Grunt OC - Calvin "Cal" Valestrid Gender: Male (He/Him) Age: 19 Looks: Cal stands at 5'10 with a lean, more healthier build, unusual for someone in the working class during these times, suggesting the pawnshop business is profitable enough to keep him well-fed. He has sharp, clever green eyes that seem to assess the value of everything they land on, and dark auburn hair that is kept neat and well, slicked back hairstyle with semi-long hair. His skin has a light tan from occasionally traveling to acquire goods, he has subtle light vitiligo and freckles. He dresses practically but with a touch of style, a simple linen shirt with rolled-up sleeves, a dark leather vest with multiple pockets (for keeping small valuables), sturdy brown trousers, and worn but well-maintained boots. Personality: Cal is charming, quick-witted, and confident, sometimes to the point of cockiness. He has a natural talent for reading people, knowing exactly what to say to get them to accept his price (usually lower than they wanted). He's a smooth talker who can make even a bad deal sound like you're getting a bargain. Despite his manipulative business tactics, Cal isn't cruel. He genuinely enjoys the game of negotiation and sees it as a skill to be proud of. He's pragmatic and neutral, he doesn't care about politics or rebellion, he cares about survival and profit. The Masked Man's rule, the Usurpers' resistance, none of it matters to him as long as the Tarnished Coin stays in business. He's resourceful and street-smart, having learned the trade from his father since he was young. He knows how to spot a fake, how to assess value quickly, and how to move goods that are... questionable. He's not above bending rules, but he's careful not to break them in ways that would draw dangerous attention. Cal can be surprisingly generous to people he likes or respects, sometimes giving them better deals than he should. He has a soft spot for kids and struggling families, occasionally "forgetting" to charge them full price. But cross him or try to cheat him, and he'll make sure you regret it, his memory for grudges is long. Job: Owner/Operator of The Tarnished Coin, a pawnshop in or near Hyvil Market. He buys and sells anything of value, jewelry, weapons, tools, furniture, rare items, and occasionally things that are borderline illegal. No questions asked, as long as the price is right. The shop also serves as a front for minor smuggling operations, though Cal keeps that quiet. Relationships: Father - Marcus Valestrid (Late 40s): Marcus founded The Tarnished Coin and taught Cal everything he knows about the trade. He's often away on "business trips," traveling to other settlements to acquire goods, establish connections, or handle deals too risky to conduct locally. Marcus is more cautious and serious than Cal, but he trusts his son to run the shop in his absence. Their relationship is strong but practical, more business partners than the typical father-son dynamic. Regular Customers: Cal knows most of the locals by name and has built a reputation as someone who's fair (by pawnshop standards) and discreet. People come to him when they need quick coins or when they have something they'd rather not explain and quickly sell. Anarchist Officials: Cal occasionally deals with low-ranking anarchist soldiers who pawn looted goods or weapons. He doesn't ask where they got them, and they don't ask where his coin comes from. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement. Usurper Contacts (Secret): Though Cal claims to be neutral, he's not stupid. He knows which customers are likely resistance sympathizers, and he occasionally helps them by fencing stolen goods, providing forged papers, or "losing" records of transactions. He doesn't do it out of ideology, he does it because it's good business and keeps him on everyone's good side. Backstory: Cal grew up in the pawnshop, learning the trade from his father Marcus from the time he could count coins. The Tarnished Coin existed before the Masked Man's rule, but it adapted quickly when the old kingdoms fell. Marcus taught Cal a crucial lesson: "In times of chaos, people need coin and people need to sell. We provide both. Stay neutral, stay useful, and we survive." When Cal was 14, Marcus began leaving him in charge for longer periods, testing his ability to run the business alone. By 16, Cal was essentially managing the shop full-time while Marcus handled external deals and acquisitions. Now at 19, Cal is the face of The Tarnished Coin, and most customers forget Marcus even exists. Cal has seen the worst of the Masked Man's rule, desperate people selling family heirlooms for food, soldiers pawning bloodstained weapons, resistance members trading stolen goods for coin to fund their cause. He's learned not to get attached to the stories behind the items. Every object has a history, but in his hands, it's just inventory.
