Luther Felstein

## **Appearance**

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or so they say. Species and culture are the most major influences on what that eye is looking for. Luther is a person born from a union between elf and orc, and so while he isn’t exactly either, he’s inherited traits from both of his parents. For some orcs, he appears too much like an elf to be attractive, and for some elves, too much like an orc. Many individuals from others species also don’t find the combination appealing for various reasons. However, there are quite a few that do find him handsome.

Emerald green skin is one of the first things certain people notice when they see him. For others it’s the pointed ears. After that, it’s the face that really draws attention. Its shape is much more influenced by his elven heritage. A delicate nose is overshadowed by the large, menacing, orcish ocular orbs hovering above them—with their ruby red irises. His pristinely white fangs are as sharp as any orc’s, and not much smaller. They fit into a much less muscular jaw, so they are a bit cramped in there. Long, luscious white hair is usually secured in a ponytail. The hybrid is tall, but on the extremely slender side for an orc, and a bit bulky for an elf. Without a doubt though, Luther is physically fit.

Of course, due to his abilities as an Illusionist, things such as skin color, tooth size, and eye shape can be presented in whatever manner he most prefers at the moment. With a rather trivial effort, Luther could disguise himself as a pureblooded elf, or even a human, and frequently does. His appearance is further modified by whatever sort of clothing and accessories he chooses to adorn himself with. He likes to dress fancy, but will often tailor his appearance towards whatever is considered ideal by the culture he is currently immersed in—rather than the one he grew up in.

## **Personality**

Luther’s primary concern is himself, and his secondary concern is what others can do for him. He at least manages to be subtle with it most of the time, but his charm and silver tongue can only hide his true motivations for so long. Eventually, he’s exposed as the fraud and manipulator he is, and is forced to try his deception on someone else or somewhere else. Until then, he enjoys the fruits of his cons, only sparing an occasional thought to an escape plan for when everything might come crashing down on him. Sometimes he is forced to flee from authorities, occasionally he is imprisoned or kidnapped, and others times he has no choice but to fight for his survival or at least his wellbeing. During those times, Luther will also be a terrified mess, but he is the sort that finds inspiration from fear, and so his cunning always places him a few steps ahead of death, permanent captivity, or some other grim fate.

It isn’t only about money, fame, sex, and survival. No, Luther does what he does because he honestly enjoys telling stories. The truth of them doesn’t matter, so long as they are compelling…or useful. He also enjoys hearing a good tale himself, or experiencing one. So, he travels not merely to avoid retribution, but to see the sights, experience exotic cultures and meet interesting people. However, there is an even darker side to his adventures as well. Due to his keen observational skills, curiosity, and talent for gaining people’s trust (as well as the ability to magically pry into people’s heads), tons of information ends up in his hands. Some of that information is worth something to some people. If the price is right, Luther arranges for them to have it.

Fraud, blackmail, espionage, copyright infringement, burglary, and blasphemy are only some of the crimes Luther will commit on a regular basis, and he doesn’t feel the slightest bit bad about them. He regrets killing and violence in general, but will not hesitate to use force if nothing else will work. So, yes, he is also a murderer. Not only that, but he’s tortured people. Those aren’t acts he’s proud of it, but they aren’t things he won’t ever do again either.

## **Skills and Abilities**

Luther is a competent duelist, skilled with both firearms and blades. However, he’s not a warrior, so he’s not spectacular with either, isn’t brave enough to hurl himself into an actual battle, and would be a fool if he did. When it comes to combat, his greatest talent is avoiding it, or fighting dirty if he’s unable to. His mastery of illusion is truly his greatest asset in any aspect of his life, but in particular has helped him survive in extremely dangerous circumstances. For example; by distracting a threat long enough for him to run for it, or other times by tricking his opponent into looking the wrong direction, so that he can land a very cheap and very fatal shot with sword or pistol.

