Grodholt of Ustalav's page

About Grodholt of Ustalav

Due to an irregular detour by his mother's caravan, Grodholt was born in Virlych, a union of two disparate cultures. Never fitting in with the gypsy band, he was eventually left in the care of his uncle in Kaer Maga. Unbeknownst to the nomadic side of his family, Grodholt's uncle had risen to become a leader of a Sczarni gang that worked under the auspices of troll intestine-seers. The man embraced his sister-son's loyalty that only blood could bring, combined with the outward appearance that attracted many other stereotypes before that of Varisian thieves. As he could never rise high in the hierarchy of the ethnic crime organization, Grodholt was sent to the Pathfinder Society, working through years of training at the Grand Lodge to serve the Szcarni's interests. Although he is a plant, Grodholt is strictly loyal, and will not work against the Society unless it is necessary to further his primary allegiance's aims.

Grodholt's green skin covers the olive tones of his mother's side, and he wears a full explorer's outfit and troll hides covering his Varisian tattoos. Only his face and hands are visible, so he chose these areas to bear the brands of fortune traditional to his paternal lineage. Although hardly an intellectual and not formally educated, Grodholt showed a knack for words and marks, which he has incorporated into his magic and his occupation. He sees the city as just another habitat, where the strong survive and the weak are meat, but his upbringing taught him that pack loyalty is a perfectly good route to strength. Brought up with many rituals and superstitions, Grodholt believes that the so-called Age of Lost Omens is merely a time when prophecies are too inscrutable for mortals to understand. After all, if the seeress had not divined that the caravan should travel through Belkzen, where she would encounter the danger from which she was rescued by a (relatively) handsome Rotting Tongue warrior, he would never have been born. Grodholt's familiarity with Harrow decks also gives him a source of income. Although not a wise woman himself, he uses his stony face to good effect in games of Towers.

In his studies, Grodholt came across some obscure faiths, such as those of Eldest Magdh and the Thassilonian goddess Lissala. Although he does not revere them any more than Pharasma, he does follow some of their teachings that ring true to him. These beliefs in immutable fate and loyalty give him a somewhat less chaotic outlook than those of most half-orcs and Sczarni.

After a simple go-fer mission, Grodholt's second team assignment led him to a whimsical demiplane, where he found himself "adopted" as one of the artificial denizens. Not only did he become indebted to one of his teammates for restoring his soul, he also experienced that world's version of death. After returning from a stylized Boneyard, he found dealing with an infernal invasion positively mundane.