Jory
Jory
At the table
Voice
A dry, forward-thrown voice with a little rasp from dust and years of calling over carts. His consonants land firmly, as if he is setting pegs; when he is uncertain, he adds unnecessary measurements and route details. He has a habit of ending an explanation with a small breath through his nose, like testing whether a knot has tightened.
Jory speaks in compact sentences shaped by yard calls and shouted instructions. He uses work metaphors without realizing it, often describing a decision as a load that will shift under pressure. He avoids grand claims and prefers specific measurements, times, and names. His speech speeds up when he is explaining a mistake and becomes blunt when danger is immediate.
Speech patterns
How to play them
Offer Jory a concrete task or ask about a specific shipment rather than demanding a confession. He responds to practical competence and becomes defensive when treated as a child. If shown credible evidence that the inspector plans real harm, he will risk his job to help, but he needs assurance that Nino will hear his account from him first.
Goal
Find proof of the inspector's scheme, stop the dangerous shipment, and tell Nino the truth before anyone else gets hurt.
Motivation
He wants to be trusted as a capable adult without losing the one mentor whose respect still matters to him.
Appearance
Jory takes up more space than his lean frame should allow, not by spreading out but by planting himself exactly where a doorway, loading ramp, or conversation narrows. He waits with his weight on the balls of his feet and his shoulders pitched forward, as if a cart might need catching at any moment. His movements are quick and economical, with a slight hitch of hesitation before he commits to a choice. His unexpected detail: he keeps a tiny, neatly folded paper crane tucked in his cap, and checks that it is still there whenever he thinks nobody is watching.
Clothing
A patched russet work coat with broad inner pockets, a faded blue neck wrap, sturdy trousers, and boots with fresh soles but old, ingrained dust. His cap is too large and usually rides low over his brow.
Body language
He blocks narrow spaces by accident and then shifts aside with an abrupt, apologetic half-step. While listening, he rocks forward as though preparing to lift something. When he lies, he becomes unusually still and clasps both hands behind his back.
- Height
- 5 feet 8 inches
- Build
- Lean and rope-muscled, with strong forearms and the slightly forward-set posture of someone used to bracing loads.
- Eyes
- Dark hazel
- Hair
- Black, cut unevenly with a knife and usually flattened by his cap.
- Skin
- Warm brown, weathered by sun and wind
- Age
- Twenty-four
- Gender
- Man
- Size
- Medium
Distinguishing features
Personality
14 traits and drivesJory wants to be useful and self-sufficient, but secretly craves reassurance from people he respects. Around coworkers he is brisk, funny in a dry way, and eager to take the hardest lift. With authority figures he becomes careful and overexplains. When frightened, he retreats into practical details; when someone is in immediate danger, his caution can snap into decisive action.
- Alignment
- Neutral
Quirks
Habits
Traits · 4
Flaws · 3
Fears · 3
Wants and needs · 4
Combat
AC 10 · HP 5 · 30 ft.Jory is not a trained fighter. He tries to put crates, carts, and other obstacles between himself and danger, then uses a mallet or thrown wedge to make an opening to flee. He will fight only to protect someone trapped or to keep a dangerous load from being used against others.
Jory
Actions
Reactions
Services they sell
Rewards they can give
Equipment
- Packing mallet (tool and improvised weapon)A short wooden mallet used to seat pegs and knock crate lids into place.
- Load cord (tool)A leather coil of sound cord, with several lengths marked by colored thread for different loads.
- Work notebook (possession)A waxed pocket notebook containing route notes, loading diagrams, and suspicious corrections.
- Paper crane (keepsake)A small folded paper crane, worn soft at the wings from being handled.
Possessions
Background
Jory grew up around freight yards, learning to judge a crate by its creak before he was tall enough to see over one. Nino took him on as an apprentice and taught him how to lash loads so they survived bad roads, sudden rain, and dishonest inspections. Jory admired Nino's patience but chafed at being treated like a boy who needed every knot checked twice. Two years ago, a bridge inspection was rushed after a storm. Jory noticed a wagon's load was shifting dangerously, but froze when the inspector demanded the convoy move. The wagon tipped; no one died, but a driver was badly hurt and Nino took the blame for allowing the load through. Jory left after a bitter argument and now works for a rival outfitter, partly for better pay and partly to prove he can make decisions alone. The inspector has since offered him cash for small changes to manifests and loading schedules. Jory has accepted some payments, telling himself they were harmless, but now suspects the scheme is meant to cause a serious accident and frame Nino. He is still in contact with Nino through occasional practical notes, neither of them willing to name the hurt between them.
Role in the story
A compromised but redeemable former apprentice who can connect Nino to the inspector's scheme. Jory is both a source of evidence and a person whose fear and pride may complicate the party's attempt to expose it.
“Nino took him on as an apprentice and taught him how to lash loads so they survived bad roads, sudden rain, and dishonest inspections.”
- Faction
- Employed by the rival outfitter at the Long Bend yard; formerly apprenticed to Nino, with no formal faction allegiance.
Known connections
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