Dr. Charles Vogel

The Pox of Whitewood
Charles is one of the surviving members of the Whitewood Ghostwise Halfling clan from the Forest of Amtar that was ravaged by a pox when he was just coming into adulthood. The surviving healthy members of the clan were so few and weakened that they could not survive on their own. In their grief, and with much of the clan leadership dead they decided to leave their home. Unsure of who was infected and had yet to show symptoms, they decided to split up and isolate themselves until they became wasted by the illness, or learned that they were safe. During this isolation, Charles discovered that he had indeed caught the plague. Had he not been discovered by a passing band of adventurers he would have died like so many others in his clan.

The Faceless Ravens
The adventurers carried his dying form to a monastery of the monks who followed the Way of Mercy—the Faceless Ravens.There, his illness was treated and he survived. Ravaged and pox scarred Charles was too weak to leave the monastery for a period of months. During his recovery he learned bits and pieces of the monk’s philosophy. As soon as he was able, Charles returned to the White Tree that marked his people’s home. There he found his former home overgrown and littered with the victims of the plague, the White Tree having fallen. Charles discarded his childhood token (a shard of bark from the White Tree), and took with him a discarded branch of the Tree.

Charles returned to the Faceless Ravens to learn their ways and join them. During this period of time he trained in the Way of Mercy and in medicine, becoming a Doctor in his own right. He carved his plague mask from the branch of the White Tree, and when his studies were completed he left to practice the Way of Mercy in the wider world. This eventually led him to the Black Company which provides many opportunities to practice the Way of Mercy.

The Black Company
Today Charles is a physician with the Black Company, a mercenary group. He has been participating in the siege of Hope’s Port, under the employ of the Yuan-Ti S’zzet. Recently he completed an attack on a supply caravan with his companions.

During the siege of Hope's Port, Charles was part of the team that took down the commander of the walls, and is now regarded as a hero of the Company. Following the siege he joined the Company on the second wave of ships bound for Argynvostholt. Upon arriving there, he participated in the liberation of the fortress for the use of the Black Company.

Appearance
Charles is an unusually tall halfling, who could be mistaken for a thin short human, were it not for his manner of dress. Charles is perpetually in the uniform of his craft. He wears a long hooded leather coat, and carries his doctor’s bag slung in a satchel across his side. A wooden stark white plague mask in the shape of a raven’s beak adorns his face, and a long black wooden cane is in hand. This visage covers a pox scarred body, a dark sunken face and a head of long straight black hair.

Connections
Charles is good friends with Dr. Frederick Treves, a fellow physician with the Black Company.

He is rivals with John Amherst a solider with the Black Company.

Dhelmes Ramasath a fellow hero of the Black Company.

Nisha, a fellow hero of the Black Company.

Gorrok Blackbanner, a fellow hero of the Black Company.

Villain, a captured bandit infected with one of Dr. Vogel's plagues.