Without a doubt his most frequently practiced skills are those of communication. He’s got a natural charisma, a talent for learning new languages and customs, an impressive imagination, and most importantly he lies effortlessly. His diligently honed memory and observational skills are also of great use to him, since they allow him to save potentially valuable information for later. He can memorize an entire story after hearing it only once, and can remember the name of somebody he met only briefly years ago. These truths often became part of his lies.

Due to him only rarely requiring weapons for self-defense or more commonly recreational competition, he’s not armed for a war and equips himself with an eye more towards style than practicality. He carries an ornate pair of antique flintlock pistols, an equally extravagant rapier (enchanted for increased durability), a pair of concealed knives crafted through alchemical means (the very metal itself is poisonous to most mortals if it pierces the skin) and a broken Thaummatech revolver that once was able to channel raw Juice into bullets that would obey the shooter’s thoughts (now it just looks intimidating, but doesn’t fire when the trigger is pulled).

He often carries around magical items of various sorts to aid him on his adventures, or sell to the highest bidder. Currently, he possesses a pair of boots and a traveling cloak enchanted to not get wet, a golden ring possessing an enchanted diamond that glows in the dark, and a pair of glasses enchanted to enhance sight beyond even that possessed by healthy orc or elven eyes (and perceives things mortals typically cannot). Also, Luther possesses various alchemical catalysts. Half a dozen healing potions of various sorts, a couple potions that allow him to sense the life-forces of anyone nearby for a few hours (so that he can avoid ambushes on the road), a sack of powder that burns when wet, and most importantly a couple dozen potions that will each nourish and hydrate his body for a day. Currently, he owns a backpack that he stores these objects in while not being used, as well as more mundane supplies.

## **Background**

Few people know exactly when, but a half elf named Aladreu was born at Fort Minx long ago. His mother was an elven Illusionist--leader of a small tribe of all sorts of individuals—and his father was a Druidic orc from a much larger tribe of orcs, ogres, goblins and trolls. The two were in love, but due to tension amongst the two tribes, Aladreu’s father was only able to see his wife and son during arranged visits to the fort every month. At times the couple considered ways that they could live together as a family, but both of them had serious responsibilities to their people, and neither could join the society of the other. The tribe of Aladreu’s father would never allow an elf (even half of one) into it, nor would they permit one of their kind to leave them for one. Also, the lifespan of orcs was much closer to that of humans than elves, so it was obvious that Aladreu had more of a future with his mother than his father anyway.

However, life in the Everwood wasn’t something Aladreu became very fond of as he grew up. He learned basic survival skills, but mostly thought that sort of stuff was tedious. All of the struggles and dangers he faced due to the lifestyle of his tribe merely caused him to want a different kind of life. While he wasn’t the only half breed in his tribe, he was still a bit of an outcast, because he had little interest in contributing, learning of his culture, or befriending the children his own age. The happiest times of his childhood were when he visited Fort Minx, because he could hear of places and people that astounded him. Also, he could see with his own eyes the luxuries that technology, and a little bit of civilization could bring. Getting to see his father was a pleasant bonus.

Eventually, Aladreu convinced his mother to teach him the art of illusion. She’d been hesitant to do so until he was really old enough to understand exactly what sort of commitment it was, so that he would have a chance to pursue a different kind of magic if he truly wished. As his skill began to develop, he used his own abilities to tell stories to himself and others. Sure, words were nice on their own, but with images they truly came to life. Still, before becoming an adult, Aladreu’s frustration with his life became too much, and he knew it was time to find a more exciting one elsewhere. During a final visit to the fort, he stole a variety of items, including snatching somebody’s pet (the dog didn’t seem to mind), and stowed away on an airship all the way to Squall’s Beginning.

Once there, he changed his name to Landon Smith, and began honing his abilities to create fiction—in word and form—to trick people into giving him whatever he needed to satisfy his urges. Such a life wasn’t without danger, especially for someone so inexperienced at the time, but he learned from his mistakes, and grew accustomed to solving the problems associated with them. At first, he wasn’t too ambitious, so his crimes didn’t really enrage the wrong people, or attract much attention from the authorities. However, this would not last.

