Pip Mandarin

Drawn by Emmalee Sims (CheeseMonger000)

## Intro

A 45 year old [Gold] Dragonborn Ranger (with some skills in Alchemist), played by Jackson Baly.

First appears (sort of) in Zombie Plagued Chult (as an alter ego of Pop Mandarin).

Pip Mandarin first appeared in the original, now scrapped, cut of Vampire Infested Barovia (airing first in 2018). This campaign was later discarded -- but it does technically place Pip's creation predating his brother Pop's. Since this original recording is no longer considered canon, Pip's technical first appearance is by mention in ZPC.

Mainly features as a main character in Vampire Infested Barovia. Briefly appears through Pop imitating him in Zombie Plagues Chult.

## Description

Pip Mandarin is a man of many and varied sins.

### Appearance

Pip Mandarin is a male gold dragonborn. While in Barovia, he is known to wear heavy furs and constantly carries his trusty crossbow. In official art, he is depicted as having a halberd -- his weapon of choice from the original scrapped campaign.

### Personality

Melancholy, often defeated, frequently sarcastic. Prone to anxiety, which he expresses by rubbing his snout.

## Biography

### Background

Raised in the Monastery of Gregory Bones, Pip has extensive knowledge of even the most obscure and esoteric rules of Etiquette. He has meticulous handwriting.

### Vampire Infested Barovia I

Pip arrived in Barovia approximately one year before the events of the Campaign. He was part of an effort, alongside a powerful mage, to recruit and inspire the people of Barovia to form a peasant army and march against The Devil Strahd, for which he served as General, but in the final hours before the battle he fled. The battle failed, and many of the people of Barovia blame Pip for this and the subsequent deaths and other punishments meted out by Strahd.

At some point Pip built himself a ramshackle shack in the woods close to Krezk (where he has been refused entry until he can deal with a local werewolf problem) and began life as a "chicken farmer" though he only seems to have one chicken, named Pop the Chicken. He also has a paltry set of raised garden beds, where he has successfully grown turnips and pumpkins, but nothing else (especially not strawberries) will deign to grow.

One day, hearing screams of distress near his homestead, Pip rescues Ser Hecktor the Beautiful (who introduces himself as Hecktor Dragonsbane) from being attacked by a pack of Direst Wolves, led by Pip's nemesis Boris. Seeing that Hecktor still has Divine Magic (unusual as most people lose touch with their Deity upon entering Barovia), he offers to act as guide for the Paladin to the city of Vallaki, in exchange for help with "a small werewolf problem."

### Vampire Infested Barovia II

After dealing with the dark mass, watery, Pip and the gang return to Vallaki, and attempt to deal with a minor bat problem. Banished from Vallaki by the burgomaster, they head to the Wizard of Wines, and after failing to prevent the birth of a Tree Blight, they flee. Pip throws himself off a cliff, taking Boris down with him, and finally managing to kill his nemesis.

### Other Appearances

Pip appears briefly in Zombie Plagued Chult when Pop Mandarin is forced to take on alter egos to preserve his sanity.

### Relationships

* Pop the Chicken (pet... sort of)
* Pop Mandarin (brother)
* Pep (sister)
* Pup (brother)
* Hank (brother)
* Hecktor (comrade/party member)
* Keaning (comrade and boyfriend)

##### Languages

* Common
* Draconic

## Trivia

1. Pip's ranger subclass is 'sharp-shot companion' a homebrew subclass developed by Adam, and discussed in detail in an episode of House Rules
2. Trivial note two.
3. Trivial note three

## Art

1. ↑ Carnevale, Adam. (Host). 2019, May. 31). 'Sharp Shot Companion and Louisiana Series' (No. 5) [Audio podcast episode]. In *House Rules*. Sanspants Radio. https://www.sanspantsradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Episode-5-Sharp-Shot-Companion-and-Louisiana-Series.mp3