NPC, PAOLO SARTOSA

PAOLO SARTOSA,
Princeling - House of Sartosa.

Word From the Troops
"The lad's been dealt a bad hand physically, but what I witnessed on the battlefield will not soon be lost on me. We were facin' a whole line of grimme. The lines all around us were starting to collapse. Mustering all his strength the boy was shouting commands from the saddle. He has one hell os a sixth sense for battle. within less tan a minute we were pressing the advantage and pushin' the beasties back into Brokenwalls."

History
Paolo is a Hunchback. At 17, he is also small, has an ear maimed from a scalding accident during infancy, and has a left hand which is shriveled and twisted inward.  His voice has never dropped.
Paolo comes from a tiny barony in the southern Black Forest, the eldest of two sons (the younger brother is 14, handsome, outgoing & athletic - his parent's choice for inheritance.)  The current Baron & Baroness want to improve their standing at court, but feel a hunchback in the family is an embarrassment which keeps them from their ambitions.  They despise the boy, and have mistreated and ignored him his entire life.  The Pass Wars is their answer to the question, "What do we do about Paolo?"
The lad now finds himself bound for The Chalice with a force of 100 medium footmen who hold him in contempt (fear of being hung for desertion is the only thing that keeps them in line, and they have been assured by the Baron that "Should Paolo fall, your obligation is fulfilled and you may return to the Barony."  To accommodate his hump, his scale mail armor is made for a full-sized man and it hangs poorly on his frame.  Paolo has received only the basics of swordsmanship... his shield hangs on his pommel (he can only use one hand anyway), and he is armed with a longsword which he can only swing for a few minutes before collapsing in fatigue and agony. 
Beyond his frail appearance, Paolo is incredibly bright, witty and well-spoken, and he is a master at chess.  Though his skill at arms is poor, he has the strategic mind of a veteran soldier.  If he can manage to survive, he would make a formidable commander and planner.  He knows exactly what his parents are up to, and dreams one day of not only an end to his physical impairments, but to return to the Black Forest with Imperial Honors, putting him above the conniving baron & baroness.