Elbows Murphy

Appearance
Elbows is a short man, just reaching the five foot mark. He is characterized by his large nose, bushy eyebrows, and a wild mane of unkempt gray hair that adds another three to four inches to his height. He dresses in a very no-nonsense manner, preffering waistecoats with several pockets. He is fastitiuous and fussy, always checking his work twice and even thrice over.

History/Background
A carpenter by profession and inventor on the side, Elbows was always getting into some sort of foolishness as a youth. He even gained his nickname then from his bad habit of walking with his hands stuffed in his pockets and elbows jutting out to the side. He did knock over quite a few things as he strutted around with juvenile pride. He's kept the nickname ever since, reminding him of both humility and to keep his elbows in.

In his 30th year, he was well off. His wife was a good six inches taller than him, and they had two children, both healthy boys. Elbows had even landed a lucrative job as the head carpenter working on the construction of the never finished Cathedral of the Trinity in Powlgraff. The entire family seemed to be doing well, having left their native Vandergraff to live on the construction site.

Friction developed between the nobility of Vandergraff and Powlgraff over the construction of the cathedral. It was becoming more and more expensive and Vandergraff was begining to shoulder more of the cost, even though the cathedral was located in Powlgraff. Haughty words were exchanged and a series of sword duels broke out between the nobles of the two cities. The last duel erupted on the construction site when the entourage of the nobles, one from each city, engaged in a melee sparked by insults and testosterone. After suffering a loss of face, the clergy attempted to rectify things, leveling charges of blasphemy for fighting on church grounds.

It isnt known who started the fire, but the fact remains that it spread fast, eating though the scaffolding around the growing cathedral and burning its way through the worker's wood and thatch housing. Nearly 100 workers and their families perished in the blaze, leaving a large number of widows and orphans in its wake. The east wall of the cathedral cracked and collapsed, crushing the head priest and several attendants while they shouted about the insult of the Trinity and retribution. Most locals took this as a sign of who started the fire.

Who started the blaze is inconsequential to Elbows. His wife and eldest son both perished in the fire, his eldest in efforts to save the rest of the workers town from burning to the ground. The younger son has since taken on with a local thieves guild. Now, Elbows still works carpentry, but aspirations of greatness evaporated along with support for the cathedral. He does odd jobs, makes toys for children, and crafts some of the best crossbows ever seen.

Elbows' Archery
Setting up a stall in the yearly Black Market, Elbows has found a market for his vengeance. Though the thought of death and blood make him ill, the thought of his beloved wife's charred corpse gives him a surprising amount of fortitude. He creates the ideal weaponry of thieves. Aside from small, hand sized crossbows, he creates elaborate wares such as crossbows that are very slender and can be folded and hidden under a cape or cloak. He also makes normal bows that have hinges and allow themselves to be folded down into not-bow shapes.

The authorities in Haracon are concerned about the number of these weapons (3 or 4) that have been confiscated from criminals and assassins. They cannot place the craftsmanship, and the fact that Prince Rylan of Powlgraff was shot not once, but three times with a quick reloading crossbow is a cause of worry. The nobles are concerned over how quick and dirty these deaths have been, a shot in the dark or from a rooftop...

The clergy is also worried after Bishop of Wethil of Ostrokazy was viciously wounded by a crossbow bolt through the neck at a formal banquet. they have condemned the use of the crossbow as an offence to the church. With practicied indifference, the edict has gone largely ignored in Haracon.

Special Equipment
Elbows is not a fighter of any sort, he is a craftsman. As such he retains himself in comfortable middle class though his work in the Black Market has made him rather wealthy. He generally carries a carpenter's tools as well as a ring that marks him as a vendor of the Black Market. As for his weapons, Elbows has only fired them at haybale targets and that was to sight the weapon properly.

Plot Hooks
By Foul Treachery - A noble who supports the PCs has targeted by an assassination attempt. The previous attempt was foiled when the would-be assassin missed her shot and was captured with her folding crossbow. Trouble is she wont talk, and doesnt know who the bow came from...or if there were anymore.

Something Rotten - The PCs have to take out the evil cult leader but the cultist has a stranglehold over the local township and has outlawed any weapons inside of the town. The PCs have to find a way to sneak weapons inside.

Sleuthing - By mandate of the clergy, the PCs have been sent to investigate the manufacture of the unholy and evil crossbows that have become such a terror over the last decade.