Kraig, the Bull's page

Kraig. Is. Gigantic. A mountain of a man with ox-like shoulders, a thick neck, barrel chest, and arms like oak trees. His skin is sun-browned by countless hours on the sunny docks of Korvosa, his hands huge and calloused, dwarfing even the most generously sized tankard. Despite his imposing size, his slicked back, short cropped, jet-black hair and waxed handlebar moustache sitting above an anvil-like jaw gives him a professional, though casual, appearance. His eyes sit half-closed with casual confidence. Laugh lines crease his face from countless shared jokes in the tavern. He moves with surprising grace for one so large, easily navigating crowded common rooms and overly-busy kitchens. He gives the impression of warmth first, wrecking ball second, complimented by a friendly, rumbling voice built to carry over music and merriment.

He dresses like a brewer ready for a brawl to break out: a deep red work shirt, open at the neck with sleeves rolled to the biceps, a heavy sea-green apron fitted with brass buttons and buckles and fixed in place with a red, knotted sash. He carries no weapons for he needs none.

============Personality============
"Friend, you’re about three words from meeting the floor. Better pick three good ones."

Kraig is a gentle giant, his personality is as large as he his. Laughter announces him wherever he goes. He has countless friends, always bringing people together, believing happiness should be shared. He embodies the tenets of Cayden Cailean and enjoys the simple things in life; courage, loyalty, freedom, good food (but not too much), good ale (but not too much), and good friends (never enough). He is an endless font of bravery and questionable advice. He will share a loaf of bread with the hungry, or enjoy a drink with the sorrowful.

He tries humor before he tries arguing, tries mercy before he tries muscle, not because he doubts his own strength but because he respects it. Always looking for a peaceful solution, a bully meets his smile first. None of that is to say Kraig will turn down a good brawl. Kraig is always ready for a good brawl and quick to jump to the defense of the defenseless. While he plays a bit of a buffoon, he is no fool, with a keen eye for deception.

============Story============

Born in the Shingles district of Korvosa to first generation immigrants, Kraig was always the largest child in any room. His father, Halder Ironsson, was a stevedore who could lift crates that took three other men to move, while his mother, Marta, worked the fish markets with a voice that could cut through the din of the crowded market docks. He grew up hauling cargo alongside his father, work that taught him that honest work and honest ale are key pillars of life. Kraig was always a big boy, but his parents taught him that strength without kindness is only masking for ones own weakness. By the time he was seventeen he could out-work three men and out-drink four.

One evening Kraig came upon a pressgang trying to abduct a group of drunks. Kraig intervened. The ensuing brawl was finally ended when Kraig wrenched a piling free from its post and wielded it as easily as a poet wields a pen. It also left him with a split lip, two broken ribs, and an epiphany: sometimes the gods put you right where you need to be.

A traveling priest of Cayden Cailean - Brother Tommas - witnessed the brawl. He recognized something in the young brawler, not the obvious strength, but a spark of divine purpose. He took Kraig under his wing and, with his tutelage, Kraig learned to embrace Cayden Cailean's teachings. For five years, Kraig studied and served, dividing his time between work, the small temple of Cayden Cailean in Old Korvosa, and the rough taverns where his ministry was most needed. He learned to channel divine magic through his massive fists, to bless ale and break jaws with equal reverence. His reputation grew: the giant who'd buy you a drink with one hand while tossing troublemakers out with the other.

The tavern came to him like a gift from the gods. The Sodden Hippogriff belonged to a surly, bitter old dwarf named Ironjaw. It was never a respected establishment - indeed it was one of the rougher dockside taverns in the city - and the dwarf had let it rot into a den of cheap rotgut and even cheaper company. Nevertheless, Kraig saw potential in the cracked foundation and rotting timbers. He also saw potential in its location, a rather busy throughfare on the waterfront in the Midland district, with more than enough potential clientele to turn a profit. Using every copper he'd saved, plus a "divine loan" from his temple (and possibly some winnings from bare-knuckle boxing at the Sticky Mermaid), he leased the establishment.

The renovation took six months. Kraig did most of the work himself, having learned something of carpentry from a life around ships. The bartop was made from a beautiful plank of Mwangi darkwood, recovered from a merchants ship that had sunk some years before just off the coast, and it made a superb centerpiece for the bar. He cleaned up the customer base as well, turning the problem bar into a well-regarded establishment, and he kept a tight reign on the sailors that managed to wander in. The Hippogriff also gained popularity with both the Korvosan Guard and the Sable Company, which were generally welcome company. The Hippogriff became a place where both sides of the law could comingle in relative peace, as Kraig was quick to toss out troublemakers. The tavern became a cornerstone of the neighborhood. A plaque of simple rules hangs over the bar. "No blood on the floorboards, no magic at the card tables, no tabs over a week old." He started brewing his own mead, which served both as a way to save money on inventory and as adequate worship of Cayden Cailean. He found he had a knack for not just brewing, but alchemy, and it wasn't long until he was spinning spells into alcoholic potions.

But Korvosa is changing. The city grows darker, more dangerous. Strange disappearances, corrupt guards shaking down honest folk, and whispers of something rotten in the nobility have Kraig concerned. His tavern has become an unofficial sanctuary, a place where the common folk can speak freely and find an ally in their giant proprietor. He's not looking for trouble, but he knows Cayden Cailean didn't become a god by standing idly by when evil showed its face.

