Der Astlochspechtler is a lean human man with a long, slightly underfed frame and alert hazel eyes. His most immediately noticeable feature is his broad, uneven front teeth, which show whenever he chews, grins, or speaks around a mouthful of food. He wears a scale mail shirt that is a little too large through the shoulders, cinched with strips of dark leather and carefully patched at the hem. His forest-green cloak has been mended so many times that the repairs form a faint map of different shades across its surface. His longbow is meticulously maintained, while nearly everything else about him looks borrowed, repaired, or stolen.

Quietly observant, dryly humorous, and difficult to surprise. Der prefers to listen until he understands what everyone wants, then offer the smallest possible promise. He is practical without being cruel, and he has a peculiar fondness for honest people because he finds them both admirable and strategically confusing.

Der Astlochspechtler grew up in a crowded human settlement built along the edge of an old forest, where every household had a story about something valuable hidden beneath the roots. His own family survived by repairing tools, trading in salvaged metal, and occasionally taking work that respectable people preferred not to discuss. Der learned early that a quiet pair of feet and a patient eye were worth more than strong arms. He became a lookout, courier, and lockbreaker for a loose criminal network, earning his unusual nickname after spending an entire night hidden in a hollow tree, watching a band of thieves through a woodpecker's abandoned nest hole. A failed burglary changed the shape of his life. The target was a wealthy merchant's caravan, but the cargo turned out to be stolen provisions intended for a starving border village. Der abandoned the robbery, misdirected the guards, and guided the caravan's horses into the forest. The act earned him enemies among the criminals and no gratitude from the people who received the food, who assumed he had simply taken it for himself. Since then, he has worked as a tracker and wilderness guide, using the skills of his old trade to survive beyond the roads. He still maintains his criminal connections, but he is increasingly interested in deciding for himself who deserves to be robbed, protected, or left alone.