Narvos Heg

Narvos Heg is a round, balding, red faced man with large hands and wide, flat feet. On his tip toes Narvos is as tall as a short woman, so he has boots made with thick soles to add to his height. Narvos' crooked nose protrudes from his face like a pair of curled up fingers. His big ears wing out from the sides of his head, their tops covered in a shag of horizontal salt and pepper hair that makes him appear to be always standing in front of a small storm cloud. Narvos attests his lack of height and his too-big-for-his body features to a line of noble dwarven blood on his father's side. None know who is father is or where Narvos came from, so the matter rests on Narvos' word alone. Books, scrolls, parchments, chapbooks, letters, runes and scraps of writing are Narvos' specialty. He prizes personal writings--letters to loved ones most of all, though journals and even written orders from kings or merchant princes are also worth collecting—above all else. Narvos is forever on the lookout for such material, pays handsomely for anything not in his collection and does not express concern over an item's provenance. Narvos occasionally circulates rumors that he's selling his prized collection, just to see who will bid the most for it. As well who will attempt to steal it or prevent others from doing so. Narvos keeps a host of magical traps in the upper floor of his residence, where many of his books, his writing desk and a plush chair for reading are kept. The upper floor is open and wide, with stained glass windows standing in front of thick, iron bound shutters that close and lock from inside. The windows are enchanted to become translucent on command, allowing sunlight to filter into the reading room and provide a magnificent view of Castle Never to the north. Rare books, spellbooks and fragile written items are kept in a basement level bellow the cellars of Narvos' home. This level is identical in size and height to the upper story reading room and is of dwarven make and design. Narvos is as yet unaware that his basement connects to several other chambers beneath other nearby homes, as well as pathways that lead to the Underdark. Narvos cannot cast spells, preferring to keep spellbooks only because this is what "men of power" do. However, Narvos is accomplished at operating magic items owing to a career in illicit dealings and thievery, his skills earned in cities far to the south of Neverwinter some two decades ago. Narvos' time as a thief taught him early on that information was power. Wielded correctly, it allowed one to exercise control without facing immediate danger. While operating as a fence for stolen goods in Waterdeep, Narvos acquired the personal journals of two former dancers who'd worked at the popular Moonstone Mask. The journals detailed much overheard information about the wealthy patrons who frequented that once famous festhall. Later on Narvos came to own a large portion of the collection formerly housed at Maskado’s Maps and Legends (the ruin of which overlooks the Chasm). He travelled north some years later, intent on bribing and blackmailing the rich and moneyed of Neverwinter, as well as uncovering hidden riches alluded to in the journals. His book collection made these tasks all too easy. Though few realize it, Lord Neverember’s presence in Neverwinter owes at least as much to Narvos’ willingness to share information (for a stiff price) about the secret doings of Neverwinter’s more powerful citizenry as it does Lord Neverember’s tenaciousness and drive. Narvos charges inflated rates to view his collection, anywhere from 100gp to 500gp per hour. He even charges a fee (5gp), paid upfront, before he will confirm or deny that he has a given book. Though he might have a book, this is no guarantee he’ll let it be viewed. Narvos never allows anyone into his home until he knows for certain who they are and what they wish to see. If he decides to let them view an item that exists in his basement collection he always makes sure to bring the item to the upper floor reading room before allowing it to be viewed, so as not to betray the existence of the basement level collection. He does not allow copies to be made of anything he owns, fearing this will devalue his collection. Occasionally Narvos will invite one or two respected members of Neverwintan citizenry to view a new addition to his collection, and to talk about politics and rumors while sipping firewine or zzar. Though some consider this an honor, others view it as a necessary evil in order to deal with "the fat old rat nobody has yet been able to rid from his nest," as one disgruntled merchant put it recently. It's not uncommon for Narvos to use these get togethers to show off some long lost diary, collection of letters or second sets of account ledgers that, in the wrong hands, would bring embarassment or ruin to his guest's families or businesses. Narvos does not appear to entertain underlings or hirelings at his home, yet he is rumored to employ factors in several cities up and down the Sword Coast, including one agent who works diliegently at finding seekers intent on trading their offerings to Candlekeep (for permission to view its collection) and separating these individuals from their written possessions before they reach the keep. Narvos considers himself a silent partner in Lord Neverember’s work. He thinks of himself as the equal to Mayor Galt and one day expects to replace him as mayor of Neverwinter. He is convinced that in his fortress home nobody can harm him or his prized collection. Джерело: <http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16717&SearchTerms=Neverember>