Rulkorf Alpensinger

A hill dwarf from the southern end of the Sword Coast, Rulkorf was born with an insatiable urge to experience different parts of the natural world. After leaving home, he spent years as a bounty hunter and navigator aboard a ship before founding the party along with Kleb Fumpton and Rowan Chokrotsk. He felt called to specialize his skills as a Druid of the Land, finding a particular connection to the Coastal Druid Circle.

Appearance¶

At just over 4 feet tall, Rulkorf stands as stout and stocky as any of his brethren. He sports a mane of amber-colored hair and a diligently-groomed beard, braided into the traditional style of his people. Both of these have lighter streaks that were bleached by the sun, and his skin, although naturally pale, has taken on a light tan from long hours outdoors. The dwarf has spent enough time back on land that his gait is no longer the wide swagger of a sea-legged crewmate, but he easily falls back into the habit if he thinks it will help embellish his retelling of old stories to an audience at the tavern.

Rulkorf’s supple hide armor is a patchwork of pelts and skins, and he carries a short staff across his back, fit to dwarven proportions, as well as a circular wooden shield strapped to his left arm (or stowed on his back as well). The latter is embossed with the design of a lightning strike, tendrils radiating from a darkened center. Among Rulkorf’s other equipment is his druidic focus (a compass hanging from a woven cord around his neck) and a lucky trinket (a perpetually-warm obsidian shard tucked into his tunic near his heart). For a typical day’s travel, Rulkorf wears a green cloak and hardy adventurer’s boots.

Backstory¶

The Alpensingers are an old clan of hill dwarves with an ancestry full of mystics and practitioners of the druidic arts. Rulkorf grew up in the forests and hills of the southern Sword Coast but fell in love with the vast horizons of the ocean.

At the young (dwarven) age of 55, Rulkorf convinced Zamar, the grizzled human captain of the bounty-hunting ship Mistcutter to hire him for his navigation and tracking skills. Rulkorf enhanced his conventional sailing abilities with a druid’s propensity to commune with the tides and stars, as well as his druidic focus, a compass with sensitivity to magic. He also picked up new hand-to-hand combat skills from his crewmates and became a formidable fighter after many skirmishes with pirates and outlaws.

The captain soon recognized his abilities and took him under his wing, depending on Rulkorf for counsel and in turn advising the dwarf as his elder and a veteran sailor. Rulkorf failed to rise through the ranks of shipboard command due to laziness and general lack of ambition for conventional accolades, but he was nevertheless widely respected. When things really got serious, the crew of the Mistcutter depended on him with their lives.

Things went on like this for a number of years, as Rulkorf gained experience, skills, and scars. Nowadays, he can spend hours regaling anyone who cares to listen (and many who might not) with tales of his exploits as a younger dwarf. He recounts epic stories of brigands vanquished, treasure discovered, and forces of nature survived, and insists every word is the truth.

Those who befriend Rulkorf know little of what happened at the conclusion of his time at sea, for he refused to give a straight answer and made it clear that such a line of questioning was unwelcome. He rarely spoke a word of the circumstances that led him to leave the crew. All he would offer was that the captain had left the mortal realm, and with that he felt that his nautical venture had run its course.

Having experienced life in the forests, under the mountains, and on the open ocean, Rulkorf set out to see what else the world had to offer. He had heard of vast deserts and wondered if they would be to his liking…

Abilities¶

• Subclass: Circle of the Land (Coast)

Feats:¶

• Observant
• Skill Expert
• Keen Mind

Special Possessions¶

• Glasstaff’s namesake Staff of Magic Missiles
• Compass with a wooden frame that is sensitive to magic (Druidic Focus)
• Shard of obsidian that is perpetually warm (Lucky Trinket)
• Manta Ray Cloak (inhabited by the spirit of Gil)
• Shield of Arrow-Catching
• Soul Lantern (with one remaining spirit)
• Ring of Telepathy
• A fulgurite shard (Arcane Focus)