Ludwig Beckford

Ludwig Beckford was a prominent political and social figure in the Sunscale and Greyscale regimes. He was Scallibra of Trade from 800 to 820 and an Aurora from 804 to 820, as well as a performer and regular attender of both the Alcastilho Theater and Apollo-Garrett Theater. During his political career, Ludwig was in charge of the jurisdiction of the Dermia District, where he was responsible for the stimulation of the local music scene. He was killed in the Battle of Genevaral, on the night of the Second Sunseeker Revolution.

## Background

Ludwig was born in 770 in Dermia into the very wealthy Beckford family. An artistic prodigy from a very young age, he was introduced to the world of performative arts early on, becoming a piano player at the Alcastilho Theater when he was still a child. When he was 18 he met Joga Guomundsson, who was a singer in the same theater, and the two started dating, getting married soon after and having their first child, Cindy, in 790. Two years later, in 792, Joga would get appointed Scallibra of Trade and, in 798, their second child, Zane, was born.

## Grey Revolution and aftermath

On the day of the Grey Revolution, Ludwig, Joga and their two children, Zane and Cindy, were attending a open mic session in the Apollo-Garrett Theater. As a young Loryn Denali played guitar on the stage, a fire set by the rival Alcastilho Theater members began spreading inside the theater, causing everyone to try to flee. However, as Ludwig was about to leave he noticed Loryn was frozen in fear and begged Joga to go and save her while he took their children outside using his invisibility powers. Joga hesitantly complied with the plan and got Loryn off the stage, but, once Ludwig came back to rescue them, Joga was already stuck under the burning rubble. Ludwig tried to remove her but ended up losing an arm in the falling burning rubble, at which point he came to the conclusion that there was no way to get her out in time to save her as well as Loryn. Faced with this dilemma, Ludwig made the choice to abandon his wife and instead save Loryn. As he escaped the theater, he realized the outcome of the revolution was already cemented, with the rebels being the victors. Understanding the only way to combat the forming regime was to infiltrate it, Ludwig loudly claimed himself to be the murderer of Joga Guomundsson and an ally of Python and his forces. This façade allowed him to gain proximity to the new regime leaders, which would lead to him assuming the role of Scallibra of Trade left behind by his wife. In his newly attained position, Ludwig was tasked with the jurisdiction of the Dermia District, to which he moved with his two children, also taking Loryn with him. The four then began a brand new life in Dermia, with the Beckfords living together and Loryn living a sort of nomadic life around the country, while maintaing Dermia as her home.

## Time as Scallibra

Throughout his years as Scallibra of Trade, Ludwig became a central patron-like figure for the Dermia community, providing means for the inhabitants to both work and have the opportunity to express themselves artistically. By stimulating the local music scene, Ludwig was able to greatly reduce the crime rates, redirecting potential delinquents into music as well as commerce, which turned Dermia into the main commercial axis of Greyscale. In conjunction with his social work, Ludwig also joined the Auroras in 804 as one of the leaders of the resistance, working under the codename Two O'Clock. With the rest of the group, he contributed to the aggregation of allies against the established regime, as well as providing the rebels with inside information he obtained as a Scallibra.