Finn Adler
Finn Adler
To look at him, you wouldn’t guess Finn was born and bred south of the Zerovican Alps. Most of his friends growing up were tall, dark and lanky. Finn is compact, lithe, deep-chested and maybe only 5’9". He has a round, tan face and tawny hair. On his upper shoulder there's a spidery, rune-like tattoo that crawls up his neck and isn't quite disguised by his shirt collar, The Mark of Finding.
Finn was raised by his mother, who owned a Lighthouse a few days south of the mountains. Lots of work to do, to keep the lighthouse running. At six he was helping to wind the lens (until they were able to buy the runic clockwork mechanism that kept it turning on its own). At eight he was walking four kilometers to and from the one-room school house each day, and then toting oil from the fuel house up the tower to the lamp when he got home. With responsibility also came freedom to hike and fish and hunt. There were other kids who were kinda his friends, who lived along the trail or down the shore, but he spent a lot of time exploring on his own as well. You ever wonder how far your pet cat ranges when you let it out for the night? It’s probably twice as far as you think. Finn ranged farther, knew every stone, every cave, every tree along the coast near his home.
Finn’s father returned home when time allowed, which wasn’t often. Maybe two or three times a year, with a large, worshipping entourage. Once, his father’s team arrived travelling north, with a massive Aboleth on two spits slung between teams of oxen, and Finn sat by the campfire with shining eyes as his father told the (obviously well-rehearsed) story of its capture. Other times, his father would take Finn deeper into the forest than he usually dared to go by himself. He learned to aim a rifle, and to set snares. How to watch. He practiced staying perfectly still in the leaves, as a thing twice as tall as a bunkhouse with legs like tree trunks lumbered past, and once it was gone his father would wink, light his pipe and say “Next time I’m down we’ll track that thing back to its hoard. That’s where the real prize is.”
But every time there was a next time there was always some reason not to, and the visits became fewer and eventually stopped altogether. Finn only asked his mother about his father once, when he was seventeen. To which she replied, in a thick voice, “I hope he found what he was looking for.”
In the months leading up to his final year of school, Finn anticipated, with dread, a “talk”, where his mother informed him of her plan to turn the lighthouse over to his care. So it was with great surprise one night after dinner when she slapped a leather billfold on the table and informed him that it was time for him to stop staring out at the breakers and get a real education. He was only 80% sure he knew what she meant.
So he went to Tallwater.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
5'9", short for a Sheildwood-born boy, but lithe, compact and muscular, like a mountain lion.
Body Features
- Finn has two cigar-sized round scars; one in his right armpit, the other halfway between his scapula and spine on the left side, from rot grubs.
Facial Features
Green eyes, peach fuzz beard, short-cropped blond hair.
Identifying Characteristics
He has a "Mark of Finding" -- a spidery rune tattoo on his shoulder.
Personality Characteristics
Virtues & Personality perks
Philosophy, Ideals, Creed
- Actions speak louder than words, and great deeds make a great man.
- To catch your prey, you need to understand it.
- You can't learn everything about life in books.
- People matter more than principles.
- Loyalty trumps justice
Vices & Personality flaws
- Proud - Refuses to ask for help and rarely apologizes.
- Impatient with talk vs. action. Get moving!
- Never satisfied -- achieving a dream will leave him depressed and hollow.
- Likely to explain a situation with a rambling story about "back home" when one word will do.
- Smokes too much
Hygiene
Grew up a country boy, used to camping and roughing it. He probably has dirt under his fingernails, but he's healthy.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Friends, Family, Allies
- Margaret Adler, mother (human)
- Peter Adler, father (human)
- Magwren, Adopted Great-Aunt (halfling)
- Djurro Volant, teacher (elf)
- Artificer Garnack Ungart, mentor (dwarf)
- Vesper, soldier, friend (tiefling from the outer planes)
- Henry Castle, patron (human)
- Lang, Prof. of Music at Tallwater University (friend of Djurro)
- Hickson, Prof. of Documancy
- Ohming, Headmaster
- Mrs. Brisby, Ohming's administrative assistant
- Hawkins & Phelon -- Fellow Xenobiology students at Tallwater. Wealthy families
Religious Views
Maybe there are Gods up there, maybe there aren't. If there's something up there, it doesn't keep the world turning, and certainly doesn't control my destiny. There's plenty of mystery and magic down here to go around.
Social Aptitude
Blunt & uncomfortable around wealthy people.
A young woodsman and hunter, eager to travel the world, and learn how to hunt and catch the mysterious creatures that live in it.
View Character Profile
Age
22
Birthplace
County of Vastok, Zerovica
Children
Current Residence
Tallwater
Gender
Male
Eyes
Green
Hair
Blond
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Tan
Height
5'9"
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