Beldon Rindherder, Herald of the Lance of the Wolfen-Khan
 | |
| Level | 2 |
| Race | Halfling |
| Class | Bard 2 |
| Armor | Studded Leather |
| Weapon(s) | Rapier and Short Bow |
| Hometown | Someplace |
Beldon?!? Yeah, I know Beldon! I rode with him a few times working the Kenduskeag-Ennethal run, only honest jobs of course! A hell of a worker and good on a wagon train, but there isn't much better when it comes to runnin' beasts. He's amazing with the dogs and horses, but I seen him workin' hawks, hares, other damn thing you can race. He's a big talker and a bit of a ham, but he's a big spender so even them that don't like him don't mind him around. He is a loyal Rindherder and is always lookin' out for his kin, even though they're a bunch of miscreants and weirdos. Some wonder if he doesn't favor the stranger ones on account of when they get picked on, he gets an excuse to fight. You can hire him on if you've got a good job, but he's picky and he doesn't work cheap unless it's for a Rindherder.
I'd be careful running with old Beldon, he's made a couple enemies out on the road. Of course Old Sherrif Thorm in Glodina is still limping from that broken leg, "Stuffy" Willy swears he'll hang him next he sees him, and there's another couple folks with lesser greivances lookin' for him. But that boy crossed a line workin' a job against the Labroy-Faimelle Livery, you know them that run the roads across central Flannery? Yeah, well now he's on Lord Gerry's shit list and that's no place you want to be.
Yeah, I know Beldon. How you caught up with him?
Lance of the Wolfen-Khan
Beldon wields the Lance of the Wolfen-Khan, and he is the best person you could possibly imagine to wield it. He among alll the halflings understands the deep connection between his people and the lance, and he has a clear vision of how they will regain their former glory together. You should totally treat him as the herald of the great tribe and get the fuck out of his way.
Appearance
Beldon has a wide, jolly face, a mop of brownish hair, and a broad smile. You might get the impression he's not got much between the ears, and you'd be right. He's got a stocky build, but don't let that fool you, he can move like a cat. He loves animals, and he's as comfortable on a beast as he is on his feet. He's a great trick rider and a fearless racer. He wears a sturdy, medium brim working hat and he won't let anyone touch it.
Beldon rode Pepper, a unique blue speckled mastiff allegedly bred in Hakan. He was an aggressive sprinter with a surly temprement, and he was a good dog. They rode together through Eastwatch Village and the Dogmoot, and they slayed the Phisrazu of Petty Kingdoms. He died battling the Raklupis of the University of Hakan when he and his master charged through a poison cloud to rescue the Rindherder Boys.
He currently rides Topper, a brown mastiff of Ubrekti breed. He was the strongest rider of a pack of dogs the purchased in the Seat of the Ubrekt.
He has been bound to the spirit Ricky Bobby, an ethereal fey panther who's tawny fur shines like sunlit gold when he sprints. He's a good kitty, and he wants to go fast.
History
Beldon was born feral. A middling son of Ma Sparrow, he had boundless energy and not enough brains to stay out of trouble. His older brother Gerom was big and mean, and the two of them were always at it with each other. Which, frankly, Ma encourage, since when they got along they terrorized the holy hell out of their siblings. Maybe he wasn't a bad kid depending on who you ask, but he definitely had too much energy. He was hardly a tot when Ma put him to work, but he was quick and tireless and had a belly full of fire. You could get him to do just about any job for hours so long as it wasn't too complicated. And the second that boy wasn't busy, he was looking for trouble.
When he was a squirt they joked he was half dog, because you get him near the kennel he would be down in the dirt running and fighting with the pups in no time. When he got older he was always out with his half-sister Yarnad, the second oldest of the clan, down in the kennels. Beldon had a wild, magical energy about him, and although you couldn't be sure he was any brighter than the dogs, they all loved him. Wasn't just the dogs he was good with, and he'd take care of any crazy animal he could buy, catch, or steal. Ask him what he loved the most about wild animals and he'd answer without a thought, "they go fast." When he saw his first race he was hooked, and he's craved speed ever since.
Once he had those beasts to occupy his attention he just wasn't around as much, which left Gerom with nothing to do except torment the little ones. If you ask Ma, she'll tell you Beldon wasn't inclined to be a protective brother, he was just inclined to go at it with Gerom. But whatever the reason, he grew protective of his brothers and sisters, and eventually that became his nature. He was always right in the thick of it when a Rindherder was in trouble, which was a regular occurrence. He was in the search party when they found Banner in that cave even though he barely had hair on his chest. To hear tell, no one was surprised he was the one that found Bobwhite all those years later living on the streets in [STORY LOCATION]. Noble deeds weren't the norm, though, and mostly he was out with his no account kin picking fights, racing dogs and hustling locals in whatever town they were in.
When he came to be old enough there was really no question about whether he would be involved in Ma's less savory dealings. He could work a wagon train for days on end, he never backed down from and fight, and he could ride like the wind the second you needed him to. He's worked routes and fought the law from [ONE DISTANT STORY LOCATION] to [ANOTHER]. Beldon likes to work on his own too, and his tireless ethic and lust for life has made him infamous. Doesn't help that he can't hold on to a red cent, and he's burned through a modest fortune at bars and racetracks across the land.