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Argin Glowspider: Gnome Greenblade
An NPC for Iron Gauntlets campaigns.
Argin Glowspider: Gnome Greenblade
Argin Glowspider is a cunning, fearless protector of the gnome enclave known to Men as Shadowdown. Situated under the Mossy Wood between Seer’s Lake and Dergen’s Swamp in the Kingdom of Tyr, this subterranean lair of the Glittertrove clan enjoys sole access to the only known mine of a magical metal called auryx. To protect such a treasure, the Glittertroves train a small number of their kin in the ways of the surface world. Skilled in tracking, survival, and ambush, these hearty fellows are tasked with keeping the location of Shadowdown a secret from the greedy hearts of Men and Dwarves. Known as Greenblades, they have led many would-be thieves astray, and in rare cases, led such individuals to their deaths. Argin Glowspider, a veteran Greenblade, is one of the best.
As a young gnome, Argin showed little interest in learning his father’s craft of silversmithing. He possessed a powerful curiosity about what lay outside the confines of Shadowdown. This, coupled with his natural athletic ability, made Argin a perfect fit for the Greenblades. Despite his father’s complete disapproval, Argin apprenticed himself to a veteran Greenblade named Holn Rockpick and his journey to the surface world began.
Argin’s training was fraught with difficulty. Holn was a stern and unforgiving teacher bent on keeping his younger student’s nose out of trouble, which it was frequently in. But Argin did learn, and learn well. In time Argin and Holn became good friends and spent weeks at a time in Mossy Wood tracking the movements and discerning the intentions of those who traveled the forests above their home.
It was during one of these scouting expeditions that Argin and Holn stumbled on to the site of an ancient battle deep in the forest near Seer’s Lake. The skeletal remains of the combatants, long ago picked clean by scavengers, lay strewn about the forest floor. Some of the remains still bore the trinkets that had adorned them in life. An excited Holn rushed over to Argin, his hand brandishing a miraculously untarnished gold circlet he had taken from a pile of bones. When Argin’s face became as white as snow, Holn spun around to see an advancing horde of skeletal Men coming for them.
The two gnomes ran for their lives, but Holn, well past his prime, was not quick enough to escape the undead and was quickly overwhelmed. Terrified, Argin kept running through the forest until his lungs felt as though they would burst. When he was sure he had escaped the horrors that had killed his mentor, Argin collapsed in a heap of misery and despair. He wandered back to Shadowdown to report his friend’s death.
After months of mourning, Argin reluctantly returned to the woodlands and resumed his duties as a Greenblade. In time, the pain of Holn’s passing waned, and Argin struck out on his own. Now into his middle years, Argin leads the solitary life of his former mentor, defending his people and their precious treasure.
Appearance:
Argin stands just under four feet tall and is well-muscled for a gnome. He sports a long, gray beard, bushy gray eyebrows, and a prominent, bulbous nose. Argin’s sparkling blue eyes betray his curious nature while the copious wrinkles around them make him look a bit older than he really is. Argin typically dresses in worn brown leathers and a deep forest-green hooded cloak. He carries a shortsword and dagger, but usually has his trusty crossbow in hand.
Personality:
Argin is driven by his curious nature. He is fascinated by nature and by foreign cultures and races. However, his mission as a Greenblade typically forces him to keep a safe distance from those who travel Mossy Wood. Any travelers who do meet Argin are likely to be asked dozens of questions about their own cultures and those of the wider world. The gnome, however, will reveal almost nothing about himself or his fellows in return. In any event, he will be polite and sometimes overly gregarious, all the while watching his quarry’s every move.
If he must confront would-be thieves or other threats to Shadowdown, Argin prefers to do so at a distance. He will first try to scare them with his Horn of Terrors in an attempt to scare them off. If this fails, he will use snares and other simple traps as warnings not to proceed deeper into the forest. Finally, as a last resort, Argin will try to attack at night when he has the advantage in the darkness. This attack will usually start with crossbow fire and end with melee combat if necessary. If all of these methods fail, or he is significantly outnumbered or overpowered, Argin will return to Shadowdown to gather reinforcements for a new wave of attacks.
Argin sustained major psychological trauma when he and Holn were attacked by the undead at the ancient battlefield. To this day Argin avoids that area of the Mossy Wood and harbors an incredible fear of the undead.
Using Argin in the Campaign:
Any PCs entering Mossy Wood might attract Argin’s attention. How he interacts with them really depends on their intentions. He may pretend to be a fellow traveler and join their party for a time to gain information and discern their objectives. If he feels they are a threat, he will not hesitate to confront them, indirectly at first, and in person as a last resort. If the PCs aid him in some way, Argin will return the favor in some way so long as it doesn’t jeopardize Shadowdown. Ridding Mossy Wood of the undead that killed Holn would be entitle the PCs to a large reward of gnomish gold and perhaps a few magical trinkets as well.
Argin Glowspider
| fitness | | awareness | | creativity | | reasoning | | influence | | | 5 | | 4 | | 2 | | 4 | | 2 | |
Skills: archery 7, athletics 4, brawling 4, dueling 6, stealth 7, geography 7, observation 7, survival 7, composure 6
Languages: gnomish, Tanne (common), elvish
Gimmicks: multilingual, resistant (Fabrica Sensus), wealth, signature weapon: crossbow, irrational fear: undead, dark sight
Weapons: crossbow (damage: +4 inj), short sword (damage: +2 inj), auryx dagger Bloodfire (damage: +2 inj plus see below)
Armor: leather hauberk (3 FAT)
Notable Gear:
Bloodfire: Argin was given this blade by Holn just prior to his death and he will never willingly part with it for sentimental reasons. This ornate dagger sports a highly engraved auryx blade and a cabochon-cut ruby set into its pommel. Any living creature that is successfully damaged by this dagger must make a Complex (3) Fitness Composure Task or suffer intense burning pain throughout its entire body. This pain lasts for 1d rounds, during which the creature suffers a -2d penalty to all Skill Tasks.
Horn of Terrors: “Liberated” from a sinister traveler years ago, Argin has found this magical horn to be his greatest tool in defending Shadowdown. Appearing to be small bull’s horn, it is unadorned save for silver caps at each end. When blown, the horn blares forth an unnerving, shrill note that triggers hallucinations in any creatures that the user can see. Any who hear the horn’s call must make a Complex (4) Reason Composure Test or believe that they are being stalked by numerous unseen, shadowy creatures. A palpable feeling of fear surrounds them, and their first instinct becomes to run in a random direction for 1d10 turns. Success on the Composure test renders the target immune from the horn’s effects for twenty-four hours.
Argin is likely to possess 1d gold pieces and 4d silver pieces of Tanne origin. All of these coins were taken from travelers he encountered in the Mossy Wood.
Auryx Weapons
Auryx is a magical metal mined by the gnomes of Shadowood. It appears to be a reddish gold mineral that is mined like copper. It is difficult to refine and shape, however, and the gnomes have spent countless centuries learning how to craft this metal into useful tools and weapons. Despite their efforts, auryx items can take years, and sometimes decades, to manufacture. As such, auryx items are incredibly valuable and expensive.
Aside from being as beautiful as gold or silver, auryx is particularly receptive to magical enchantments. Crafting wizards have a much easier time imbuing auryx items with magical properties than they do with more mundane metals such as steel or gold. In game terms, auryx items take only half the time to enchant that mundane items do and lower any enchanting task difficulties by -1d.
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