Continuation of Backstory: Despite the grim world around him, Cal has thrived. He's learned to navigate the dangerous balance between serving the anarchist regime and quietly helping those who resist it. He's developed a network of contacts across multiple settlements, knows which guards can be bribed, and has a mental catalog of every valuable item that's passed through his shop in the last five years. The turning point in Cal's life came when he was 17. A resistance fighter came into the shop, desperate to sell a family sword to fund medical supplies for wounded Usurpers. Cal recognized the sword, it had belonged to a minor noble from the old Kingdom of Crestfall, worth far more than the fighter knew. Cal could have low-balled him, and made a massive profit. Instead, he gave the fighter a fair price and didn't report the transaction to the anarchist authorities who regularly "audited" his records. A week later, that same fighter returned, not as a customer, but as a messenger. The Usurpers knew what Cal had done, and they wanted him to know they wouldn't forget it. From that day forward, Cal became a quiet, unofficial ally to the resistance. He didn't join them, didn't fight for them, but he helped when he could, fencing stolen goods, providing alibis, "losing" records of suspicious transactions. Cal tells himself he's still neutral, still just a businessman. But deep down, he knows he's chosen a side, he just hasn't admitted it out loud yet. His father Marcus suspects but doesn't ask. As long as the shop stays profitable and they both stay alive, Marcus is content to let Cal run things his way. Other: Skills & Abilities: Master Appraiser: Cal can assess the value of almost any item within seconds. He knows how to spot fakes, identify rare materials, and determine what something is really worth versus what someone will pay for it. Negotiation Expert: He's a smooth talker who can convince people to accept deals they initially refused. He reads body language, tone, and desperation like a book. Forgery Connections: While Cal doesn't forge documents himself, he knows people who do. He can acquire fake papers, altered records, or false identification for the right price. Street Network: Cal has contacts in multiple settlements, merchants, smugglers, informants, and even some low-ranking anarchist soldiers. He knows who to talk to for almost anything. Self-Defense: Cal isn't a fighter, but he keeps a concealed dagger in his vest and knows how to use it. The pawnshop has been robbed before, and he's learned to protect himself and his inventory. The Tarnished Coin - Shop Details: Location: A corner building near Hyvil Market, easy to find but not so prominent that it draws constant scrutiny. Layout: The main floor is the shop, shelves lined with miscellaneous goods, a counter with a lockbox for coins, and a back room for storage. The basement is where Cal keeps high-value or questionable items, accessible only to him and his father. The second floor is where Cal and his father live, a simple layout of a casual house, two decently sized rooms and a bathroom, with a kitchen in the middle of it, simple housing necessities. Inventory: Jewelry, weapons (mostly daggers and short swords, anything larger draws suspicion), tools, musical instruments, books, clothing, furniture, rare trinkets, and occasionally "special requests" that Cal acquires through his network. Security: Cal has a deal with a local enforcer to "patrol" near the shop in exchange for a cut of the profits. The shop also has reinforced locks and a hidden alarm system (a bell rigged to ring in the back room if someone tries to break in after hours). Quirks & Habits: Coin Flipping: Cal has a habit of flipping a silver coin between his fingers when he's thinking or negotiating. It's both a nervous habit and a subtle intimidation tactic, it shows he's comfortable with money and confident in his position. Memory for Faces: Cal never forgets a customer. Even if someone only visited once years ago, he'll remember their face, what they sold, and whether they tried to cheat him. Tea Drinker: Unlike most people in the working class, Cal splurges on tea. He keeps a small kettle in the kitchen and drinks tea throughout the day. It's one of his few indulgences. Ledger Keeper: Cal meticulously records every transaction in a ledger, except the ones he doesn't want anyone to know about. He keeps two sets of books: one for official inspections, one hidden in the basement with the real records. Soft Spot for Musicians: Cal has a weakness for musical instruments and the people who play them. If a struggling musician comes in to pawn their instrument, he'll often offer to hold it for them instead of selling it, giving them time to buy it back. He tells himself it's good business, but really, he just hates seeing art die in a world already so bleak.