As the years pasted, Landon developed a much greater understanding of what more the world had to offer than food, water, clothing, shelter, and sex. Sure, those things were nice, but he coveted the gigantic mansions, extravagant attire, and luxurious lifestyles of the many wealthy merchants that had made immense fortunes from the ceaseless trade with lands both near and far. Also, he envied the Skyrate captains—men and woman who seemed to own the skies, and took what they pleased. So, his ambition caused him to target them, and they were not folks that were easy to fool, or quick to forgive. Failure and narrow escapes followed, until finally he was unable to get away.

Fortunately, he was much deadly than he appeared, and so when forced into a duel by the enraged Captain Sebastian Windsbreath—after trying to sell him a map to an island made of solid gold—he was gravely underestimated, and prevailed. This victory earned him the gratitude of Mark Stonehide, who’d been the first mate on Sebastian’s ship, and became captain after his death. A gift of gold was given, and Landon’s offense was forgotten.

Unfortunately, Landon’s next duel didn’t go so well. He was too confident, while possessing very little experience in actual combat. All of his skills, and tactics had been developed while practicing by himself or during friendly sparring—when he’d lived with his mother’s tribe. The fight had occurred after Landon had been caught cheating Captain Larga Bonecruncher at a game of cards. She’d horribly crushed his legs, leaving him crippled. Though no longer able to fight, or even walk, his skill with illusion was unchanged, and she realized that this would help greatly with arranging ambushes, and escaping the authorities. Rather than kill him, or order her crew to do it, Larga forced him to join her crew.

Larga wasn’t the sort to hold a grudge, as long as she got what she wanted, and Landon performed as expected. Eventually they both developed a bit of a fondness for each other. After two years, their relationship became sexual. They weren’t really in love, but rather two casual friends who were extremely attracted to each other. Eventually, Landon managed to leverage his services towards convincing Larga to find some way to fix his legs. A few more years passed before she could arrange for something she was willing to pay for. However, after he was healed, Larga declared that they were now even, so there was no reason for Landon to stick around. She gave him the option of leaving—though without any share of the loot—or to stay to earn it, but be forced to take a more active and dangerous role.

After being broken and humiliated by Larga years ago, Landon was no longer eager to test his combat skill against his very life, so he took the first offer. He was dropped off once the ship reached Squall’s Beginning to refuel, and resupply. Their relationship didn’t end immediately there, however, and they continued to occasionally spend time together whenever Larga happened to visit Squall’s Beginning. This wasn’t at all exclusive though. Both sought companionship wherever they wished.

Due to having been forced to spend time with Larga’s crew, Landon became more willing to work with others. He finally understood that the life of a lone wolf wasn’t as comfortable as that of a wolf that lived with a pack. It was important to gain the trust of some people and keep it; otherwise there would be nobody to call for help when he really needed it. So, now instead of merely making enemies, Landon decided to make allies—including Larga Bonecruncher, Mark Stonehide and both of their crews. The Skyrates helped to introduce Landon to all sorts; burglars, smugglers, forgers, fences, and other con artists like himself.

Landon was still only a small fish in a big pond, but at least he was no longer alone. With proper support, he pulled off some rather impressive jobs. Even after splitting the spoils with his colleagues, Landon was able to live a very comfortable life. However, he could never afford to get too comfortable. Whatever alias he wore one moment could be compromised the next. When that happened he was forced to abandon homes, relationships, reputations, and fortunes. Still, Squall’s Beginning was such a vast, busy place that it was easy for somebody like Landon to disappear, and then reappear somewhere else unnoticed.

Besides his illegal activities, Landon developed a few hobbies. He began writing novels and poetry first. Then he developed a thirst for dueling tournaments, and shooting contests—which were a major part of the culture of Squall’s Beginning. At first he merely attended the events as a spectator and gambler, but eventually he grew the courage to actually participate himself. At first, his skills were rusty and unrefined. As he practiced his style became graceful and flashy, though not the most practical. He did alright, but never managed to became champion of any of those events. Recreational hunting also was a thing of his, though he was never very good—even considering his previous tribal lifestyle in the Everwood.

