Kristoffer Rygg (Garm)

## Life before the adventure

### Why seek the other life?

Growing up in the shadow of a Clan was a common experience but not just relying on the duty others supposedly have to keep you safe can lead to disappointment. Kristoffer grew up in a small village called Ellesara, a farming settlement under the protection of Clan Rosenthal. There he was trained in the ways of music by his father Sverd, slowly getting recognized for his talents by the townspeople.

On a fateful day the mercenaries that should have been stationed in the area to protect the village from Vorthids failed to show up for Hiverock Night. This resulted an adult Vorthid having free reign to destroy a great deal of buildings and kill a number of people, Kristoffer's remaining family members (still waiting on this). The man, distraught at the soulless payment the Clan tried to hide the bodies under, realizing that in the future the same pattern could play out, decided to stop relying on the whims of others for safety, to become someone worth protecting.

He gathered his instruments, songs and courage and left for Millenor. There, he leveraged what fame he had accrued to gain an audience with the then patriarch, who decided the bard was good enough to hire.

### Life in the Courts of Millenor.

Navigating a noble court was a harsh experience. But Kristoffer had to learn fast, or risk losing his place. Names to remember, manners to polish, tastes to cater to, everything about the image he presented had to be perfect, an armor to make him likeable and irreplaceable. A tough audience proved a fine grindstone to hone his talents on, even noticing that his performances started having supernatural effects on his audiences. It seemed some kind of magical ability had begun manifesting, but he kept it hidden, for the pit of snakes he was in, would probably use it against him.

There was nobody to trust in this place, at least not yet.

### Love doth bloom.

Elizabeth seemed like a shy girl, quiet and pondering. Probably destined for a marriage that would keep or create an alliance with another Clan. With those thoughts in mind Kristoffer approached the woman, in the aftermath of a harvest celebration, as she nursed a cup of too expensive wine. But thankfully for both, the woman was drunk and her carefully crafted pokerface was showing it's cracks.

Under a starry night, they talked.

She had choice words for many people, words Kristoffer thought but could never utter, yet now he had the honor of hearing someone speak them with unquestionable fervor. Even he was not spared, charges of being a social climber and probable philanderer being leveled at him (which you know, fair). Here his skills from the taverns came to his aid, as he too, fueled by wine, began firing back choice insults of his own. Yet as the banter kept going, they both realized that despite agreeing on the characterizations of other people in court, the image they had of each-other had started to shift.

Positively.

### Things get worse.

If anyone suspected them of anything, they did not voice their accusations. The now couple had a year of clandestine meetings and moon-shined serenades under their belts and were growing more confident in both their ideals as well as their possible future together.

Yet it seemed the reason no-one cared about their tryst, was because bigger things were afoot. The patriarch isolated himself after awakening to the Watcher's gifts, the leadership had shifted and new people started appearing in court. Months passing saw unexpected changes taking place, laws became draconian and their enforcement was managed by new soldiers from companies nobody had heard of. Creations of power were shared by the patriarch and given to many important people. Opportunists where given leave to undercut ,and even assassinate, their competitors. Such ruthless behavior was praised, even amongst the servants.

Seeing the madhouse that became Clan Rosenthal, both Kristoffer and Liv reached...

### The breaking point.

His fledgling magical abilities had singled out an item that the family payed particular attention to, a thin, glass disc, indescribable letters carved on it, sitting in a display room of the main manse for all to witness. This all stemmed from Liv's father, it had to be perhaps removing at least one of the items could prove beneficial, or at least provide some clues as to the nature of the madness plaguing the Clan.

A plan had to be put in place and the separation of the two seemed like an inescapable part of it.

Each had different tasks. Kristoffer would steal the artifact and attempt to find people who mattered and would care enough to help him deal with a threat that could loom over most of eastern Skyhope. Liv had to cover for his escape, but also be someone that could spy and share what they learned with any eventual allies.

### A hunted man. (to be revamped in accordance with the rest)

He has claimed to have stolen an object that has been contributing to the moral debasement of the Clan leadership that he is now trying to meet with an archmage of great renown, Taegen Monthall Yeskalyn, so that he can hopefully identify it, along with ways to circumvent it's power.

Previously the Clan had issued an unofficial bounty on his head, with only discreet hunters and Clan members being privy to it. Since then, after the party's supposed victory over bounty hunter Adveron Blighteye, his bounty has been made official with all that that entails.

Since that day things have escalated with his poster being posted as far a Goldenview, though seemingly not in towns in which the Rosenthals have no influence in. Besides guards and random citizens he also has mundane but nonetheless dangerous bounty hunters to contend with.

Known Connections: