Gimil is a young wizard apprentice, just barely fourteen, who was born in a gnomish settlement. His mother and father were some of the only humans there, but the community loved the human family and welcomed them with open arms, even giving them a gnomish surname (which the family gracefully accepted) and having their priest name their child, Gimil. Gimil’s father was a fisherman, and before Gimil was born he died in a tragic accident at sea. Gimil never knew his father, and grew up under the care of his mother. His mother took up her husband’s trade, and while she was not a great fisher, she managed to keep food on the table.

A few years ago, an elvish wizard on the tail of a creature of the night came and asked for food and shelter, and promised a boon in return. Gimil’s mother, who never turned away a traveler even in the worst of times, welcomed him in, gave him a cot and a hot meal. The wizard took note of Gimil, and began entertaining him with a few simple cantrips. Gimil was immediately entranced, and much to the wizards’ surprise, was able to duplicate one of the simpler spells. The wizard was taken aback, as was Gimil’s mother. The wizard told Gimil’s mother that her child had potential, and that she should nurture it. When it was time for him to go, he asked Gimil’s mother what she would like for payment for her kindness. She asked for Gimil to travel with the wizard, so he might learn the arcane arts and not be a poor fisherman all his life. The wizard told Gimil’s mother that he could not take the boy with him, it was far too dangerous, but he could use his contacts to get the boy into a wizarding school where the wizard sometimes gave lectures in exchange for shelter and food. Gimil’s mother gave him one last kiss, and put him on a caravan to the city.

Gimil was accepted immediately, and on the wizard’s good word was even granted a scholarship. However, Gimil still needed to pay for his books, supplies and food. His mother gave him all the money she could spare, but he still needed more. To make the money he needed, Gimil took as many jobs as he could, a janitor, a bookkeeper, a caretaker of various animals the schools keeps. His class work has suffered from working so many jobs, but it has paid off. He has reached some sort of rough equilibrium, making enough from his various jobs to cover his expenses each semester, with a little margin of error. Some semesters he makes a little bit less than he needs, and he needs to make up the difference somehow. Other semesters he makes a little bit more, and he sends the extra home to his mother.

Gimil does a little bit of extra business on the side to supplement his income, either to make up the gap between the money he needs and the money he has, or to make a little extra to send home. He sometimes sells his magical services to people in the city, but since he is so inexperienced he can rarely find well-paying work. He has been known to skimp on rationed spell components to sell to his classmates, who use them in other to conduct unauthorized experiments. He is willing to sell answers to homework, though few classmates are willing to buy his answers as he is known for being a below-average student (not because of lack of ability, but because of lack of time.) Gimil has also resorted to doing some less-than-admirable things when he was desperate. Gimil was once suspended from classes for two weeks for stealing additional magical components to sell to his classmates, in order to buy the books he needed in time.

Despite his tough situation, Gimil is very cheerful. Growing up around gnomes, he learned to have a good sense of humor. He is known for his practical jokes, which have gotten him in trouble on more than one occasion. On one particularly unfortunate occasion, he switched a potion of polymorph with a potion of baleful polymorph. The particularly grumpy professor was trying to create a dramatic change into a Minotaur to demonstrate shapeshifting, and was very annoyed when he was instead turned into a toad. Gimil was caned for that, but he still thinks it was worth it.

Gimil has come into some conflict with some of the other students, both because of his young age and because of his low social status. A few use his low grades to prove that he has no talent, and that the poor should stay away from the arcane. Gimil ignores them the best he can, and tries to be friendly, but he would gladly take an opportunity to show them up if the chance came.

Gimil could serve any number of purposes in a campaign. He could simply be a backround character at a mage school, being a janitor. He could very well be the first person the players meet, and that could make him the guide to the school. He can be very helpful and pleasant when treated even with token amount of kindness, and the players may find it impossible to dislike him.

Similarly, Gimil could be a low-level cohort for the main characters. The players could come to a wizard school looking for a follower, and the enthusiastic Gimil would happily volunteer. Many of his professors would be glad to be rid of the prankster, though will reluctantly admit that the boy has talent.

On a darker note, Gimil could be a follower for a villain. Gimil never knew his father, and is likely to react positively to any positive reinforcement from an older male figure. With some work, he could be convinced that what the villains are doing isn’t really evil. That a vampire is “just trying to survive,” that a necromancer is just “recycling” and that a dark cultists is just “harmlessly expressing his religion.” A manipulative enough villain could turn him to the dark side, but Gimil is honestly not a bad kid. He could be turned back to the side of light with the proper influence of a better authority figure. And if a bloodthirsty enough player character killed the child, his death might not go unnoticed. The villain could call for city guards, demanding justice for the murdered child, and the once noble characters may find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Even the villain is killed, the citizens are unlikely to allow the murder of a loveable, if mischievous, child go unpunished.

True Neutral male human (medium humanoid)
Wizard 3rd
Hit Dice: 3d4 (11 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft
Armor Class: 15 (+3 dex, +1 natural, +1 armor)
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+0
Attack: None
Damage: None
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +2
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 9, Cha 14
Skills: Spellcraft +10, Knowledge (arcane) +10, Profession (janitor) +6, Profession (librarian) +6, Profession (animal caretaker) +6
Feats: Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Dodge

Equipment: Amulet of Natural Armor +1, Bracers of Armor +1, Potion of Invisibility (x2), Potion of Cure Light wounds (x2). Gimil may be willing to sell this gear, which he managed to scavenge from various places, for slightly above market value. Gimil has also has spell components for all his spells on his person, and a spellbook.

Spellbook: 0th-All 1st-Grease, Obscuring Mist, Charm Person, Silent Image, Magic Aura, Reduce Person, Floating Disk, Feather Fall 2nd-Daze Monster, Blur

Typical Spells Prepared: 0th-Read Magic (x2), Detect Magic (x2) 1st-Grease, Obscuring Mist, Charm Person 2nd-Daze Monster, Blur

Related posts

• Katlyn Jernighn, Alien Elvish Wizard
• Shavin
• Parvan
• Jerix, Bodyguard for Hire
• Freintz, The Prison Assassin

Open Gaming License