Faces of Pretomournon: The Manipulator

Carter Don

Do you want someone busted out of jail? Do you want the guards at Cristofoletto to look the other way while you climb over the wall? Do you want to be allowed into the Palais Cherisse, even though you’re a penniless nobody? In short, do you have an illegal or semi-legal job you want done? If so, there is only one man who can help. That man is Carter Don.

Carter (never, ever Mr. Don) is a manipulator, a lobbyist, a fixer and a corruptor. There are generally two types of manipulators: the person who knows everyone, and the person that is a spider in a web of connections. Carter Don is both. He has connections in every layer of the population, and he’s constantly expanding its network. Many of Carter’s contacts have their own extensive network, and through them he can reach people that remain closed to most.

Anyone can hire Carter. That is to say, anyone with 1,000 gold pieces. That is his minimum price, and that amount is often doubled when expenses are charged. At first meeting Carter, one is often taken with his jovial demeanor. He’s friendly,  tells little jokes, and makes people feel like they’ve known him forever. However, beneath the friendly exterior hides a man who is willing to do everything to achieve his goal. And he does: violence, and murder are often used to get the job done. He never tells his clients about his methods, usually giving them the impression he uses the coin they pay him to bribe the right people.

For example, Amariza, a naïve priest of Muizi has hired him to evacuate the homes standing in the way of her ‘Sign of God’. So far, Carter has been very successful in clearing houses, sometimes by paying the residents to leave, but mostly by threatening them and beating the up. For this work, he hired the Basher Brothers, a trio of pigs known for their love of violence.  If Amariza would know, she would immediately take her business away from Carter.

Carter’s clients better not expect any loyalty from him. Carter only has one loyalty, and that’s to money. He has nothing against working for opposing sides, as long as it pays well, and he can see a way to get the job done. He would just as easily use his contacts to smuggle weaponry into the city, as he would assist a thief to steal the weapons.

In fact, that’s what he did recently. Carter is a key figure in Vithimiris Reizensteijn’s arms smuggling. However, he has also ensured that the dwarf Ibbo could steal a chest of weapons. This has brought Reizensteijn into trouble, because his financer Garrelt Cristofoletto wants his money.

Carter Don: AL L; MV 12; AC 4 (chain mail, Dex); Human Male Fighter5; hp 25 #AT 1; Dmg 1d6+4 (short sword +2, Str) or by weapon +2; S 17, D 15, C 10, I 15, W 11, Ch 15; M 8; items: short sword +2, ring of command human; XP 350.

Location: In his office in the Money District (during the day), in the Palais Cherisse (at night), or wandering the Day Market, Night Market or Nightmare Market to maintain his network.

See also: Amariza, the Basher Brothers, Madame Cherisse, Garrelt Cristofoletto, Ibbo, Vithimiris Reizensteijn.