Craig Firebrand

Craig Firebrand
Born	1684 Meadowcraft
Occupation	Ex-Adventurer
Years active	1700-1705, 1730-present
Era	Age of Heroes, Age of Passage
Organization	Croak and Dagger
Height	2 ft 7 in (79 cm)
Spouse(s)	Melanie Abdel
Children	Hildr Firebrand

"Craig Firebrand...you know, 'the' Craig Firebrand? Rangers of Oakvale ...What, seriously? ...No, that's Edgar!"

Appearance

Craig is described as a medium-sized Halfling with a receding dark-brown hairline and green eyes. His hands are almost always dirty and callused from years of work. He has a short, slightly chubby way about him from his rounder belly, pudgy fingers, and plump nose. You can usually see Craig from afar wearing some kind of apron and tool belt tied around him covered in all manners of dirt, oil, and grime.

Backstory

Beginnings

Craig came from a long, long line of proud stablehands and horse breeders. The life of one who cleans, feeds, and jacks off horses for the wealthy...wasn’t a fun one. Craig daydreamed between shovels of shit, that he would one day be more than a tool for others. That he would find glory, gold, and fame like so many before him.

So, one day Craig shat in his superior’s helmet, went to the nearest tavern, and started an adventuring party with one Edgar Castille. They would later recruit others and called themselves Rangers of Oakvale after the name of the first town they visited as an adventuring party. They would grow into the stuff of legend.

The Rangers of Oakvale

Craig was an adept talker and tinkerer. His time as a servant let him listen in on the gossip and political discourse of nobles. It was Craig who became the face of the Rangers, talking up their combat prowess to anybody that needed a problem solved. Despite his high-energy, often opinionated way he went about, which sometimes landed him and the others in trouble, Craig found friends and love within the Rangers.

Craig and Melanie grew very close and would eventually marry and have Hildr. Melanie was the only one who could talk Craig down from one of his many rants, and Craig made Melanie laugh, it was as simple as that. Craig’s relationships with the other Rangers was strong, it was only ever with Edgar that Craig frequently clashed with. The two had different ideas about what being an adventurer meant, but for the most part their bitter spats died down between pints of ale.

Fatherhood

Despite the adventuring life having never lost its luster with Craig, he decided to settle down near Kartenheim with Melanie and raise their daughter, Hildr, together. Adventuring came naturally to Craig, fatherhood did not. Craig lacked the empathy and warmth most parents had, and was prone to comparing Hildr to other kids her age. She was a Firebrand, and would have to train and adventure like one

Craig was relentless when it came to teaching and training Hildr, sticking her to a very strict diet and training regiment. Craig would turn her into the pinnacle of adventurer if it killed him. This drove was wedge between Craig and Hildr’s relationship. Even when Hildr was out adventuring, Craig always had some sort of critique for her.

No More Heroes

After the events of the Sankofa Accord, the Rangers of Oakvale, like many other adventuring parties, were forced to formally disband. While the Rangers had went their separate ways years ago, Edgar’s stance against adventuring parties, and Craig’s stance for them, created a deep divide between the two friends. It was a matter of principal for Craig.

Starlight

As a registered caravan guard, Hildr was allowed to continue on with her “hero” duties so long as the cargo she transported arrived on time. All but distant from Craig, she only ever stopped by to see her mother. Until one night, she arrived wounded, and in a craze spouting non-sense about men in the woods. Able to calm her down, Craig went off in search of said men in the woods and found nothing.

Later that night, Craig was wracked with horrible images of his daughter, corrupted by some malignant force, slaughtering those around and raising cities. Unable to ignore the visions, Craig crept into Hildr’s tent with crossbow in hand. Before he could pull the trigger on his own daughter, Craig snapped himself out of it. It was all the time Hildr needed to see him, crossbow in hand, and lash out. In the ensuing fight, Melanie was killed by Hildr before the Firebrand daughter fled. Not far behind, Craig recruited Quoruk and Edgar to help capture his daughter. And capture her they did.

Craig locked Hildr away at the Maw, a maximum security prison for the Alliance’s most dangerous beings and creatures. With little more than a “Thanks,” to his friends, he left. He thought the nightmare was over, he thought he’d be able to move on. He was wrong.

