Taryn Softbark
Apprentice Rootwright
Taryn Softbark
Species
Halfling
Appearance
Taryn is a small, quick-moving halfling with the perpetually startled air of a rabbit hearing distant thunder. His hands are broad-palmed and permanently darkened with blue-black ink, while tiny splinters cling beneath his fingernails from years of handling living rootwood. He has one missing front tooth, giving his anxious smiles an oddly jaunty look. His hair rises in soft chestnut wisps that refuse every comb, and his ears are nicked from bramble scrapes. He moves with careful, measured steps, often pausing mid-stride to judge the floor beneath him. Despite his nervousness, he has an unexpectedly commanding presence when discussing foundations, drainage, or root pressure, speaking as though the entire Bastion is listening.
“Quick, precise, and softly pitched, with frequent self-corrections. When discussing structures, Taryn drops his nervous stammer and speaks in crisp technical phrases.”
Ability Scores
Alignment
Distinguishing Features
One missing front tooth.
Permanently blue-black ink on both palms and fingertips.
A belt carrying seven differently colored measuring cords.
A faint crescent-shaped scar beneath his left eye from the root gallery collapse.
His left boot contains a tiny brass bell that rings whenever he steps on uneven ground.
Voice
“A quiet, breathy tenor that becomes unexpectedly firm when he is giving safety instructions. His nervous laugh sounds like two pebbles clicking together.”
Clothing
A moss-green apprentice's coat patched with strips of soft barkcloth, a cream shirt with rolled sleeves, weatherproof brown trousers, and a wide leather belt crowded with measuring cords, chalk tubes, plumb weights, folding rulers, and tiny brass levels. His boots are reinforced with flexible rootwood and squeak faintly on polished floors.
Body Language
Taryn keeps his elbows close to his ribs and frequently rubs his ink-stained palms together. When frightened, he grips his measuring cords so tightly that the knots leave red marks on his fingers. When confident, he plants his staff like a surveyor's rod and leans toward his listener with bright, intense focus.
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