Emory Morgan
Ranger Emory Morgan
Emory Morgan is a veteran Scout Ranger of the Southmarch Rangers. He makes his home at the Ranger base at Nalamoa.
It's twilight, and Emory Morgan is leading Buddy, his pack donkey, back toward Nalamoa after spending a few weeks checking out the grasslands and forests leading up to the Central Range. Steel, his huge mountain dog is beside him, and Griff, his Steppe Gyreagle, is circling overhead. He hears Griff make a couple of calls, then a minute later, Steel makes a low grumble. Something or someone is nearby, but isn't an immediate threat.
Keeping hidden, after working his way carefully to the top of a rise, he can see down to the coast road where it exits from Nalamoa's west gate. About a quarter of a mile outside the gate, where the road turns north, about 100 yards from where he is, Morgan can see a figure walking quickly. Based on gait and size, he knows the person is female. She is leading what looks like a good, but fairly small, horse, saddled, carrying full packs. He recognizes her; it is Sassandra Diriat'Drynalaer, said to be an "advisor" to Duke Valdemar Tachibana Larssen, but Morgan knows what she really is, a spy that gets most of her information by granting "favors" to those she's interested in, most especially the Duke, who has a weakness for beautiful women.
Why is she out here alone on the coast road nearing dark? Whatever it is, it can't be any good. He really ought to follow her to see what she's up to, but with Buddy along he can't really track her silently. Frustrated, he heads down into Nalamoa, heading for the base. He'll at least let the commander know so the Rangers can keep an eye on her.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Emory Morgan is in excellent physical condition, especially for someone of his age. He is still strong and quite agile. He ages more slowly than most people due to his partial Elvirim ancestry, and his knowledge of plants and animals has allowed him to maintain good health by eating properly, even in the wild. Over the decades, he has been injured a few times, but has always completely recovered.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Emory Morgan was born at the base of the Southmarch Rangers in Ferrytown. His father was a Ranger Armorer, a blacksmith, armorer, and weaponmaster named John Morgan, and his mother was a half-Elvirim Scout Ranger named Lythienne Elorialir Miayra'Dawynn. From his father, Emory learned the arts of blacksmithing and how to make quality weapons and armor. From his mother, he learned the woodsmanship and skills of the Scout Rangers and the Elvirim.
Literally born to be a Ranger, Emory Morgan went to Daskar to join the Southmarch Rangers and complete the training as soon as he was old enough. He completed his initial training when he was 17, becoming a Ranger Patroller assigned to the base at East Road Crossing, then later to Handali. When he was just 23, he was chosen to undergo the additional training to become a Scout Ranger. Given the skills he had already learned from his father and mother, Morgan completed that training in just over one year. When he was 25, he was assigned to the ranger base at Nalamoa, from where he maintains watch over much over the Sudkoku duchy of Sudland.
After over 25 years in Nalamoa, he knows everyone there and most everything that happens of any consequence.
Education
Emory Morgan was educated by the Southmarch Rangers at the base at Ferrytown, especially by his father and mother. He is able to read and write in the Sudkou language proficiently. He also speaks the Elvirim language well. He has also learned some of the Elvirim dialect spoken by the Drow Elvirim of Isolabirre.
At the Southmarch Ranger training base in Daskar, Morgan received additional training in wilderness survival, intelligence gathering and observation, martial arts, including swordsmanship, hand-to-hand fighting, archery and crossbowmanship, and in secret communication. He excels at all, and after his decades of experience, is often called on to train younger Rangers.
Employment
Emory Morgan has been a Scout Ranger of the Southmarch Rangers for over three decades.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Emory Morgan was one of the youngest people to ever become a Scout Ranger. He is practically a legend among the Scouts, having survived many animal attacks and ambushes by Drow Elvirim, including by Shadows of The Night of Apopshe and operatives of Obsidian. Despite his deep experience, knowledge, and skill, he has never wanted promotion in the Southmarch Rangers organization, preferring to live and work in the outdoors, rather than at the Ranger base.
Intellectual Characteristics
Morgan is deeply connected to the natural world and naturally empathic, at least in part because of his Elvirim ancestry on his mother's side. He much prefers living and working in the outdoors, scouting uncharted areas of Sudland and beyond, to being indoors or even at the Ranger base. Though he gets along well with most people, he dislikes bureaucracy and hates dishonesty. He will never grovel to or fawn over those in positions of authority, and he has nothing but contempt for those that do.
Morality & Philosophy
Morgan has a live-and-let-live philosophy toward most people, but hates bullying and powerful people taking advantage of the weak. He prefers not to get involved in the personal matters of people, but will not hesitate to confront situations of extreme injustice or bullying.
Personality Characteristics
Hygiene
Emory Morgan is clean and tidy - for a person that spends nearly all of his time outdoors in the wild places of the country. For a royal or noble of Daskar, he is filthy and unkempt.
Social
Hobbies & Pets
Morgan keeps with him, as a pet, hunting companion, and observer, a Steppe Gyreagle, named Griff. Griff also is able to deliver messages to the Ranger base at Nalamoa when the need arises. He also has a large, black watchdog and protector, named Steel. Steel is an enormous mountain dog-wolf hybrid. He is about 32 inches (81 cm) tall at the shoulder and weighs 165 lbs (75 kg), nearly as much as Morgan himself. Steel has extremely keen senses and is very intelligent. He recognizes the sound and smell of many different creatures and will alert Morgan if he senses them. He is also a ferocious and fearless fighter, able to take down animals as large as some bears.
On longer journeys, Morgan will take with him a loyal, strong, and tough donkey named Buddy. Some people say that Buddy is an even nastier fighter than Steel. Getting kicked or stomped by Buddy is like getting hit with a sledgehammer.
Wealth & Financial state
Emory Morgan is not wealthy, but is not wanting. He doesn't care that he is not wealthy. He has all he needs. Any more would just be a burden.
Current Location
Species
Year of Birth
9102
58 Years old
Birthplace
Children
Current Residence
The base of the Southmarch Rangers at Nalamoa .
Sex
male
Gender
male
Presentation
male
Eyes
Gray blue, narrow
Hair
Long, brownish blond, rather unkempt, with a beard and mustache
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale brown, marked by a few scars
Height
6'1" (185.5 cm)
Weight
190 lbs. (86 kg)
Quotes & Catchphrases
"Well, that don't look good."
"Don't make me take an interest in you."
"Don't make me take an interest in you."
Belief/Deity
Emory Morgan is a Gasyendithite.
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Elvirim
Drow Elvirim
I liked the little (assumably) quotes text near the top. It gave a nice little peek into his head and perspective before diving into details about him and made him more relatable.
Thanks! I've started doing that a little more with some of the characters I've written about. I agree with you - it makes the characters more relatable and helps understand their thinking and personality. Although it can be hard for me, I think developing characters has turned out to be one the parts of worldbuilding I like most.
Developing characters is definitely a lot of fun! Probably why I have far too many characters. I think there was a good deal of interlacing this character's past and background with their skills and even how who his parents were affected his life.