Sharp Ida

Sharp Ida - NPC Dossier

 

Core Identity

Name: Sharp Ida (birth name unknown, refuses to share)
Race: Human
Age: 42 years
Occupation/Role: Professional information broker and intelligence dealer (primary), maritime introduction coordinator (secondary)
Location: The Listing Merchant tavern, Barnacle Hill - operates from corner table with clear sightlines to all entrances
Allegiance: Self-interest above all, transactional relationships with Captain Alara Stormwatch, Captain Torrhen Saltwise, and nine river houses, neutral stance toward all factions to preserve information flow
 

Physical Appearance

Distinctive Features: Sharp angular face with prominent cheekbones suggesting years of malnutrition followed by current prosperity, left eye milky from chemical exposure but still partially functional creating unsettling dual-focus effect, extensive tattoos on both forearms depicting maritime charts and constellation patterns serving as coded reference maps, three fingers on right hand ending in brass prosthetics from salvage accident, silver streak through otherwise black hair from Dead God corruption exposure
Clothing/Armor: Practical leather vest with dozens of hidden pockets containing coded notes and contraband samples, dark peacoat modified with chemical-resistant lining, worn boots with reinforced soles for rope-way navigation, multiple scarves that can be configured to cover face during toxic weather, fingerless gloves on left hand while right wears brass-knuckled glove incorporating prosthetic fingers
Carried Items: Alchemical pipe containing custom tobacco blend mixed with memory-enhancing compounds, multiple small notebooks filled with coded intelligence in personal cipher, collection of "introduction tokens" proving connections to various factions, concealed spring-loaded blade in left boot, brass compass matching Saltwise's corrupted model suggesting shared source, vial of antitoxin for emergency chemical exposure
Physical Condition: Healthy but chemically altered from years gathering intelligence in toxic environments - enhanced resistance to certain poisons, chronic cough producing black phlegm, heightened sensitivity to Dead God corruption allowing her to sense proximity to Whispering Depths, partial hearing loss in left ear from explosion requiring lip-reading skills
 

Personality Matrix

Core Nature: Calculating information merchant who views every interaction as potential intelligence transaction, professional detachment masking deep paranoia about being targeted for what she knows, survivor mentality prioritizing self-preservation through maintained neutrality
Demeanor: Dismissive and bored with those lacking proper payment or interesting information, professionally cordial when maritime courtesy observed, becomes animated and focused when discussing complex intelligence networks or unusual information requests, shows rare genuine interest in truly novel intelligence
Speech Pattern: Clipped sentences wasting no words, tendency to speak in questions testing what others know, frequent use of information-broker jargon mixing maritime terms with criminal cant, drops verbal hints about knowledge depth without revealing specifics, voice takes on lecturing quality when educating paying customers
Emotional State: Perpetually alert and evaluating, current anxiety about three-circles gang disrupting established intelligence networks, frustration with Mokresh's disappearance eliminating valuable artificer information source, satisfaction with recent profitable transactions offset by concern about increasing Eyes of Tezra presence
 

Knowledge & Capabilities

What They Know:

Comprehensive details about all three golem fighting circuits including fixed matches, pilot augmentations, experimental fuel sources, and which fights serve political purposes versus genuine competition

Mokresh worked on technology that "made the Rust Barons nervous" involving consciousness-transfer and soul-forging applications to golem piloting

Strange shipments arrived at Mokresh's workshop from Dreadmil before his disappearance suggesting Slazgar Two-Eyes' direct involvement

Captain Alara Stormwatch has been investigating "unauthorized consciousness experiments" in Barnacle Hill

Identities and operational patterns of all nine river houses' intelligence operatives throughout Greendocks and Barnacle Hill

Location of smuggling routes, safe houses, and dead drops used by multiple criminal organizations

Three-circles gang has been recruiting artificers and paying premium coin for consciousness-transfer research

