Petrus Pontium is a bridge troll who has adapted to Venetian custom. He runs a stick-fighting and wrestling school near the canal end of the Merceria. He rarely defends the bridges during official mob-style matches, but will meet challengers for single combat. When fighting or teaching Petrus wears armor, and carries a shield, weaved from wicker. Combined with gloves and boots, these disguise him, so his tall, masculine silhouette and his raspy voice are the only clues to his identity.
There are rumors about that Petrus is really one or another stick-fighting champion who staged a fatal accident during the Battle of the Bridge of Fists. Characters may be asked to investigate his identity, or bring him to justice under the misapprehension that he is one of these men. In truth, Petrus has copied their signature combat maneuvers. He is one of the unusual faeries who has duplicated human abilities rather than Pretenses. His skill at teaching is poor: he usually defeats his students repeatedly while they struggle to counter his techniques.
Petrus looks unusual for a troll. His eyes are human and blue. His skin might be mistaken for odd armor. Once he localised to Venice, it thickened and divided into small squares reminiscent of the city’s cobblestones. During the time of rising waters, the aqua alta, Petrus also leaks seawater from between the plates of stone on his skin. This is not injurious, but it is inconvenient on social occasions. Fortunately his armor is not damaged by seawater.
Oddly, Petrus floats. He does not know why: generally people made partially of rock sink. He has no need to breathe so it would not trouble him if he had to walk out of canals into which he fell during fights. Note that although he floats he can’t walk on water: he falls over just a like a human would.
His School of Stickfighting lends out gear to its students, so they are well-armed during the battles of the bridges of fists. He attends, as a coach and enthusiastic audience member. Sometimes he offers prizes, or engineers bouts with champions whose abilities he wishes to copy.
This faerie is the special protector of the bridge his school is near. Damage to the bridge is reflected on his body, but the respective sizes of the two are taken into account. A foot long scrape on the rail of the bridge is little more than a tiny scratch on Petrus. Harm to Petrus appears magnified in the stonework of the bridge. He knows whatever the bridge would know, as if he constantly had a communication with it. Bridges don’t notice many human things: use the spell Stone Tell of the Mind That Sits as a guide. If Petrus is alerted in advance he can rouse the bridge’s senses to look out for a particular person or boat. The bridge, through long habit, tells him if is damaged by supernatural forces, if a body is dropped off its side, or if the unquiet dead walk its length. Statisitcs will be posted on the blog that accompanis the podcast. They are cut down from the Ogfewe who lives beneath a bridge in Faint and Flame.
Petrus Pontium
Faerie Might: 20 (30) (Terram)
Characteristics: Int +1, Per +1, Pre 0, Com +1, Str +3, Sta +3, Dex +2, Qik +1
Size: +2
Virtues and Flaws: External Vis (wicker helm, grants Tough), Increased Might; Faerie Sight, Faerie Speech, Feast of the Dead, Hybrid Form, Improved Characteristics, Increased size, Place of Power (Bridge), Tough; Monstrous Appearance, Incognizant, Unique Ward (embodies bridge)
Personality Traits: Protective +3, Enjoys combat +2,
Reputations: Excellent stick fighter 3 (Venice), Actually that guy who faked his death 1 (Venice)
Combat:
Wicker sword (basically a weird mace): Init +2, Attack +14, Defense +12^, Damage +11
Punch: Init +1, Attack +11, Defense +11*, Damage +5
* If Petrus has his shield in his off hand, add +2 Dfn.
Soak: +7 stone skin, +1 if wearing wicker armor
Wound Penalties: –1 (1–5), –3 (9–16), –5 (17–24), Incapacitated (25–32), Dead (33+)
Pretenses: Awareness 4 (pedestrians), Bargain 4 (travelers), Brawl 8 [boxing), Concentration 4 (during fights), Faerie Speech 5 (sounding intimidating), Guile 3 (bluffing), Single Weapon 8 [wicker sword]. Venetian Lore 3 (bridges), Survival 4 [urban).
Powers: None. Yes. None. Check it out! Isn’t that weird?
Encumbrance: 0 (0)
Vis: There are four pawns of Terram in Petrus’s helm. Characters wearing it will find it fits automatically, and grants the Tough virtue.
Appearance: A humanoid troll with stone dermal plates.
Source: Based on The Ogre Who Lives Under the Bridge in Faith and Flame (p. 121).
Games From Folktales 