Rand Carter

> *"Through all that, Ms. Thatcher, you learn one thing... Nothing comes free" - Rand to Annabelle, discussing his past life.*
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## Appearance

Rand is a handsome young man with a modest frame. Fit from his many wanderings, but clearly survives off sharpness of tongue rather than blade. A tanned, sun-kissed complexion, dark hair, and well-standing attire result in a striking appearance.

## Personality

A charming, roguish young man, Rand is generally kind but isn't above manipulating a situation to his favor. He possesses an almost compulsive need to obscure the truth and collect information - a practice which led to great success in his early life. Despite this allusive nature, Rand is quite friendly and very jovial towards his companions.

Ever the jester, Rand is known to use his skills in illusion magic and mental manipulation to play practical jokes on his companions, whether they realize it or not. This has led to some... unfortunate interactions with his fellow party members. In one instance, such an exchange resulted in Rand being tossed through a wooden door by Wilhelmina - much to his own amusement. All in all, Rand tends to approach life with a light hearted attitude. Whether or not that is a wise choice has yet to be seen.

## Life Before the Campaign

Rand keeps the details of his past close to his chest, as is required by one of his origin. As such, much is still unknown about his home or history, with the exception of a few names and inferences. According to Rand himself, he grew up on a merchant vessel selling high quality garments to the denizens of the various port towns around Dol Ressan. Rand claims to have been a facilitator of communication - meeting face to face with the store's patrons and organizing special commissions. When discussing the people he used to wheel and deal with to IX, Rand described them as "The finest fuckin' thieves and scoundrels you've ever met" reflecting the sink or swim nature of a life at sea.

As far as his magical abilities go, an equally small amount has been revealed, though for different reasons. While recognizing himself as a Warlock under the service of an otherworldly patron, Rand has little understanding of his magical abilities or that from which they are granted. Rand has not discussed how he came about his powers out in the open, as it remains a sensitive topic for him, as reflected by his taken offense at being called "Conduit" by IX.

The only bit of information relevant to his powers Rand has revealed is how he came across his small flying monkey companion Nep. According the Rand, when he was a young boy aboard the merchanting ship that served as his home, a mysterious benefactor placed a rather impressive order with the business. The contract at hand was for an ornate set of robes to be paid for over the course of their creation. Rand, being the sole point of mutual contact for the deal, was charged with running the dead-dropped payments and communications between the two parties. Strangely, the day the final payment was due Rand awoke to find a small jar of jade and pearl sitting in the middle of the ship's deck. On the jar was left a note: "Circumstances have changed and thus the product is no longer required. Please accept this gift as reparation for the inconvenience - for the boy." Inside the jar was a tiny infant monkey no larger than the young boy's palm. Rand decided to name the creature "Nep" in reference to the frequent chirps it emitted.