Sever Wickham

*Do not read beyond **this point** if you want to avoid being **spoiled!***

**Sever Wickham** is the first officer of the *Depths' Lament*, whom the crew of the *Nightingale* encountered on an unnamed, bony island. He is a member of the Pale Embrance, a guild of pirates known for treasure hunting, smuggling and money-making in general. He is a well-dressed man armed with a brace of pistols and a rapier and outfitted for adventuring, and wears red-tinted glasses. He is also from Novo Albia.

## Biography

### The Piccolo Player

The crew encountered him on the island while looking for directions on a treasure map found by Saara Smallwick, with Wickham approaching their camp where they rested for the night, approaching Zinsy Sparksprocket as she dismantled an alarm trap. Previously, they had through Saara's familiar, a raven, observed somebody playing a piccolo in some buildings ahead of them with a large warm fire in a window; Wickham identified himself as being this person.

Captain Vermillion Versailles stepped in front of Zinsy and questioned why he was there; Wickham mentioned that he was looking for treasure and had found what he saught, but was not specific; in turn Versailles lied that he was on a humanitarian mission to find the wreck of the *Mary Rose*, a ship carrying orphan children. Wickham mentioned he had been on shore for 4 days, and had been stranded due to the awakening of a leviathan on the island that was keeping his ship, the *Depths' Lament*, an hour offshore. Wickham offered to guide them around the island.

Versailles and Wickham had a verbal battle as Versailles tried to get Wickham to go away, first by suggesting that Wickham stay by their supplies at their camp; Wickham offered to take them back to their ship, but Versailles stated that the ships' cooks were onboard the ship, men of sturdy constitution but of ill health and that Wickham should not board the ship without the accompaniment of one of the ship's officers. Ultimately Wickham prevailed and Versailles let them accompany him.

Versailles recalled the *Depths' Lament* as being a *Trident*-class, rated above the *Nightingale* and too dangerous to face.

Wickham led the way to their intended destination which Saara mentioned in a roundabout way, for Wickham to acknowledge that it was a belltower which he had visited before. He also mentioned that there was a large crater in the centre of the island where the leviathan had risen from, that it would sleep in ten days and that its awakening had caused the magical irregularities around the island preventing landing.

Later Wickham asked Saara to come ahead of the group alongside him, ostensibly to point out landmarks for the map she was drawing, only to recognise her as a member of Clan Smallwick. The two conversed as they attempted to draw information out of the other without giving too much away. Wickham introduced himself as a member of the Pale Embrace, a guild of pirates that specialised in treasure hunting and smuggling, and tried to recruit Saara because of her skill as a navigator and because Saara told him that she wanted to make her own way in the world. Wickham tried to convince Saara to kill the leviathan.

After Saara rejoined and discussed with the others Versailles approached Wickham and apparently agreed with Wickham's proposal, for humanitarian reasons. Versailles thus offered to go with Wickham to observe the leviathan, which they did. After observing it and seeing the holes in its shell due to imperfect forming the two decided, after Wickham's proposal, to investigate some buildings which it might come across to use to gain advantage over the beast. The two men remained extremely wary of the other, anticipating a betrayal at any time. They found the buildings tall enough for them to board the leviathan if necessary. Amongst the centre of the four buildings was a strange pump, where the pipes connecting to the ground caused green Cherenkov radiation to radiate. When Versailles went to examine it, Wickham stood guard. Afterwards, the two returned to the campsite.

### Bearer of the Spyglass

At the bell tower Zinsy and Saara realised that Wickham had taken what they were looking for, a spyglass. When the group reunited, they decided to rest again. Saara tried to look over Wickham to see whether he had the telescope, which he took as an attempt at hitting on him and they flirted. When they discussed, Wickham again tried to recruit her into the Pale Embrace. That night Saara, after speaking with Versailles, tried to steal the spyglass from Wickham, but after rifling through his stuff couldn't find it. As she tried to look under his pillow he woke, grasping her hand. He stated that he had suspected that Saara's interest in him was for what he had found, and regretted that, and so tried to leave.

He admitted that the spyglass could reveal hidden information on maps, when Saara tried to bargain with him he stated that he couldn't trust her, and that while he did not necessarily have a map he'd have the spyglass to look at maps in the future. When Saara stated that she had looked through his things without stealing from him, he agreed, stating that she hadn't but that wasn't enough. Saara then stated that she had a map and needed the spyglass and became interested in a trade.

Wickham said that she could follow him away from the camp if she wanted an exchange, and she did. He required 500 gold, safe passage and the death of the leviathan for the Spyglass, telling her that he'll tell hiscrew that he lost it. She told him that she needed to consult with her crew, so Wickham told them to meet at a place Versailles knew at noon the next day before leaving.

As he approached the buildings where Versailles and he had gone to earlier, he opened his map case to dispatch a small, jewelled beetle that flew off to the west before approaching, chuckling at Saara's attempt to disguise herself by casting an illusion of a rock over herself despite the fact that she was standing in plain sight.

Versailles led negotiations, offering 100 gold and the death of the leviathan; Wickham explained that the Pale Embrace had dispatched him, and he needed sufficient treasure as compensation for failing to return with the spyglass. Eventually Versailles negotiated to a single use of the spyglass (provided that they could check that it was genuinem that it worked and gave useful information) for killing leviathan and for Wickham spreading word of their feats. Wickham agreed, saying that the two should walk to the side, and that if it doesn't work they'd leave on good terms in opposite directions. Wickham stated that Versailles may send one member of his crew at a time to examine it, and they did. As they parted Versailles remarked that Saara found him cute.

When Saara went to examine it for magic, which it did have (illusion magic), they flirted and spoke fondly somewhat, with Wickham explaining that the beetle was a communication device created by "us" (presumably the Pale Embrace). After Zinsy checked it Versailles returned to use the spyglass, which he did gingerly; after using it he handed over to Wickham, muttering under his breath that the treasure was in Valt. After the exchange, Wickham and Versailles spoke amicably on the honourable exchange, and Wickham offered the two health potion syringes and a golden ampule invigoration the user, which Versailles accepted.

When the leviathan approached Versailles managed to convince Wickham to help throw harpoons attacked to ropes onto the leviathan to zipline over, but once the others were over Wickham did not join them, having stated that it was their fight and bid them good luck.

After the fight, Wickham saw the leviathan collapse and applauded the approach of the healthy crew of the *Nightingale* when they escaped the beast, stating that his captain would likely be willing to express his gratitude. Wickham thanked Lignus after the dwarf informed him that the beast still contained treasure, and continued to flirt with Saara. Wickham suggested that Saara visit him at the White Tower in Turagoa once her task was completed, as he had a map he could not decipher, and suggested that Zinsy visit High Recordkeeper Artemis Blaines if she had recovered material from the beast. Though they left relatively amicably, Zinsy soured the meeting somewhat by trying to steal Wickham's spyglass despite Saara and Lignus' attempts to dissuade her. The attempt was so inept that Wickham quickly caught on and politely told Zinsy to stop before leaving for his own ship.

## Personality and Traits

Originally hailing from Novo Albia, Sever Wickham exhibits the air of a stereotypical Imperial, a fact which has caused him to receive great distrust from those with a grudge against the Empire.

Wickham is a decidedly self-serving character, with a wit and quickness of mind to boot, but his nature is tempered by a respect for a pirate and gentleman's code of honour.

He has expressed that he is not a fighter, but this may simply be a facade.