Zieke Halveran's page

Zieke Halveran was born in Korvosa, but his family heritage includes a mix of Chelaxian, Varisian, and Shoanti bloodlines. He grew up aspiring to become a member of the Korvosan Guard and attended one of the city's many fighting schools to learn the way of the sword. To make ends meet, he routinely hired himself out as a mercenary guide for noble hunting parties venturing into the wilderness. And occasionally, he acted as a bodyguard for visiting merchants to escort up to the Heights or into the seedier districts of the city.

One such experience landed him in a confrontation with a henchman in the retinue of Aldern Foxglove, a noble visiting Korvosa on business. Zieke wound up insulting Foxglove and the next time he visited the Heights, he found himself surrounded by his henchman and a few of his friends, who attacked him in one of the city parks. Always a scrappy fighter, Zieke defended himself as well as possible, but took quite a beating. Somewhere in the fray, the noble's henchman tripped and landed hard while grappling with him...impaling himself on an upturned root. The fight ended abruptly with the shock of his death...giving Zieke the chance to flee.

Fully aware he wouldn't stand a chance of defending himself against charges of murder when the Guard came to arrest him, Zieke gave up his dream of one day joining their ranks. Instead, he returned to his fighting school, packed his possessions, and stole a copy of Master Soone's Tian Xia teachings on the art of martial combat...which he fully intended to study on his own somewhere in the wilderness. Following the same trails he once used to guide nobles on hunting trips, he soon disappeared into the countryside.

For the next four years, Zieke lived off the land, putting his survival skills to the test. Occasionally, he traded with passersby and sometimes shared a campfire with bandits in a similar situation. One bandit lord, named Ardis Bezelby, offered to let him join their operation, but Zieke steadfastly refused, not wishing to risk further crimes or encounters with Korvosa's lawbringers. He half-suspected to find a Hellknight on his trail, but no one ever found him.

In time, Zieke yearned for something more than a life on the run, living among the forest and mountains. Hoping to turn a new page, he journeyed west to Magnimar. Along the way, he met a Varisian girl named Chavali Marray, after joining her father's caravan enroute to the city. They had a brief affair while her family wintered there, but eventually the Varisian nomads moved away. He and Chavali parted on friendly terms, however, and he'd like to see her again someday.

Once again on his own, Zieke cleaned himself up and hired out as a mercenary and sellsword, earning a few coins where he could. But it never seemed enough in a city as expensive as Magnimar. He had hoped to find another fighting school to join, but nothing seemed to offer the quality of the schools in Korvosa...or the teachings of the scrolls he'd stolen. Occasionally, he found sparring partners in tavern brawls or back-alley prize-fights, testing his martial prowess through trail-and-error. But, although such efforts helped him pass the time, he still wanted something better for himself.

So, Zieke journeyed northward up the Lost Coast. This brought him to Sandpoint, which immediately appealed to him. With the proper blend of countryside, sea air, and frontier spirit, he felt at home and far enough away from Korvosa that he believed he'd left his past behind him. While living in Sandpoint for the past couple of years, Zieke came to understand much of the fear and depression leftover from the Late Unpleasantness. He also became interested in the House of Blue Stones and the faith of Irori, which led him once again to consult the scrolls of Tian Xia. On his off-hours, he often practices the exercises described in those teachings and spars with some of the local guardsmen.

His skill at arms represent his only "trade" skill, so eventually he joined Sandpoint's garrison, reporting to Sheriff Belor Hemlock. But his assignments included scouting the countryside and protecting the trade routes moreso than keeping guard inside the town itself. He regrets having missed the Swallowtail Festival and an opportunity to defend the town from the night-time goblin raid. He feels even worse that he never saw any sign of such an uprising coming. But he's commited himself to redoubling his efforts and proving his worth to Sheriff Hemlock and Mayor Deverin. More recently, Zieke accompanied the Sheriff back to Magnimar to request additional soldiers to help bolster the town against future goblin incursions. But Magnimar's officials gave them only a token force of green recruits. Zieke has recently led those men back to Sandpoint while the Sheriff stays behind to plead his case for more resources.

Zieke stands 6-feet, 2-inches tall and weighs 195 lbs. He has brown eyes and sandy-blonde hair with a few day's growth of darker-colored beard. Usually, he wears a loose brown or dark green tunic over his chain shirt. Like-colored breeches and a heavy cloak help him blend into the forest or the city. The rigors of surviving on the run and in the wild have also hardened him over the years. Even at the age of 26, he's already gathered lots of scars...both physical and emotional. He's a man's man...physically fit and imposing, often calling attention to himself by his presence alone.

Zieke carries himself with an air of quiet confidence, believing any hint of weakness or uncertainty can spell doom in the wilds and back alleyways of the world. In private, he is less guarded to his long-time friends, occasionally questioning his purpose in life and yearning for something better than the hand fate saw fit to deal him. He has a kind heart for the deserving, but keeps an equally stern temper for those who cross him. Zieke also doesn't mind seeking out violence, or countering those who traffic in it. It's often his preferred means of dealing with a problem when push comes to shove. And, aside from seeing such situations as one more opportunity to test himself and practice his skills, he just can't seem to ignore a good challenge.

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