Dovo

Dovo was an inhabitant of the town of Ghars in Cormyr in the mid–14 century DR. He was an assistant to blacksmith Aunsible Durn and notably revealed to be posing as the ghost of the bandit chieftain Fastred as part of a spy ring.

Personality
While many folk in town thought him a moron, Dovo thought he was the gods' gift to Toril. He was a cocky and condescending jerk who was a bully to men and a lecherous pig to women. He boasted of his exploits and harassed any beautiful woman he found, regardless of their disinterest or disgust. When that didn't work, he had small pornographic pictures to show off or keep himself company. He played pranks on others, usually with a cruel twist, and needled others' weak spots. Unsurprisingly, he didn't like to be treated the same way, especially by women, and had a vindictive streak.

Description
He was big and strongly built. He was known to wear a cloak and a hat, which carried a badge of the smith's guild formed from a feather and their sigil.

For his ghost costume, Dovo donned a worn breastplate; an antique helmet, small and squat with a visor but no plume; and carried a large axe with an edge in length. He smeared himself and his things with a luminous green paint made from glimmergrass.

Relationships
He had a wife and three children, but he neglected them and they suffered because of it. Instead, he was a philanderer always looking for another woman to sleep with, regardless of whether he or she was married.

Dovo was a mate of some of Ghars's likeminded fools and ruffians. He enjoyed riling up Rolf by bothering Mayella. Even his associates in the spy ring, Tobald and Grodoveth, didn't escape his annoying ways.

History
In the first several days of working for Aunsible Durn, Dovo put a burr under his friend Argys Kral's saddle so it threw him when he mounted. Durn chewed Dovo out for that and he carried out no more of his pranks, at least at the smithy.

At some point in the, Dovo was secretly recruited by Tobald, the mayor of Ghars, and Grodoveth, a disgraced envoy of the crown, who were agents of the Iron Throne. Whether he knew this or not, or if he was given a false story or even knew what he sent would go unknown, but he was likely just in it for the money and the chance to frighten the town.

To lay the groundwork for his ruse, on Mirtul 27, Dovo claimed a ghost had attacked him while riding home from the Swamp Rat tavern, even showing off a cut cloak supposedly slashed by its axe. After this, townsfolk were ready to believe him to be the ghost: an Arabel merchant on Kythorn 12, Diccon Picard on Kythorn 27, Elizabeth Clawthorn on Flamerule 8, Lukas Spoondrift on Flamerule 21, Bortas and his wife on Eleasias 16, and Bryn Goldtooth on Eleasias 28, all nights when he was sending messages. However, Dovo would grow over-confident and self-important, by speaking familiarly with Tobald and Grodoveth in public and hinting at his exploits.

Finally, sent off early from work on Eleint 16, Dovo went to the Bold Bard tavern and had a North Brew with his buddies. He bothered the young Mayella Meadowbrock, and succeeded only in scaring her and her dog. In her defense, Rolf stepped in, Dovo insulted him, and the two got into a brawl that ended when tavernkeeper Shortshanks broke it up and sent out Rolf for starting it. Falsely magnanimous, Dovo offered to buy a drink for everyone, but only one to share. Later, Dovo tried to pick up Kendra, but the adventuress, familiar with his type, proved the better at insulting and belittling him. He put a hand on her arm, she a knife on his neck, and Kendra and Shortshanks threw him out. Dovo even threatened her, but fled from her anger. His performance this night would be his undoing, for Tobald and Grodoveth both witnessed his reckless behavior and feared he'd reveal his role just to impress a woman, and elected to get rid of him before he exposed them.

Going out to play ghost and spy again that night, Dovo was spotted by Jasper and scared him off. He was later met by Grodoveth, who took his axe on some excuse. Dovo lost his fingers, head, and life to Grodoveth's professional swing.

Jasper and the War Wizard Lindavar found his body the next day and reported it. Joined by Benelaius, Captain Flim of the Purple Dragons, Doctor Braum, Kendra, and Mayor Tobald, they examined the murder scene, with Tobald interjecting false theories to throw the others off the truth, such as that the ghost of Fastred had killed him. They considered Dovo's many enemies, both people offended and husbands cuckolded. His body was taken to town and his family informed. Jasper, Benelaius, and Lindavar investigated his murder over the coming days. Durn considered trying to help Dovo's widow and children to get by without Dovo's income. Meanwhile, one of Dovo's treacherous cronies planted his cloak and hat in the Bold Bard to make it appear his ghost ruse was only a scheme with Shortshanks to drive customers away from the Swamp Rat.

Benelaius solved the crime and revealed the spy ring on Eleint 21, but blamed Tobald as Dovo's murderer, having manipulated evidence and his findings to conceal Grodoveth's role after his death and protect the honor of the Cormyrean crown. He arranged for Fastred's treasure to be paid to Dovo's widow and children, via a fiction of an inheritance from a distant relative.

Activities
Despite Dovo's many personal faults, his boss Durn at least found him to be a good worker, though he recognized his failings. He ordered him to keep his pranks and philandering well away from the smithy and his business, and not to annoy the customers.

When off duty, he spent most of his time at the taverns, rather than with his family.

As part of the spying ring, Dovo's duty was to go out at nights to the edge of the Vast Swamp and signal coded messages given to him by Grodoveth (largely economic data) to another agent within or beyond the swamp in Sembia. To allay suspicion, following Grodoveth's suggestion, he disguised himself as the ghost of the bandit chieftain Fastred; this scared off those who saw him, and if caught he could pass it off as just a prank. To signal discreetly, he used a bullseye lantern.

Appearances

 * Murder in Cormyr