Jo Lumo
This article contains spoilers for the Faraday Five Series. Read at Your Discretion
Jo Lumo was born in 1946 to Don Lumo and Gijo Di, in Alaj. Jo's father inherited both his family estate and his position as province leader from his mother, and he raised Jo in a manner that reflected his own upbringing. She was expected to adhere to upper-class gender norms and her family were regular attendees at the Danos temple. Jo was also privately tutored in a variety of languages, history, martial arts (specifically Nikih), and the art of listening without being seen. From a young age, she began to serve tea during her father's business meetings, where she was encouraged to observe the people he spoke with to determine whether they were lying and what their weaknesses were. Her father usually discussed matters after with, not only gleaning information from Jo, who might notice things he did not, but training her to take on his position as province leader in a world that depended on cunning political moves.
I don't want to make allies. I want to make friends.
When she was twelve, her aunt and uncle, Yuturuno and Orotuno Lumo, were executed for their controversial opinions about changes needed in the Alajan government, and her ten-year-old cousin, Miriam, joined her family. The following two years were a delight for Jo, who had little opportunity to spend time with her peers. Jo and Miriam did nearly everything together, from lessons, sparring, and playing throughout the house. It was around this time that Jo discovered she had a magical gift for Shapeshifting. She enjoyed playing tricks on people by changing into different animals, or, at times, curling in a patch of sunlight in her father's garden as a fox, her favorite form.
At the age of thirteen, she applied to attend Faraday Academy of Magic, at her father's behest, and was accepted. She encouraged her cousin, who was at the time discovering her affinity for truth magic, to take her place serving tea at her father's meetings while she was gone. Though Jo excelled in her classes, she struggled socially, as she'd had little practice interacting with her peers. Nevertheless, she developed friends in Antony Dao and Neely Winters, though the two did not take well to one another.
When Jo returned home during the mid-year break, she learned that her mother had died while she was at school. Furthermore, her father had opted for a fast cremation, rather than undergoing the full funeral service. Though Jo did not understand what other reason he might have for requesting a fast cremation, Jo did not believe his claim that the Alajan Conflict made it necessary. As active battles were slow and spread out, she insisted the usual rules of war did not apply. This was the first crack in Jo's relationship with her father.
During that vacation, while Jo was hiding as a fox in her father's garden, she saw him open a secret chamber from the fountain in the center. She later brought her cousin to investigate the fountain, but they were stopped by her father, who walked in on them before they were able to do so. Determined to get to the bottom of what her father was hiding from her, and convinced that it was related to her mother's sudden death and quick cremation, Jo began to investigate in whatever ways she could. She would often disguise herself as various animals to spy on him and spent an increasing amount of time away from the estate, trying to learn what she could about the Alajan conflict, slowly realizing that her father had manipulated her as much as he had manipulated the men who he did business with.
When returning from her second semester, Jo did not go directly home. Instead, she obtained a boat, the River Rat, and traveled along the Silk River. At each town she came to, she spoke extensively with families who had lost children due to the conflict, discovering that like her mother, many had been given quick cremations, without the presence of the family. Jo became convinced that these disappearances were somehow connected to her aunt's death and received contributions from these families to launch an investigation.
When her father discovered what she was doing, he demanded both that she return home and return the money she had been given. Though she did go home, only briefly, she refused to return the money, claiming that she believed their children to "be where her mother was." Her father insisted she was running a scam, as she had no intention of returning the lost children to their families, as she had promised, and threatened to disown her if she did not end her crusade. Jo not only cut ties with her father at this time, but also with her cousin, who she presumed must have known the truth, due to her magical gift, but chosen to ignore it.
After cutting ties with her father, Jo tried to shed every part of the life she had known with him. She cut her hair, took to wearing clothing more common among lower-class Alajans, and refused to complete the Danos coming of age ceremony, as this was the only she could be sure her father wasn't still manipulating her. Upon returning to Faraday, she began dating her friend and mentor, Antony, much to the chagrin of her roommate, Neely. On breaks, she continues traveling through Alaj, finding allies to form an investigative team, and typically referring to herself by the name of her boat. Though she also remains antagonistic to her cousin, she is slowly coming to terms with the limitations of Miriam's gift at identifying the truth and the likelihood that she, too, is a victim of her uncle's manipulation.
Alignment
Chaotic Sneaky
Current Location
Species
Ethnicity
Year of Birth
1946
16 Years old
Birthplace
Children
Pronouns
she/her
Sex
female
Gender
woman
Presentation
feminine
Eyes
brown
Hair
black
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
light brown
Height
5'7"
Belief/Deity
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Comments