Renik Kavios – Master of the Docks

Renik Kavios - Master of the Docks

Appearance
This half-elf dresses in the highest fashion of the day, elegant suits of a merchant lord. Although, he bears no connection to any merchant guild or noble house, he is ever in their presence and always dressed the part. From his polished red boots to his flamboyant hats and scarves, he is always wearing today's style, down to the rapier with the gold embossed scabbard.
His long blonde hair, fashioned to fit the style of the day. Sometimes his hair is tucked beneath a hat or silk wrap, again depending on the day's fashion.
Renik has no facial hair and his elven features show very clear in his almond shaped eyes and slightly pointed ears. The only blemish Renik has is a scar that runs from his left ear and halfway across his cheek in a perfectly straight line. Another notable feature of Renik is the fact that he changes women as quickly as he changes wardrobe, he is considered one of the most worthy bachelors within wealthy society in the city.
At night, this façade vanishes and is replaced with his black leather armor and pair of rapiers. His blonde hair pulled tightly back.

Childhood
Renik was born to adventuring parents, who left him at home during his childhood, going on grand adventures across the lands. They always brought him back great gifts, but they were never home long. Growing up in the noble district of the great city, raised by several nannies, he took to disappearing for hours on end, usually to the docks, running with the wharf gangs and alley kids. One night, he returned home late, sneaking into the window and was met by his parents standing in his room.
The 13-year old Renik would be sent to boarding school for the next 4 years. It was harsh, although he was not treated differently than the other children, almost all were born of nobility or were going to enter the clergy. He saw his parents once during his four year stay at the school, for less than an hour. He did well in his studies; he was the source of much mischief though, usually framing others for his petty crimes. He never got caught red handed, although he was suspected by everyone. At the end of his fourth year he returned home, waiting there was a tutor, that would teach him the ways of politics, mathematics, and mercantile.
In less than a year, he was out and running with the wharf gangs at night several times each week. During the day, he maintained his studies and at night he got an education of a different sort; he learned the gritty underworld of smuggling and thievery. In just a couple years the 20-year old Renik would be leader of the largest gang in the dock district.

Young Adulthood
Renik had completed his tutelage and was a brilliant mathematician and understood politics as well as any noble. He began to create fake storefronts where he could operate with a legal face and be able to continue smuggling contraband into and out of the city. He also started to look the dedicated businessman in the eyes of so many. His parents gave him large sums of money before retiring to a small village hundreds of miles away, he never saw them again, but then again he never really saw them anyway.
His gang infiltrated his competitors' companies and formed a union, then after some time, Renik was appointed head of that union. Renik now had complete control of the import and export trade coming to and from the city. I was not even 25 when he was made a noble, due to large contributions to the ruling family and council... bribes more than contributions. He was secured and it was realized by many how powerful he had become, but it was too late.

Recent History
Law enforcement slowly closed in around the smuggling operations at the docks and even found out that Renik was the ring leader of it all. Thinking Renik to be just a newly made noble and wealthy merchant the local law moved in. Renik was arrested, that very night the ports shut down, the union went on strike. In the morning the bay was full of ships that would not be allowed to come into port with goods. Other merchant vessels had been chained forming a blockade at the port, against their owners' will. The most disturbing part is the letter that each council member received, a letter ensuring the death of his family, before his own slow death if Renik was not released. The council called an emergency meeting to deal with this threat. During their meeting and to their surprise, Ranik, somehow out of his dungeon cell walked into the room wearing black leather armor and a pair of rapiers. He announced that there was more to come; their assets had been seized. The bank vaults were empty; no one knew where the culprits disappeared. Renik announced that he was responsible and that they could see a return of their money, but for every hour he was left imprisoned he would retain 10% more of their life savings. One man laughed, for he kept all his money on his estate. Renik laughed back and told the man that his home just caught fire, but the money was safe already. He was released from custody and the charges dropped. The money was returned to the vaults of a new bank, a bank owned by one of Renik's secret fronts.

Renik's Power Base
Renik can control the economy of the entire city and surrounding areas through manipulation of trade at the ports. His power is absolute on the docks; he owns every inch of land through his underlings and storefronts. He controls the thieves guild, the merchants guild, the bankers (he owns the banks and vaults), and now the council. He also now offers the councilmen a special tax on other goods; the councilmen now get exceptional bribes and turn the other way in any case against Renik. The law understands who he is now and they have stopped going into the docks completely. Renik also controls the countless street gangs in the city, who would jump at the chance to do anything for him.
Renik is also very wealthy. He has his fingers into every business venture he can. He doesn't like violence but will resort to it in order to protect his wealth. If he must resort to violence he will have it done by street thugs and rogues, disconnected from him. If he must deliver a message he will do it himself.

The following three hooks are meant to be done in order offering three adventures for characters to perform;

Adventure Hook #1: The Council Grows Tired
The Council sees Renik as a thorn in their side and has decided to hire a group of adventurers to deal with the problem. The characters must convince the guild master of the thieves guild and the merchants guild to break their ties with Renik. Before doing so though they must get the vault keys to his bank in the hands of the councilmen. If Renik finds out that the councilmen are behind this deceit he will come at them with everything he has.

Adventure Hook #2: A City in Flames
In this hook the characters could be on either side but their goal should be to stop this war from hurting innocents. Renik has mobilized the union and the gangs to move against he nobility in the city due to their seizing of his bank, vaults, and estate.

Adventure Hook #3: Renik Must Die
There is no possibility that Renik will give up his position or his power. The characters must dispose of him for the greater good.