Fenwald Griswick, Keeper of the Lore and librarian to King Ludwig Ormandy, is known throughout the land as one of the wisest of scribes. He works in the private archives deep within the bowels of the royal palace at Castle Hardstone. These extensive stacks stretch for hundreds of yards and sink down into the sub-basement dug deep into the limestone cliffs that support the generations-old stronghold. There is also a secret exit from the castle way in the back known only to the King, Griswick, and his assistants.
Appearance and Traits
- Gender: Male
- Age: Advanced
- Severely Nearsighted (eyes are full of cataracts and are severely pale)
- Takes a secret potion that reduces cataracts for several hours
- Dress: Robes of a Monk
- Shoes: simple cloth wraps so as not to disturb the visitors to the library
- Has an ever-flowing magic quill on him at all times
- Has a half-dozen miniature blank scrolls in each of his pocket; can identify them by touch and find exactly the one he's looking for with stunning accuracy
- Writes
- Teetotaler
- Can no longer identify different foods by taste
- Voice is raspy and choked; audible breaths; tires easily
- Smells of dust
Origin
Publicly, very little is known about Griswick. He was born outside of Castle Hardstone in a small unnamed trading village and worked in his youth for his father -- a merchant -- keeping the books of the family business.
Griswick gained notoriety when the Court Mage of King Ludwig's father -- King Horist Ormandy -- sought information about the local area and Griswick -- having his own very small library of local history -- aided the mage. Griswick's contribution, while minor, was praised by the king to the chagrin of the jealous Court Mage -- who cursed Griswick's eyes.
When the younger Griswick left the business after receiving a commission from the king as court librarian, his father was crushed and their already strained relationship fractured even further. They spoke very rarely after that. Griswick dove headlong into the stacks and never looked back.
Amity and Combat Abilities
- Melee: small club, limited due to his eyesight and advanced age.
- Ranged: blind fire only, he has no ranged weapon
- Magic: his extensive study in history and impressive intelligence has provided him some limited study in spells
- [SPELL] Reveal Truth: verifies the authenticity of an object; translates ciphers
- [SPELL] Light of Truth: a floating wisp of light that will show followers the location of an object that Griswick has seen before
- [SPELL] Smothering Wind: a sudden burst of wind that can extinguish fires or knock an enemy prone
Personality Adjectives
- Calm - "Worry does nothing to the sands in an hourglass."
- Lamenting of Age - "I once knew the eyes of a young man. They served me well, but now they serve others."
- Salty - "To protect a scroll, one must stay dry. This is not a qualification for those who wet their tongues with words."
- Precise - "It is remarkable how many hours of debate can be avoided if only the people who come before remember to place a dot above each of their 'I's."
- Slow in Action - "Forgive me. My friends are words and the one thing they all have in common is their willingness to wait."
Goals
- Collect
Any scrolls or old paperwork pertaining to the genealogy of the royal family, nobles, courtiers, and citizens who live in or near the town of Hardstone would be of interest to Griswick and he will pay an appropriate price. - Craft/Destroy
Griswick is always looking for new and unusual devices in which he can create, replicate, store, preserve, and translate scrolls. - Defend
Any threat to the library, Griswick's person, the annex buildings on the far side of the castle, any of the printers and scribes in his employ, or to members of the royal family will be rewarded by Griswick if dealt with. - Escort
Griswick is the recipient of many requests for information. Good early-level quests would send adventurers out to deliver these scrolls and collect fees. - Expose
- Jealous Courtiers
Members of the court, seeking advantages over one another, will often alter history to cover up their family skeletons or add lies to embellish or frame others. Griswick is unique in his extensive knowledge of history and can check these rumors against the truth.
- Here Lies the King
The King himself is often guilty of re-inventing that family history -- as his father and his father's father did before him. Occasionally, the King forgets what is real and what is not and may ask for clarification -- which Griswick is excellent at providing. - Investigate
- The Lost Branch
A section of the Ormandy family tree has been systematically erased from history by Ludwig's father, King Horist Ormandy. Any mention or proof of the existence of Causim Salam -- a distant first cousin of Ludwig's -- how he's connected to Horist, and/or the names of Causim's immediate family members would be of significant interest and great value to Griswick. - Pay
- The Counterfeit Counter Top
A merchant in the nearby town of Port Holdaze has sent word that he purchased an old scroll that contains genealogy information about the King from a tomb robber. Negotiate a good price for the scroll and then attempt to locate the tomb robber, the tomb, and any additional information.
- A Bottle of Aid
To combat his failing eyes, Griswick purchases bottles of a secret potion from a shaman that lives quietly in a house in the woods North of the castle. Griswick will reimburse and pay a fee for bottles of this concoction. - Puzzle
Griswick -- being the recipient of hundreds of new scrolls every month -- needs help deciphering old codes, opening locked boxes, and translating tomes that come to him from foreign lands. - Retrieve
Griswick is always looking for people to search the stacks. However, some areas of the library are more dangerous than others due to infestations of various underground creatures like spiders and bats. - Save
- Gentrified Library
The Great Library of Karun in the town of Karun found within the borders of the neighboring Kingdom of Lyst is being destroyed to make way for the King of Lyst's new bathhouse. Thousands of tomes and scrolls will be lost forever, but Griswick is only interested in any information regarding the Kings of Hardstone, their dealings with the Kings of Lyst, and any genealogy of either. - Teach
- Heir in Error
King Ludwig does not want his young son Fryst to know about the sorted history of their family tree. Griswick and the boy's tutors are interested in making the world a better place by getting Fryst this information against his father's wishes. - Unlock
Some of the containers received by Griswick are protected with both magical and non-magical locking devices.
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