Clifford the Woodsmith

Clifford Jon Foster (a.k.a. Father Clifford, The Woodsmith)

"Never has a fallen angel dug in his nails and climbed back up from the depths of damnation. That didn't stop Clifford Jon Foster - the most quietly daring man I've ever had the fortune to meet."

— Lawrence Finch, The Virtues of Being Inhuman

Clifford Jon Foster, known locally as "Father Clifford" or "The Woodsmith", was born in the town of Streatham in the 11^th century. Forced out his home at 6 years old, he was adopted by the Carpenters and has lived in the same village ever since.
Kickstarted by his Thesis, still nailed on his parish church's door, he became one of the most significant philosophers and theologians to operate outside of the clergy. He invites every guest into his home to discuss these dense topics, as well as to exchange knowledge. If you haven't been to see Clifford at least once, you'll have at least heard of him and his doctrine.
Preaching against the current church system and for Cambion equality, he's remained a relevant figure in high learning. Since he has remained so easy to consult, Clifford Jon Foster has played a dramatic part in the highest and lowest moments in the last two decades.
His popularity has inspired many imitators and even more letters nailed onto church property without permission. On a broader scale, his philosophy has inspired theologians and clergy alike to challenge the church, its authority and possible need for reforms.

Holy Books & Codes

• The Woodsmith's Thesis

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Described as heavy set but muscular. Heralded as a master over most afflictions, since he's had and recovered from most of them. Though he has little contact with magic, is immune to Aether Decay.

Special abilities

Has all the abilities a cambion regularly possesses, but refuses to use them. Perhaps it's due to his demonic heritage that people perceive him as more charismatic than he actually is.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

His mother fell sick. Because her son was a Cambion, the local monastery refused to take them in or help his ailing mother. She died and word spread that he was a cambion, forcing him to flee for his life.
A family chanced by him, wearing rags and walking in a ditch. Moved by pity, they took him into their family but they didn't know about his demonic heritage. He had a relatively uneventful childhood and learned to become a carpenter by apprenticing at his foster father's workshop.
When he turned 16, his parents sought a bride for their adopted son. Finding the idea of marriage abhorrent, he climbed up a tree and decided to stay there until they thought he'd ran away or called off the engagement. Night arrived and the air grew cold. Fearing he'd freeze to death, he decided he'd rather get married than die frozen in the boughs of a tree. He missed one of the lower branches and fell.
He lost consciousness and had a vision he would later describe as "equally enlightening and preposterous", where Clifford sat in on a meeting between the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Though some theorise he was merely a spectator to this conversation, Clifford himself recalls the Horsemen repeatedly referring to him as "their guest" and inviting him to sit with them. Since the Horsemen's names can never be uttered, the details of this exchange has never been recorded.
He awoke and dedicated himself to researching the Horsemen and the doctrine surrounding Camelan religion. Denied access to most texts because he was cambion, he decided change was called for and made savings for a great pilgrimage. When saving supplies and funds for these plans, an incident with an inebriated bishop would redirect his course and that of religion in Camelan for years to come.
After putting up his Thesis, Clifford secluded himself from the world and material desires, only working to uphold his means and keep his mind out of reach from sin. In his isolation, he philosophised on many subjects, particularly on living as a cambion. He chose to live without use of aether, garnering respect from his local parish and prominent figures alike. His conflicted thoughts on his own condition has inspired a cambion equality movement and re-ignited debate surrounding elective aether-ignorance.

Gender Identity

Wants to be perceived as a man of simple means. Goes by he/him pronouns. Hates clergy-related pronouns.

Education

His adoptive father taught him the discipline of woodworking, whilst his adoptive mother taught him how to sew and read. He learned how to write from his older brother, Magnus Carpenter. Since he wasn't allowed to enter the parish church, he couldn't receive public education like his peers. Instead, he was home schooled and spent most of his time working in his adoptive father's workshop.
He has learned a great deal from visitors to his house. This includes Latin, astronomy, medicine and politics. Through his discussions with theologians, he's gained literary knowledge he didn't have before his rise to fame.

Accomplishments & Achievements

When the Council of Camelan was about to ignite into civil war, one of the dukes came to him for advice on what he should do. After Clifford came to hear of this internal strife, he departed from his workshop for the first time in 20 years and made the journey with the duke to the Council Halls of Camelan.
There, he listened to and addressed the complaints and grievances of each member of the Council. The transcript of this week-long meeting with Clifford Jon Foster is kept in the national archives as a document of cultural importance. His no-nonsense advice, along with the symbolic gravity of his appearance, kick-started the path to resolution amongst the Council.

