Righteous

## Background

Righteous was born in New Brightstar under a different name. Like many tiefling, he came to shed that name as he grew up, instead picking a name he thought suit him. This name however, isn't well known. Growing up on the streets, Righteous quickly fell into a life of crime. It didn't take long for him to discover his talent, and by the age of 18 he had played the part of thief, cutthroat, and assassin.

By 25, he was very well known in the criminal community, and his skills were in high demand. Unfortunately for him, he'd also made his fair share of enemies and drawn the attention of the authorities. Cocky, he accepted jobs with little explanation and completed them with little footwork, often referring to himself as "The Lucky Devil". This proved to be his downfall, after an assassination attempt on a government official proved to be a setup by a rival. One of his horns was broken in the ensuing arrest, and he was locked away, slated for execution.

He narrowly avoided his fate when he managed to escape his cell during a guard rotation, and he fled south. Eventually he wandered into the Badlands with nothing but the clothes on his back, and a bag he managed to swipe from his safehouse. A bag which contained a prototype pistol he'd been tinkering with. He wandered without food or water for days, and in that weakened state he had a vision. To this day, he can't quite remember it, and can't decide if it was the gods speaking to him or a hallucination from lack of water, but he knows what it told him. "Abandon your life of darkness, and take up a righteous cause in the light."

When he awoke, that word was still on his lips and it became his new name. Righteous. Not long after, he managed to find Ashgate, and start his new life.

## Death and Resurrection

During his travels, Righteous encountered a bounty hunter named Retribution, a man who was hired to kill him for his past actions. After their first meeting, Righteous set to train for their inevitable battle. The day soon came for their duel. It was a hard-fought fire fight, coming down to the wire, but ultimately Righteous fell.

After his death, he was brought to one of the hells by Retribution, who told him that the fiend who employed the bounty hunter had an offer. Retribution was old, having walked Rosheha for centuries, and was ready to move on to his afterlife. Righteous was given an option by the two fiends. He would be allowed to return to the mortal plane, if he took Retributions place, and name, as the unknown fiend's gun on the material world, his Retribution.

Righteous, now Retribution, accepted, and after a brief conversation with his predecessor, returned with his first bounty and the weapon that killed him. The one he was charged to kill first, spurred on by the dozens of souls who sacrificed their afterlife to see it killed, was the mysterious Corpse Taker.

## Appearance

Retribution is a tall, somewhat lanky Tiefling with pale, grey-red skin and three yellow eyes. He has short, black hair and a beard cut close to his face. His horns come from his brow, extending up over his head with a slight inward and backward curve. One horn has been broken halfway up. Small, crystalline growths jut from his shoulders and elbows due to exposure to shards from the Crystal Monster. His teeth are all pointed and sharp, and his fingers end in short claws, both evidence of his more feral ancestry, and now full devil blood.

He wears weathered travelling clothes, with an old, brown duster and a short cloak that comes down to about his elbows. He also wears a wide brimmed hat that obscured his eyes, with holes cut in it for his horns.

## Mannerisms

Righteous doesn't talk all that much, preferring to watch things unfold and act when necessary. When he does speak, there's a bit of a drawl to his voice and his accent is fairly distinct. He's typically polite, calm, and cool headed, though he has been known to have something of a temper and can get frustrated quickly under the right conditions. He's also been known to lightheartedly tease his friends.

In his own words, he's "bad with people." So he prefers to let others handle negotiations, content to provide backup when the need arises.

He's often seen tinkering with his weapons, constantly seeking to improve them or invent new ones. This has become something of an inside joke with those who know him well as he never seems to be content with what he has.

In combat, he prefers to deal as much damage as he can immediately, often focusing on what he deems to be the strongest enemy, either killing it outright or softening it up for his more durable teammates. Then he moves on to assisting his teammates by clearing out threats from a distance.

## Accomplishments

* Explored the first level of The Below and helped defeat the mimic queen called Grate Mother
* Was one of the first mercenaries to join the Goldhawks in restoring Ashgate
* Was a part of the party that established trade with Valezij
* Killed the Warchief of a Hellreaver raiding party during a siege on a Goldhawk Outpost
* Helped destroy the cancerous Crystal Monster at the heart of the crater south of Ashgate.
* Helped fend off an army of Sahuagin and secured the resource rich caves to the west of Ashgate
* Assisted in the rescue of another Goldhawk adventurer party that was trapped in the mines of Silverridge

* Helped reclaim the Harbor

* Helped to stop the meeting between the Gnolls an the Hellreaver orcs.

* Helped slay Hellreaver, the leader of the largest orc clan in the badlands.

## Weapons

* The Word: His first pistol, basic in design and function
* Thunder: A rifle of his own design.
* Backup: A pistol he purchased in Silverridge
* Mayhem: A prototype Vortex Pistol energy weapon he received from the gnome inventor, Glitterbug. Named such for its unpredictable side effects when fired.
* The Bull: A double barreled shotgun of his own design.

* Roper Whip: A still-living tentacle of a roper, capable of restraining enemies. Purchased from Ashgate.

* Obligation: The twin barreled pistol of the previous Retribution. Able to fire a deadly shrapnel burst as well as pistol ammunition.

* Figurine of Wondrous Power, Mechanical Spider: A gift from someone in his past. While not a weapon, it still has many uses. When activated, the small spider cleans and mends clothing, grooms hair, and repairs minor damage to Righteous' guns, allowing him to fire more often with less risk of misfire.