Jeni Hoopwood
The world has always been Jeni Hoopwood’s oyster, though that oyster has usually contained sand instead of pearls. Jeni’s mother Aster was a barmaid and prostitute, and the young halfling largely grew up in and around the Dock Ward tavern which employed Aster. From an early age, she figured out how to pilfer a coin or two from the pockets of the drunken patrons, taking care to never take too much. When she dipped into the wrong pocket one night, instead of being turned in to the Watch, Jeni was invited to run with a gang of thieves based in the Dock Ward.
Jeni’s skills as a pickpocket were good, but she served the gang better as a spy or a red herring, as her soft features allowed her to easily pass for a human child. After an incident with a drunken mark sent Jeni head-first through a window, the resulting scar from the injury limited her effectiveness in this role. Thereafter, she switched to burglary, where her flexibility and small frame let her easily climb into tight spaces.
Targets in the Dock and Southern Wards typically have little money to spare, so Jeni began to set her aspirations higher toward the Castle, Trades, and Sea Wards. Burglarizing the homes of the wealthiest citizens of Waterdeep isn’t without considerable risk, though, as targets of means frequently secure their property with magical traps. Thinking she could use some practical experience in dealing with such things without the threat of imprisonment if she failed, Jeni set her sights on journeying with adventurers.
Facing down death isn’t so scary, but confinement to a prison cell? No thanks!
Traits
“I never met a stranger, but then again, no stranger has ever met me, either.”
Ideals
“The greater the risk, the greater the reward.”
Bonds
“I live for the challenge, because something being thought ‘impossible’ means no one’s figured out how to do it yet.”
Flaws
“I never look before I leap: the unexpected is part of the thrill!”
“I Know a Guy”
Know a guy? Odds are good, Jeni knows at least three. What do you need, hot merchandise moved? Discrete disposal? An unfortunate “accident” for a business rival? Info on a nobleman’s dirty laundry? Yeah, even if Jeni herself doesn’t know, she knows who does know where the proverbial—and sometimes literal—bodies are buried.
Friends & Enemies
Most of Jeni’s old gang is dead or imprisoned, but a few of her pals still roam the Docks Ward. Her original “sponsor” in the gang is Davert Tinsmith, a fence who operates out of the Thirsty Sailor Tavern, but he’s recently fallen in with a darker crowd, which is partly why Jeni’s gone solo.