Tchednik is a distinguished gentleman, a stranger in Puffington, rumoured to have recently arrived from the Flamescar Plateau in Aqshy. He has some wealth and after getting familiar with the town he invested in a local bakery on the Hoffner Square, bought it altogether in the end and named it Puffington Muffins & Puddings. He is called the “Chief Baker”, though he does not take part in the daily operations of the bakery. He lives in the upper floor of the bakery and keeps an eye on the customers and employees. The products of Puffington Muffins & Puddings were first considered a bit “foreign”, but some of them quickly became favourites at least in some circles. This honey-tongued gentleman has managed to keep much of the customers of the previous owner and even get some more, especially ladies from the upper class, who have found his pastries unresistable. The kind and humble “chief baker” has managed to get in to the upper circles of the town, entangling himself in the local politics and intrigues. He has some friends and some enemies. His Pink and Blue Hollows are highly valued treats, not muffins, not puddings, but something in between and hollow inside.
Recently there has been some restlessness in the town, nightly vandalism and some unexpected fires here and there. Concerned about the safety of the citizens, his customers and his bakery, Tchednik has been raising his voice to get the streets safer. So far his own bakery has been safe, although some other local bakeries have been damaged by thrown rocks and small fires, but he has paid some attention to the safety of small businesses, especially his own - reportedly asked for by some frightened upper class ladies.
He hired some townsmen from the public houses and streets, some with highly valuable street wise and protective skills, to stay on guard around his bakery, valuable transportations and his own persona. This guard is known as the “Puffington Muffins & Puddings Militia” and the current strength is three. Actually it is five members in total at the moment, because he has named himself and his rescued, badly beaten and scarred street dog, Jonesy, to the members as well, in order to get them protected by the law and the militia. He and his dog do not take part in the guard duties, but occasionally help elderly people walk home while getting some fresh air and exercise during evenings or early mornings.
The leader of the PMPM (Puffington Muffins & Puddings Militia) is Tzessna, thin man in a colorful armor, armed with a sword. He is sometimes called the “long arm of the law”, because his left arm has been damaged in battles and now looks larger and longer than his right, thanks to some field surgeons. Two trusted troopers of the group are Corn and Nhur, first wearing red armour and an axe, the second with green armour and a hammer. They don’t speak much, mostly grunting and letting Tzessna (or Tchednik) do the speaking if they are around. Corn is a bit temperamental and before joining PMPM he was more often than not participating in the brawls in the pubs or recruited in guard or military duties. By reputation, he is a killer. Nhur on the other hand is much more calm and seems to pay less attention to the world around him. Personal hygieny seems to be a subject he is not interested in, as flies like to keep him company and usually he is standing guard at the back door, not the front door, or strolling on the streets.
While Tchednik is usually friendly and talkative, he doesn’t allow visitors deeper into the bakery, only to the shop part. No one seems to have visited his home in the upper floors, although he seems to be a respected guest (or pastry provider) in many of the balls and ceremonies in the town. Running a bakery is a tough job, but he and his crew (who probably live in the building as well, because they are rarely seen elsewhere) wake up early and stay up late. Lights can usually be seen in the windows of the basement and the upper floors during late nights and early mornings. “Fresh bread needs to be baked during the night” he says. Evenings are probably a prime time to experiment with new products and the like. His busy life and his new pet dog mean that Tchednik can nowadays be seen pretty much anywhere in the town at any time of the day (or night) running on some of his errands.
Ei kommentteja:
Lähetä kommentti