Graid Ironscar

Graid (Grade) Ironscar is a dwarf living in Korvosa. He owns the bookstore and print shop A Likely Story.

Biography
Born the third child and first son to Irriseni peasants, little was expected of Graid. In his underground home, he studied magic from scraps of discarded Jadwiga scrolls. Nearly five years passed before he had enough skill to cast his first cantrip.

As a boy, he found an old tome buried in the snow. Presumably dropped by a careless Winter Witch, it held stories he'd never heard before, almost as if from another world entirely. Nobody could read the letters within, and it took months before Graid could read it with magic.

Following his discovery, Graid developed a curious interest in folklore and collected stories from the commoners of the blasted, icy tundra. Once he earned enough money to leave the country, he traveled around the Inner Sea region, eventually stopping to formally study magic at Korvosa's Theumanexus College. Its status as an underdog compared to the Acadamae appealed to him. Graid also didn't care for the devilry associated with the Acadamae.

During his time at Theumanexus, he specialized in Divination. It was the best way to find and decipher knowledge. Evocation and Necromancy, of course, were of little use in his profession, so he focused his studies on more practical schools of magic.

Appearance
Graid is a tall dwarf, standing at nearly four and a half feet tall. He's broad-shouldered and dresses in pleasant but practical clothing. His long dark hair is well-groomed, and he takes great care of his beard. When working, he frequently wears a canvas apron to protect it from ink splatters (though this can be cleaned up with just a prestidigitation). To keep it from catching, he ties off his beard and tucks it beneath his apron. His love for well-crafted ales and wines is beginning to show in his midsection.

Personality
As a Shelynite, Graid is surprisingly gregarious for a dwarf. He is creative and artistically-inclined, and enjoys trading stories. He believes that, if properly preserved, stories can outlast even stone. What it's written on or who remembers it is irrelevant, simply that it is told. While good-natured, he isn't above a cutting, clever observation when the situation calls for it.

Graid gets along well with Ulfen people, though he is cautious around people of Jadwiga descent, especially the women. Irriseni expats have his sympathy, though he is rather terse with former members of the ruling class.

While he doesn't like conflict, Graid is excellent at searching and investigating. Compared to many Shelynites, he is practical and acknowledges that self-defense is a necessary part of life. Complementing his respect for the arts is an urge to explore. He also has respect for the Dwarven pantheon, even if he has difficulty conforming to dwarf ideals. Graid would rather adapt and change and flow like sand to solve problems rather than weather them like solid rock.

Abilities

 * Scrying Sensors.
 * Never ever surprised in combat. Ever. (Forewarned)
 * Writes faster than you. (Cypher Script)
 * 18 Con.
 * Doesn't fail saves against spells. (Steel Soul)

Amari
After auctioning himself off at the Snapdragon Swish, the two went on a date together. Graid refused to call it a "date" as he felt it put too much pressure on both parties. They talked for a while about magic, Korvosa, fairy tales, and their hobbies, getting along rather well.

Chwaer
As a Jadwiga woman, Graid is innately unsure about how to proceed around Chwaer. Years of oppression by her people are not easily forgotten. Her demeanor differs from others of her lineage, though he is uncertain in what way. They've exchanged stories, Graid mostly out of curiosity, and seem to have a stable, if cautious, relationship.

Imani Chidike
The animosity between orcs and dwarves is not easily forgiven nor forgotten. Imani was initially suspicious of Graid's appearance during their attempts to catch Charles Monsoon, but Graid gave her enough information to appease her for the moment.

Services

 * Scroll Writing (Wizard)
 * Document Writing
 * Printing Press
 * Spellcasting (Wizard)
 * Spellbook Writing (WIzard)
 * Bookbinding
 * Painting
 * Study Space (+3 Kn. Local, Spellcraft)
 * Alchemical Crafting (+2 Alcoholic Beverages)
 * Brewing
 * Translation
 * Clockwork

Trivia

 * Based upon the Brothers Grimm. The Brothers Grimm collected folklore during the 1800s and were massively influential in the field of Germanic linguistics. His book is the first volume of Kinder- und Hausmärchen, a publication first produced in 1812 (real-world time). This is around the time the last queen of Irrisen, Yelizaveta, abdicated and left with Baba Yaga in 4613 AR.
 * Pan pizza party but prefers men.