Lucius Scarnetti
As the firstborn son of Titus Scarnetti and Merunia Kaddren, Lucius had quite a big pair of shoes to fill as the potential heir of house Scarnetti. It was already obvious during Lucius’ childhood that he was quite a popular and lovable person. Perhaps his kind spirit and curiosity endeared him to everyone who met him, nobles and working staff alike. While Titus saw raw political potential in his firstborn son, his conservative and traditional ways of thinking saw the danger of a liberal education. That’s why Titus tightened the reins of Lucius’ upbringing. However, Lucius could never be satisfied with a statement as “that’s the way things are” and his neverending series of tough questions would often result in a stinging slap from his father (which was a source of merriment for Lucius’ younger brother Tibor).
That is why Titus’ wife Merunia, an enchantress of house Kaddren, would take it upon herself to teach her son the first steps of magic. This would keep his inquisitive mind occupied for quite a while. Merunia very much enjoyed her lessons with Lucius, as his questions made her reflect on her viewpoints of magic and sometimes the world as well.
However, Tibor didn’t like it one bit that Lucius received so much attention from their mother. Even more so because Tibor tried his utmost best to win their father’s favour. He dressed himself with the finest garments in Sandpoint, learned all there is to know about politics and nobility (Lucius was also present at the seneschal’s lessons but he picked up this information almost as an afterthought), he honed his body to physical perfection,… Alas, Titus Scarnetti was too busy with his political ambitions to notice his second son’s attempts to gain his favour.
Lucius’ lessons continued for several years until a horrible accident claimed Merunia’s life. While Lucius was getting ready for breakfast, the building next to Scarnetti manor which was Merunia’s workplace for magical craftsmanship and Lucius’ private magic academy went up in a sea of flames. Lucius was 14 years old at that time and his life would never be the same again.
Titus seemed to be heartbroken about the loss of his wife and lost himself in his work. He numbly accepted the condolences of Sandpoint’s population (Lady Merunia’s lovely smile had won the hearts of many its inhabitants) and sent his two sons to the Turandarok academy to complete their studies.
Lucius refused to accept that his mother’s death was an accident. She always paid meticulous attention to detail and, quite frankly, wasn’t the type of person who’d lose her life in such a stupid accident. Investigation became his new obsession. He became an apt student with great investigation skills. Master Gandethus (correctly) assumed that Merunia’s schooling in enchantment had been quite thorough and he had nothing further to add in this regard, so he taught Lucius about the other schools of magic.
As the years passed by, Lucius noticed that his father became more and more reclusive. Titus’ selection of houseguests also made Lucius frown as he witnessed several late night visits from Sczarni scoundrels whose reputation could be described as “shady” at best. Could his father have anything to do with Merunia’s death? Lucius needed to find more evidence but time was his worst enemy. His brother Tibor was also a cause of concern for him as his behaviour degraded from mean to downright abusive. He became the local bully at the academy earning him the title of “the Turandarok tyrant”. Lucius tried to steer clear of his brother in the academy, in order not to aggravate his brother’s ire. His caution had little chance of success as his brother found other victims to vent his frustrations on. Out of guilt (Tibor was HIS brother after all) Lucius tried to help those who fell victim to Tibor’s bullying. Luckily he wasn’t alone in this and with Eldon Leagallow, Darsk, and Colwyn Drakken he formed a circle of friends. Together they managed to prevent several attempts of schoolyard bullying. However, the tragic case of Nualia and her foster father taught Lucius an important lesson: Not all problems can be solved within the schoolyard.
After finishing school, Lucius enrolled in the community’s militia. Due to his insightful mind and his knack for (magically) defusing agressive situations he assisted the sheriff with several of his investigations. His time as the Sheriff’s assistant helped him putting his investigative skills in practice, but it gained him no new knowledge regarding the death of his mother.
If worldly knowledge couldn’t help him with his investigations, perhaps magic could. Lucius had been toying with the idea of “speaking with spirits”. Undoubtably all murder victims had such stories to tell about their deaths. Although the words of these spirits could hardly be used as evidence (as a lot of these ghostly exclamations are “emotionally tainted”) they could provide him new insights… Master Gandethus viewpoint on necromancy was already clear (even though a bit biased). Lucius’ interest in necromancy comes from his wish to communing with spirits and laying them to rest. With this idea in mind he created his focus, a wand made of the wreckage of Jervis Stoot’s (aka Chopper’s) old staircase.
Luckily Lucius’ ventures into necromancy have been put to a stop as the young mage fell prey to love’s silky clutches. During one of the Sheriff’s patrols he encountered Alenia, a Varisian girl who also had been a student at the Turandarok academy. During her time at the academy she also was a victim of Tibor’s schemes. Lucius and his friends helped her then. Little did he know that he made a lasting impression on Alenia. She tried to get to know him better during the academy days but he kept her respectfully at a distance (out of shame, prudency,… who knows?).
Now they met again.
Lucius couldn’t believe that this magnificent creature had been the same Alenia he knew at the academy and for the first time in his life he couldn’t find a solution to his situation. Despite the help of his friend Forge who gave him a few pointers (and an amulet Alenia was looking for), Lucius suddenly didn’t know how to approach her…