Proud, well-travelled wanna-be merchant from Darokin
Lawful 15th-level Thief Str 12, Int 7, Wis 16, Dex 16, Con 9, Cha 15
Appearance: 36 years old, slightly tanned
complexion, tall and spindly (6’3” tall per 179 lbs.); Weston has hazel eyes and wavy, medium-length light brown hair. He lost his left eye in a fight many years ago, and now wears an eyepatch to cover the disfiguring scar that is left; his face is also marked by many other little scars which give him a worn and somewhat wrinkly appearance. Weston has the attitude of a merchant - talkative, likeable, and sociable - and tends to dress like one, with tight-fitting, boldly-coloured clothes, hats, and surcoats. He always wears a jade bracelet on his left wrist (a jewel left to him by his deceased mother).
Background: Aldo Weston was born in
Darokin City, the son of a merchant of House Mauntea who died when he was still a child. Aldo and his brother Berto grew up with his mother’s family, but the woman’s relatives and the untrustworthy administrators she
had chosen to handle her deceased husband’s fortunes took away most of the money the two boys could inherit. While Berto managed to get a respectable job in one of their maternal uncle’s shops, Aldo was drawn by the wish to re-establish his father’s fortune, and tried to make a name as a trader for himself. His pride, lack of administrative skills, and scarce grasp for accountability pushed his business more than once beyond the legal boundaries and into the shadiest areas of activity. When his mother died, Aldo further distanced himself from his relatives, and problems with the law forced him to move first to Athenos, then to Ierendi. In the island kingdom, Aldo became known as “Weston the Tall” due to his height and lean figure, and this nickname remains attached to him ever since. He perfected his agility and fencing skills, but - despite his closeness to one of the aristocratic families who sat in the Tribunal of the kingdom - his fortune as a merchant did not improve at all; instead, he was involved in some pirating and smuggling activities, which forced him again to move. In the next years, he was always on the move, traveling to most of the cities of the Known World, and never staying in the same place for more than a few weeks. He usually managed to make a lot of money during those stays, until the local authorities began to suspect him of some crime or catch him red-handed. But Aldo always managed to escape with his life and enough money to restart a business elsewhere. Eventually, his travels brought him to the virgin Kingdom of Norwold, where he has decided to start a dominion and a - hopefully longer-lived - legal business. Besides a large sum of money, Aldo comes to Alpha to attend the Spring Fair followed by three Darokinian characters: the trader Dalia Hogarth (Neutral 4th-level
Rogues, Barons and Pretenders
Thief, one of his last employees), by his nephew Elio Weston (Chaotic 3rd-level Thief, who left the home of Aldo’s brother Berto without the latter’s permission), and by his apprentice Charles Isen (Neutral 5th-level Thief).
Personality: Weston is good-willed and
always filled with the best intentions; he would like to be a successful trader, but he feels he has no time (actually, intelligence) for slow, complicated laws and regulations, so his fast-paced attitude invariably pits him against the system; this is why he has become a better thief than he will ever become a merchant. In fact, Weston sometimes breaks the laws in such a gross (and unwitting, as far as he has cared to know) way that even the authorities cannot believe their eyes. This does not mean that Weston has not learned anything from his past adventures: he knows of his difficulties to keep a legal profile for a long time, and he has learned always to look out for dangers, troubles, and to retain a swift way out of any situation or place. Weston has otherwise a likeable, even charming dashing personality; he is generally trustworthy (as much as a thief can be), but is also quite proud and tends quickly to become irritated and offended when one questions his motives, actions, skills, feelings, or insults his honour. In the past, Weston has seduced more than one woman, and has had many affairs and relationships - none of which has ever lasted due to his way of life, being always on the move; it would not be odd to see one day one of Weston’s former lovers knocking at his door in search of revenge or holding a child of his in her arms.
Goals: Weston wants to see if he can at last
establish a successful mercantile enterprise in a new region like Norwold where no one
(supposedly) knows his fame or past deeds. He will put all his efforts into reaching this goal, but given his ascertained lack of skills in this area of business, his success will likely depend on how trustworthy or able the advisors are that he will surround himself with. Nevertheless, Weston will keep eyes open for any sign of danger, and will be tempted to pack his belongings and skip the region again if the prospects start looking too bad for him.
Dominion Choice: Weston will choose a
location good enough to support a mercantile business - anywhere on a large river or on the seacoast will do for him, provided the area is not too far in the interior or in a (much) too cold climate band. When choosing his dominion he will also consider if the places can provide a safe haven for him in case of danger, and what escape routes are available.
Special Features: Weston has excellently
mastered many thieving skills, feats of agility, and stealth. He can also be quite persuasive and manipulative, if only his plans were not so simple and totally lacking the subtlety they would need to ensure success. Luckily for him, Weston has also an uncanny sense for danger, which has saved his life and freedom on more than one occasion. In combat, he favours the use of the rapier, often using it to fight in two-weapon combination with a main-gauche in his left hand; Weston is also quite proficient in the use of the longbow and of the throwing dagger.
Relevant Possessions: Two daggers +2, normal sword (rapier) +3, leather armour +3, ring of protection +1.
Rogues, Barons and Pretenders
Source: CM1 The Test of the Warlords, CM2
Death’s Ride, CM3 Sabre River, M1 Into the Maelstrom, Mystaran Almanacs, provisional write-up by Giampaolo Agosta.