Hello my darlings, I am Pocket Strings. Long and winding is the road that brought me to my present station, and it’s destination lies yet beyond the horizon. I was raised in a port side brothel by a tavern wench mother, after my father was lost at sea. It was a fine beginning to my education, where I developed a silver tongue and love for the tales of adventure sailors would bring in while on shore leave.
I was particularly enthralled with the tales of one in particular- the pirate Captain Wesley Roberts. When I came of age he allowed me to join the crew of the infamous Princely Pauper, and took me under his wing. From him I learned swordplay, sailing, navigation- but most importantly, a code of honor: that we steal only from the gold mongers of this world who sit atop a dragon’s hoards worth of coin while the common people suffer.
But the good times did not last. Eventually the good captain retired, and made his brother - Adred Roberts - the new captain of our enterprise. Adred was never the noble sort like his brother, but with power and opportunity, he grew bloodthirsty and villainous, and abandoned Wesley’s code. It was not long before I found myself an outcast among a crew of cutthroats.
On one particular raid, Adred and his crew killed the captain, crew and passengers of a merchant vessel, except for one merchant’s daughter - Noel Goldenhair - who he kept as his concubine. Unable to abide by these new ways, I decided to commit mutiny, and broke Noel from her bondage. I may also have stolen a magic compass, some prototype weapons, and rare materials. But he deserved that.
The long flight back to her homeland of Tatharia took us through the hidden underworld of many port cities, and we faced many dangers. Through it all we developed a bond that… well, did it set us on a new path or was it the path set before us all along? Either way, we were forced to part when we reached our destination. My kind - ALL non human kinds, to be precise - are not accepted as guests in Tatharia (much less as consorts of one in Noel’s position). And besides, she had a burgeoning merchant empire, inherited from her late father, to manage; as for me, I have a price on my head from a vicious pirate captain.
Nevertheless, she has remained an unseen benefactor to me while I lie low, biding my time until I can rid us both from the threat of Adred’s vengeance. And then… this is only the beginning, you see, of the legend of Pocket Strings. One day I will be the captain of my own ship. I will find riches, fame and prestige. And, one day, Noel and I will be reunited.