What They Don't Know: Full extent of Eyes of Tezra's ultimate objectives, exact location of Mother Morvosa's processing chambers, technical details of Heart of Gears technology, whether Saltwise has been compromised by three-circles gang, true identity of the Auditor
  Special Skills: Master intelligence analyst capable of connecting disparate information fragments into coherent conspiracy theories, expert in multiple coded languages and ciphers, skilled at reading body language and detecting deception through microexpression analysis, extensive network of street children and low-level criminals feeding her information, can navigate Barnacle Hill's rope-ways despite partial vision impairment, resistance to interrogation techniques including chemical truth serums, skilled poisoner specializing in memory-affecting toxins
  Combat Stats: Spy (MM p.349) - AC 12, HP 27, prefers avoiding combat through advance intelligence and strategic positioning, uses spring-loaded blade and poisoned needles if cornered
 

Motivations & Goals

Primary Goal: Maintain profitable information brokerage while preserving neutrality that allows access to all factions' intelligence
Secondary Goals: Rebuild street-level intelligence network disrupted by three-circles gang operations, gather enough compromising information on major factions to ensure personal safety through mutually assured revelation, eventually retire with sufficient wealth to purchase property in less toxic district
Greatest Fear: Being targeted by Eyes of Tezra for consciousness extraction to harvest her comprehensive knowledge of Grizburg's criminal networks, losing neutrality and becoming identified with single faction thereby cutting off other information sources
Greatest Desire: Achieve legendary status as information broker whose intelligence proves indispensable to all major factions simultaneously, ensuring permanent security through maintained usefulness
What They Need Right Now: Confirmation of which intelligence contacts remain trustworthy versus compromised by three-circles gang, technical details about Heart of Gears to understand what makes Mokresh's research valuable, new revenue streams as traditional information markets become disrupted by Eyes infiltration
 

Relationships & Context

Serves/Owes: Captain Alara Stormwatch (provides regular intelligence reports in exchange for maritime law protection), Captain Torrhen Saltwise (mutual information exchange partnership with occasional conflicts), House Brinkburn golem fighting coordinators (sells betting intelligence for premium fees)
Distrusts/Fears: Three-circles gang operatives who harvest information through torture rather than trade, Rust Baron industrial spies whose resources could eliminate her if they viewed her as threat, anyone asking about consciousness-transfer technology without clear business reason, customers who know too much suggesting they have alternative intelligence sources
Wants Dead: No specific targets but would celebrate disruption of Eyes of Tezra operations that threaten information broker neutrality
Family/Close Ties: Estranged younger brother works as salvager for competitor organization (source of occasional familial tension and information leaks), maintains professional distance from romantic entanglements viewing them as security vulnerabilities
Professional Contacts: Captain Torrhen Saltwise (primary intelligence exchange partner), street children network led by goblin girl with burned hands (ground-level intelligence gathering), representatives from all nine river houses (varying degrees of trust), Corroded Willem of Hexchain Salvagers (underwater intelligence source), multiple Rope Watch enforcers (paid for advance warning of raids)
 

Interaction Guidelines

Initial Reaction to PCs: Dismissive assessment treating them as time-wasters until proper payment or maritime courtesy demonstrated, evaluates whether they represent new revenue opportunity versus potential threat to established operations
Bribable?: Absolutely - her entire business model depends on proper compensation for information, standard introduction fees start at 50 gold with premium intelligence commanding platinum prices, appreciates generous tipping as sign of understanding maritime business customs
Intimidatable?: Minimally - threats produce defensive responses including invoking maritime law protection and threatening to spread damaging intelligence, however sustained credible threats to consciousness extraction might produce cooperation
Persuadable?: Yes through appeals to enlightened self-interest and information exchange, particularly responsive to offers of novel intelligence she lacks or arguments that cooperation advances her neutrality preservation goals
Combat Response: Immediate flight toward nearest Rope Watch patrol while deploying smoke grenades and poison needles, calls for Captain Stormwatch's enforcers, uses comprehensive knowledge of Barnacle Hill geography to disappear into hidden passages, fights only when absolutely cornered using poisoned weapons targeting nervous system
 

