Zed the Broad
Councilman of the Astrium Alliance Zed Grummok (a.k.a. Zed the Broad)
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Robust, muscular, and enduring; slow-moving but unstoppable
Identifying Characteristics
A wide scar across his right collarbone from a shipyard accident
Physical quirks
Often smells freshly of sawdust and pine; keeps a pencil tucked behind one tusk
Special abilities
Incredible strength and stamina
Masterful understanding of terrain-based logistics and maritime structures
Natural leadership presence in small, practical groups
Apparel & Accessories
Wears reinforced leather tunics dyed with sea-oil; a thick toolbelt even in council chambers
Specialized Equipment
Seaspine Mallet – ceremonial hammer carved from storm-felled ironwood
Drift Ledger – a waterproof tome tracking resources, debts, and political agreements
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Zed grew up in a coastal orc community that valued kinship, shipbuilding, and ocean spirits. He apprenticed as a woodworker from the age of 9 and became a master shipwright by 30. He was chosen to represent his archipelago due to his practical solutions and down-to-earth vision.
Education
Apprenticeship with the Tidebinders' Guild; informal education through oral tradition and hands-on learning
Employment
Former head shipwright of the Xublouze Timberyard; currently a full-time councilman
Accomplishments & Achievements
Designed the Windbone Hull, a lightweight, resilient ship frame adopted across island fleets. Unified multiple island communities into a timber-sharing pact.
Failures & Embarrassments
Lost a shipment of sacred driftwood to careless outsourcing—cost his community a festival year.
Mental Trauma
Suffers guilt over outliving his wife and brother who were lost in a seaquake.
Intellectual Characteristics
Strategic thinker with logistical brilliance; often slow to trust abstract ideas without practical grounding
Morality & Philosophy
“No wood wasted, no life wasted.” Believes in unity through shared responsibility, not dominance
Taboos
Despises magical shortcuts that displace laborers; refuses to fly via teleportation
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
To prepare the world for the rising threat of planar incursions by ensuring infrastructure, supply, and sovereignty are streamlined
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Savvies: Skilled in carpentry, regional planning, and conflict resolution through analogy and craftsmanship metaphors
Ineptitudes: Poor at reading arcane maps or texts, dislikes overly philosophical debates
Likes & Dislikes
Likes: Salt air, old tools, cold cider, early morning labor
Dislikes: Wasted time, political backbiting, pretentious spellcasters
Virtues & Personality perks
Loyal, humble, steadfast, deeply respectful of ancestry and the land
Vices & Personality flaws
Stubborn, slow to forgive, holds grudges like sea anchors
Personality Quirks
Builds miniature model boats when thinking; insists on cooking his own meals
Hygiene
Exceptionally clean for a craftsman; scrubs his hands with ash bark and saltwater
Social
Family Ties
Widower; had one son who left to serve as a navigator in the Farreach Expedition
Social Aptitude
Wary of high society but deeply charismatic among working-class communities; practical and honest
Mannerisms
Scratches his beard when suspicious; leans on furniture like it's part of a ship
Speech
Deep voice like creaking timber; uses shipwright analogies in politics ("You can't float a war on cracked planks")
Wealth & Financial state
Moderate—owns land and lumber rights on two islands, but lives simply
Current Status
To implement a plan that divides Astrium into cooperative regional states for faster response to extraplanar threats and equitable resource sharing
Current Location
Species
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Councilman of the Astrium Alliance, Master Shipwright of Dalruk
Age
52
Date of Birth
9th Verdantia 829
Birthplace
Dalruk Atoll; one of the smaller forested islands in the Xublouze Archipelago
Children
Current Residence
A modest stilted house in the council district, with beams he carved himself
Sex
Male
Eyes
Amber-brown, deeply set beneath heavy brows
Hair
Thick black hair tied into a wide braid streaked with salt from ocean winds
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Weathered olive green, calloused from years of labor
Height
6’7”
Weight
310lbs
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