Xorton
Xorton was more of a nuisance than a menace to the town of Shifting Wind. Somewhere in the hulking brute’s past, his bloodline was touched with that of Orc, and speculators thought that a taint of Ogre was mixed into his lineage as well. Whatever his bastardized heritage, he stood well over seven feet tall with the physique of a small frigate. As is often the case with such extremes, his intellect was equally lacking, but he had the dreamy heart of a child.
The local constabulary devised a means to manage the good-natured man-child, who by all accounts was relatively sedate if his belly and mug were kept full. Hunger had a way of bringing out the nastier side of this beast though, and after a few broken bones and considerable property damage over the years, the issue needed addressed.
The southern roadway into Shifting Wind was known as the Long Haul, largely due to the precarious bridgeworks and difficult terrain in the muddy seasons. Xorton was hired to serve as bridge protector and toll collector, a rhyming title he fancied, along the Long Haul. His duties were to collect a silver coin from each wagon seeking to cross the bridge and to aid any traveler who was having difficulty navigating the road. For this service, he was allowed to keep half of the tolls collected each day which was ample income to keep the hungry man sated.
What Xorton did not know, was that the silver toll was returned to each traveler of the Long Haul upon reaching the town. So for a relatively small fee, the safety of Shifting Wind and its inhabitants was bolstered, the peace was kept and Xorton served his days a positive force. So successful was the arrangement, that visitors and travelers began coming to Shifting Way to see the mountainous guardian who had become something of a local legend. Often times Xorton could be overheard recounting some of his favorite tales of assisting travelers and ensuring the safety of the bridge from the occasional marauding beast.
Just be prepared to cough up a silver to hear him spin his yarns.