Linsley Carpenter, the Shovel Ranger
Linsley Carpenter, now Brightheart (a.k.a. Shovel Ranger)
Linsley Carpenter, the Shovel Ranger, is a half elf who came from humble beginnings running a food cart in High Keldan. If you met her, she would be quick to greet you with a wide smile and an enthusiastic handshake, and to consider you one of her friends.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Linsley is lithe and strong, but not outside the normal physical range for her species. She looks fairly battleworn, but the injuries she sports are all old and healed.
Body Features
On first glance, Linsley appears to be older than she actually is. Her light blue eyes are tired but maintain a fierce spark. Her skin is warm and brown, and her long red hair is kept braided and out of the way. She stands at about 5’4’’, is slightly stocky, and is well muscled.
Facial Features
Linsley has a heart-shaped face that’s framed by several braids and is usually smiling. Her ears are heavily pierced and adorned with delicate gold jewellery. She has a distinctive widow’s peak and several faint, pinkish scars across her cheeks.
Identifying Characteristics
Linsley blends in rather well with the adventuring crowd that one might find in any Armaen tavern; there’s only really three things that stand out about her at first glance: the large and ornate shovel strapped across her back, the brass moon-viewing token that she wears as a necklace, and the silvery pawprint marking the skin on the inside of her forearm though this last is usually covered by her sleeve.
Physical quirks
Linsley gives aggressively enthusiastic handshakes and tends to bounce up and down when excited.
Special abilities
During her experiences on the moon, Linsley's mind was altered by raw divination magic, allowing her brief glimpses of the future.
Linsley also bears the blessing of Kiringal's archon Hunter, allowing her to track her quarry (the Drythlex) with supernatural ease.
Apparel & Accessories
Linsley is habitually armoured in a breastplate made of a smooth, silvery metal with no seams or marks. She also has a mask that depicts the snarling face of a white wolf perched on the side of her head. The rest of her armour and gear is rather unremarkable and utilitarian.
Specialized Equipment
Linsley's most noteworthy feature, and the source of her title Shovel Ranger, is her signature weapon: a flame-tongue shovel. The shovel’s head is made of the same strange silvery metal as her breastplate, which has earned it the name Argent. The flames that come off of it are blue and white and burn very very hot. This mighty weapon was infused with chaotic invocation magic while fighting on the moon so when it lands a particularly good hit, the fire magic surges out around her and scorches her foes. The haft is wrapped in a long strip of leather tooled with a pattern of running dalmatians.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Before becoming an adventurer, Linsley lived with her family in High Keldan. She was the proprietor of a popular food cart, which she left in the hands of friends before leaving the island to meet up with an old acquaintance and their adventuring party. Linsley found that the life of an adventurer suited her, forming deep bonds with her new companions and sticking with them through many journeys and challenges. The many tribulations which assailed the island of High Keldan left the fate of Linsley's birth family and old friends uncertain - she chooses to focus on those friends currently present, whom she loves very dearly.
Gender Identity
cis female
Sexuality
aromantic, asexual
Employment
Linsley is a full-time adventurer.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Linsley and her friends have fought many, many battles, and she has displayed great strength, both of arms and of personality. Alongside her defeat of countless monsters, she once convinced an Archon of Sokolme to put the power of his own soul into the rebuilding of Zamar. In her own words -
“Oh gods, I can’t feel comfortable saying I’m proud of myself for helping to kill an archon. That was such an uncertain time… Still, I will admit that it was kind of cool!”Perhaps equally as impressive in the context of the chaotic and dangerous life of an adventurer is the comfortable life Linsley provides her tressym Familiar, Chip. She has managed to keep them alive where others' pets have perished - Linsley considers this level of care and protection an intrinsic duty of pet ownership, but also a remarkable personal achievement.
Failures & Embarrassments
Driven to protect her friends and indeed anyone in need of her, the loss of companions she could not save weighs heavily on Linsley. While she was privileged to see two restored to life by miraculous means, she will never forget the circumstances of their deaths.
Though she knows it was not directly her fault, in her heart Linsley cannot shake the belief that she should have been able to save the people of High Keldan from the massacre perpetrated by the Drone of Tyranny and his followers. She tries not to dwell on it.
Morality & Philosophy
Linsley tries her hardest to sort things out with words before drawing her weapons. She doesn't like killing anything, really. Usually, Linsley tries not to be the one to initiate combat in any given situation. But if something hurts her friends? All bets are off and her shovel is swinging.
Taboos
Alcohol - teetotaler, dislikes the feeling of inebriation and desires to be ready to protect her friends to the best of her ability at all times
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Linsley finds her purpose in making friends, protecting those friends, and the quest to eliminate the Drythlex.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
A veteran of tavern brawls and a rough and tumble childhood, Linsley is a master of improvised weapons and champion nonpareil of the use of the shovel as an instrument of battle.
Despite her successful tenure as the proprietor of a food truck, Linsley is a terrible cook when confronted with food that isn't meat-based and seeks to expand her skills. She is also not very intimidating, even when she wants to be.
Virtues & Personality perks
Linsley is incredibly loyal to her friends and would make any sacrifice for them, including laying down her life. She’s a very sunny person but can be solemn and wise when she needs to. Linsley is kind and always wants to help as best as she can. She’s also a little bit of a cinnamon-roll - pure of heart, and the kind of good this world needs.
Vices & Personality flaws
Linsley can be quite brusque at times, and often drops the tactful approach in favour of the honest one. She’s frequently willing to look the other way when her friends engage in less-than-lawful activity, including stealing and even killing. She’s not stupid, she just assumes the best of people even when they actually mean her harm. This can lead her to be overly trusting of any stranger who doesn't immediately seem cartoonishly evil. Linsley is prone to being stubborn. Linsley also tends to try and force diplomacy with people that are really just evil, just in case it will somehow work out this time.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Linsley has traveled widely and made friends all over Keldan, but her closest ties are to her adventuring companions.
For reasons unknown (novelty, force of personality, who knows?) the name of Linsley Carpenter has travelled even more widely than its bearer. More than once has a stranger approached her and inquired "are you Shovel Ranger??" Baffled and delighted, the answer is of course yes, the one and only.
She, and a number of other heroes including some of her companions in the Lowd & Rowdy Circus, are reviled in the city of High Keldan for their involvement in the destruction perpetrated by the Drone of Tyranny.
Family Ties
The life Linsley left behind when she became an adventurer was irrevocably lost in the near-destruction of High Keldan. Her adventuring companions have become a kind of second family over the course of their journeys.
Religious Views
Linsley was inducted into the pack lead by Korrith Meadowsweet, cleric of Kirngal, god of hunters, and dedicated herself to the hunt against the Drythlex. While not particularly religious, the shared pursuit of this quarry became her driving force.
Social Aptitude
Linsley is generally well-liked wherever she goes. Those around her respond to her forthrightness, generosity, and sunny disposition.
Hobbies & Pets
Linsley has a grey tressym with pigeon wings named Chip. He’s been made into her familiar and travels with her.
Speech
Linsley’s speech is rather hesitant - she usually raises her hand to get people’s attention instead of speaking up. She’s an alto, but in terms of voice pitch only since she doesn’t sing.
Alignment
Chaotic Good
Species
Honorary & Occupational Titles
the Shovel Ranger, member of the Lowd & Rowdy Circus, one of Kiringal's Hunters
Age
mid-twenties
Birthplace
High Keldan
Children
Eyes
Light Blue, Slightly Unnerving
Hair
Long, Red, Braided
Height
5'4"
Quotes & Catchphrases
You might need a stretch or a hand massage after one of her signature aggressive handshakes.
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