Keric St.Clair
Novitiate of the Institute of Arcane Principle
Class: Novitiate
School(s) of Focus: Bardic Magic, Spellsong.
Race: Human
Age: 18
Familiar: His Violin, Vibius
House: Satyrkiss
Background/Personality: For the first part of his life Keric was raised amongst the Vistani tribes that nomadically roam the outskirts of Rhy'din, selling wares and trinkets while voicing a power to tell the future through reading the stars. Beside his mother he walked, an outcast among the tribe due to his bastard heritage. Without a legacy to carry on, he was seen as nothing more than a vagabond towed along by the lineage of his mother's ancestry. A rover, Keric made his living scavenging the small villages and towns they moved through, perfecting a stratagem lifestyle to adroit expertise while honing a talent with music. Whether it be chimes or drums, or even just the sound of his voice, the young rake had a knack for melody in a way that compelled those around to listen and enjoy.
The day after his twelfth birthday a man of great wealth and power came to visit the encampment, demanding to see his mother. The tribe gathered around to observe this imperious outsider, and it was revealed that he was Langdon St. Clair, sire to one of the most affluent and influential fortunes in Rhy'din. But more than that, it was discovered that this man was in fact Keric's father, consumed by guilt and seeking personal redemption for casting them both aside to endure the fate of a nomad existence.
Plans were made to leave, though just hours before their exodus Keric's mother was brutally beaten to death by what appeared to be gypsies of a rival tribe. Consumed by horror, Keric was swept away and taken to the St. Clair estate to be raised in the environment of privilege his birthright offered beside his lovely half-sister, Cassidy St. Clair.
Though they became close, there was always a separation between he and those of pureblood relation. The Matron of the St. Clair estate was less than impressed by the young nomad, and had little time to aid in his assimilation or development. It was because of this intangible barrier between he and the family that Keric held onto the scoundrel talents he'd mastered over the early part of his childhood, certain that at some point the St. Clair's would decide he wasn't worthy and cast him out. He would not be without.
The past six years have shown him a great deal pertaining to the separation of entitlement between the elite and the impecunious. He'd gone from a dingy rub to a lavish bed, and from a home the size of a closet to the closet twice the size of his former home. Still he clung to the teachings of his tribe, the miscreant talents that brought fortune amidst the hopelessness, along with his music - twining simple cords into a components of spellcraft.
He's only recently joined the Institute of Arcane Principle after his 'mother' finally conceded to the wishes of his father, permitting Keric to ascend within those Hallowed walls of House Satyrkiss, where the St. Clair's had spent many wondrous years and received their Arcane aptitude.
Connections: While getting used to the school and all of its functions, Keric has made himself nearly scarce to the mainstream student body. He's made connections and acquaintances here and there, but for the most part he's stayed away from the spotlight. With comfort comes compromise, however, and the young bard has decided that becoming more frequently seen could benefit his aspiring 'business'.
Cassidy, his sister, also attends the school, and she is really the only one thus far who has been able to break through the blockade that has separated him from the rest of the Institute.
Status: A simple wand has been crafted as has a cloak, both of which containing the most rudimentary of augmentations and yet up to par with the requirements for a novitiate. His spell book is filled not with scrolls, but sheet music that, once he gets going, can be translated into devastating magic corresponding to spells cast by other more normative means; verbal, somatic, or otherwise.
Vibius, his violin, is his most prized possession. A sentient heirloom of his Vistani people, the instrument offers a voice of reason, a consciousness, and a guide through times when such options are needed. Bonded, Keric can always feel the where the Violin is, and when he gets to playing, their connections seems to transcend corporeal existence, allowing Keric to not only play the music, but become the music.
Manash: Manash is a designer drug that Keric produces and sells around the school. After learning about the residual energy left on the ethereal plane by spells having been cast, he designed an item that can harvest this lingering power between the planes and store it to be used later.
The benefit of the drug is that it can empower spell craft depending on the dosage. Normally one dose is enough to empower one spell, while multiple doses follow suit.
The name derives from its original title, Mana Ash. It soon became Manash (pronounced MAN-ash) and then, after dealing with the poetic accent of the dark elves, it evolved into a more intonated elocution: muhnahsh.
Knowledge of this endeavor is extremely limited, with multiple fronts being used to procure his anonymity.
OOC: Keric St. Clair
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