### **Tartuk – The Firebrand Counselor of Rivermarch** --- ![[DALL·E 2025-02-23 17.03.00 - A fearsome and imposing kobold with deep violet scales stands in a darkened chamber, illuminated by eerie, flickering arcane light. His piercing yello.webp]] #### **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.**