## Basic Information - **Race:** Dwarf - **Role:** Proprietor of Emberwind Rest Inn - **Location:** Duskwatch, Deadwood Glade region, South Angoria - **Alignment:** [Likely Neutral] - **Occupation:** Innkeeper, Information Broker ## Personality Jovial, trustworthy, secret gossip broker ## Background Varric Dolm didn't always stand behind a bar serving ales and roasted meats. As a former caravan guard, he spent years traveling the dangerous trade routes of South Angoria, learning to read people, assess threats, and most importantly—gather information. When he retired from guard work, he used his savings and connections to purchase the Emberwind Rest Inn, one of Duskwatch's most popular establishments. His friendly demeanor and reputation for trustworthiness make travelers feel comfortable sharing stories, complaints, and secrets—all of which Varric carefully catalogs and trades. ## Role in Duskwatch The Emberwind Rest Inn serves as a hub for: - Travelers passing through Duskwatch - Merchants conducting business - Adventurers seeking rumors and contracts - Locals gathering for news and gossip Behind the jovial innkeeper facade, Varric operates as a skilled information broker, trading secrets and rumors between factions for profit. He maintains relationships with all sides, selling information to whoever can pay while never revealing his sources. ## Political Position Varric maintains careful neutrality, refusing to publicly favor any faction. This neutrality is his greatest asset—it allows him access to all groups and ensures he remains valuable to everyone. However, his information trading inevitably influences political outcomes, giving him hidden power far beyond what his station suggests. He trades information between: - Coalveil agents and Duskwatch independence supporters - Traditional and progressive factions - Military and merchant interests - Religious authorities and secular powers ## Allies & Enemies **Potential Allies:** - Anyone with valuable information to trade - Travelers and adventurers (potential sources and customers) - Merchants who need market intelligence - Possibly Mistress [[Mistress Ceyla Dorn|Ceyla Dorn]] (fellow information dealer) **Potential Enemies:** - Those who discover his information trading - Anyone who wants to monopolize intelligence - Individuals betrayed by information he sold **Maintained Relationships:** - All major factions (as information source/buyer) - [[Guildmaster Thalia Crenn]] (probably trades merchant intelligence) - [[Captain Brannic Torrell]] (may tip off about security threats) - [[Mayor Elira Vanneth]] (likely aware of his activities) ## Adventure Hooks - May tip off adventurers about shadow sightings or suspicious travelers - Could offer lucrative information-gathering contracts - Might need help investigating a guest who's asking dangerous questions - Could request protection when someone discovers his information trading - May hire adventurers to verify rumors before selling information - Could serve as intermediary between adventurers and quest-givers ## Connections - Knows something about nearly everyone who passes through Duskwatch - Likely maintains contact with his old caravan guard network - Probably trades information with Mistress [[Mistress Ceyla Dorn|Ceyla Dorn]] - Has relationships with all major faction leaders ## Notes for DMs Varric is the perfect campaign hub NPC. His inn serves as a natural gathering point for adventurers, and his information network provides a realistic way to deliver plot hooks, rumors, and quest opportunities. His dual nature—genuinely friendly but secretly calculating—creates interesting dynamics. Players will likely grow to trust and like him, which makes it more impactful if they later discover he's been selling information about them to interested parties. **Using Varric Effectively:** 1. **Early Campaign:** Friendly innkeeper who helps new adventurers with free advice and rumor tips 2. **Mid Campaign:** Reliable information source who occasionally asks for small favors 3. **Late Campaign Reveal:** Players discover he's been trading information about their activities, forcing them to decide whether to confront, use, or eliminate him **Adventure Seeds:** - The shadow sightings he mentions could be tied to [[Anam]]'s undead forces - Suspicious travelers might be South Angoria spies, Coalveil agents, or worse - His information network might be the first to detect major threats **Moral Complexity:** Is Varric's information trading wrong? He never lies, just trades truth. He's not loyal to any faction, but his neutrality serves the community by ensuring information flows. Some might see him as a manipulator, others as a vital service provider in a politically fractured town. Let players form their own opinions about whether Varric's activities are helpful pragmatism or dangerous meddling.