Belmer Oelber Rayburton

Belmer Rayburton was one of the founders of Cormyr and the first Rayburton to be ennobled.

Description
Belmer had unkempt brown hair and black eyes that sparkled with life. His frame was muscular but mostly hidden by fat that gave him a toad-like appearance. His skin was rough from outdoor living and constant scratching (probably due to fleas).

Personality
He was a simple man with no taste or training for pleasant society. He loved hunting, vanquishing foes on the battlefield, and feasting. He spoke gruffly in as few syllables as possible and had a tendency to spit when angered. He was not a very honest or discreet man. He was known to brag about people he swindled, men he killed, women he bedded, and creditors he bilked. In his old age, Belmer became increasingly paranoid, surly, and withdrawn, likely because of his fear of loosing the trove of gemstones that became known as the Rayburton Jewels.

Abilities
Belmer was an excellent woodsman, tracker, and hunter. He knew the Wolf Woods and where the best game could be found. In battle, he wielded a large morningstar and a heavy handaxe with considerable skill.

Possessions
Belmer acquired two chests of jewels from a distant relative or friend that came to him for protection (probably from those seeking to get their missing jewels back). This unknown man disappeared and left the jewels in Belmer's possession. According to famed explorer and skaether critic, Volothamp Geddarm, Belmer probably killed the man and made sure his body would never be found.

Relationships
Belmer had a younger brother named Onkyl that was about as diametrically opposite Belmer as person as could be. Onkyl somehow gained first-hand knowledge of the jewels and was jealous of his lout of a brother, but too afraid of him to do anything about it directly. Belmer grew fearful that Onkyl would reveal his secret.

One of the Rayburton's retainers was huntsman and commander Endeir Falconhand. Endeir left the service of Belmer and took service with Onkyl after a dispute over money and duty erupted in violence.

History
In the early days of Cormyr, the realm was besieged by outlaws and monsters that threatened to undermine and weaken the nascent country. Military leaders Relve Turcassan and Orndar Merendil confronted Belmer, asking for financial support to hire mercenaries and procure weapons for the war effort. It is unknown why they suspected or if they knew Belmer was wealthy, but a violent altercation broke out that resulted in the deaths of two men-at-arms that worked for Belmer and a few soldiers of the Crown. Belmer, Turcassan, and Merendil were all wounded in the fight before the two sides broke off the hostilities. Belmer would have continued and escalated the conflict but his brother Onkyl threatened to reveal "a secret Belmer holds dear, and would fain keep so" and demanded that the violence cease. Volo speculated that Falconhand provided Turcassan and Merendil with information about Belmer's wealth and that the secret Onkyl held over Belmer was the the existence of the jewel hoard.

For the rest of his life, Belmer bitterly hated Turcassan and Merendil and likely was the reason that the two men fended off multiple attempts on their lives by unknown assailants.