Common Responses

When Asked About Golem Fighting: Provides basic circuit information freely as enticement, detailed odds analysis and fixed match intelligence costs 20-50 gold depending on specificity, technical consciousness-transfer details require platinum-level payment and assurance of discretion
When Asked About Mokresh: Acknowledges he was working on Rust Baron-concerning technology, mentions Dreadmil shipments and Stormwatch's consciousness experiment investigation, deflects questions about current location unless substantial payment offered, worried about losing valuable artificer intelligence source
When Threatened: Damaged eye stops tracking while good eye fixes on threat evaluating seriousness, verbally invokes maritime law protection and Captain Stormwatch's authority, subtly signals to nearby contacts for backup, positions body for rapid escape toward known bolt-holes
When Offered Payment: Evaluates amount against information value and risk exposure, demands proper framing as legitimate fees not crude bribes, becomes progressively forthcoming as payment increases and maritime courtesy demonstrated, may offer bonus intelligence to cultivate long-term paying relationships
When Lied To: Dual-eye focus creates unsettling effect as she analyzes inconsistencies, asks pointed follow-up questions testing claimed knowledge, becomes hostile if deception threatens her reputation or operations, may deliberately provide false counter-intelligence to punish dishonesty
When Truth is Spoken: Visible relaxation in angular features, slight nod of professional acknowledgment, reciprocates with measured honesty proportional to what was revealed, may discount fees slightly for customers demonstrating trustworthy information exchange
 

Quick Dialogue Examples

Greeting: "State your business or move along. I broker information and arrange introductions for those with proper coin and maritime courtesy. Gawkers and time-wasters can drink elsewhere."
Warning: "That question marks you for three-circles attention. They harvest information through methods that make my fees look generous. Maritime law won't protect you in processing chambers."
Refusal: "That intelligence endangers sources I spent years cultivating. Even if you had platinum to match its value, speaking brings attention that kills profitable operations and breathing customers alike."
Agreement: "Proper payment, maritime courtesy observed, discretion assured on both sides. I can provide that intelligence. But remember—this conversation never occurred, and my name never reaches wrong ears."
Betrayal: "Nothing personal. They offered assurance my knowledge stays in my head rather than extracted into glass decanters. Survival trumps honor when consciousness-harvesters come calling. You'd do the same."
 

Secrets & Complications

What They're Hiding: Sold information to three-circles gang about which artificers showed interest in consciousness-transfer technology (including tipping them to Mokresh's breakthrough research), believes this tribute protects her from being targeted for memory extraction, maintains hidden cache of compromising intelligence on all major factions as insurance policy against elimination, her brother's salvage work occasionally provides access to underwater intelligence she resells without crediting source, addicted to memory-enhancing compounds in her pipe tobacco creating dependency and gradual mental degradation
What Could Expose Them: Testimony from artificers she reported to three-circles gang, examination of coded notebooks revealing extent of faction-compromising intelligence, her brother revealing family connection and information pipeline, chemical analysis of pipe tobacco showing illegal memory-affecting substances, correlation of her intelligence sales with subsequent three-circles operations
Consequences if Discovered: Maritime law protection revoked by Captain Stormwatch for violating neutral broker status, all nine river houses blacklisting destroying revenue streams, three-circles gang viewing her as liability rather than asset leading to memory extraction, surviving victims' associates seeking violent revenge, brother's salvage career destroyed by association
Who Would Care: Captain Alara Stormwatch (violation of information broker neutrality), artificers who disappeared after she reported them, all factions whose compromising intelligence she holds, House Brinkburn if their golem fighting intelligence was leaked, her brother regarding family reputation
 

Plot Utility

Information They Can Provide: Detailed golem fighting circuit intelligence including fixed matches and pilot augmentations, confirmation of Mokresh's consciousness-transfer research value, Dreadmil shipment patterns suggesting Slazgar's involvement, Captain Stormwatch's investigation into unauthorized experiments, three-circles gang recruitment patterns for artificers, location of smuggling routes and safe houses, identities of river house intelligence operatives
Resources They Can Offer: Introductions to Captain Saltwise and other key Barnacle Hill figures, advance warning of Rope Watch raids or gang operations, coded intelligence about upcoming golem fights for betting advantages, maps showing hidden passages through district, contacts among street children network for ground-level surveillance
Complications They Can Create: Could report PC activities to three-circles gang in exchange for continued protection, might demand increasing payments threatening to expose their investigation, her compromising intelligence on major factions could drag PCs into unrelated conspiracies, addiction to memory-enhancing compounds could cause unreliability or mental breaks, brother's salvage work could create conflicts with Hexchain Salvagers
How They Advance the Story: Provides crucial link between surface Barnacle Hill operations and deeper golem fighting conspiracies, her intelligence about Mokresh connects to Slazgar's interests and broader Eyes of Tezra infiltration, cooperation or betrayal determines how much advance warning PCs receive about three-circles operations, her network of street children offers alternative intelligence gathering channel, compromising intelligence she holds on factions creates potential leverage or blackmail opportunities
 

