Jason Andresen (order #1578489) - Jump page for Jubei

the elusive scout. For three weeks, Pendrake lived among the
pygmy trolls, eating, breathing, and sleeping as one of their
kind, until the battalion of regulars gave him up for dead and
abandoned their search of the area.
Weeks later, Pendrake dragged his weary form to the gates
of a border fortress and handed over the crucial documents.
The look of disbelief on the faces of the gate wardens is something
I myself have grown accustomed to in my eight years as
Pendrake’s assistant.
For his valor, Pendrake was offered any reward the king
could provide. Without hesitation, the brave scout asked only
for a sponsorship to Corvis University. The sponsorship was
granted immediately, and at the age of twenty-one, Viktor
Pendrake became the first junker ever admitted to the Corvis
University, Department of Extraordinary Zoology.
The good Professor Fulgar Wynham took Pendrake under
his wing, perhaps seeing something in him that he missed from
his own youth. Pendrake quickly became the professor’s most
prized student and was given increasingly more prestigious
assignments to catalog this or recover that—challenges which
Pendrake always rose to, seemingly without effort.
Within a few more summers, Pendrake earned his residency
at the university and took his place among the most elite academics
within the realm. In time Professor Wynham passed
on, and his title was bestowed upon the learned Viktor—
Professor Pendrake, High Chancellor of the Department of
Extraordinary Zoology.
Today, Pendrake divides his time between lecturing the up
and coming minds of Corvis University and the pursuit of
insanely inspired quests to catalog every wild creature that stalks
the hills and forests of Caen. His latest and grandest work,
the first volume of the Monsternomicon is now complete, and I
daresay that nearly half of those entries came within a farrow’s
whisker of ending not only the good professor’s life, but my
own as well.
For now, my path remains tied to Viktor Pendrake, and by
Morrow, I hope it is a long path indeed! Though I’ve never
thought of myself as the “field research” type, no scholar
worth his salt would walk away from a chance to adventure
side by side with the legendary Professor Pendrake. I have seen
exotic places that no other man may ever see again, and I have
witnessed with my own eyes fearsome monsters engaged in
behavior that would turn most men white with terror. But just
between myself and the pages of this journal, of all of the fantastic
beasts that I have seen, Professor Viktor Pendrake may be
the most extraordinary creature of them all.
From the memoirs of Lynus Wesselbaum, senior assistant to Professor Viktor
Pendrake, University of Cygnar, Department of Extraordinary Zoology
219
Professor Pendrake
Combat
In combat Professor Pendrake is a terror to behold—not
for his blazing weapons or the bloodlust in his eyes, but rather
for his determination and absolute lack of fear. Pendrake usually
charges into combat headlong, most often opening up with
a volley of arrows followed by close melee combat if possible.
Although he is audacious, the professor is quite crafty, and he
wins his fights quite often through trickery or manipulation.
His preferred weapons are his composite long bow (his
lucky long bow, the first he was commissioned as a junior
scout) and his short sword (an ancient relic found on a subterranean
quest). Both are traditional weapons of a Cygnaran
ranger. He has also become a master at the elusive aldar’s
chain—an exotic weapon native to the sailors of Ord. The professor
also frequently carries a pistol or rifle with him when in
the field though he admits he has little skill with firearms.
When sheer bravado and might will not overcome a situation,
Pendrake turns to his allies and his resources, both of
which are quite extensive. He is also not afraid to admit defeat
and retreat when the situation warrants it.
Allies & Enemies
Lynus Wesselbaum (Rgr6/AdvSch1): The professor’s
senior assistant, Lynus helps Pendrake in most everything he
does. Although he possesses the courage of a typical bookwormish
student, he can never refuse an adventure at Pendrake’s
side, and he truly hopes to one day fill the professor’s shoes.
Edrea Lloryrr (Rog4/Sor4): Pendrake’s other close assistant,
Edrea is quite the opposite of Lynus. Overcome with wanderlust,
she left Ios to explore the world. Pendrake came upon
her in the clutches of a dire troll, and after saving her life he
found that he just couldn’t get rid of her. Edrea turned out to
be as smart as she is adventurous, and the professor has made
good use of her help despite her not being a student. Although
open with the professor, Edrea is outwardly shy, aloof, and mysterious
(as is typical of Isoans) to most she meets. Like Lynus,
she is often present when the professor is out in the field.
Saxon orrik (Rgr16): Once an ally and mentor, Orrik is
now one of Pendrake’s greatest enemies. The professor studied
under him when first inducted into the Cygnaran military,
and Orrik taught Pendrake much of what he knows of being
a ranger. Their relationship went well until Pendrake blew
the whistle on Orrik for committing a number of atrocities
in the course of his duties. Orrik is a power-hungry warrior
who, despite being ejected from the military (circumstantial
evidence prevented full conviction), still serves as one of Vinter
Raelthorne’s most loyal troops (currently serving him alongside
the skorne). He thinks Pendrake a fool for devoting his work to
posterity and would gladly teach the “boy” a lesson, should he
have the chance.
Jason Andresen (order #1578489) 9