**"Look, I've seen enough weird shit this month to know when someone's telling the truth. Let me get you to someone who can actually help."** ## Quick Facts **Race**: Human **Class**: Fighter 7 / Rogue 3 **Age**: 34 **Role**: Senior Guardsman, Pinelow District Patrol **Alignment**: Lawful Good (pragmatic) --- ## Overview Cedric is a practical, battle-worn guard veteran who survived the devil invasion of Polaria. He works the outer districts where real people live and rebuild, not the pristine inner city. He's the kind of officer who knows everyone's name, can tell when someone's lying, but also knows when to bend the rules to do the right thing. After watching devils tear through his city, he's developed a nose for genuine threats versus bureaucratic nonsense. --- ## Appearance Athletic build, weathered from years of real patrol work. Strong-jawed with laugh lines, crooked nose (broken twice), short beard showing hints of gray. Dark brown hair kept military-short but slightly unkempt. Hazel eyes that constantly scan but soften when talking to civilians. **Gear**: Well-worn chainmail with Polarian crest, faded blue and silver tabard, longsword ("Keeper"), hand crossbow, guardsman's whistle, battered patrol notebook. **Voice**: Friendly tenor that can shift to command instantly. Slight South Angorian accent. --- ## Personality **Core Traits**: Pragmatic professional, people-focused, combat veteran, charming skeptic, protective **Strengths**: Street smart, knows how the city actually works, has contacts everywhere, quick thinker, courageous **Flaws**: Rule bender, haunted by the devil attack, overprotective, cynical about nobility, drinks to cope (never on duty) --- ## Background Born in Pinelow to working-class parents. Joined the Polarian Knights at 19 to protect his community. Spent 15 years rising to Senior Guardsman through competence, not connections. Requested outer district patrol because he wanted to help real people, not kiss noble boots. ### The Devil Invasion When devils attacked Polaria a month ago, Cedric's district was hit hard. He held a chokepoint with five other guards while evacuating civilians—only he and one other survived. Killed two lesser devils himself and watched a pit fiend slaughter his sergeant. The experience left him with nightmares but also a deep respect for anyone who's actually fought something truly dangerous. Since then, he's been helping coordinate rebuilding efforts while dealing with PTSD, survivor's guilt, and a growing distrust of command decisions that got good people killed. --- ## Relationships & Connections **Mayor Thornton**: Distant cousin, occasional tension over Cedric's rule-bending **Thrak Sr.**: Friend, regular at Thrak's Place **The Naked Maidens**: Professional relationship with [[Krynvia]]'s establishment—helped protect it during the invasion, they owe him favors **Fellow Guards**: Respected by his peers, seen as too independent by superiors **Pinelow Residents**: Beloved local figure, knows most families personally --- ## Combat Style Cedric fights like a soldier, not a duelist. Uses reach, positioning, and terrain. Prefers his sword but carries a hand crossbow for ranged threats. In the devil fight, he learned to target weak points and fall back when outmatched. Not flashy, just effective. **Key Abilities**: Second Wind, Action Surge, Extra Attack, Sneak Attack, Skirmisher (move without opportunity attacks) --- ## Roleplaying Cedric **Speech Patterns**: Direct but friendly. Uses humor to defuse tension. Drops formality with civilians. "Look..." (when explaining), runs hand through hair when thinking. **Mannerisms**: Constantly scanning surroundings, hand rests on sword pommel, softens voice when talking to kids, gets more casual when he trusts someone. **Motivations**: Protect people, especially the working class. Do the right thing even when the rules don't allow it. Make sure the devil attack never happens again. **With the Party**: Initially professional but wary (armed orcs near his district). Warms up if they're genuine. Respects combat experience. Will go out of his way to help if convinced they're a real threat to the city. Might joke about their strangeness but won't tolerate others mocking them. --- ## Sample Dialogue **When the party first approaches:** "Easy now. I'm not looking for trouble, and I'm guessing neither are you—armed as you are. So let's start simple: what brings a group of orcs and... _[looks at Sasz]_ ...a Serpari to Pinelow? And please, for both our sakes, tell me it's not more devil shit." **After hearing their story about the Pits:** _[Runs hand through hair, sighs]_ "Okay. Okay, I believe you. You've got the look—same look I saw in the mirror after the attack. Nobody makes up stories about fighting devils in the actual Hells. But here's the problem: I can't just march you into the castle. I'm a district guardsman, not a royal herald. You need someone with real pull." **Explaining the Naked Maidens:** "Look, I know how it sounds, but hear me out. There's a place called the Naked Maidens—yeah, it's run by succubi, yeah, it's technically a brothel—but it's also where half the real power in this city drinks and deals. The woman who runs it, Merissa Kryn? She's got connections to the Wizards Conclave, the guilds, probably the damn king himself. If anyone can get you an audience fast, it's her." **When someone questions trusting a succubus:** _[Slight bitter laugh]_ "A month ago, I watched a pit fiend rip my sergeant in half while a devil army burned my city. You know who held the line at the Maidens while we evacuated civilians? [[Krynvia]] and her people. So yeah, she's a fiend. She's also practical, smart, and she doesn't want devils ruining her business any more than we want them ruining our kingdom. Enemy of my enemy, friend." **Walking them to the tavern:** "Fair warning—it's gonna be overwhelming in there. Perfume, magic, beautiful people who can read you like a book. Just... stay focused. Don't accept any 'private offers,' don't sign anything, and for the love of the gods, don't start a fight. These succubi are protected under the Pact of Veils, and more importantly, they're _dangerous_." **If Grumthar expresses paranoia about being in human territory:** "Hey, I get it. You're in a foreign city, you don't speak the language well, and back home you'd probably be shot on sight if the situation were reversed. But Polaria's different—we've got orcs living here, Serpari, halflings, even a few tieflings. The devil attack? That taught us real quick that the person next to you matters more than what they look like. You want to survive the real monsters? You work together." **To Tarnik, if he acts aggressive:** _[Hand on sword, not threatening but ready]_ "Easy, paladin. I respect what you've been through, and I'm trying to help you. But I've got a district to protect and people who depend on me keeping the peace. So let's keep this civil, yeah? I get you to [[Krynvia]], she gets you to people who matter, and maybe—_maybe_—we stop another devil incursion before it starts. Sound good?" **After a tense moment, defusing with humor:** "You know what? After the month I've had, a group of orc adventurers with intel about hell portals barely cracks my top five weirdest situations. Last week, I had to arrest a drunk wizard who turned someone's house into cheese. _Cheese_. So comparatively? You lot are downright normal." **If asked why he's helping them:** _[Quieter, more serious]_ "Because last time devils came to Polaria, I couldn't save everyone. Lost friends. Good people. And if what you're saying is true—if there's another attack coming, if the ley lines are corrupted—then I'll be damned if I stand by and let it happen again. Not on my watch. Not in my city." **Meeting [[Krynvia]] (introducing the party):** "Merissa. These are the ones I mentioned. They've got intel about devil activity in the Pits of the Hells—portals, rituals, ley line corruption. They need to reach the Conclave or the crown, and they need it done yesterday. I know it's irregular, but... _[meets her eyes]_ ...this is real. I can feel it." **His typical goodbye:** "Right then. You lot stay out of trouble—or at least, don't cause any trouble I have to write reports about. I've got a patrol to finish and a stiff drink waiting for me. Good luck with... _[gestures vaguely at everything]_ ...all of this."