Elcid Barret

3rd Level Human Fighter
STR 12
DEX 10
CON 12
INT 10
WIS 13
CHA 16
AC Normal: 8
AC Rear: 8
Hit Points: 18
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Languages: common, halfling
Age: 32
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 180 lbs
Hair/Eyes: Brown/Blue
Distinguishing Features: long scar on left forearm, pronounced hawk-like
nose
Weapon Proficiencies: Rapier, Cutlass, Dirk, Heavy Crossbow, Wheel Lock
Pistol
Non-Weapon Proficiencies: Spacefighting, Leadership
Magic Items: Boots of Striding and Springing, Cutlass +1, Vane of
Location (aboard the Antelope)
Other Equipment: The Antelope (a sloop, use stats for a Cog with no SR
penalty, and with 2 bombards), close-fitting jet black leather armour, 5
wheel lock pistols (tucked into a black sash), rapier, 2 dirks, big
floppy black hat, black cape, ever-present smirk (OK, OK, that's not
really equipment, but he never leaves home without it!)
Background: Elcid Barret grew up in the sphere Bree-Tushespace, so named
because the sphere had been dominated for centuries by the Bree-Tushe
Empire. Bree-Tushespace is composed of the primary and an asteroid belt.
Travel through the asteroid belt is tedious, since most of the time is
spent at tactical speeds, but the belt isn't very wide, so it never
takes more than a few days at tactical speeds to exit the belt. from
there ships can go to spelljamming speeds, only re-entering the belt
when near to their destinations. The belt has no one name, since many of
the larger asteroids, which are really small worldlets, have complete
ecosystems and are considered the territory of one of the many nations
within the sphere. Many of these nations have no more than one or two
asteroids, but there are a few nations which are the heads of large
empires, and the largest and most powerful of these is the Bree-Tushe
Empire. Elcid Barret grew up on a small Bree-Tushe asteroid named
Shurbroyke. Shurbroyke was essentially a fishing asteroid, since, for
some unknown reason, delicious night scaavers congregated in the area in
large numbers. These scaavers had grown somewhat tamer than their
bretheren over the years, feasting off the refuse of the asteroid rather
than actively hunting humans and halflings (the Bree-Tushe Empire, like
most of the nations in Bree-Tushespace, is composed mainly of humans and
halflings, with a few dwarves thrown in for good measure). The residents
of the sleepy little asteroid of Shurbroyke were primarily fishermen who
'fished' for scaavers, and Barret was no exception.
    When Barret was 27 his father was killed by a scaaver while fishing
(a rare occurance near Shurbroyke), and Barret inherited his father's
fishing sloop, the Antelope. As one of the former crewmembers of the
Antelope was fond of saying "The Antelope sloop was a sickening sight...
She'd a list to the port, and her sails in rags, and the cook in the
scuppers with the staggers and jags..." Barret operated the fishing boat
for nearly a year before a large and important Bree-Tushe colony named
Mare-Iga declared itself independant. The Bree-Tushe king sent out a
call for private citizens of the Empire to serve as privateers, and
Barret, who had always craved adventure, quickly accepted a letter of
marque. Barret went out and cried the town for 20 brave fishermen who
would serve as his crew. This was when his gift for leadership and
rousing his common man first became apparant, and it wasn't long before
he had a crew that was inexperienced in the ways of battle, but eager to
raid Mare-Igan shipping.
    On their first expedition, which was possibly their most memorable
expedition to date, Barret's Privateers encountered a Mare-Igan Barge of
Ptah which was transporting gold. The ship chose to try to elude the
Antelope within the asteroid belt, and, in Barret's own words "She was
broad and fat and loose in stays, but to catch her took the Antelope two
whole days!" Eventually however the Antelope did catch up to the
Mare-Igan vessel and managed to severely hole her, despite being badly
outgunned. As with virtually all of Barret's successes since this epic
battle, his victory came primarily through incredible stupid luck,
rather than any degree of skill or planning. The Mare-Igan ship was
looted, the surviving crew deposited on the nearest hospitable asteroid,
and Barret's colorful career had begun. Another example of Barret's
extraordinary good luck is the time when he attacked a Mare-Igan Eel
Ship. A catapult shot at close range from the Eel shattered the main
mast of the Antelope, but a large chunk of the mast went hurtling
through space, and impaled the hapless Eel, driving straight through the
helm, and the helmsman. Such incredibly unlikely events should occur
frequently around Barret. It is perhaps remarkable that Barret and his
crew, who have had at least 50 succesful raids in the past 4 years of
war, and less than 10 defeats, are as green as they are. Barret himself
is only 3rd level, his 2 helmsmen are 2nd level wizards, and the rest of
his crew are 1st level warriors.
    Barret is always very popular, both amongst his crew (all of the
original members of the crew are still serving aboard the Antelope; none
of them have been killed), and even more so when he is in port. Barret
portrays a very dashing image and has aquired quite a reputation,
especially amongst the ladies. The fact of the matter is that Barret is
nowhere near as brave as he seems, he merely finds that he enjoys the
attention he is given as a war hero. If anyone managed to get past the
facade that Barret keeps up at all times they would realise that he is
actually a very selfish and grasping man, who went into privateering
more for the money involved, and the side benefits of being seen as a
dashing, adventuresome hero than out of pride for his nation. Barret
claims that he is deeply attached to the Antelope, and that that is the
reason why he won't trade up to a better ship, but in fact he is simply
too stingy to part with the money, despite the fact that his raids have
made him very wealthy.