Krannock just celebrated his 281st birthday, but he still can't stop sticking his nose into mysteries, no matter the cost. This unhealthy drive to uncover the truth led several powerful families in the dwarven metropolis of Erdgeist to strongly suggest that he seek his fortunes elsewhere before his coming of age. He took the hint and wandered for a while, eventually signing onto a ship's crew at Battan's docks.
He plied the seas for a while, jumping from ship to ship as he uncovered embezzlers, thieves, cheaters, and those trying to keep affairs secret. Eventually he learned all he could from the seas, and his last captain kicked him ashore in Fellport, telling him to enroll at the College to study real mysteries. He did, and began a lifelong study of the arcane arts.
He discovered a few things Man Should Not Know in his undergrad years, which led him to focus on Abjuration in hopes of keeping everyone else safe (but firstly himself). He graduated with high honors (some say he blackmailed a dean for this, but no proof ever came to light), and immediately went adventuring. He sought danger and mystery, because where one exists, the other follows. He lost many friends along the way, but this hardy breastplate-wearing wizard with a battle axe proved remarkably hard to kill, doubly so after he found his Robe of Eyes, which he wears nearly everywhere, especially when teaching.
He built up his reputation and fortune by recovering artifacts and banishing summoned monstrosities, both for pay and for the greater good. He took some of his fortune and created a hideaway in Fellport to hide dangerous magical items. It took years to design, but he managed to set up a glyph of warding to cast modify memory on anyone seeing the flat's door, except him and anyone with one of his infinity pendants. He proudly calls it The Forgotten Flat, though he doesn't speak of it to anyone outside of close colleagues he trusts completely.
About 20 years ago he became the Dean of Abjuration at the College, and this time rumors abounded about the rest of the College leadership blackmailing him into accepting the role. He still hates it, and he runs off whenever he can to recover and sequester dangerous magical artifacts. His teaching style charitably falls under "cantankerous", mostly involving talking down to his students because they don't know how the real world conspires to kill everyone, and swearing every third word, at least. Some of his students love him even though they take such abuse from him, but everyone respects his extensive knowledge and his endless stories about caution saving lives. Krannock considers himself beyond dealing with "Social Nicety Bullshit", and acts accordingly.
He wears his receding white hair in a single long braid, just like his white beard. His beard thinned on his cheeks, so he has an overgrown braided goatee now. His deep-set brown eyes look almost black under most light, and his bushy white eyebrows highlight the effect. He enjoys drinking painfully bitter ale, saying it washes away the memories better than anything else. Krannock still has good years left to give, but paying for everything he has already done weighs heavily on his body and face.
About 3 years ago he left on sabbatical, mumbling something about "heading home to deal with squid nightmares", and he hasn't been seen since. Some intense research will turn up a description of the Dread Helm, a metal helmet with a tentacle motif that allows its wearer to wield fear like a weapon and infect a target with damaging nightmares from any distance by attaching a few hairs off their head. Scattered reports from various dwarven cities seem to indicate a curious uptick in terrible nightmares over the past 5 years.
Krannock Steelshanks
Mountain Dwarf Abjurer Wizard (Level 19) (Sailor Background; Skill Expert, War Caster Feats)
Str 12 Dex 10 Con 14 Int 20 Wis 14 Cha 13
Arcana +11, Athletics +7, History +11, Investigation* +17, Perception +8
Part of T.W.Wombat's #City23 project. See the Fellport Index for all entries.
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