- Eyes
- Green, glinting
- Hair
- Dark brown
- Height
- 6'0"
- Weight
- thin
Appearance
Mentality
Personal history
James Lunelis was a bastard, in more ways than one. You could say that those identities mutually constructed one another, but this requires some explanation. James was born in Falon, the capital of Falondis, in an alley; a promising start. His mother made her coin operating as a pleasurable consort to the low-lifes of the city. However, her elven beauty soon caught the eye of Victor Gaspari, a nobleman attending court in the capital. As most nobles would, Victor obtained what he desired: a night with the most beautiful woman in the city. And, as nobles also do, he ignored the consequences of acting on his desires, shunning the young elf even after learning that she was pregnant with his son. Forced to carry on living in the dregs of the city, James’ mother grew hard with spite and regret. The baby was a constant reminder of the luxurious life she could have enjoyed, but lost. Her anger turned into aggression, and James was the usual victim. James grew up learning that slow reflexes meant a powerful knock on the head or a rod to the back. He became quick of step, and wary of mind.
When his mother’s body succumbed to disease, James felt pangs of loss, but the taste of freedom soon washed them away. Though he survived for a few months on his own, James was swiftly brought in to live at an orphanage in Low Falon. There he endured the scorn of both his fellow orphans and his caretakers for being the mixed breed of elves and men. James tried to spend as much time out of the cramped, squalid orphanage as possible, and stumbled into some part time employment cleaning the stages at the local showhouse. After a rowdy show, the pits at the showhouse would be muddied, dirtied, and covered with scraps of food and often human waste and small James received merely a copper for hours of work. However, he soon noticed that there were other perks to be had. The instruments, the beautiful lutes, lyres, drums, and other such magical treasures were often left unattended and alone - a fact of which James took full advantage.
As the years passed, James was discharged from the orphanage (a full year early on account of his “rogueish behaviour”) but he never left the showhouse. He had become quite proficient in the craft of playing the Viol, though always in secret, and never for any gain. One feast day, Abbas, one of the common players in the showhouse returned early from his revelry and found James, sprawled on the stage making the viol sing for an empty audience. He agreed not to tell the showmaster if James would bring his talents to the player’s off-the-clock troupe. James accepted, not knowing that his time with the Killdevil Troupe would be half spent scamming the audience with slight of hand, distraction, and trickery. The Killdevil Troupe made a killing every night, and lived richly, but for Abbas, the money was not enough. He betrayed James during a high stakes heist, stabbing him, leaving him for dead, and absconding with a king’s ransom in jewels.
From that day, James traveled and played alone, until he met up with Caelwin Taur'amoren , a half-elf noble who had forsaken her life of luxury for the bard’s life with an oddly mystical lute. Both nursing wounds brought about by family rejection as well as a healthy detestation of the status quo, the two became the entertainment duo the King’s Royal Bastards. One fateful night, a woman attending their show confessed that she had known James’ mother. Moreover, this woman revealed to James that his father was none other than Lord Victor of Falon. Consumed with blind rage, James plotted to kill his father, vowing revenge for his and his mother’s life of suffering. He rejected Caelwin’s offer to pursue employment across the continent, and returned instead to Falon to carry out his dark deed. After a botched assassination attempt wherein James tried to poison his father during a performance at court, James was forced to flee Falon for good. His travels brought him into contact once more with Caelwin Taur’amoren at a lonely tavern in the wilds. It was here he learned of the quest for Euna, the lost princess, and it was here that he rededicated his life: to become rich enough to never want for anything and powerful enough to kill whoever made the mistake of fucking with him.
Failures & Embarrassments
Failed to assassinate his father as planned.
Morality & Philosophy
Creativity: The world is in need of new ideas and bold action. (Chaotic)
Known Languages
Common, Elvish, Halfling, Thieves' Cant
Personality
Motivation
I will do anything to prove myself superior to my hated rival.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Whenever I come to a new place, I collect local rumors and spread gossip.
Likes & Dislikes
I love a good insult, even one directed at me.
Vices & Personality flaws
I once satirized a noble who still wants my head. It was a mistake that I will likely repeat.
Social
Birthplace
Falon
Contacts & Relations
James has many contacts in the Falondan underworld and wherever he goes he makes a point of finding the most well-connected scumbag he can and making "friends."