Raymond McCormick

> "*Keep my name out of your goddamned mouth, you double-crossin' family murderin' coin snatchin' drug peddlin' crook."*
>
>

Raymond "Ray" McCormick is a gunslinger monster hunter from Coyote Hill, Anauroch and is a companion to the Boundless.

## Early Life

Ray was born in the humble town of Coyote Hill in Anauroch in 1605 DR as the son of a rancher. In his early years, Ray helped his father run the ranch as all young children do in Coyote Hill, where Ray first encountered a monster in the form of a Sand Hunter. After hearing a disturbance in the barn at night, Ray rushed out with his father's rifle to find a Sand Hunter trying to break its way into the building. Ray disposed of the creature swiftly, and this would spark his interest in hunting and tracking monstrosities. For the next year of his life, he would become lost in the world of aberrations, fiends and monstrosities. His literacy, though founded by his mother, would be expanded greatly through this incessant study.

Soon after the incident, Ray found opportunity after a renowned monster hunter by the name of Edmund Wright arrived in Coyote Hill in order to aid in the extermination of a nearby fiend. Confronting him at the saloon, the senior hunter saw the fire of determination within him, and took him under his wing as an apprentice. Ray would bid his family farewell in preparation for a journey that would cost him many years, and during their goodbyes his father bestowed upon him the family heirloom in the form of a six cylinder revolver. With little else, Ray turned towards the great Faerunic expanse.

## Training

Ray was a promising student in all ways of monster hunting. During his first year of apprenticeship, on a particularly dark night, Ray was left to tend to the campsite and care for the horses while Edmund ventured to scout the area. While erecting the tents, the horses began to shift uneasily, tugging at their reigns and neighing in distress. Ray, suspecting coyotes were abound, produced his revolver and headed towards the edge of camp. Though his eyes strained to no avail in the moonless night, his blood ran cold as though the hand of death passed through him. He scanned the barren waste ahead, featureless and cold, before his eyes affixed and his breath halted - ghostly orbs floating with malice. A creature: tall, emaciated and foul arose from amongst the boulders. Though he had not seen one before, his mind had memorized the sketches and descriptions: a ghoul. It launched itself like a hound of hell, a screech so blood curdling it could peel the skin off any greater man. Panic ensued, the creature slashing with cruel nail and gnashing with terrible maw, tearing at Ray's clothes and sanity. He fell backwards, kicking his legs in a bid to escape its grasp, before with steeled aim and held breath he fired all six cylinders of his revolver, tearing chunks of rotten flesh off the ghoul. It wailed, and in its moment of agony he sprang with knife unsheathed, pushing his weight against it with every ounce of strength the gods had bestowed him. Tackling it to the ground, he raised the faithful blade into the air, its steel glinting against the dim glow of the campfire.

When Edmund returned, he found Ray laying winded and wounded near the twitching corpse of the beast most heinous, bloody blade in hand and a fire roaring in his eyes. So it was that Raymond earned the first notch on his belt.

## Career Life

Ray spent a few years longer in the employ of Mr. Wright, learning all that he could from the seniority and esteem of such a man. Soon, however, it became apparent that Ray would continue to forge his own. Over a period uncertain, Ray grew wiser and more reputable, slaying creatures from all over the lands. His presence would rival that of his teacher, and his quick thinking along his quick draw would ensure him a healthy coin purse - as well as a healthy backlog of requests from all over the land.

His travels soon took him to Waterdeep, in search for greater bounty and greater thrill. There he found a man whose reputation exceeds even his - though his credibility remained dubious - Volothamp Geddarm. Volo took fondly to this veteran monster hunter, and Ray took fondly to Volo's seemingly endless coin. Volo asked of Ray to accompany him on his travels, as they took him to far and strange lands filled with an abundance of monsters, beasts and rumors ripe for study. Ray accepted, realizing that Volo was keen to cover the expenses of any travels, munitions and weaponry Ray could desire. Together, they roamed the lands of Faerun, Ray would come to see Volo as a friend and worthy travel companion, despite his many flaws and shenanigans - and Volo likewise. Most recently, Ray accompanied Volo to the lands far beyond the sea - an island named "Vololand" in honor of the brave explorer who first set foot on it. There he met with the Boundless, who struck him as an odd sort of bunch filled with entitled children, dishonest bandits and borderline reclusive individuals. Most recently, he has accompanied Volo on another adventure in an undisclosed part of Faerun.

## Personality

Raymond McCormick is known to be rough around the edges. Often, his strong opinions and frustrating stubbornness has gotten him into a great deal of conflict. His harsh demeanor is however born of an unyielding belief in honesty, and though it is irritating at times both friend and foe know that when something is said by Ray, it is undoubtedly the truth within his mind. It is for this reason that the spell 'Zone of Truth' fails automatically when used on Ray.

Though he frowns on all crimes with equal measure, he finds the crime of theft and banditry more heinous than most. This is due to his upbringing, as Coyote Hill had more than its fair share of highwaymen and dishonest crooks.