New Hope Character Information Sheet

April 2001




Originator of Character: Melissa Van Houten

Name: Bilge (birth name Gypsum)
Soul Name: N/A
Soul Name Known by: N/A
Soul Names Known: N/A

Gender: Troll
Gender: Male
Status: Alive
Generation/Age: NH -1762
Origin: Island Trolls
Current Residence: New Hope, Sea Runner Household
Elder?: Yes

Hair: Silver-grey. Formerly worn to mid-back and ratty. Currently a little past shoulder length. Usually braided, especially if he's aboard ship --often worn with a scarf over it.
Eyes: Slate blue
Skin: Greenish-grey
Height: 4' 0"
Build: Broad and stocky. When he was first discovered by Pearl and Catspaw, he tended toward flabbiness, but during his apprenticeship he toned up and is currently very muscular. Built like a brick wall.
Voice: A deep bass voice that is pleasant, if a bit gravelly at times. (cf. James Earl Jones)
Other Physical Attributues: None visible

Parents: Ironfist (father, D), Mossfern (mother)
Siblings: Stonechipper (brother)
Other Relatives: None that he speaks of

Current Mate: Open
Previous Mate(s): Lichen
Recognized?: N/A
Child(ren): None
Closest Friends: Calypso, Cragbelly, Mushrump, Piet
Bondbeast:None, though he is fond of the ship's cat

Talent(s): N/A
Skills: Basic survival skills, fishing, whaling, sailing, smithing, cooping, mining, refining, some engineering skills, forging, star mapping, navigation, swimming,
Hobbies: Storytelling, singing, taking care of the ship's cat
Weapons: Spear, knife, harpoon, forge hammer, and with his strength --just about anything he can lay is hands on

Jewelry: Metal armband on right forearm --except when he's smithing, leather armband on left forearm --ditto, macrame choker with a cowrie shell pendant, occasionally a gold hoop earring
Clothing: Not much generally, he tends to go shirtless and shoeless, though he'll wear rope sandals aboard ship. He wears tight pants from hip to mid-calf, with a wide leather belt. During cooler weather and storms he wears a heavy, woven, hooded pullover and rope-soled boots with his other clothing.
Special Possessions: His forge and his tryworks aboard the Cowrie.

Personality and History

         One of the Island Trolls' expendable males, he was sent out on an exploratory mission when his mother fell out of favor with the queen. When his vessel got caught in a storm, he decided that was a good opportunity to jump ship and "got washed overboard". He reached the mainland not too much the worse for wear, and went into the caves at the cliff face. Over the course of a few hundred years, he burrowed deeply into the cliff wall and had managed to set himself up with quite a comfortable den. However, he got careless about watching his perimeters and was discovered by those staking out the floor plan for the Sea Runners' new living space. After much deliberation, he decided he would "share" his cliff with them as long as they didn't bother him. (He was lonely, but too stubborn to admit it.) However, children being children, he was seldom left alone, and Pearl started calling him Bilge, "'cause his attitude's as stinky as bilge water! ". When Calypso discovered that he had a small forge they began trading --food, skins, etc. for metal fittings for the Cowrie. Eventually, Calypso had to get right into the forge's heat and show the troll what he needed for the ship. Bilge was impressed by the elf's knowledge, even if his skills left much to be desired, and they formed a tentative friendship. When the new Cowrie was finished Bilge came to see her and fell in love with her. He was introduced around to the rest of the Household, and after much discussion he signed aboard as an apprentice to Calypso. He was the first apprentice to specialize when they discovered things he was physically incapable of doing and he eventually became the ship's Master Engineer.
         During his time aboard the Cowrie he discovered that the ship's cat was constantly driving the rat population into his quarters for the kill, and did his best to stop that from happening. After a five-year battle, he gave up and decided the damn animal was going to do whatever it damn well pleased. A grudging respect grew into a fondness for the cat, and he named it Critter. He spoiled her rotten, feeding her scraps from the galley as well as the fish guts, and even when they were docked, Critter slept only in Bilge's bottom drawer. And that's where she eventually had her litter. When the kittens were weaned, two were kept aboard ship and the others were divvied up among those who wanted them. About a year later, one of the kittens went to live in the caves and the other took up residence in Bilge's bottom drawer, beginning a long tradition of Bilge taking care of the ship's cat.
         Bilge is a typical troll, though once someone earns his respect, he's loyal to the end. He has a soft spot for both children and animals, and comes across as almost friendly when they're around. Over the years, he's integrated himself into New Hope society so well that people often forget that he is a troll.
         He is Sea Runner Household's other representative on the Council of Elders.

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