My Patreon patrons already read this weeks ago, but for everyone else… Previously, I wrote about unique, individual “pillar characters” who appear in multiple stories across the storyworld and fulfill important structural roles within the world itself. Below is one such character from the Empire of Venom & Silk storyworld.
Rannon “the Snake” Tave
Rannon “the Snake” Taver was a hunter who roamed the plains of Shuna-Korvassa, stalking the local wildlife for their meat, bone, and hides. Though he hunted for the sake of his extended family, he enjoyed his quiet life of self-reliance and solitude.
When the spiders sent their stalkers swarming into the region, Rannon tried to ignore the incursion. So long as the invaders left him alone, he left them alone. But when he saw the suffering of those living and dying beneath the spiders’ rule, he knew he had to do something.
First, Rannon turned his skills towards hunting stalkers. This was satisfying, but it didn’t really help those who were staggering beneath the invaders’ yoke. So he has now become a smuggler.
From his years of tracking prey, Rannon knows the best routes for slipping through the rugged plains. He also knows how to make detailed plans (and contingency plans) that leave nothing to chance. Armed with these skills, Rannon has dedicated himself to smuggling food, weapons, and other goods from the Stronghold, through the Hunting Grounds, and into the Webbed Lands. He is often found in Poraz, trading his various bones and hides for goods to help those in the occupied realms.
Rannon is a master planner. He is exceptionally cautious, and has never come close to being caught by the spiders or their human minions. However, his constant vigilance doesn’t allow him to get close to anyone else, and threatens to blossom into irrational paranoia.
Role: Rannon is the archetypal “smuggler of the Hunting Grounds.” He represents, in a general way, all the smugglers who make their living sneaking people and goods through these spider-infested lands.
Quote: “Give me swords. All you got. Don’t worry how I’ll get them into Zira. I got a plan.”
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