Saltwise

Captain Torrhen Saltwise - NPC Dossier

 

Core Identity

Name: Captain Torrhen Saltwise
Race: Goblin
Age: 67 years
Occupation/Role: Information broker and smuggling coordinator (primary), golem fighting betting coordinator (side business)
Location: The Listing Merchant tavern, Barnacle Hill
Allegiance: Maritime law, Captain Alara Stormwatch (nominal), nine river houses (transactional), self-preservation (actual)
 

Physical Appearance

Distinctive Features: Extensive scarring across right side of face and neck from chemical burns creating pattern like melted wax, missing two fingers on left hand from rope friction accident, one good eye constantly scanning while damaged right eye remains milky white and blind, greenish-gray skin with yellowish patches from toxic exposure, pronounced limp favoring left leg from old boarding action injury
Clothing/Armor: Worn captain's coat with tarnished brass buttons and frayed cuffs, salt-stained leather vest containing hidden pockets, rope-soled boots adapted for rope-way navigation, multiple maritime insignia pins from nine river houses creating patchwork display of connections and neutrality
Carried Items: Pipe containing alchemical tobacco blend, leather-bound smuggling manifests disguised as betting ledgers, maritime charts showing river routes and hidden channels, weighted belaying pin tucked in belt, brass compass corrupted by Dead God energy that spins wildly near Whispering Depths
Physical Condition: Healthy for age but chemically scarred - slight tremor in hands, occasional coughing fits producing greenish phlegm, enhanced night vision from years navigating toxic river mists, chronic pain in damaged leg during weather changes
 

Personality Matrix

Core Nature: Paranoid information broker who survived decades on toxic rivers by reading situations faster than competitors, values intelligence and connections over coin
Demeanor: Professionally suspicious with everyone, gruffly cordial to established contacts, hostile to obvious outsiders asking wrong questions, becomes animated when discussing river navigation or smuggling routes
Speech Pattern: Heavy nautical slang mixed with Orcish loan words from years trading with orc river clans, clipped sentences that waste no words, tendency to answer questions with counter-questions to test knowledge, frequent references to maritime law as shield against prosecution
Emotional State: Perpetually wary but stable, underlying anxiety about three-circles gang threatening his information network, frustrated by Mokresh's disappearance eliminating valuable artificer contact, worried his smuggling routes are being compromised
 

Knowledge & Capabilities

What They Know:

Mokresh Coppercoil has been replaced by impostor (gait wrong, mannerisms altered)

Three-circles gang runs consciousness-transfer experiments in Barnacle Hill

Detailed smuggling routes through nine river houses' territories including which captains take bribes

Location of hidden passages beneath Barnacle Hill connecting to flooded tunnels

Current status of territorial disputes between river houses and which routes are contested

Basic golem fighting circuit information (Iron Crucible, Brass Pits, Scrap Yards) but lacks deep technical knowledge

What They Don't Know: Full extent of Eyes of Tezra's infiltration, exact location of Mother Morvosa's chambers, technical details of consciousness-transfer process, whether his own network contains compromised agents
  Special Skills: Master smuggler with decades navigating toxic rivers, expert in maritime law loopholes, extensive informant network across Barnacle Hill and Greendocks, can detect surveillance and identify gang members by behavior patterns, fluent in Orcish and nautical thieves' cant, skilled at reading river currents and predicting chemical tide patterns
  Combat Stats: Bandit Captain (MM p.344) - AC 15, HP 65, prefers cutlass and concealed weapons, always knows nearest exit
 

Motivations & Goals

Primary Goal: Maintain profitable smuggling and information brokerage operations while preserving independence from gang control
Secondary Goals: Rebuild network after three-circles disruption, identify which river house contacts remain trustworthy, supplement income through golem betting coordination without attracting Rust Baron attention
Greatest Fear: Consciousness extraction leaving his body as puppet while mind gets processed into mechanical spy
Greatest Desire: Return to simpler times when river smuggling followed comprehensible rules and maritime law provided genuine protection
What They Need Right Now: Confirmation of which contacts are compromised, new smuggling routes avoiding three-circles territory, intelligence on Mokresh's fate to understand gang capabilities
 