Tragedy struck the Ironsson family six months ago. Kraig's niece, Lysa - daughter of his sister, Sanna Haldersdottir - disappeared from the docks one cool and sunny morning. A frantic search turned up nothing, and the Guard, while sympathetic, assumed she had been murdered or impressed. The guard closed her case, but Kraig's family did not give up hope. Kraig maintains connections throughout the city: dock workers who tell him about strange shipments, guards who appreciate a free drink and a sympathetic ear, street children who know he'll always have yesterday's bread and today's protection. Of late he has heard rumors of a girl matching Lysa's description seen in the company of other urchins known to work for the vile criminal Gaedren Lamm. If there's one thing the Bull cannot stand, it's people who prey on children...

Capital‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Purchased Cost‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Earned Cost
Goods‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 20 gp‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 10 gp
Influence‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎30 gp‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 15 gp
Labor‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 20 gp‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 10 gp
Magic‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 100 gp‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ 50 gp

====Current Capital====
Goods: 0
Influence: 0
Labor: 0
Magic: 0

==========The Sodden Hippogriff==========

Create 43 Goods, 3 Influence, 40 Labor (1,750 gp)
Rooms *1 Bar*, 1 Brewery, 1 Common Room, 1 Kitchen, 1 Office, 2 Storages, 1 Workstation

====Currently Building====

*1 Bar as part of Tavern*
Earnings gp or Influence +10
Benefit bonus on Diplomacy checks to gather information
Create 6 Goods, 1 Influence, 5 Labor (250 gp); Time 16 days; Size 10–20 squares
A Bar stores a selection of drinks and includes a counter for preparing them. After spending an hour with local people in this room, for the next 24 hours you gain a +1 bonus on Diplomacy checks you make to gather information in the settlement.

====Progress on Bar====
Goods: 0/6
Influence: 0/1
Labor: 0/5
Magic: 0/0
Time: 0/16
Max Total GP: 250

====Progress on Tavern====
Goods: 0/43
Influence: 0/3
Labor: 0/40
Magic: 0/0
Time: 0/100
Max Total GP: 1,750

====Future Plans====

1 Brewery
Earnings gp or Influence +10
Create 9 Goods, 2 Influence, 7 Labor (380 gp); Time 24 days; Size 12–24 squares

A Brewery allows you to ferment or distill ingredients such as fruits and grain to create potent beverages.

1 Common Room
Earnings gp or Influence +7
Create 7 Goods, 8 Labor (300 gp); Time 16 days; Size 10–30 squares
This versatile open area has enough space for many people to use at once. a Common Room is typically furnished with benches, chairs, cushions, mats, pews, or stools, and might have tables.

1 Kitchen
Earnings gp or Goods +4

Create 4 Goods, 4 Labor (160 gp); Time 12 days; Size 2–6 squares

A Kitchen is used to prepare food. It contains a stove, sink, and small pantry with basic cooking tools and supplies. a Kitchen for a business that serves food, such as an Inn, probably also has Storage just for foodstuffs.

Office
Create 3 Goods, 3 Labor (120 gp); Time 8 days; Size 2–5 squares

Upgrades From Storage

This simple room includes a door with a simple lock, a chair, and a large desk that has two drawers with simple locks. An Office affords its user privacy and a refuge from other activity in the building.

2x Storage
Earnings gp +2

Create 2 Goods, 2 Labor (80 gp); Time 8 days; Size 4–8 squares

Storage is any room used to store objects, keeping them out of the way for later use. Most Warehouses are just multiple Storage rooms built into a single building. A low-cost shop may allow its customers to browse items in the Storage area. A door to a Storage room includes an average lock.

1 Workstation (Profession: Brewer)
Earnings gp, Goods, or Influence +8
Benefit counts as masterwork artisan’s tools for one Craft or Profession skill
Create 8 Goods, 7 Labor (300 gp); Time 16 days; Size 8–16 squares

This includes a table, chair, and appropriate masterwork artisan’s tools for one Craft or Profession skill you choose when you build the room. For example, if intended for a carpenter, it has clamps, saws, nails, hammers, and a sturdy worktable. Up to three people can use the room at a time.

====Teams====

1 Bureaucrats
Earnings gp or Influence +4

Create 7 Goods, 7 Influence, 12 Labor (610 gp); Time 5 days; Size 5 people

Bureaucrats interface with local government and deal with annoying paperwork related to running a business or organization. This type of team could include accountants, diplomats, lawyers, and scribes. a typical bureaucrat is a 1st-, 2nd-, or 3rd-level expert with ranks in Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Knowledge (local), Linguistics, and Profession (barrister, clerk, or scribe).

2 Craftspeople (Brewery, Kitchen)
Earnings gp, Goods, or Labor +4
Create (x2) 3 Goods, 2 Influence, 4 Labor (200 gp); Time 2 days; Size 3 people

Craftspeople are trained in a particular Craft or Profession skill and make a living using that skill. Examples of this team are alchemists, carpenters, leatherworkers, masons, and smiths. A typical carpenter is a 4th-level expert with 4 ranks each in Climb, Craft (carpentry), Diplomacy, and Knowledge (engineering and local). Craftspeople in other fields have a similar skill arrangement.

?? Laborers)
Earnings gp or Labor +2
Create (x??) 1 Influence, 2 Labor (70 gp); Time 0 days; Size 5 people

Laborers are unskilled workers who carry out basic orders. In most cases, their work is physical labor, though you may recruit laborers for specialized tasks such as begging for your thieves’ guild, being professional mourners for your cult, or filling out the cast of a theater performance. They are typically 1st-level commoners with no ranks in Craft or Profession.