Xanthippe, the Minotauress Bodyguard – Steal this NPC

“Stop right there. I have killed twenty eight people who have threatened my charge.  Do not force me to make it twenty nine. My eyes are up here.”

Description: Standing 3 meters (9’10”) tall and heavily built, her fur and underlying skin are a dark tan and decorated by a wide variety of scars.  Her eyes are a brown so dark they appear black.  Her horns are polished to a honey sheen and tipped with brass.

While Xanthippe prefers to wear her heavy mail armor along with heavy sandals, she dresses as required depending on where her employer is going (though with the maximum amount of armor she can conceal underneath).  She has a fair collection of jewelry, though she rarely wears it.

Background: Xanthippe was raised among the warrior minotaurs of Thalis.  Though not raised directly to be a warrior, she trained casually alongside her brothers.  She had the unfortunate luck to be on a ship captured by pirates, from which she was sold into slavery.  She ended up as an agricultural worker, which she did not find so bad.

Xanthippe was on hand when the daughter of her owner was attacked by bandits.  Wielding a hoe, she dispatched herself and chased them off, killing one.  Because of that, she served as the daughter’s bodyguard for the next three years.  And when the daughter married, Xanthippe was granted her freedom.  At that point she became a freelance bodyguard, usually (but not always) guarding women.

Presenting this Character: Xanthippe is direct and efficient.  She understands the need for formality and etiquette, but prefers to ignore them whenever possible.  She enjoys the minor rebellion of slightly embarrassing her employers by tromping over politeness, but she will not do so if it will cause major trouble.  She is very good in her role as a bodyguard and will selflessly protect her employer from physical threats.

Xanthippe is not well read, but she is a good listener and has a surprisingly wide range of interests, especially philosophy and music.

What can she do? Xanthippe is a skilled and effective combatant, capable of using a variety of weapons or unarmed combat as needed.  Her focus is protecting her employer, imposing herself most effectively between them and any threat.

She has an innate grasp of social dynamics (a very useful talent for a bodyguard).  She is able to note shifts in the patterns of behavior that indicate when an attack is likely to materialize.  For those wise enough to form a friendship with Xanthippe, she can provide an unique perspective on the group dynamics of those she observes.

Xanthippe has a rich voice and is a superb singer, but she rarely does so in public unless there are only children around.

Who might know her and why: Xanthippe is quite well known among the nobility as an extremely competent bodyguard – in some circles, hiring her is considered a bit of a status symbol. Those who are among the nobility, or who work with them, could easily have encountered her (she is hard to miss, after all).

Someone from Thalis could have known her as a young woman, though recognizing her now could be difficult.  A freed slave or other member of the household she was enslaved into could encounter her again.

Plot Hooks: Xanthippe could be a bodyguard to someone that is traveling with the party.  As her focus is protecting her employer, there could be some conflict.

She could have found that some of her fellow countrymen have been captured in a pirate raid and are going to be sold into slavery.  Xanthippe wishes to buy them if possible, or directly free them if not.  She will need help in finding where they have been taken and possibly for more backup.