Market-Master Pip

Market-Master Pip is the most influential merchant in The Crown City of Ardor and the primary administrator of the city's complex trade networks. A portly (for a mouse) Briar-Kin with an eye for detail and a penchant for fine, leaf-woven waistcoats, Pip is responsible for everything from the distribution of acorn-flour to the taxation of incoming shipwreck artifacts.

Pip is a master of logistics. He oversees the "Vertical Trade"—the precarious transport of goods between the root-level of Drift-Haven and the canopy of Ardor. He is a firm believer that commerce is the lifeblood of the Muridae, and he has spent his career building bridges (sometimes literally) between the various clans and factions of The Shrouded Boughs.

While he is generally fair, Pip is a shrewd negotiator who rarely loses a deal. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of market values and a vast network of informants who keep him updated on everything from gull-migrations to the latest rumors from the Aethervale mainland.

Secret Motivation: Pip is secretly funding a group of Mist-Whisker scavengers to explore a dangerous, uncharted section of the root-maze. He believes that a massive treasure-ship from the Age of Discovery is hidden there and wants to secure its cargo before the Grand Warden Hekka or the Mist-Weaver Coven can intervene.

Adventure Hook: Pip is in a bind. A large shipment of "Aether-Acorns" destined for the Sub-Terran Accord has been stolen from the Leaf-Kite Docks. He hires the party to recover the shipment, offering a generous cut of the profits and a permanent discount at the Barnacle Market.