Smirk

Smirk

Smirk is a rising gang leader in Bard’s Gate, a half-orc criminal whose brutality, intelligence, and contempt for women make him a dangerous force in the city’s underworld. A former slave of the Dominion, he grew up knowing nothing but cruelty and control, and he has carried those lessons into his adult life. He sees the world in simple terms: power is taken, weakness is exploited, and half-orcs are best when used as a blunt instrument.

"Half-orcs don’t need soft words and soft hands. We are what we were made to be—strong, direct, and ready to take what’s ours."

He earned the name Smirk because no matter the situation—whether he’s winning, losing, or gutting someone in an alley—there’s always a smirk on his face.

Appearance and Personality

Smirk stands at 6’1” and 220 lbs, lean and powerful. His body bears the scars of a lifetime of slavery and gang fights, but he moves with the grace of a predator. His presence is unsettling—he doesn’t raise his voice or make threats unnecessarily, because he knows his reputation and his smirk do the talking for him.
Though he plays at being a brutal thug, Smirk is far from stupid. He is intelligent and patient, capable of reading a room, setting up ambushes, and securing long-term power. He simply chooses to embrace violence as the first option, because in his experience, it is the only thing that truly works.

"Talk all you want. Sooner or later, one of us is going to start breaking bones. That’s when I stop listening."

Smirk is openly misogynistic, quickly losing patience with any woman who expresses an opinion. Even when dealing with useful female allies, he barely tolerates their presence. To him, they should either be silent, subservient, or gone.

Fighting Style

A lifetime as a slave and street-fighter taught Smirk the value of small, hidden weapons—things that can slip past guards, be drawn in an instant, and kill before the fight even starts. He prefers daggers, short blades, and improvised weapons like knuckledusters and garrotes. He is ruthless in combat, favoring ambushes, feints, and dirty tricks over honor or fair fights.

"You bring a sword. I bring a shiv. Let’s see who bleeds first."

Power and Influence

Smirk is not just a thug—he is well-funded, and no one knows where the money is coming from. With these resources, he has quickly gathered some of the most violent and directionless half-orcs in the city, including:

• The last remnants of the Sharps, a once-notorious gang of enforcers.
• The few half-orcs who still worship Gruumsh, clinging to the idea of their race as a tool of war.
• Other malcontents, drifters, and killers looking for a strong leader.

He will work with men of other races if they are useful, but he does not trust them. More importantly, he will never follow them.
Smirk despises the term "halfbloods," considering it a weak and sentimental name. In his mind, half-orcs should embrace brutality, not hide from it.

Goals and Threats

Smirk’s ambitions are simple but dangerous—he wants power, respect, and a gang that dominates Bard’s Gate’s criminal world. His presence threatens the delicate balance of the city, and his rise is drawing unwanted attention from both the underworld and the law.

"There’s no ‘order’ in this city. No ‘balance.’ Just people too afraid to take what’s theirs. That’s why I’m here."

His rapid rise in power is disrupting the city, making enemies of Guaco, Wonderful, and Roscoe Goodbarrel, and putting him on a collision course with the PCs. Whether he succeeds in carving out his empire—or is finally put down—will depend on who stops him first.