Jean-Luc Descartes

**Jean-Luc Descartes** is a human hexblade warlock with heavy ties to the Shadow Thieves. He previously achieved some notoriety in the city of Athkatla until he and a few members of the Shadow Thieves robbed the Cowled Wizards. If this duplicity was discovered, they could make Jean-Luc's life very difficult. At the suggestion of the Shadow Thieves, Jean-Luc rebased to Ayakar to continue his work as a sellsword while the Shadow Thieves worked on smoothing things over for his eventual return to Athkatla.

Jean-Luc Descartes was a player character in the one-shot *Breaking Umberlee's Resolve and* might return for other modules in the Sea of Falling Stars.

## Description

Jean-Luc Descartes is a human. He stands at 6'1" tall (1.86 meters) and weighs approximately 180 lbs (81.65 kg). Jean-Luc has curly brown hair and a messy beard. He is notably pale for somebody who occasionally claims to be from Turmish. Additionally, his adamantine half-plate armor bears markings and patterns more heavily associated with Amn. He wields a gold-tipped ornate quarterstaff with ravens etched into either side that he prefers to fight with and cast magic from.

## History

Jean-Luc was not born to greatness. His mother was a bar wench and his father was a gambler. The two met and lived in the River District of Athkatla where they raised Jean-Luc and his siblings. While most people in Athkatla and the rest of Amn were obsessed with gaining wealth and prestige, Jean-Luc's parents were content to work at the Copper Coronet during the day and drink away their earnings during the night.

Thankfully, due to their general disinterest in Jean-Luc, he was free to do as he pleased. At a young age, he took an interest in an ornately armored, tattooed cleric who only introduced himself as Grimes. When Grimes returned to the Copper Coronet, he usually told Jean-Luc stories about his adventures as a priest of Waukeen and a member of the Shadow Thieves. More than that, he taught the young man how he could move up in status within Athkatla. Though the religious teachings didn't really rub off, Jean-Luc did dedicate himself to learning Celestial to impress his mentor.

Between Grimes stories about his escapades and his parent's upbringing, Jean-Luc became very proficient at barside deceptions. He was naturally charismatic and between swift hands, uncanny luck, and sweet words, began to make more than enough to support his parents and have some money for himself. Seeing his talents and understanding without guidance he would end up just like his parents, Grimes offered him membership within the Shadow Thieves, Jean-Luc accepted.

With the help of Grimes and his like-minded fellows among the Shadow Thieves, Jean-Luc made a rather large sum of money as both a sellsword and a fence. With his newfound wealth, he bought the finest adamantine set of Amnian Half Plate and ornate clothes to serve as a visual representation of his newfound status.

During one of his last adventures in Athkatla, Jean-Luc found himself working to steal a caravan of magical items before it was brought before the Cowled Wizards. While Grimes and a few other combatants subdued the guards, Jean-Luc went through the items and found a quarterstaff. Upon touching it, he was overcome with a flurry of images: a deck of cards, a raven facing left, a golden coin, the horizon over the water, and a black sword. Though cryptic in meaning Jean-Luc got the feeling he was meant to wield this weapon.

Unfortunately, the time it took Jean-Luc to see these images and enter this deal was enough time for the guards of the caravan to call the Cowled Wizards for reinforcements. With the mission going sideways, the operatives scattered to safehouses to lay low. While in hiding, spies among the Shadow Thieves sent messages out for those involved in the theft of Cowled Wizards property should make their way out of Athkatla and likely Amn.

Not wishing to push his luck more than he already had, Jean-Luc moved into an empty room at a run-down tavern near the docks of Ayakar called the Rusted Anchor. Though the presence of the Shadow Thieves in Ayakar was basically non-existent, Jean-Luc's network of friends still looked to him whenever Turmish matters came up or shipping across the Sea of Falling Stars was involved. Jean-Luc didn't seem to mind. He seemed to be enjoying the scenery and found that his quarterstaff seemed inexplicably more alive when in new scenarios. Jean-Luc remained in Ayakar for many years and even claimed that he himself was Turmish. His reputation as a sellsword, uncanny luck, powerful connections, and willingness to enter danger caught the eye of Mezhar when he was looking for a crew to rescue Zehira on behalf of the Deryan family.