Lord Credence
Lord Credence Hafeld, WzD
It all started when I was a young boy, and we would spend the summer in a manor house outside Hafeld Keep. My mother is the Countess of Hafeld, so we had to stay fairly close to the Keep, but going up in the mountains was so much cooler than on the coast. I was grateful to get out of the heat, but I always preferred the city. The entire combination led me to my studies and my path in life.
A city boy, bred to the halls of power eight months of the year, deposited in a beautiful but boring manor up in the mountains up river from the keep. There is nothing to do there. I suppose if I had any desire to fish or hunt, maybe, but come on - it's sitting around waiting for something to happen. I just couldn't ever sit still for it. So Mom stocked the libraries with books. Books on the world, on history and politics, but also a few on magic. The stuff on magic was mostly fantasy, stories about witches turning princes into frogs, or sorcerers challenging deities for their thrones. But they were exciting, and made me dream of controlling those forces.
Well, in this out of the way manor, we didn't have a lot of servants available. There was a major domo, and one housekeeper, which I realize now is ridiculous for an estate that size. But they were able to keep up, and I was around 12 when I figured out why. The housekeeper was a wizard - very little power, of course, but just enough to make the job possible with just her. There is a trick that is taught to every aspiring wizard, that lets us channel a tiny bit of magic to perform a minor bit of housekeeping. The details aren't important, but cleaning a room of dust and grime could be done in just a few minutes. Well, the housekeeper didn't have the discipline or desire or anything to go beyond that introductory magic. But it allowed her and her husband, the major domo, to live in that manor, and the comfort, year round, only taking care of others about a third of the time.
Watching her cleaning, I realized the power that this represented. Like I said, I was 12. All I could think of was that if I could make grime disappear like that, by the Gods, there must be a way I could stop having to go out to the outhouse or smell the chamber pots!
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Credence was born in Hafeld Keep, to the Countess Hafeld, and her champion, Sir Fortius Wilton. He was raised in the Keep, and the family manor in the Hafeld mountains. Because of the Keep's importance in trade throughout eastern Corellum and Western Londe, it is a critical port for trade and diplomacy, and Credence was introduced to it at a young age. He took to studying and learning immediately, and was involved in decisions in the family business by the time he was a teen.
Feeling he had mastered trade and diplomacy (and showing the pride that helped lead him to worship of Fierte), he began to study magic at the beginning of his teen years. He found a simple book, and studied it intently for months, practicing the symbols and rituals laid out. With no outside instruction, he mastered the book, using it mostly to improve the quality of his life. When his parents found that he had done so, they took him to Corellum, to study with the mage's guild there.
Education
His early studies we conducted by tutors at Hafeld keep. There, he studied economic theory, and diplomacy, with an emphasis on relations with Londe. He also studied in secret to master a low level spell book, becoming a wizard without instruction.
After learning how to put people to sleep, his parents recognized his need for structured schooling. They took him to Corellum, where he studied at the Mage's guild. At the time, the guild was quite small, and the most powerful mage there was not much more powerful than Credence. By the time he was 18, he well surpassed the best at the guild when he learned how to fabricate goods through his spells.
He was concerned about the quality of the items he made, and sought to improve his skills. To this end, he studied in the temple of Fierte, learning to smith, sculpt, paint, and design. His ability to create grew, and he could easily create stone and then refine it into a useful form. Elegant function followed, and he expanded his studies to other artistic branches, including music.
When he had learned as much as any in the Temple of Fierte could teach him, he moved to Bandar Philia, to study under the Guild there. He quickly found that he was as powerful as any in the Guild, but there was one who still had something to teach him. He convinced the elf Venfaren to teach him, and spent several years there. He rebuffed any further efforts to join the Guild, or The Circle, and simply studied. He and Venfaren broke new ground together, and when he could duplicate most spells in existence by speaking his will, he returned to Corellum.
Employment
Upon returning to Corellum, Credence began working directly with the newly crowned King. In his capacity as Arch Mage, he is responsible for the defense of the city and all issues related to the arcane.
With his duties to the kingdom no longer requiring continual maintenance, he has established a business of creating wondrous items to make life more convenient. He designs and produces this, looking for ways to make it affordable to the everyday person. He has become very rich off the earliest adopters, allowing him to fund getting some of his products in range of the masses.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Credence has created a number of new spells and magic items. His earliest creation was a modification of Leomund's Tiny Hut, Credence's Tiny Barn. He created this at the age of 17, easily surpassing any of his guild mates. This spell, and a few more he had created, helped him convince Venfaren to work with him.
His current line of consumer magic items has caused a massive shift in the every day existence of citizens of Corellum. The first innovation was the Clean Commode, which were purchased at a high cost by every noble house, wealthy merchant, or expensive inn. Many areas of the city are noticeably cleaner since the introduction, and they are now selling a highly subsidized version to attempt to clean the rest of the city.
His love of the arts, especially his interest in music he shares with the King, has caused him to develop enchantments to enhance music and dancing experiences. By taking away the compulsion of some similar dancing spells, he has made a successful side career of creating massive drunken parties.
Failures & Embarrassments
Credence left Bandar Philia under bad terms, and is under a self imposed exile from the city. He was experimenting with weather control, and accidentally created a late spring frost. A number of crops were ruined, and the city lost a substantial amount of money importing enough food for the city.
Intellectual Characteristics
Credence has an insatiable curiosity, always looking to learn new things. He looks for ways that he can combine different areas of knowledge to new purposes.
Morality & Philosophy
Improving the lives of all citizens is the true good. Civilization and order are the best ways to accomplish this. These lead to advancement of our understanding of the multiverse, which can be leveraged to create new methods of performing everyday tasks.
Comments