Appearance

Physical Description

Cole stands 8 ft tall. He is well-built, slender but muscular rather than skinny. Lithe is a fitting description.

Body Features

His entire body is covered with symmetrical markings, similar to those of a goliath, but rather than being just pigmentation they are formed of ridges of dark grey-green stone.

Facial Features

His racial markings extend across his face.

Apparel & Accessories

He carries four blades, two daggers and two shortswords. They are made of stone, created by his earth genasi mother using her ancestral stoneshaping skills. They are his last acknowledged material link to his past.
 
He has a spacious and comfortable covered wagon that he lives in and travels in while working or hunting further afield.

Mentality

Personal history

Born in the kingdom of Depoborg to Kradak, his Goliath father and Silica, his earth genasi mother, Varatham was always a unique individual, even more so as an only child.
Growing up in Depoborg, Varatham was trained to fight from an early age, and despite his height, he showed an incredible aptitude for a more dextrous style of fighting, striking from the shadows before disappearing. And so he was selected to be more than just a soldier. The kingdom was constantly looking for ways to expand their territory, and so they needed scouts and spies. He was trained to move through cities and the wilds alike, unseen until he wanted to be seen, and to gather information on military targets, troop numbers and deployments and other pertinent information. As he grew more competent and confident, he was given more important assignments, infiltrating other countries cities and gathering intel. Many people would think it foolish to send someone so distinctive to spy on your potential enemies, and that’s exactly why he was such a good spy, no-one suspected him of spying.
It was upon returning from one of these assignments that his life was turned on its head. After gathering information on troop positions in Delham, he was sent to report directly to the king. But someone who’s been raised to search for information finds it difficult to stop, and when he overheard the king talking to his superior, the kingdoms spymaster, he couldn’t help but eavesdrop. And he heard the king relating a plan to assassinate the king of Lavia, and to use that opportunity to step in as the benevolent neighbour, to oversee this difficult time and protect them from those who would take advantage of it. And of course, they would never leave, and Lavia would eventually become part of Depoborg.
Shocked by what he’d heard, Varatham made an uncharacteristic stumble. The king and spymaster both spotted him, and a murderous look came over the kings face, and so he ran. He knew his only hope of survival was to flee, to leave the city, to get out before the pursuit could catch up. He ran and ran, moments ahead of the chase, out of the city, out of the country! And he disappeared…..
 
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Cole Duskgrove felt at home in the woods, like he never had elsewhere. He could move through the trees unseen far more easily than in the cities of his past. And that had given him a whole new life. While he had grown competent with a bow, the preferred weapon of his new homeland of Grebolan, he was an expert with his blades, an unusual hunting technique but a very effective one. When he wasn’t hunting, Cole found work as a forest guide, leading travellers through the woods, or taking the city folk out on hunts.
One day, he was hunting a magnificent stag through the forests. He’d tracked it for hours, approaching silently, using the wind direction to his advantage, positioning himself in the best possible spot. And another hunter had clearly had the exact same approach. As he crouched ready to strike, a movement to his left caught his eye, and he spotted a female tabaxi, bow held low and arrow nocked, watching him intently. Impressed at seeing someone more stealthy than him, he nodded and gestured for her to take the shot. And the shot was magnificent, straight through the stags eye, dropping it soundlessly. As he approached the kill to assist with prepping it for travel, he noticed more figures approaching, far noisier, slowly, wearing armour. Very fancy armour. Royal guard armour. And he remembered that the King of Grebolan was a tabaxi…. Overcome with surprise, and a small amount of panic after his previous interaction with royalty, he quickly stammered out an apology and made himself scarce. But over the months and years to come, he occasionally saw the King out hunting. The next time he saw her, she deferred the kill to him, and he repaid the favour the time after, a wordless respect.
He lived in a small tree house in a village near Hesa, the capital of Grebolan. But as time passed and he became more skilled, he was hired as a guide more often, and she was spending more time away from his home. He came to realise that the house wasn’t really much use anymore, so he got rid of it and invested in a spacious covered wagon and a horse to pull it. It became his home on the road, a much-appreciated comfort during his long trips guiding his clients to their destinations.
 
Recently a meeting was called, the Conclave of Kings. King Anny of course made her own way there, her guards in desperate pursuit. But some of her nobles were less confident moving through the words. And when they talked about needing a guide, she sent them in the direction of someone she knew was at home moving through the woods….

Education

While he recieved a basic all-round education, the majority of his education from an early age focused on training him for his future role. He was taught how to fit in in the various cultures of Kinbronds, how to move unseen, how to gather information, and when necessary, how to kill.

Employment

Varatham was a scout and a spy for the Kingdom of Depoborg. His work took him to the other kingdoms, scouting out troop movements and positions, gathering intel and securing alliances with various shady organisations. While he had been trained in assassination techniques, he always avoided that kind of assignment, even going out of his own way, making his jobs more difficult, to avoid killing. After completing an assignment to Lavia, he returned to Depoborg to report his findings, but upon overhearing something he shouldn't have done, he went on the run, left his old life behind, and started afresh elsewhere.
 
Cole Duskgrove has lived in Grebolan his whole life. He used to live in a small settlement to the south of the kingdom, where he honed his hunting skills, using some unusual weapons, daggers rather than his countries favoured bow. Several years ago, he realised that his skill at moving through the forests of Grebolan meant that he would be able to make a living guiding others on hunting trips or expeditions. He moved north, to the small settlement of Wildwood, just outside the capital. He was successful, if not making a name for himself then at least earning the respect of those in the same trade, and eventually upgraded to a wagon, which doubles as his home.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Varatham was the youngest graduate of Depoborgs operative training programme, and achieved great success on a number of assignments for his country. He also views his continued survival as something of an achievement considering the circumstances of his flight.

Mental Trauma

Cole is terrified that if his past is discovered, he will either be forced to leave and start a new life again, or will bring danger to those who have welcomed him in. He is desperate to avoid either of those things, so will do anything to keep his secret, and will need a very good reason to reveal him. If it comes to it, he will fight to protect his new kingdom.

Personality

Social

Birthplace

Pago, Capital of Depoborg

Current Residence

Wildwood, South of Hesa, Grebolan