James Franklin
James Franklin, also known as James the Great or James of Latewll, was a Dobrid (see Human) explorer and academic mage in Maletsok Islands in the 13th Century. He is most famous for his Ladder Hypothesis, which created the idea that mortal creatures can travel to and explore the Haavaiatus Sea via serious storms sent by Bokoren the Sonorous, God of Tempest and the Sea. His theories and writings lead to the development of the Stormfolger Cult (see Luthaenoism) and the creation of famous Galerider ships of Maletsok.
Early Life
James was born in the Dobrid town of Latwell in 1133 to a working class family. His mother, Amelia Franklin, passed way shortly after his birth due to complications. This weighed heavily upon James during his development, as his father Charles Franklin blamed him for his mother's death. This often lead to emotional and perportedly physical abuse.
In order to escape the negative atmosphere of his home, James would stay out of doors for most of the day and, at times, even the night. In the streets of Latwell, James made his first and dearest friends: Ferdinand Bogrinto, Aldrich Matthews, and Gawain Addiens. His sense of adventure and tenacity was evident in his youth, as he and his friends were known trouble-makers and trespassers. He was particularly fond of the hills just north of Latwell's sandy beachfront, where he would spend his time gazing at the sea and the stars. In his later writings, James admitted that he felt most connected to his late mother during these moments, and formed a strong hope to see her again. It was during one of these introsepctives that he met his mentor, Lord Francis Latwell, who often visited the beachfront. Latwell later adopted James in a controversial move, whose legal battle left Charles even more destitute than before.
As Latwell's adopted son, James was given access to a veritable trove of knowledge by way of a noble education in Farenport. It was here at the Ember House that James developed his love of knowledge and a deep drive to explore beyond the shores of reality. After reaching adulthood in 1150, he took up residence in Claghall to study the Timsbay Tide phenomenon, where he spent the majority of his life.
Career
After nearly a decade of careful study, James came upon a theory that the Timsbay area was, in fact, a rare anomoly where the barrier between Nedia and the Astral Realms is especially thin. From this, he hypothesized that a significant enough storm could act as a veritable access point, or "ladder", to the stars. Using this theory, he took up the task of creating a fleet of ships to venture into the storms to study them and, hopefully one day, climb the ladder. First he came back in contact with this old friends in Latwell, inviting them to Claghall to join his crew. Thereafter, he inducted mariners, engineers, shipwrights, and academics from across the Island, largely from the Dobrid nations, in his venture. This would go down in history as the founding moment of the Stormfolger cult.
In 1163, on his thirtieth birthday, the early Stormfolgers journeyed into their first storm upon the first Galeriders, called the Fortitude and the Prospect. The voyage cost the adventureres the Prospect and nearly half of their crew including Frederick Bogrinto. From this journey, James and his company ascertained a true divine connection within the storms when unlit Sacred Lanterns, which can only be lit by holy fire, suddenly became illuminated. This finding bolstered the Stormfolger cause which, thereafter, blossomed into an influential group, rivalling even the Aemerings in academic prowess.
Disappearance
Some twenty years after this first discovery, James happened upon a rare finding in his research that he claimed could solve the Ladder Hypothesis. This finding took him to the Dumadhur (see Dwarf) town of Biraz in the headwaters of the Naratheas River in the Maleseachian Mountains in 1282. What this finding was has been lost to time as set off for Biraz with his research notes. Uncharacteristically, he did not make any copies of his notes, nor did he elaborate on what this finding was or how he acquired it. James set off for his journey north alone on the first of Toflose, never to be seen or heard from again.
In 1283, search parties were dispatched to find the great founder of the Stormfolgers. The residents of Biraz said he had ventured to the mining town of Zherdazul deep in the mountains, which was entirely sequestered behind a high wall. Unable to gain access to the town or speak to its inhabitants about James' whereabouts, the searchers were sent away empty-handed, presuming the hero had become lost in the mountains and died. His passing was a great shock to the Dobrid community as a whole, and a national day of remembrance was instituted on the first of Toflose which is still celebrated to this day.
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