Submitted
Knobbenkirk Coneyfast, forest gnome rogue with the urchin background. I haven't decided which city he originates from, but if we're just finishing a job near Phandalin, he could be from Neverwinter or Waterdeep.
[ +- ] History
Knobbenkirk grew up an urchin in a big city, one of many thanks to any number of reasons: war, disease, famine, or bad deals with straw-spinning fey. He joined a gang of youths in similar circumstances and together they sustained themselves with petty crimes until they crossed the local thieves' guild. Kobbenkirk and his gang were pressed into service, running moonshine and other liquors for the guild to avoid the tax collectors, and through these means did the young gnome develop a taste for the good stuff; the stuff that'd put hair on your eyes and bite the tail that wags ya.
Knobbenkirk (or Knobby to some, The Knob to others) did his job and did it well, but he never quite amounted to much within the guild itself. He never got the recognition, the promotion, nor the all-important fair cut of the take. Knobby didn't mind, though; he skimmed his own profits from the top of the fermenting tubs and the jugs scheduled for delivery.
The dubious concoctions of alcohol and exotic ingredients did something to his mind, unlocking something in his ancestry and manifesting a latent magic that flowed through his liver. Knobbenkirk found some arcane formulas "from some old dude that didn't want them anymore" and practiced a few spells to help his work. The job of running spirits came easier to him with magical help, and so did the ability to level off the contents of sealed and unopened merchandise.
One day, for whatever reason, Knobbenkirk soon found himself running a new product: himself. He isn't sure if the guild is angry about his sampling of the wares, and it can't be that large sloshy jug he found on a dusty shelf in the guildmaster's office that he claimed as his own. The gnome is sure he could remember why he's no longer with the guild, if he's provided with enough liquid memory, but... now's probably not the right time for that.
The main gist is that Knobby has fallen out of favor with his guild and is on the run. He hooks up with adventurers as a means of traveling beyond the guild's reach, surrounding himself with powerful allies, and obtaining treasure for self-sustenance. Whenever he's in a town or village, he likes to disguise himself as a grubby human child, loitering with one of the parental figures in the party to avoid the attention of wayward eyes (this can be a bond with a fellow PC). Trouble is, he has a fondness for alcohol, so the effectiveness of his disguise greatly depends on his sobriety.
Background: Urchin
Feature: City Secrets
Personality Trait: I hide scraps of food and trinkets away in my pockets.
Personality Trait: I like to squeeze into small places where no one else can get to me.
Ideal: I'm going to prove that I'm worthy of a better life.
Bond: I owe my survival to another urchin who taught me to live on the streets.
Bond: I partner with [NAME] to sell the image of a parental figure with their child (potential bond).
Flaw: I am too enamored of ale, wine, and other intoxicants.
Flaw: It's not stealing if I need it more than someone else.
DDB link