This went on for some time. Years for sure. Decades? Perhaps. Centuries? No. It ended after an infamous plot to rob the most secure bank in Squall’s Beginning. All of Landon’s collaborators were caught or killed. He didn’t escape either. Due to being the mastermind of this scheme, Landon was sentenced to death. Located far from any Ley Line, Shaldred Prison had a reputation for being impossible to escape from. Luckily, Landon shared a cell with a man named Nicholas Felstein.

Felstein claimed to be the greatest sorcerer that had ever lived, and that he’d been thrown in prison for blasphemy. Landon never found out for sure, but he figured those two things were related. Regardless of how true Nicholas Felstein’s boasts were or not, he’d managed to smuggle a Ley Shard inside his anus, so he was able to tear his way out—using its massive power. Landon took the opportunity to follow the crazed man’s path of destruction. Unfortunately, the prison was located on a small island too far from civilization to swim back, so Landon was forced to negotiate a deal with Felstein to teleport him back to Squall’s Beginning.

Now, Landon wasn’t really the kind of person too attached to his word, but he’d learned to be very careful when breaking it. Nicholas Felstein wasn’t the sort he wanted as an enemy, so he kept his promise. He would help the elf search for more Ley Shards. There was too much heat on him in Squall’s Beginning anyway, so he departed the city, and left his old name behind completely. Elthian Maraduce was his next one, and he embraced it with enthusiasm. The idea of adventuring across the world appealed to whatever part of him was still left from his childhood.

Nicholas wasn’t the most pleasant travelling companion, but he wasn’t a fool. At his urging, they searched hard for the Shards, but didn’t take stupid risks, or push too hard. In other words, he was obsessive, but patient. That was good, because even Elthian’s assistance wasn’t enough to acquire any Shards. Those that actually could be found were guarded so fiercely that stealing them seemed virtually impossible. Attempts were made, of course, but none succeeded. Their journey took them all across Aneos, but many years later, Felstein finally admitted that this was a fool’s errand. At the time he and Elthian had been searching for clues in Kan Lodar, so that was where and when Elthian had asked to be released from his vow. His request was accepted without any animosity. Nicholas stayed in Kan Lodar for a time, while Elthian departed for Victorix.

Without Nicholas relentlessly guiding him, Elthian decided that now was a good time to settle down, and regain some of the luxuries from his old life. His orcish ancestry would’ve caused him to be shunned on sight in the Golden Hand’s capital city, but nobody had to know about that. It was simple to hide with illusion, and other methods. The people of Victorix were ignorant, bigoted fools, and so it was very easy make a living deceiving them, while being one step ahead of the Order’s enforcers.

For some reason, Elthian found himself growing very fond of the majestic city, and the culture of its wealthy. He slowly eased away from criminal activities, and transitioned towards legitimate business. The selling of art and literature (some that he produced himself) became enough to maintain his luxurious lifestyle, and gave him many chances to make some very wealthy and influential friends. Of course, that sort of constant attention wasn’t exactly wise for somebody who’d spent their whole life \*\*\*\*ing people, so he was eventually exposed, and forced to flee the city entirely.

Now he was a fugitive from the Order of the Golden Hand, and their reach was long. After fleeing from town to town for a while, Elthian grew a bit too confident, and started trying to make a new life for himself. His criminal activity brought too much attention to himself, and he was finally caught. Due to being a half orc, Elthian’s treatment in prison was especially harsh, though he was scheduled to stay there only until the Netherforge Gauntlet was ready for more. Fortunately, the Order would never learn the lesson of not building their prisons directly over Ley Lines, or at least, to not put certain kinds of people in those prisons. Elthian was able to use his illusions to sneak away; also, he decided to leave behind another name on his way out.