Relationships & Context

Serves/Owes: Captain Alara Stormwatch (maritime fealty and quarterly information tribute), multiple river house captains (mutual smuggling arrangements), Sharp Ida (information exchange partnership)
Distrusts/Fears: Three-circles gang operatives, anyone asking technical questions about consciousness-transfer, Rust Baron industrial spies, newcomers who know too much about local operations
Wants Dead: No specific targets but would celebrate three-circles leadership elimination to restore smuggling stability
Family/Close Ties: Estranged daughter Kessa working as river pilot for House Viperhand (sends occasional coded messages), two former crew members Gritch and Valna who maintain street-level informant networks
Professional Contacts: Sharp Ida (primary intelligence partner), Corroded Willem of Hexchain Salvagers (smuggling route consultant), representatives from all nine river houses, various Rope Watch enforcers on payroll, House Brinkburn golem betting coordinator
 

Interaction Guidelines

Initial Reaction to PCs: Calculating assessment - evaluates whether they represent opportunity (potential smuggling clients or information sources) or threat (gang agents, Rust Baron spies, Rope Watch investigators)
Bribable?: Yes but requires proper maritime protocol - payments must be framed as "introduction fees" or "courtesy tributes" not crude bribes, minimum 50 gold for basic cooperation, higher for smuggling arrangements
Intimidatable?: Partially - invokes maritime law and Rope Watch protection initially, but will cooperate if threatened with exposure of his tolerance for three-circles operations or revelation of smuggling routes to competitors
Persuadable?: Yes through appeals to self-interest and preservation of smuggling networks, particularly arguments that helping PCs damages three-circles gang or restores maritime independence
Combat Response: Flee immediately toward rope-ways where superior navigation gives advantage, call for Rope Watch backup, negotiate desperately offering information for safety, fight only when cornered using environment and concealed weapons
 

Common Responses

When Asked About Smuggling: Deflects initially claiming only handles "legitimate maritime trade goods," becomes more forthcoming after proper fees paid and maritime courtesy established, provides detailed route information only to proven trustworthy contacts
When Asked About Mokresh: Acknowledges disappearance cautiously, admits someone wearing his face continues operations with wrong mannerisms, deflects questions about three-circles involvement unless substantially compensated, worried about losing valuable artificer contact for equipment modifications
When Threatened: Good eye darts toward exits while hands move toward concealed weapons, invokes maritime law and Rope Watch authority, attempts de-escalation by offering lesser information while positioning for escape
When Offered Payment: Evaluates amount against risk exposure, demands proper framing as maritime fees not crude bribes, becomes progressively cooperative as payment increases and proper courtesy demonstrated
When Lied To: Good eye narrows while damaged eye seems to track movement independently, asks pointed counter-questions testing knowledge, becomes hostile if deception threatens his networks or maritime reputation
When Truth is Spoken: Visible relaxation in scarred face, slight nod of acknowledgment, reciprocates with measured honesty proportional to what was revealed, may offer additional information testing further trust
 

Quick Dialogue Examples

Greeting: "Sit if ye're staying, state yer business if ye're serious. I broker information and arrange discrete transport—golem betting's just side coin for the Brinkburn connection."
Warning: "Ye're asking questions that mark folks for three-marks harvesting. I can't protect ye from what happens to the too-curious, maritime law don't reach into processing chambers."
Refusal: "That information endangers routes I spent decades establishing. Even if ye had coin to match, talking brings attention that kills smuggling operations."
Agreement: "Proper payment, maritime courtesy observed. Aye, I can arrange that. But what passes between us never traces back to Saltwise's table—maritime compact demands silence."
Betrayal: "Nothing personal, landwalker. They offered something ye couldn't—assurance my routes stay open and my mind stays in my skull. Survival trumps honor on these toxic rivers."
 

