Latest NPC Portrait: First Mate Neifion "Neiven" Aven; The Midnight Steel

First Mate Neifion "Neiven" Aven

“But Neiven… what about me? Why didn’t you just become the Captain? You were next in line, and I’m not your… family,” Huru looked away, suddenly feeling sad herself as she remembered her lost crew.

“Two reasons…” Neiven’s voice was softer now. “One… Ah ain’ ready. Ah ‘as a promise to keep. Ah promis’d Noemie tha’ ah’d be the bestest First Mate ah cud be, an’ she promis’d she’d be the bestest Captain she cud be… Bu’... on the day ah went ter collec’ ‘er Orders… tha’s the day Noemie took off wiv the Arcane Key. She ‘id it, took it ter Dickie. Ah woz on me way back wiv ‘er official papers wen ah gots a message, in me ‘ead. “Dun come back, the ‘and are ‘ere. Stay ‘idden.” Ah woz on the Dockfront, an’ ah saw ‘em, twen’y men it took, to bring Noemie down. They frew ‘er body in the river, an’ ah went in ter pull ‘er ou’. Bu’ she woz alre’dy gone. The uvvas… landlock’d, ‘ouse arrest. Only ah made it ter the Manor a free man.”

Neiven paused, the memory of pulling Noemie Duval’s body from the river as clear in his mind as it was the day he witnessed it. He never knew why she had been killed in such a manner; it seemed like an unnecessary show of force, twenty on one. And yet, it still happened, and the memory of holding the cold, lifeless Halfelin’s body was eternally seared into his mind. Neiven raked his teeth across his lip then continued, “Our fam’ly needs a leader. An’ ah knows I ain’ gud enuff yit. I woz s’posed ter learn from Noemie. Yer can’t get experience on land. Yer can’t learn ter lead wivou’ sum’un ter folla’ ferst. An’ that’s where reason numba two cums in.”

My latest NPC Portrait features First Mate, Neifion "Neiven" Aven. The Sunday group met Neiven alongside Neyon, another piece of the puzzle that is the rescue of the Midnight Steel. Formerly the ship's Second Mate, Neiven was due to become the First Mate under the new Captain, Noemie Duval, after the retirement of the former Captain, Richard Stallard. However, Noemie never got to Captain the ship, as she was killed after the Silver Hand attempted to forcibly seize the ship for it's battery of Arcane Cannons. He was the only one to escape Hand house arrest, and has been working with Neyon to plan the rescue of the Steel for the past six years.

Neiven has ruffled a few feathers amongst the PCs with his abrasive and often chaotic nature, even going so far as to threated to punt one of them if they disrespected his friend (Neyon) again. However, at least one of the PCs has acknowledged that there is more depth to him that meets the eye... and the ear!