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Hildiroc
Hildiroc Hareswood
| Name | Hildiroc |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Occupation | Luthier |
| Age | Old, but hard to say - could be anywhere between 60-100 |
| Race | Hobbit |
|---|---|
| Residence | Buckland |
| Kinship |
| Outward Appearance | Hildiroc stands at 3’5”, a fair (if not extraordinary) height. His slender build (for a hobbit - and even so, a slight potbelly seems to have found him in recent years) and quick, upright gait may make him appear a little taller than he is…for those not of the Big Folk, anyway. His greying wavy hair somehow seems perpetually unruly and uncontrolled, though he has clearly made considerable effort to comb and tame it. His eyes are a watery and pale blue, and while his face is mostly free of marks of age, the occasional wrinkle or blotch can readily be seen.
His hands are long and slender, and though they seem fair, a close examination of them would reveal a lattice of innumerable white scars and delicate marks. Though he is often dressed well in social settings, his clothes display a distinct lack of care and are worn with no formality, and the scent of sap and a fine dusting of woodshavings accompanies him wherever he goes.
His voice is roughened with age, but remains clear and tenor (though generally softly-spoken, he can change quickly to a commanding mode of speech if need be), and he speaks briskly and with a clear ‘received’ accent, to the point where he may seem comical if it were not for the absolute confidence and authority that usually accompanies his words. Even when not clad in his work apron, he carries a carefully packed satchel and several smaller pouches on his person. Unusually for a hobbit, he will occasionally wear light shoes, though he generally goes barefoot. |
|---|
Background
A native to Buckland (barely discernible in his accent), Hildiroc Hareswood is the founder and head craftsman of Hareswood’s Finest Instruments, a well-regarded workshop dedicated to the crafting and design of musical instruments. An accomplished (if unambitious) fiddle player himself (and proficient with several other instruments), Hildiroc has been making instruments since his early tweens, having apprenticed himself to a couple of luthiers before striking out at the young age of 34 with his own business. A Hareswood instrument quickly became an item of worth and even prestige, and Hildiroc was able to expand the workshop rapidly, taking on several assistants and apprentices and diversifying away from stringed instruments to work with winds and pipes as well. By his early 50s, Hildiroc Hareswood had become the premier name in instrument craft, repair and expertise in Buckland - and even beyond.
A canny businesshobbit, Hildiroc also recognised the advantages of seeking favour and patronage from wealthy hobbits, and has spent years establishing himself in Buckland society. Though most of his workshop’s instruments are crafted for bards, minstrels and even students, he has also made efforts to corner the ‘prestige’ market, with great success….few of the richest Buckland families are without a bespoke Hareswood, and the sale of one of these ‘exclusive’ instruments is sufficient to fund the business’ operations for months on end.
Now, in his late 70s, Hildiroc is turning his eye further afield and looking to establish the Hareswood legacy. Other upstart luthiers have emerged in the Shire, and while Buckland and the East Farthing are firmly Hareswood’s territory, his line of instruments remains but one of many in further afield locales. However, Hildiroc’s ambitions and plans have become greater still, as he turns his opportunistic eye further afield, to the lands of the Big Folk and other races….
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You may already be familiar with Hildiroc and/or with Hareswood’s Finest Instruments if:
- You are native to Buckland, or have spent time there
- If you are musical, or have an interest in art and culture
- If you are interested in craftsmanship or woodworking
- And/or, if you generally move in the ‘upper class’ of Hobbit circles
If so, feel free to reach out for further details about Hildiroc’s background and character, and to establish a relationship between him and your character!
| Friends | |
|---|---|
| Relatives | A large clan of siblings, and a nephew and two nieces who are employed by him - Hildiroc himself is unmarried (though strenuously denied rumours abound regarding illegitimate children) |
| Rivals/Enemies | The accursed Rickery Greenhill, maker of ill-sounding, cheap, overpriced instruments…if the roughly whittled trinkets he sells even deserve to be called ‘instruments’… |
| Loves | Wood and fine woodworking, good and genteel conversation, fine music, boating, his dog |
|---|---|
| Hates | ‘Tawdry’ art, laziness, physical discomfort, anything other than inclement weather, large birds |
| Motivation | To establish and secure the Hareswood legacy throughout the North |
| Quotes |
