"Blackheart" Smith

"Blackheart" Smith (first name unknown) was formerly the primary antagonist of the Bitter Creek campaign's first half before his redemption, a human ranger from the town of Snakewood. He was the latest leader of the Hartford Gang.
== Personality ==
Blackheart is a grumpy old man with a short temper, not tolerating failure. He was not always this way, and was much nicer before his curse and before the death of his wife. He is trying to recapture that older version of himself, and is choosing to make better choices after his curse has been lifted.
== History ==
=== Winona's Curse of Envy ===
At some point in the past, Winona was envious of Blackheart's wife's beauty, and cursed Blackheart's locket, which also happened to contain a picture of Blackheart and his wife inside. This curse enveloped his left hand in shadow, and afflicted him with a strange magical disease that made him repeatedly cough up black smoke. Blackheart received his title because of this. After being cursed, the pain he was enduring made Blackheart into a very grumpy man, and led to him becoming more ruthless and cutthroat than ever before.
=== Forming the Hartford Gang ===
At some point in the past after being cursed, Blackheart banded together with an old friend of his, James Hartford, and formed what would later become the Hartford Gang. He and James led the gang for some time, before James' eventual passing. Adopting James' kids, Blackheart soon allowed the kids to run their own sectors once they became old enough. As each of James' kids grew old enough, the gang was eventually rebranded to reflect the new direction. The kids soon ran the gang, with Blackheart standing as a figurehead and mentor for the four.
The gang took Brimstone as their primary nerve center, turning what was once a boomtown into a crime-ridden ghost town.
=== Bitter Creek Campaign ===
Blackheart was eventually confronted by the Bitter Creek party after their takedowns of his adoptive children, with the party intending to make him stand down. Blackheart agreed with the promise of having his curse cleansed from his locket. He gave the locket to Grey, indirectly transferring the curse to him permanently through the actions of the rest of the campaign.
== Notable Moments ==
* Forming the Hartford Gang with James
* Adopting James' children and raising them as his own
* Turning Brimstone into a ghost town
* Indirectly transferring his curse to Grey in exchange for his redemption
== Trivia ==
* Blackheart was originally going to be an orc, but this was changed to better fit his character as a smart businessman.
*What Blackheart's real first name is is unknown, known only by James. Not even his adoptive children know.
*Blackheart is the only villain to be redeemed in Flafa D&D history.
Category:Characters
Category:NPCs
Category:Bitter Creek
Category:Hartford Gang
Category:Humans
Category:Rangers
Category:Friendly NPCs