Croak and Dagger

Craig flew under the radar for a numbers of years, sightings of him were reported around the western territory of the Alliance. After reconnecting with Quoruk and finding a room for rent at a fishery in Meadowcraft, Craig set his new plan into motion. Against the Sankofa Accord and the better judgement of Edgar, Craig sent out a mass notice to anyone that would listen. He was going to start an adventuring party, but under the guise as a citizen’s city watch which was by all standards legal. Old contacts reached out and gave Craig what he’d need to start what would eventually become known as Croak and Dagger.

The handyman and mover of Croak and Dagger, Craig passes on what guidance he has to the adventurers and negotiates deals on their behalf. Craig is unapologetic about most of his life choices, stating they got him to where he is today. Hoping to redeem himself in the eyes of his daughter and deceased wife, Craig stands by his new family through thick and thin. “I ruined one family. I’m not ruining this one.”

Abilities

Expert Craftsman. Craig has a natural aptitude for tinkering and fixing everyday objects and tackling larger projects like a building. If he's not working with his hands, he's not happy.

Witty Talker. What Edgar calls Craig's "Bullshit Meter". Growing up, Craig had to learn how to talk to people and talk his way into jobs. He carries that with him to this day.

Historical Buff. Craig has a more than basic understanding of lore and the history of different towns, nations, and organizations. Being an adventurer, he had to know what he was talking about when bullshitting a king.

Relationships

Edgar "If you looked up "pompous" in the dictionary you'd find a sketch of this blowhard right under it...What? Yeah, really! Okay, okay... look me and Edgar weren't always at each other's throats. Back when we started the Rangers he was one of the bravest, most fucking driven guys I'd ever seen. I can't even count the number of teams we almost got wiped out cause of some big bad evil shithead, but Edgar was always there rallying us. At his core Edgar wants to help people. He's a genuinely understanding, really protective guy and I owe him a lot. Like, a lot. Me and him won't always see eye to eye on things, but if you've got Edgar in your corner, I'd say odds are good you're doing good for yourself. But yeah, real royal blowhard.."

Mel "Where do I start? ...I mean, how does a woman like Mel fall for some narcissistic asshole like me? Well, that was Mel for you. She saw the good in people and always brought out the best in them. She was soft where I was this jaded, egotistical meathead. Mel, baby I love you so much. I miss you... yeah. That's it. Sorry, got me crying over here.."

Hildr "I was a shitty dad. No excuses or funny one-liners to that one. I was a shitty dad and deserved every ounce of hate Hildr threw my way. I got so caught up with preserving the Firebrand name, proving my own dad wrong, that I pushed away the only family I had left. Starlight, I've got so much I want to say to you. But I understand if you don't want to hear any of it. Just know that nobody hates me more than I probably do. You were such a good kid, like your mom. She'd be really proud of you, in spite of everything. You've got my temper, but damn if you don't have your mom's compassion. Even if most folks don't see it."

Quoruk "So I'm having a drink at this really shitty inn, I mean just the worst, and up comes strolling this birdbrain dressed like a freaking cowboy or something. He takes a seat next to me, looks at me, then my drink, then at the bartender and says, "I'll have what he's having." like a goddamn action hero or something! Ha...ah, man I miss you brother. Quoruk was a fella' all about principle. Stood by his friends through thick and thin, no matter what."

Sven "Best drinking buddy you could ask for. Sven and I grew up shoeing horses for the same shithead farmer, Mr. Leahe. I spoke a little bit of Giant so me and Sven went back and forth talking shit about Leahe and his funny way of walking and crooked nose. Have you ever went drink-for-drink with a Goliath? Haha...I wish I could say I remember that night, but I don't. Sven is one hell of a guy, you can still see it when he's not playing mouthpiece to the Goliaths.."

Croak and Dagger "I screwed up one family, I'm not going to screw up another. Now, I know my adventuring days are behind me, but that doesn't mean I can't teach and be there for these guys. I know a lot of people have strong opinions about some of the choices the others have made, but fuck off. Because at the end of the day, they do what's right and protect people."