About Hakon "Hooch Clown"Hakon "Hooch Clown" Fairweather CR 1/2
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The rise of diabolism and the worship of Asmodeus rekindled an appreciation, and acceptance, of Zon-Kuthon. The restoration of that foul culture meant hardship for many good and honest people. Even in such a dark and evil country, the Fairweather family thrived. Keeping their heads down, they continued to make their living crafting fine porcelain dolls for the children of well-to-do Nidalese families. Where the bone powder for the porcelain came from, no one ever asked. When a local necromancer's apprentice was sent to retrieve a receptacle for his master to house a captured soul, he found that it was broken and thus unsuitable. In a near panic, he came across Fairweather's Doll Shoppe and seeing the fine craftmanship lit upon a desperate idea. Rushing in, he gave everything he had for one doll and rushed to his master with the replacement vessel. Furious, the necromancer would have utterly destroyed his young apprentice if not for the difficulty in maintaining control of the erstwhile soul. Recognizing his options, he thrust the spirit into the porcelain figure. Within moments, the toy began to move of it's own accord. Amazement crossed the wizard's face as he realized what he had on his hands. A new kind of homonculus! Pressing the apprentice on where he bought the doll, he went to the shop and began making purchases. In time, his discovery was revealed and eventually others learned what was necessary to bind souls to dolls and where to get the best specimens. Business boomed for the halflings. Yet every cloud casts a shadow. The rise of Thrune brought about a renewed interest in Nidal. Cheliax sent in new overlords and their courts filled with sycophants of the new regime. Too, came the new codices of laws, vastly reducing the liberties and rights of many people, especially non-humans such as halflings. In Cheliax proper, it had become the height of fashion to have halflings as servants, which meant many were being enslaved for petty crimes; often on trumped up charges. One such hanger on of the new court learned of the china dolls and went to purchase one for herself. Taking her children with her, she entered the shop and while perusing the selection of dolls, her children began playing with the shopkeep's young son. Hakon was a delightful little halfling, always smiling and instantly friends with anyone he met. To him, these human children were just new playmates. The woman spied a doll sitting on a workbench in the backroom through the open doorway. She told the shopkeep that was the one she wanted. He demurred, stating that it was a special order for another client. Outraged, she demanded the doll. Again, he declined saying that it was paid for in advance. The woman then claimed that the halfling was trying to cheat her by holding back in an effort to make her offer to pay more. She screamed for help and when the guard came, she spun her tale and demanded the halfling be arrested. The halfling tried to explain, but was shouted down by the human guards. He pled with the Chelaxian woman not to do this to him. In a pique of petty vindictiveness, the woman pointed to the shopkeep's son who was silently watching the proceedings, his hand still holding that of the woman's daughter. She would take that doll instead if he did not want to be arrested and enslaved. The man was aghast, but ultimately seeing no way out of it, slumped his shoulders and agreed. Taking Hakon with her, she expected him to be all smiles and happy entertainment for her children, but all he did was cry and whine for his family. After weeks of this behaviour and with her kids throwing temper tantrums about their "dollie" not smiling or playing with them, she took matters in hand. She had the halfling taken to an artist where they drew rosy cheeks, high eyebrows a red button nose and a wide smile onto his face. She then had another man tattoo those features onto his face so that never again would he not smile for her children. For years, the children played with "Mr. Biddles". Over time though, they grew up and he was left behind in the nursery along with all of their other forgotten toys. Some years later, one of the house servants found him stealing scraps of food. Near starving and completely forgotten, Hakon had become feral. The halfling slave got him to a member of the Bellflower Network who spirited him away. The network was able to secure a home for Hakon with other halflings among the network. An older couple, retired now, with no children of their own took him in and taught him their ways. Being retired adventurers, a magus and witch, he learned the skills of magecraft and sword fighting while learning that he could channel his inner power to lay curses upon others. As innkeepers, they also taught the art of brewing alcohol to distill uisge, ales, meads, and other, esoteric halfling brews. It was during this time that he met Abitan, another under the wing of his foster parents. They became inseparable. When the settlement was attacked and everyone was driven out, they fled too. In the refugee camp, the priests of Pharasma extolled how it was fate and there was always the possibility of meeting again in the afterlife. Hakon listened to their words but did not feel the truth of their message. He also heard the whispers of some of the Pharasmin priests and how they talked of revenge, murdering those who murdered and assassinating the leaders who propogated such destruction. The refugees muttered about Norgorber, but among the halflings in the camp were whispers of Thamir Gixx, Shadow of the Grey Master. This caught his interest and the more he found out about it, the more it seemed true and right. It was during one of the local authority's purges of the refugee camp that Hakon and Abitan were approached by some grizzled old men talking of the glory of battle, fighting outnumbering armies and overcoming insurmountable odds to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Grinning, they looked to one another and signed the book, falling in with the Blood Hawks. Traits:
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