Environmental Triggers

Likes: Generous payment with platinum tips showing understanding of value, maritime courtesy properly observed, novel intelligence she lacks creating exchange opportunities, customers who demonstrate discretion protecting her sources, recognition of her analytical skills and network quality, offers of rare memory-enhancing compounds for personal use, information about three-circles weaknesses or Eyes of Tezra vulnerabilities
Dislikes: Time-wasters asking questions without payment, threats against her neutrality or sources, customers who brag about intelligence purchases potentially exposing her role, disrespect toward maritime customs, mention of consciousness-transfer technology without clear business purpose, people who assume her damaged eye impairs her observational skills, interference with her pipe-smoking during negotiations
Triggers: Threats to harvest her memories through consciousness extraction, suggestion her intelligence led to someone's death or torture, accusations of bias toward particular faction threatening neutral broker status, revelation that brother is providing intelligence to competitors, attempts to analyze her pipe tobacco revealing addiction, comparison to crude street-level rumor-mongers rather than professional intelligence analyst
Weaknesses: Damaged eye limits depth perception and peripheral vision on left side, addiction to memory-enhancing compounds creates chemical dependency and withdrawal symptoms, paranoia about being targeted makes her susceptible to disinformation campaigns, brother's salvage work creates exploitable family connection, maintained neutrality prevents calling on any single faction for protection, partial hearing loss requires face-to-face conversations for accurate comprehension
 

DM Notes

Voice/Mannerism Reminder: Clipped information-broker speech with minimal wasted words, unsettling dual-eye focus as damaged left eye tracks independently, frequent pipe-smoking during tense negotiations creating smoke screen and thinking pauses, taps brass prosthetic fingers when calculating prices or analyzing deception, adjusts scarves compulsively when nervous revealing neck tattoos of additional coded maps
Don't Forget: Ida sold information about Mokresh to three-circles gang believing it would protect her from targeting, her primary value is comprehensive intelligence about golem fighting circuits and criminal networks, she operates from specific corner table in Listing Merchant with sightlines to all entrances, her neutrality is both greatest asset and vulnerability, memory-enhancing compound addiction slowly degrading her mental acuity creating urgency for retirement planning
If Players Ask About X: Golem circuits = detailed analysis available for proper fees; Mokresh = acknowledges research value and Dreadmil connection but deflects current location without premium payment; Three-circles = defensive evasion unless heavily bribed, fears marking customers for attention; Consciousness-transfer tech = platinum-level intelligence requiring discretion assurances; Her brother = immediate subject change and hostility; Fixed matches = bread-and-butter intelligence, readily sells for 20-50 gold
Backup Plan: If interaction turns hostile, Ida deploys smoke grenades and flees toward Rope Watch patrol calling for Captain Stormwatch, alternatively offers compromising intelligence about other criminals to redirect attention, final desperation involves revealing hidden cache location of faction-damaging intelligence as bargaining chip, threatens to spread word throughout criminal networks that PCs are consciousness-harvesters making them targets for every gang in Grizburg
If this character were played by any famous actor/actress alive or dead, who would it be?: Tilda Swinton - angular features suggesting both hunger and current prosperity, calculating intelligence behind unusual eyes, ability to project dismissive boredom and sharp focus simultaneously, androgynous presentation fitting professional detachment
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: human woman sharp angular face black hair silver streak left eye milky damaged right hand brass prosthetic fingers dark leather vest multiple scarves alchemical pipe smoke corner table calculating expression maritime tattoos forearms neutral background transparent