# #### **Basic Information** - **Name:** Orvin Malthis - **Race/Species:** Human - **Class/Profession:** Merchant/Trade Magnate - **Alignment/Morality:** Lawful Neutral - **Age:** 58 - **Gender & Pronouns:** Male (He/Him) - **Appearance:** A substantial figure who embodies mercantile prosperity, standing five feet ten inches with a robust, well-fed build that speaks to his commercial success. His face features the weathered complexion of someone who spent his early years working on trading vessels—deep laugh lines around his eyes and a ruddy complexion from years of exposure to the elements before his rise to wealth and indoor negotiations. His eyes are a sharp, calculating blue that assess everything with the practiced evaluation of a lifetime merchant, constantly appraising value and opportunity. His hair, once dark brown but now mostly gray, is kept in a practical style that requires minimal maintenance while still appearing presentable for business meetings. He dresses in well-made but not ostentatious clothing that reflects his practical approach to wealth—quality materials in conservative styles, with his only concession to display being a heavy gold merchant's chain bearing the symbols of the various guilds and trading associations to which he belongs. His hands show the remnants of early calluses now softened by years of more genteel work, and he moves with the deliberate confidence of someone accustomed to commanding respect in commercial negotiations. A distinctive birthmark on his left temple in the rough shape of a coin has earned him the nickname "Marked Malthis" in certain trading circles—a moniker he has embraced and incorporated into his merchant's mark. #### **Personality & Traits** - **Personality Summary:** Orvin embodies the pragmatic commercialism of Brevoy's merchant class—a trader who views business as both livelihood and philosophy. He approaches commercial ventures with methodical thoroughness, weighing immediate profit against long-term relationship building and reputation management. To his business associates, he represents reliability and fair dealing, though with a shrewdness that ensures he rarely emerges from a negotiation without advantage. To social peers, he presents a carefully calibrated blend of new-money confidence and appropriate deference to traditional nobility, navigating the complex social hierarchies of Brevoy with the same tactical precision he applies to trade agreements. His merchant background manifests in his tendency to quantify everything in terms of value and exchange, his talent for identifying opportunity in unlikely places, and his belief that properly structured commerce benefits all parties. Though capable of generosity when it aligns with his interests, most of his charitable activities are calculated to enhance his reputation and commercial relationships. Beneath his affable exterior lies a man defined by ambition and the determination to secure his family's position through wealth and commercial influence. - **Strengths & Skills:** - **Commercial Acumen** – Exceptional ability to identify profitable opportunities and negotiate favorable terms - **Network Building** – Remarkable talent for cultivating and maintaining valuable business relationships - **Risk Assessment** – Highly developed sense for evaluating the potential rewards and dangers of ventures - **Resource Management** – Skill at optimizing the deployment of capital and personnel - **Adaptive Strategy** – Ability to adjust commercial approaches to changing market conditions - **Weaknesses & Flaws:** - **Status Anxiety** – Lingering insecurity about his merchant background among the nobility - **Excessive Caution** – Sometimes misses opportunities due to overanalysis of potential risks - **Transactional Worldview** – Tendency to evaluate relationships primarily in terms of value exchange - **Family Pressure** – Struggles with the weight of responsibility for his extended family's prosperity - **Workaholic Tendencies** – Difficulty separating business from personal life, leading to strained relationships - **Mannerisms & Speech Patterns:** - Speaks in measured, precise sentences that reveal exactly what he intends and nothing more - Unconsciously touches his merchant's chain when considering important business decisions - Maintains steady, evaluative eye contact during negotiations, a technique developed to assess truthfulness - Uses his hands expressively when explaining complex deals, often sketching invisible ledgers in the air - Employs commercial metaphors even in non-business contexts, seeing the world through a trader's lens #### **Background & Story Role** - **Backstory Summary:** Born to a modest trading family in Port Ice, Orvin's early years were spent learning the practical aspects of commerce aboard the family's small fleet of coastal vessels. His natural aptitude for numbers and negotiation became apparent early, as did his ambition to expand beyond the limited opportunities of regional shipping. His defining opportunity came during a harsh winter that created severe shortages throughout northern Brevoy. While other merchants hoarded goods to drive up prices, Orvin implemented a more sophisticated strategy—offering fair prices but extending credit to noble houses, securing their goodwill and establishing long-term relationships that would far outlast the profits of price gouging. This combination of commercial savvy and strategic thinking laid the foundation for his rise from ship captain to trade magnate. Over the decades since, he has systematically expanded his commercial operations from shipping to include banking, property investment, and luxury goods importation. His network of contacts now extends throughout Brevoy and into neighboring regions, with particular strength in Numeria where he has cultivated valuable relationships with both the Technic League and independent operators like House Rattigan. His greatest commercial achievement has been the development of a trade network that circumvents traditional barriers between Brevoy's northern and southern regions, allowing him to profit regardless of the political tensions that often disrupt commerce. This political neutrality, combined with his reputation for reliability, has made him a valuable partner for houses on both sides of Brevoy's internal divisions. - **Current Motivations:** - Expanding his commercial influence into new territories and markets - Securing his family's position through strategic marriages and alliances - Diversifying his holdings to protect against regional political instability - Achieving recognition and acceptance among Brevoy's traditional nobility - Personally ensuring his commercial legacy through careful succession planning - **Connections & Relationships:** - **[[House Surtova]]** – Primary noble patron with whom he maintains mutually beneficial trade arrangements - **[[Marius Surtova 1]]** – Key contact within the house who oversees many of their joint ventures - **[[Ilyana Daryov]]** – Fellow merchant with whom he shares certain northern trade routes - **[[House Rattigan]]** – Ysoki trading family with whom he has established cross-cultural commerce - **[[Marius Rattigan]]** – His primary contact within the Ysoki merchant community - **Factions or Allegiances:** - **Northern Merchants' Guild** – Commercial organization where he holds significant influence - **Brevoy Banking Consortium** – Financial association he helped establish - **Issian Loyalists** – Political faction he supports through discreet financial contributions - **The Shipping Compact** – Alliance of vessel owners controlling northern maritime trade - **Notable Items or Equipment:** - **Merchant's Chain** – Elaborate gold chain displaying his guild affiliations and achievements - **Ledger Collection** – Meticulously maintained records of all transactions and agreements - **Family Signet** – Ring bearing the Malthis merchant mark, used to seal commercial documents - **Trade Maps** – Comprehensive collection of routes and markets throughout the region - **Numerian Artifacts** – Small collection of technological items acquired through his Numerian contacts #### **Additional Notes** - **Recurring Themes:** - The power of commerce to transcend political and cultural boundaries - The tension between new wealth and traditional nobility - The balance between profit motive and relationship building - The creation of legacy through commercial achievement - **Player/GM Notes:** - Can serve as a valuable commercial contact for characters needing financing or market access - Might provide quests related to trade, debt collection, or market expansion - Could become an ally for characters who demonstrate business acumen and reliability - His extensive network makes him an excellent source of information about regional commerce - Despite his non-combatant nature, has significant resources to hire protection when necessary