A half breed named Tharcar Doomstar showed up in Lugnut Basin a few months later—knowing that the Order couldn’t possibly reach him there. He’d considered Kan Lodar as well, but had the urge to visit someplace unfamiliar, and he’d already been to Kan Lodar plenty of times with Nicholas Felstein. Due to being a bit out of place though, Tharcar didn’t dare cause much trouble. There weren’t too many half breed like himself after all, so blending in, while taking advantage of others would be virtually impossible. Tharcar sold his services as a bodyguard to pay the bills, but a good bluff was usually all he needed to resolve a situation, so it wasn’t too stressful of a job for him. Also, the job was mostly a cover, so that he could anonymously sell secrets he’d learned about the Order of the Golden Hand and other organizations to the Leytech Council.

Years passed before Tharcar had enough to purchase a rather extravagant airship he’d been eyeing. Due to feeling like too much of an outsider in Lugnut Basin, the half orc decided that it was finally time to leave for some place more comfortable. Where was that? Well, no place in particular really. The cloudy sea felt more a home to him than anywhere else he had ever been. He flew all over Lower and Upper Aneos, using his tricks to obtain whatever he wished, while sailing away to avoid retribution or justice. Along the way, he assembled a criminal crew to aid him in his endeavors. A little pirating might’ve been done on rare occasion, though only if the risk of resistance was extremely low.

Of course, flying around in a ship filled with riches, magical artifacts, and many other things of worth eventually attracted the attention of some veteran Skyrate crews. While trying to escape, Tharcar was shot down over the Shattered Deserts. He and some of his crew survived the crash, but most of them were seriously wounded. Those that were able escaped with Tharcar, while the rest were abandoned to the mercy of the attacking Skyrates—who would soon arrive to loot the wreckage. Perhaps some of those left behind were spared. None that went with Tharcar were. The deadly desert claimed each, until only the master Illusionist was left standing. A wounded, starving, dehydrated, and exhausted Tharcar arrived in New Babylon. Perhaps the survival skills he’d learned long ago from his mother and her tribe were responsible for him managing to make it, or maybe it was his mastery of his magical school, or possibly merely luck?

Regardless of how his success came to pass, Tharcar collapsed merely minutes after passing through the city’s gates, into a place he’d never been. The name the half breed gave to those who nursed him back to health was Aladreu Kazari Everwood. His elven rescuers recognized this as a tribal name, and were familiar with the Kazari of the Everwood. Though the tribe had been a small and largely irrelevant tribe at the time Aladreu had abandoned them, his mother had led them to greatness in the many years since his departure. Skirmishes with various belligerent savages proved her power to protect her people against aggression, while her efforts to ease the tensions between the peoples of the Everwood made her many friends. The tribe had expanded immensely, and now had quite a bit of influence in Aladreu’s homeland, though it faced increasing opposition from those who opposed unification, or didn’t trust the Kazari’s motives.

This news was of little interest to Aladreu, who already knew that his mother was still alive and well, so everything else mattered very little. His caregivers didn’t push for answers of why somebody from the Kazari had wandered into New Babylon, or who he was among the tribe. Once he was well enough, he slipped away, and never saw those kindly folk again. Yet, he never stole or swindled anything from them, so it was obvious that he appreciated what they’d done, and what they’d told him. Still, he hadn’t forgotten his old tricks, and went back to business as soon as he was gone. After a little bit of work, he was able to get into contact with a group of smugglers who were willing to get his gains safely out of the city. Aladreu intended to take what he could, and get out as soon as things looked like they were going bad. However, before that happened, he bumped into his old friend Nicholas Felstein.

Nicholas was still searching for the Shards. He believed there was information inside of the Library of Sol that would put him on the right track. He also believed that Aladreu could get him inside. At first, Aladreu was hesitant, but he thought about it a bit and realized just how much he had to gain. The value of the treasures contained inside was immense, and though Nicholas had specific items he required…that didn’t mean Aladreu couldn’t also take what he could carry. There was no doubt in Aladreu’s mind that he could pull off the scheme. However, the most important part was to not leave any trace of his involvement. He didn’t want to anger the keeper of the library—the queen of the very city.