Failures & Embarrassments

His resentment towards the church lead to his first and only rejection of a visitor to his home. This was the head of the clergy at the time, who requested to meet with Clifford personally to discuss their views on religion. Not having even the chance to step into his home was most unusual, some outright calling him a hypocrite for denying the Pope's visitation. As a result, Councilmen were encouraged to boycott his workshop.
Clifford's beliefs against organised religion in Camelan led to the theocracy of Oksal to assume that all Camelan thought similarly and thus were a threat to their prosperity. This spark, amongst many, started an outright war against the Council of Camelan and Oksal that only just ended a few years ago. The church are fond of citing this as evidence of his satanic nature.

Morality & Philosophy

No matter how much he gives, Clifford insists on only asking for a favour in return. These favours often mean the visitor returns to help clean the workshop, repair his house or take care of his chickens. On occasion, he'll also walk with his visitors in the woods and talk philosophy whilst harvesting mushrooms.

Personality Characteristics

Hygiene

Since he works often, he doesn't follow the usual religious recommendations on how often to bathe. Though he takes a bath much more frequently than a regular monk, he's noted by visitors as "having a workman's musk and even worse smelling shoes." This is the same condition he appears in whether you're a local farmer delivering wheat or a noble from the Council of Camelan.

Social

Contacts & Relations

Despite hating the Church as an institution, prominent theologians come to his house to visit and discuss philosophy or religion. Since he gets them to come back if they give him less in provisions than the insight they've gained, they often end up working for him. This gives him a unique closeness that people his class wouldn't have with the high and powerful.
Nobles send their sons to learn from Clifford, whilst also giving them work experience in the profession. He doesn't let these visitors do any actual woodwork, which he leaves to his actual apprentices. The list for applicants is kept in a book at his workshop rather than in the town hall, since people used to visit the town hall just to send their children to work under him.

Family Ties

He doesn't have any knowledge of his demonic father, so neither do the annals of history. His mother, Madison, was given a pauper's grave upon death but with the newfound fame of her son, her body has been exhumed and buried outside their hometown in a shrine. The parish church and the local residents are always in conflict, since shrines are supposed to be reserved for officially appointed saints.
People pester Clifford's adoptive family whenever he comes up unwilling or unable. Bathed in gifts and requests for Clifford's presence, his adoptive mother Sara is kept very busy. His adoptive father, Simon, has since retired from carpentry and remains uninterested in Clifford's religious status. Instead, he admires the woodwork that Clifford sends him on occasion.
His adoptive siblings, Magnus and Bethany Carpenter, can't breathe without being asked about Clifford. Instead of taking up the family business, Magnus works as a fisherman. Bethany Carpenter currently resides in a nunnery, using her talents to make wooden figurines of famous saints to sell. She regularly gets requests for Clifford, but that's against nunnery policy, so she has to decline.

Religious Views

Infamous for his stance against the prevalent church system. His first public declaration was also the instance that made him so famous. On a trip back to his workshop, a drunk bishop attempted to convert him. Despite his many refusals to come to the church with him, the bishop followed Clifford all the way to his workshop and "didn't stop knocking even after the cockerels finished their sermon the next morning". A chicken attacked the bishop, who then killed the animal and brought it back to the parish church.
Furious at what he saw as flagrant church hypocrisy, he wrote a strongly-worded letter to the abbot and nailed it firmly on the church door. The most memorable part of what's now referred to as "The Woodsmith's Thesis" is this phrase:

"Those who preach, I invite you to my home. Over soup and bread, convert me to your faith with common words and honest work. Then, I will take down this Thesis and praise your Lord."

— Clifford Jon Foster, The Woodsmith's Thesis

Those who caught word of this letter took it as a literal challenge of their theological mettle. Ever since, the overall goal of seeking his company has been to convert him to the faith. As testament to his word, no one has succeeded and the Thesis remains steadfast on the parish church's doorway.

Hobbies & Pets

He keeps chickens, whom he sees as both work colleagues and a source of food. To keep with abstaining from excess gluttony, he doesn't eat a chicken until they have died.

Wealth & Financial state

He doesn't desire wealth, instead keeping only what he uses or needs. This includes scavenging for his own food, keeping his own chickens and replanting each tree he cuts down. Without exception, he doesn't keep what he carves and seeks some way to give his work away. The victims of this spontaneous pawning of items are mostly his theologian visitors.
Eager to keep the ecological balance, he only goes hunting when the village is in famine. Visitors to his workshop give him more than enough sustenance to sustain him, so Clifford donates the excess to the local parish.

Alignment

Chaotic Neutral

Ethnicity

Camelan

Honorary & Occupational Titles

His most famous title, "Father Clifford", isn't officially sanctioned by the Church. This title was given by the locals, who see him as more of a religious leader than any clergy.

Date of Birth

18th of Mistbrood (November)

Year of Birth

1093 56 Years old

Birthplace

Streatham

Gender

Male

Eyes

Narrow, Grey-blue

Hair

Sandy brown, thin, shoulder-length

Height

6'4" / 1.9 m

Weight

212 lbs / 96.2 kg

Known Languages

Knows most Human languages, able to speak and write Latin despite his station. He can speak and write in Elvish, though not fluent.