Tannin "Copperhead" Forscyth

Tannin “Copperhead” Forscyth

Physical Description:

While Tannin is on the job, few have a chance to see him, well, only the most astute manage a good look and even then it will not be long until they are dead. He is slight for a halfling and his pale milky skin with a spattering of brown freckles over his nose and cheeks belie his time spent flitting around the shadows and traveling in the dark underground of cities. His auburn hair is usually slicked back with a gel that hardens the otherwise unruly wavy hair into a neat shell that just reaches the nape of his neck. Tannin, known as "Copperhead" to most, was so called for the sheen of his hair that is only barely visible as it glistens in the firelight before he finishes his job and escapes back into the shadows. His bright green eyes are amiable at first glance, but the high cheekbones and thin pursed lips reflect his rather severe attitude. Tannin has a habit of intensely staring at people, or at his surroundings, just to make sure he still has the upper hand, or is aware of potential threats. Being alive for almost a century, faint wrinkles along his brow and mouth are the only signs of his age. Tannin sports a rather noticeable scar under the left side of his jaw where an almost botched assassination attempt left him with a rather nasty acid burn; the purplish taut flesh is all that remains to tell the tale, which is rarely shared except with other "whispers" over sober drinks at the conclusion of a successful mission. He wears dark leather armor and dons a shadowy cloak when the weather turns cooler or when he is in need of a hood to keep his hair and face obscured.

Backstory:

Tannin grew up along the South Ardeep River. His family, six nimble fishers, made their comfortable, but by no means extravagant, life from the water, selling their catches in the local marketplaces and sometimes curing some of their wares and bringing particularly high-quality bounties to Waterdeep to fetch a bigger purse. However, life was simple and plain, offering little adventure; it was a quiet existence that ebbed and flowed with the seasons and the schools of fish that populated the reliable Ardeep River. Yet, as time passed, traveling merchants from nearby guilds began encroaching upon the family's business and increased activity began diminishing the schools of rainbow-bellied salmon, a particularly tasty commodity that was popular among locals that kept Tannin's family's financials in order. Facing economic hardships, Tannin's father, Brillwyn, much to his mother's dismay, took out a loan against his catches from a local elite Zhentarim, throwing his family into debt with little hope of ever completely paying it back. Most of his siblings went into a kind of indentured servitude, ingratiating themselves to the Zhentarim and turning their backs on their mother and father. As Tannin's family continued to struggle to survive, he became acutely aware how much money lords over life and can sway even the smallest of decisions. He vowed to himself that he would find a way to live his life where money was the guiding principle and was the root to most of his relations, since it was the inevitable outcome. Annoyed at his parents for forcing his siblings into work for the elite, he decided to find his own boss on his own terms. So, he snuck out, leaving a note to his parents and a separate one to his beloved younger sister Trynn, saying that he would find his own way in the world, free from the imposed burden of the elite's whims and his family's debt.

Tannin then made his way to Waterdeep. He kept to the shadows and sought the hidden networks of exchange that was ruled by coin and little else. It did not take him long to be swept up by what was locally known as "The Undertow," a locally operated branch of a much larger Thieves' Guild that mostly arranged and realized black market trades for merchants. However, sometimes the jobs erred on the more violent side, and on one such mission, Tannin was called to assassinate a corrupt merchant, who reneged on a deal and thereby made rather dangerous enemies with the merchant guild leaders. After being extremely successful in this mission and being handsomely rewarded for his trouble, Tannin realized the potential for specializing in such jobs. He sought guidance by the small group of "whispers" in the assassin faction of the larger Thieves' Guild, earning his keep and learning the art of meting out quick and quiet death. He was given the nickname "Copperhead" from his slicked back, shiny auburn hair that sometimes catches the light, quickly glinting before it disappears into the surrounding shadow.

Organizations:

Tannin, mostly known as "Copperhead" in the underground circles that advertise his particular services, was inducted into a Thieves' Guild 30 years ago, when he committed himself to a life unburdened by making troubling moral decisions. A life ruled by coin. The guild, referred to by the merchants in Waterdeep and Daggerford as "The Undertow" has provided the citizens of both cities with reliable service and an extensive network through which they can pass their goods without attracting much attention. However, Tannin is a member of the Unseen Guild and the specialist cabal "Death's Whisper," the guild's team of assassins.

Allies:

Although generally likeable, Tannin has very few true allies. His allegiance is to his Thieves' Guild and his fellow "whispers." The only other person Tannin cares about is his younger sister, Trynn, to whom he sometimes funnels some of his hard-earned funds from the shadows, rarely making actual contact with her except through furtive missives and mysterious gifts.

Enemies:

Tannin works and lives within the Thieves' Guild system, so anyone threatening the order of the guild must be removed. Not only would these individuals threaten his prevailing sense of order and organization, but it would also upset his primary means of earning coin, which is (for Tannin) an even more troubling prospect.

Tannin's family borrowed from a loan shark who was a member of the Black Network

Tannin's siblings were forced to do unspeakable things on behalf of the Zhentarim including selling fenced goods and providing pleasures and service to visitors..