Archibald Wilfred Maximilian Fizzlespark
Archibald Wilfred Maximilian Fizzlespark (a.k.a. Archie)
Mental characteristics
Personal history
The Fizzlesparks are a noted family of Gnome crafters and merchants.
Hailing from Hardbuckler and the peaceful Tielta Hills, they made a name for themselves, as much as gnomes can, in a world dominated by the taller races, by the quality of their crafts and the shrewdness of their negotiators. Over the generations the family split time and time again, each branch often specialising in a particular trade or craft, while maintaining a loose network of affiliation with the other branches.
Archibald Wilfred Maximillian Fizzlespark was born in one such branches, the Fizzlesparks of Purplesmoke. This branch, residing in the eponymous borough of Hardbuckler, specialises and is famous for its alchemical products, which are sold by merchants as far as Neverwinter and occasionally even reaching the great dwarven holds in the north.
Amongst other branches, the Fizzlesparks of Purplesmoke are seen a bit as the odd ones, often jokingly indicating that they inhaled too much of the smokes that name the district they live in. However, even among them, Archibald, or Archie as he prefers being called, stood out for its oddity.
As was expected of him, as the eldest son, he was trained in the main craft of the family, Alchemy, but also in all the skills required for running a successful shop. Not to say he was incapable, but his own siblings and, quite regretfully, even his own father, had to acknowledge that his attention was more often than not captivated by whatever sparked his interest last, rather than current business.
However, Gnomes do place high regard on tradition, and it would've been unimaginable for the eldest son not to inherit his father's shop. Thus, when an unfortunate alchemical accident took his father's life, it was Archie's turn to take the reins of the family's trade.
It was a disaster. While his siblings helped mitigate most of the damage, his unattentiveness and distraction caused untold problems for the family: product left to gone bad, debts unpaid, suppliers uncontracted, clients disgruntled. The good name of not only the Fizzlesparks of Purplesmoke but of the Fizzlespark family in general was being tarnished. In an unprecedented turn of events, the heads of several of the Fizzlespark family branches convened, prompted by Archie's own brothers and sisters and effectively exiled him, in all but name, from running a business in the Fizzlespark name.
Archie was quite literally cast out from his home, under his sibling's disappointed glares: it wasn't hate that brought this on, but their complete exhaustion.
It was thus that Archie's wandering life began. Inexperienced in life in the wilds, it didn't take long for him to run into trouble.
Not even a month after being exiled, Archie thought that the Reaching Woods, a large forest just south of Hardbuckler, would provide him with food and cover from the elements. Little did he know that while those things might be true, the woods also harboured dangerous creatures. A hunting party of Gnolls was in fact quite happy to settle on roasted Gnome that evening, their hunting trip having gained them no more than a skinny hare. Fortunately for our gnome, the Gnolls' plans for supper were upset when a rain of blades and arrows cut them down.
It was an elven ranger by the name of Erdan Duskwalker. His travels brought him to the Woods just as fate arranged for him to save Archie. Hearing the gnome's story and seeing his bedraggled looks, made Erdan decide to bring Archie with him, for a while. He soon grew to like the odd fellow, whom he taught a bit of the ways to survive in the wild and how to defend himself. In exchange Archie kept him company on his long road north, gifting him from time to time some new knick knack or weird contraption.
The long path north allowed Archie to realise how easy and simple had his life been, and how much he had let his whole family down. At the same time he also understood that that life was at his back now and he wasn't missing it: the excitement and freedom that his new adventuring life brought him, he wouldn't trade for anything.
Still, the road ahead was hard. When it was finally time for Erdan to leave, Archie couldn't help but feel apprehensive at having to fend for himself for the first time since getting lost and captured in the woods near home. Of one thing he was certain, however: while he had failed as a merchant, he wasn't going to fail in his new life, whatever that might mean. He'd make sure people would finally respect the name of Archibald Wilfred Maximillian Fizzlespark.
And it was with high hopes that he finally entered the city of Neverwinter. Perhaps the House of Knowledge would have something to pique his interest, or maybe he'd travel to the nearby Gauntlgrym to see what the famed Dwarven craftsmen could make. Or maybe he'd leave to fate and curiosity the choice of where to go and what to do next...
Elder son of the Fizzlesparks of Purple Smoke family branch, part of the large Fizzlespark mercantile house. Exiled from his home and disowned by his family, he's making a new life for himself out in the Sword Coast.
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Alignment
Chaotic Good
Age
44
Birthplace
Hardbuckler
Children
Current Residence
Neverwinter
Gender
Male
Eyes
Brown
Hair
Dark Red
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale
Height
95 cm
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
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