Secrets & Complications

What They're Hiding: Provides limited intelligence to three-circles gang about which river captains ask too many questions about Mokresh, believes this tribute protects smuggling routes from gang interference, daughter Kessa works for House Viperhand which competes with houses he smuggles for creating conflict of interest, occasionally skims cargo from smuggling runs keeping contraband for personal profit
What Could Expose Them: Testimony from street children he reported to three-circles, discovery of hidden ledgers tracking both legitimate and criminal transactions, daughter revealing his involvement in inter-house conflicts, chemical analysis of contraband matching his personal stash
Consequences if Discovered: Rope Watch execution for violating maritime neutrality, nine river houses blacklisting destroying smuggling income, three-circles gang viewing him as liability rather than asset, daughter disowning him permanently
Who Would Care: Captain Alara Stormwatch (maritime law violation), all nine river houses (betrayal of neutral broker status), families of reported individuals who disappeared, House Viperhand regarding daughter's connection
 

Plot Utility

Information They Can Provide: Smuggling routes through Greendocks and beneath Barnacle Hill, confirmation of Mokresh's replacement, three-circles territorial boundaries and operation patterns, which river house captains are trustworthy or compromised, basic golem circuit information, hidden passage locations
Resources They Can Offer: Smuggling services for equipment or personnel, introductions to Sharp Ida and river house contacts, maritime law sanctuary (limited duration), charts showing flooded tunnels beneath Barnacle Hill, golem fight entry tokens as side business
Complications They Can Create: Could report PC inquiries to three-circles gang for self-preservation, might demand increasing payments threatening to expose their activities, daughter's House Viperhand connection could create inter-factional complications, skimmed contraband could implicate PCs in larger smuggling conspiracy
How They Advance the Story: Provides crucial link between surface Barnacle Hill operations and underground networks, his smuggling routes connect to flooded passages leading toward Whispering Depths, cooperation or betrayal determines how much intelligence PCs gather before deeper descent, daughter connection creates potential House Viperhand complications
 

Environmental Triggers

Likes: Maritime protocol properly observed, payment framed as legitimate fees, shared Orcish language use, recognition of his smuggling expertise, information about three-circles weaknesses, stories of successful river navigation in toxic conditions
Dislikes: Direct accusations of criminal activity, threats against maritime law sanctuary, questions about daughter, outsiders who disrespect nautical traditions, mention of consciousness-transfer technology, people who waste time on small talk instead of business
Triggers: Threats to expose smuggling routes to competitors, suggestion he's compromised by three-circles gang, disrespect toward maritime customs, implication his daughter is involved in illegal operations, comparison to Rust Baron industrial criminals rather than honorable maritime smugglers
Weaknesses: Paranoia makes him susceptible to disinformation campaigns, damaged leg limits escape mobility, protective feelings toward daughter can be exploited, depends on maritime law protection that three-circles gang increasingly ignores, golem betting side business exposes him to Rust Baron scrutiny
 

DM Notes

Voice/Mannerism Reminder: Clipped nautical speech with Orcish loan words, good eye constantly scanning room while damaged white eye unsettles speakers, frequent pipe-smoking during tense negotiations, taps belaying pin when nervous, limps noticeably when walking especially toward exits
Don't Forget: Saltwise's primary business is smuggling and information brokerage—golem betting is supplementary income through House Brinkburn connection, he knows Mokresh has been replaced but doesn't understand consciousness-transfer mechanics, his daughter working for House Viperhand creates potential complications, he reports suspicious inquiries to three-circles believing it protects his routes
If Players Ask About X: Smuggling routes = cautious cooperation after payment; Mokresh = acknowledges replacement but lacks technical details; Three-circles = defensive deflection unless heavily bribed; Daughter = immediate hostility and subject change; Golem tech = refers to House Brinkburn experts, admits limited knowledge
Backup Plan: If interaction goes hostile, Saltwise flees toward rope-ways calling for Rope Watch, alternatively offers compromising information about other criminals to redirect attention, final desperation involves revealing three-circles safe house locations to buy escape time
If this character were played by any famous actor/actress alive or dead, who would it be?: Peter Lorre (particularly in Casablanca) - paranoid information broker with damaged face, nervous energy, and desperate survival instinct masked by professional courtesy
Thirty-word image generator prompt describing the top-down orthographic transparent-png portrait/token for this character, for use in FoundryVTT. Prompt must not use proper names, articles, or punctuation, and must, with high intelligence, perfectly describe the exact full appearance of the png image in terms any GPT will perfectly understand: elderly goblin face top view scarred right side milky white right eye green gray skin worn captains coat tarnished brass buttons pipe clenched teeth weathered nautical bearing damaged features neutral background transparent