HORACE "HORRY" DEEPWATER
Islanders of Shimmering IslesRetired Deep Sea Diver / Instructor
"The deep doesn't care if you're brave or cowardly, experienced or green. She takes who she wants. Respect that, and she might let you come back.""
Identity
- Residence
- The Diving School, Deepwater Bay
- Civilization
- Islanders of Shimmering Isles
Appearance
• Physical: Wiry and weathered with the look of someone who's spent a life underwater. His skin is deeply wrinkled from pressure changes, his white hair sparse. His eyes are pale and adapted to dim light. • Clothing: Wears practical clothing—canvas trousers, a worn sweater, a vest with pockets for tools. Everything smells faintly of the sea. • Distinguishing Marks: His ears, damaged from pressure; his hands, permanently gnarled; a tattoo of a diving helmet on his arm
Relationships
- Family - His wife manages the school's business; his children have chosen safer professions
- Allies - Fellow divers, students who respect his knowledge, certain merchants who hire his graduates
- Rivals - Other diving schools, former partners who feel he abandoned them
Personality
- Traits: Gruff but caring, genuinely loves diving, occasionally reckless in his youth, surprisingly patient as a teacher
- Mannerisms: Holds his breath unconsciously; speaks of diving constantly; becomes animated when teaching
- Voice: Raspy and loud, with long pauses as he gathers his thoughts
Backstory
Horry spent forty years as a deep sea diver, recovering treasures from wrecks that others deemed impossible. He's seen things that few surface dwellers can imagine. Now he teaches the next generation, passing on skills that took a lifetime to acquire.
Daily Life
Horry's days are spent at his school—teaching theory in the morning, supervising practice dives in the afternoon, maintaining equipment in the evening. He still dives occasionally, unable to resist the call of the deep.
Secret
Horry discovered something in the deep that he's never told anyone—a city, or perhaps a creature, that defies explanation. He's been trying to forget it ever since.
Story Hooks
- 1 Horry needs help investigating what he saw in the deep, finally ready to face his past
- 2 One of his students has gone missing on a dive, and he needs help finding them
Narrative Value
Horry provides diving training, information about the deep sea, and quests involving underwater exploration; serves as a source of hard-won wisdom. ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════