Ozer Taskker's page

Ozer is a tall, broad man in his early thirties, but it's hard to tell since he is slumped over the bar. His gear is all second hand, and only marginally kept up as is his person hood. He face is covered with a shaggy, untrimmed beard and his red eyes reveal the personal strain he is under. His breath has the constant stale hint of beer.

Ozer was once a proud and pious man, a sworn knight dedicated to the vows of church and order. Now he is a broken soul who feels he is unworthy of good things. He drinks to punish himself for his sins and failures, and the alcohol has tarnished his once pleasant personality. He is gruff and short tempered and would much rather not be bothered by anyone. He tries to pretend the world is not going by around him, but some things he just can't stand. Deep in his core the sense of right and wrong that led him to dedicate his life to Sarenrae and join the Eagle Knights still goads him to action, though often he tries to ignore it.

Ozer Taskker Champion of Sarenrae, a Steel Falcon of the Eagle Knights, a Man of Honor...maybe half a decade ago, before coming to Cheliax. Ozer was once a devout man of faith, dedicated to his martial practice, and loyal to his vows both to the Dawnflower and to his order. It is the reason they chose him to leave Andoran and go to Westcrown to bring his goddesses message of redemption from evil to the imperial nation.

But it was too much, Ozer couldn't take the arrogance of the followers of Asmodeus and the taint of devil worship everywhere. A year of his service was lost to stout ale which became the fallen paladins only devotion. Ozer became a regular at, and under, the bar at the Bell of the Sea, the only place in the infernal city that didn't seem to stink of devil worship. Elden, a kind gentleman who kept the bar there, never pressed Ozer to talk as the fallen paladin drank away his tithes and sold his possessions to keep himself in tankards of ale. The only things Ozer refused to part with were a small figurine of a falcon, a reminder of his days with the Knights, and the silver Holy Symbol of his goddess, now tarnished.

Ozer tried to stay at the bottom of a mug away from everything but then one night there was a girl. A halfling girl, not barley a women, who was huddled in the corner of the bar when they came for her. Agents of one of the noble houses, brutes who made her scream as they yanked her from the chair by the hair. These thugs with authority drew blades and made Elden bleed as he leapt to aid her. It was the girls sobs that pushed through the alcoholic fog and hit Ozer at the core, he had never seen her before and didn’t even know her name. Ozer intervened and catching them off guard was able to fight them off as Elden got the girl out and away. The altercation ended up getting Ozer tossed into the lock-up for several day, until Elden came and bailed him out.

Several month later Elden finally trusted Ozer to confide in him and shared that occasionally friends of Elden used the bar as a place to help smuggle out escaping slaves. Elden needed Ozer to help from time to time, tonkeep the place secure. Last month Elden asked Ozer to help guide a halfling family through a fairly safe spot of the Westcrown sewers, giving him a slight bit more trust and responsibility. Ozer is not aware that Elden is cleric of Iomedea and member of the Bellflower Network. He is not aware that The Bell of the Sea is the head quarters of the underground helping runaway slaves and others in need get smuggled out of Westcrown. Elden sees potential in Ozer and has him help when he can get him sober. Elden has outfitted Ozer with some acquired gear to do the work, and keeps tabs on him to ensure the drunk dosn’t drink that stuff away too. Elden does not fully trust the drunk with all the details of the operation yet, but keeps him close...hopeful. Ozer is starting to find a purpose, if not in his faith, then working to help others escape the torment of this city. Yet he still finds himself “under the bar” all to often, a self imposed penance for failing to fulfill his duty and his vows.