### **Tartuk – The Firebrand Counselor of Rivermarch** # ![[Pasted image 20251012221330.png|200]] ```toon character: identity_id: tartuk_v2_villain name: Tartuk the Firebrand species_or_type: Kobold apparent_age: 35 height: "2'11\"" build: slender but coiled with restless energy skin_tone: "#35205f" face: shape: narrow and predatory brow: "sharply angled, often furrowed in thought" eyes: color: "#ffd11a" shape: reptilian slit-pupil distance: close-set nose: "short, pointed snout" mouth: thin-lipped smirk with visible fangs distinctives[3]: curved black horns adorned with talismans of bone and metal scar running from right brow ridge to cheek arcane glow under eyes when channeling power hair: color: none length: n/a style: smooth-scaled part: none palette[5]: "#35205f" "#1d103a" "#ffd11a" "#6c4b8a" "#100820" signature_items[3]: "Vakar’s Fang, a crystalline staff thrumming with corrupt arcane energy" bone-and-gold amulet etched with infernal runes robes stitched with shimmering sigils that shift when viewed from the corner of the eye wardrobe_default: "dark violet ceremonial robes with layered collars, metallic trims, and hidden compartments for relics" allowed_variations: hair: none makeup: none aging: ±3 years weight: "stable, wiry frame" do_not_change[5]: eye color horn curvature scale coloration height facial proportions notes: "Portray Tartuk as calculating and messianic; light should emphasize his eyes and staff crystal. Maintain contrast between his small stature and immense, sinister presence." ``` #### **Basic Information** - **Name:** Tartuk - **Race/Species:** Kobold *(A survivor, a schemer, a leader of his people.)* - **Class/Profession:** Sorcerer, Counselor of Rivermarch, King of the Kobolds - **Alignment/Morality:** Chaotic Neutral *(Once driven by vengeance, now driven by ambition—his own, and that of Rivermarch.)* - **Age:** Uncertain *(A kobold’s life is usually short. Tartuk intends to be the exception.)* - **Gender & Pronouns:** He/Him - **Appearance:** - **Small, wiry, and always draped in flowing robes**, each lined with **hidden pockets containing scrolls, vials, and trinkets of unknown purpose.** - **Deep violet scales, an unusual coloration that marks him as something different among his kin.** - **Bright, cunning yellow eyes**, always watching, always calculating. - **His curved horns are adorned with tiny charms**, some arcane, some sentimental, none without purpose. - **A finely crafted staff, Vakar’s Fang, topped with a shimmering crystal**, always at his side, always within reach. --- #### **Personality & Traits** - **Personality Summary:** Tartuk is **a firebrand, a provocateur, a leader of necessity rather than virtue.** He is **not noble, nor does he pretend to be.** He understands **the language of power**, whether spoken in **coin, steel, or whispered promises.** Once a **bitter outcast, his mind sharpened into a weapon**, and now, **he uses it to carve a place for himself and his people in Rivermarch.** - **A visionary, but an impatient one.** He sees **what Rivermarch could become, but despises the slow steps required to get there.** - **Speaks with the cadence of a prophet, but the cunning of a trickster.** - **Does not suffer fools.** He will **correct them, mock them, or remove them as needed.** - **Fiercely loyal to those who prove themselves—but slow to forget slights.** - **Will always, always have a plan.** Even if it means making **twenty contingency plans just to ensure one of them works.** - **Strengths & Skills:** - **Master Manipulator:** **Understands people, their weaknesses, their desires—and how to use them.** - **Sorcerous Bloodline:** **Magic runs through his veins, and it is not to be ignored.** - **Political Instincts:** **Knows how to shift narratives, turn enemies against each other, and ensure his influence only grows.** - **Cult Leader Charisma:** **His words inspire, his presence demands loyalty, and his ambitions are contagious.** - **Tactical Thinker:** **Knows when to fight, when to flee, and when to make someone else do both for him.** - **Wielder of Vakar’s Fang:** **A staff of ancient power, imbued with unknown magics that whisper in the darkness.** - **Weaknesses & Flaws:** - **Resentment Lingers:** **He remembers every slight, every insult, every underestimation. It fuels him—but it also blinds him.** - **Does Not Handle Disrespect Well:** **He does not forget being silenced, ignored, or dismissed. One way or another, he will remind you why that was a mistake.** - **Paranoia Runs Deep:** **Trust is a currency he does not spend lightly. Everyone, even allies, are potential threats.** - **Sees Himself as Indispensable:** **If Rivermarch does not listen to him, it will burn. And if that happens, he will not weep for it.** - **His Ego is Both a Weapon and a Weakness:** **He believes he is the smartest person in the room—and that belief has cost him before.** - **Mannerisms & Speech Patterns:** - **Speaks with dramatic flair, always aware of how his words will be received.** - **Tilts his head when listening, an expression that wavers between amusement and judgment.** - **Often taps his claws on his staff when thinking—sometimes in rhythm, sometimes just to unnerve others.** - **Rarely gives a direct answer when a veiled one will suffice.** - **Laughs when things are dire, grins when others are afraid.** --- #### **Background & Story Role** - **Backstory Summary:** Tartuk **was once nothing. A kobold in a world that sees his kind as expendable.** But he **refused to be forgotten.** - **He led his people not through strength, but through cunning.** - **He survived where others perished, adapted where others clung to tradition.** - **Once, he had only his magic and his hatred. Now, he has a kingdom to shape.** - **Rivermarch gave him power, but more than that—it gave him a chance to prove he was right all along.** - **With Vakar’s Fang, his connection to ancient magics has only deepened.** He does not intend to waste it. - **Notable Items & Equipment:** - **The Amulet of the Watchful Eye:** **A trinket he places where he pleases, to listen, to observe, to control.** - **Vakar’s Fang:** **An ancient staff of strange power, recovered from a forgotten crypt. Its sigils pulse with arcane energy, whispering to those who dare listen.** - **A Letter Never Sent:** **Written in draconic script, addressed to no one, filled with words he will never say aloud.** --- Tartuk **was once a footnote, a joke, a discarded relic.** Now, **he is the fire that will reshape Rivermarch. Whether it rises or burns—well, that depends on who listens.**