Months of planning and preparation took place. Entry into the library itself was easy. Aladreu forged documents of sufficient uniqueness and value for both him and Nicholas to be allowed access. However, after that, things didn’t go according to plan. It was obvious that the library’s guardians saw through their deception, and so Nicholas was forced to fight through them to get to the information he needed. Somehow, Nicholas managed to escape, but Aladreu was caught. It was very likely that he was to be executed, or at least tortured until he divulged any information about his partner, but Nicholas somehow managed to sneak inside the prison where he was being held, and violently broke him out.

Apparently Nicholas had some very interesting friends, because a dragon was waiting to take the both of them to Kan Lodar. They were pursued for a time, but managed to evade capture, and arrive safely. However, Nicholas now had the information he needed, so his intention was to dive back into danger to get what he wanted. He was determined to drag Aladreu along with him. Two things were responsible for Aladreu agreeing to journey with the crazed elven sorcerer into The Darkwood. The first was not angering the guy that had just saved his ass. He understood that keeping a friend like Felstein could be worth his very life. Second, he was still very much a person who enjoyed going to unfamiliar places, and creating fantastic tales. Also, though he didn’t consider it likely, Aladreu wasn’t opposed to collecting some of those Ley Shards that were supposedly located there.

The two of them took a few months to prepare, making sure they had the proper supplies and equipment. They even hired some foolish mercenaries to accompany them on the expedition. The horrors of The Darkwood were not exaggerated. The treasure was there though. Nicholas refused Aladreu’s suggestion to turn back after it became obvious that reaching the Shards would be virtually impossible. An attempt was made. Nicholas and the mercenaries died, but Aladreu miraculously escaped. He emerged from The Darkwood a changed man. Fearing retribution from the huntress queen of New Babylon, and the Immortals of the Darkwood, Aladreu changed his name to Luther Felstein.

For a while, he wandered around fairly aimlessly. He took what he wished, and absorbed what knowledge he could find. Yet, this was far from harmless. He was a much darker man since The Darkwood, and did horrible things to get what he wanted, even more so than he would have ever before. Enemies pursued him, but he always managed to stay one step ahead. However, while traveling through territory belonging to the Order of the Golden Hand, he was caught swindling some folk. The Order was planning to send him to participate in the Netherforge Gauntlet, but while being transported there, a guard made a foolish mistake, allowing Luther to take advantage and escape that fate.

Not long after that he arrived in Vazana Valley. He’d been there before when traveling with Nicholas during their search for the Shards. It was apparently the season for harvesting their precious mineral, so Luther figured sticking around might allow him to snatch some of that for himself. Also, he was interested in meeting that Scribe of theirs, and getting to know the residents a bit better. A place to rest for a while was also nice. During Luther’s short stay at the village, shenanigans occurred. Elder Gallan refused Luther’s suggestions regarding how to deal with the conflict, so the Illusionist angrily departed. He arrived in Kan Lodar days before a group arrived that had helped the Ansari overcome the greed of Genevieve Mojave.

## **Familiar**

Eris (not her real name) is just an ordinary dog. Not demonic or angelic. Not robotic. Not even a monstrous mutant. Just a dog. Like her current master, she’s a mixed-breed, though her ancestry is much more difficult to trace. Her coat is a light golden color, and about as thick as a wolf’s. Also, like a wolf, her ears are pointed, though thinner and more delicate looking. She shares a similar size as well. However, her snout is shorter and broader. Her wide blue eyes appear as innocent as those of a newborn baby.

While mainly kept by Luther as adorable bait to attract social interaction, he is still quite fond of her, and so he doesn’t neglect her needs one bit. In fact, she’s a bit spoiled. Still, she’s not just another pretty doggy face. She does contribute in many other ways as well. Due her keen senses, she’s able to detect threats much sooner than her master, and alert him before things get too serious. While her master is hunting in the wilderness, she can help him track and kill prey, or search for treasure. During combat, she’s skilled at creating diversions, distractions, and using stealthy ambushes to maim or kill those who threaten her master.