Pitch Skinner (from Dark is Noon)

Bear icon Ghigliano Sarah, FR, Noun Project

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Pitch Skinner (32)

Project: Fantasy novel (Soluna trilogy Book 1: Dark is Noon)

Known as: Pitch

Real name: Pitch Skinner

Group affiliation: Skinner family, Greentop

Physical description: Pitch looks part grizzly bear. Tawny and shaggy, he is a very large man (over six and a half feet tall and somewhere north of 250 pounds). In his early 50ies, he certainly has some fat on his frame but make no mistake it is layered over muscle. He can out fight, hunt, and drink nearly anyone – and is happy to demonstrate it.

Personality: Pitch is gruff and temperamental. He became a hunter and trapper in part because if he spent enough time among people trouble seemed inevitable. That and he is his own best company; others tend to get on his nerves. One exception was his wife (Elanor). He first fell for her for old fashioned reasons (she was beautiful). But what really made him want to marry her was that she helped him recover from a bad injury and demonstrated throughout that she was utterly unintimidated by him. In fact, she was able to cow him and brooked no nonsense.

This allowed her to see a side of Pitch no one else did.

History: Rumors among the folk of Greentop is that Pitch was raised by bears. This is tough to refute, as Pitch never spoke of his family (except to Elanor, who also never spoke of it). Secretly Pitch is the son of a disgraced knight who murdered a rival in a fit of rage. To escape the law, Pitch’s father took his family to the wilds of Greentop, changed his name, and generally hid from society. This made Pitch’s mother miserable. When Pitch was in his early teens his mother vanished. Whether she ran off (as his father maintained), committed suicide, or was murdered by her husband Pitch did not know – they all seemed equally likely in his mind.

Pitch was basically a servant to his abusive and bitter father. His father’s only priority was his still, while Pitch had to supply food and trade for what his father needed. As Pitch grew into adulthood one thing became clear to him. One day his father would get drunk, go too far in beating Pitch, and Pitch would need to kill his father to preserve his own life. After that day came, Pitch would often wonder why he hadn’t just left. Sometimes he thought it was because he had hoped he’d be wrong about his father. Other times he wondered if he knew in his heart the world would be better without his father and it was his responsibility.

Pitch was unsurprisingly defensive and untrusting of others. He mostly stayed away from other people. Unfortunately, when he was around other people some imagined slight or competitive instinct would lead to him blackening eyes and loosening teeth. Of course, his size and demeanor would often be enough for people to give him a wide berth.

Only Elanor was able to get past his defensive shell. She saw that he wasn’t inherently cruel but broken. And Elanor was a healer.

Pitch loved Elanor deeply but would still frequently go on hunting trips. It was his livelihood, but also he feared if he was around too much she would come to her senses. Things became more complicated when their son, Tom, was born. Pitch would return home and feel a bit like an outsider. He loved his son but didn’t know how to connect with him. He always assumed the problem was that he wasn’t good with children. But Tom grew into a very strange man in Pitch’s mind. A classic man’s man, Pitch struggled with a son that followed in his mother’s footsteps.

When he lost Elanor, his plan was to remain in the woods forever. He can’t help, however, checking in on Tom. Some part of Pitch that he doesn’t fully understand still wants to connect with his son. Their meetings tend to end in arguments, insults and resentment.

Still, Pitch loves Beth (sort of the son he felt he should have had). And a new grandson might be a new opportunity for Pitch.

Role in the narrative: Sometimes fantasy stories need some muscle. They also need drama, and an awkward father/son relationship is very minable.

Abilities: Pitch is a tremendous fighter, woodsman, tracker, hunter, trapper, and drinker. Not much beyond those things.

Inspirations: Lots of bits and pieces. Beorn from LOTR, Sloth from Goonies, and I don’t know where else. The monster with a heart of gold is a pretty common trope.