November Family/Calvin

The Bureaucrat

Trusted with the family's company books at a fairly young age, Calvin November has always had a passion for the "behind the scenes, no glory" job of keeping the wheels greased and making sure things ran smoothly. After a brief stint in the military, Calvin returned his grandfather's saber to its place above the mantle and filled his scabbard with ink instead. Making a career shift to a Bureaucrat, Calvin devoted his life to the service of Alebad.

In recognition of his contributions, then Pontifex of Alebad Eugene II awarded Calvin his first political appointment: Count of Vir el Mari heights. This office was later transferred to Calvin's younger sister, Ilsa.

Trickle Up Economics

His years behind the Bureaucrat's desk taught Calvin that a whole lot can hinge on placing a little dot in the correct spot on a balance sheet. Recognizing this as an excellent opportunity to see a bit more of the countryside (as well as a fine way to help his realm's cause a bit), he changed careers again. The founder of the islands' first Order of the Doughnuts guild began wandering the Colonies, visiting various warehouses and granaries to "cook the books" of a few of Alebad's enemies.

Sadly, his desire to serve his realm turned out to be his downfall. While the details are sketchy, it appears that while teaching a seminar on "Trickle Up Economics" somewhere between [Amonarir and Crifts, a squad of goons from Lukon burst in, grabbed Calvin and hauled him off to their capital.

Soon afterward, headlines in Alebad read of Calvin's deportation at the hands of Lukon's Arch Priestess, Faith.

A Letter from Twillen

News of his fate was unknown until the following letter, from his cousin Simon, arrived at the family mansion in Vir el Mari heights several months later.

Dearest Uncle November-

Forgive me if you are reading this news for the third time. This is the third letter of four that I intend to dispatch; one to each of the four winds on ships departing Beluaterra. The first was sent immediately upon my arrival on the western shore, the second was sent aboard a ship sailing from the eastern shore. I write this third letter from a bluff overlooking the northern shore of Beluaterra and, should I live through the journey, I will depart soon for this island's southern cape and send my last letter.

As you requested when news of your son's imprisonment arrived, I set out from the family estate to serve in my usual capacity as his steward during his stay in the Lukon dungeon. You may be encouraged to know that your son, as a political prisoner, was fairly well treated. However, when I arrived, he had suffered a terrible wound on his left shoulder. I was able to clean and stitch this "red badge of courage," but he would not tell how it had been earned. I fear that my skills as a surgeon are little better than those of the village butcher; I did what I could, but he will likely never draw the bow again.

Word of the judge's decision to deport your son came quickly. There was no time to write more details. Please forgive me. After speaking briefly with the bailiff who arrived early the next morning to hustle him to the docks, Calvin implored the dock-master to allow me to accompany him on the voyage to Far East Island. I've seen so much of you in his personality, Uncle November. He could convince The River to flow upstream if the water would slow enough to listen!

Calvin and I were allowed a fair amount of freedom aboard the huge vessel, so much so that when the ship's cook took ill two days into our voyage, we were asked to help out in the galley. Calvin's skills at managing inventory and my culinary skills quickly awarded us the titles Ship's Purser, Ship's Cook and the captain's personal request to stay aboard for the next few expeditions.

Uncle, we have witnessed sunsets that words are simply inadequate to describe, terrors too great to be retold without the aid of strong drink and fascinating ports of call filled with diversions. It was upon our second trip to the eastern shores of Beluaterra that I first glimpsed the spires of Twillen. Like a mirror image of the great city of Alebad, Twillen sits at the confluence of river and sea. We had been at sea for so long, it was more than I could bear. For the first time since setting sail from the Colonies, I wept bitterly that night.

By our third voyage to Beluaterra, I had saved enough gold to buy my freedom and asked to be released from the service of your son. "Keep it, my friend," he said and made all the arrangements for me to get to shore. His only request was that I send word of his fate back home. The vessel that had been our home for what seemed like years, sailed with the following dawn. That was the last time I last saw your son, Calvin. When we parted, he was well, happy and sends his love.

It is my sincere hope that one day I might return to see you in person to regale you with tales of all of the adventures we've had and those I've had since we parted company, but time seems to wear quicker here than it does at home. I fear that mor

A tear in the parchment ends the letter.

A Return to Home

Calvin eventually returned home to the Colonies and Alebad where he served quietly as one of the realm's few Bureaucrats. Within the next year, however, he found himself serving as Fiduciary, followed shortly thereafter by a reappointment to his old office of Count of Vir el Mari heights.

The Golden Chalice Breaks

In the waning days of Alebad, many Nobles fled or fell as the combined armies of Lukon and Oritolon besieged the Golden City. However, before Alebad fell, Calvin also held the office of Haruspex Maximus briefly. Having made a few friends during a brief visit to Assassins (while trying his hand at trading), Calvin convinced his sister Ilsa to accompany him and move north.

Calvin the Assassin

Still a Bureaucrat to his core, Calvin quickly made a name for himself among the Guild. In particular, his efforts in the border region of Helsera were noticed by then Countess Thyra Strongfoot and, when she stepped down, Calvin was earmarked for the position. Withing a few weeks, the rank of Count of Helsera was bestowed by Shadow Tyrant Innocent Noble.

Eventually, Calvin became Shadow Tyrant himself, and served the Assassins as their Ruler for the next 101 months (almost 8 and a half years). He died in a duel doing exactly what he loved: defending the honor of the Guild.