Aerian grew up as an orphan and was rescued from a life in the Warrens by the Sisterhood of Draya. Under their care, he grew into a respectable lay-follower of Lothian. The church gave him some training, attempting to turn him into a paladin (such training is where he learnt to use his longsword), but he really didnt have the mentality for it and frequently absconded to the much-more-exciting streets when he was supposed to be studying religion, swordplay and other more knightly pursuits.
He's currently renting a small but clean apartment just off salt street, near the coast in midtown. He has a close friend, Samson Derros, a member of the city watch who also rents an apartment there. The two of them spend most evenings carousing and seeing the sights of Ptolus, Samson regarding Aerian has something of a lost “little brother” who just needs a push in the right direction to really make something of himself.
Mirannee is another close friend of Aerian’s – she is a girl of around thirteen who lives on the streets in the Warrens, making her living as a cutpurse and sneak thief. Aerian sees it as his duty to look out for her – after being rescued by the church of Lothian he feels he should do something to help people in the same position he was in. She doesn’t trust many people and refuses to accept any direct charity from Aerian. Nonetheless, he is someone the young girl turns to when here scams or thieving ways lead her to cross the wrong people. Aerian’s great fear is that she will fall in with the Pale Dogs and is hoping to persuade her to enter the care of the Sisterhood of Draya, something she has so far vehemently resisted.
Aerian’s main contact within the conciliators is Sir Garett Deraul, a retired paladin who was his tutor back when the church was trying to tame his free spirit. Although Aerian has officially left the church’s protection/service, Aerian still visits Sir Garrett a couple of times a week. The two have a warm friendship and Sir Garrett recognises the value in having eyes and ears in some of the seedier parts of the city. The old paladin recognises that Aerian is a good-hearted soul, just that he lacks the discipline and respect for authority required to make a paladin. For his part, Aerian is forever grateful to the church of Lothian and Sir Garrett in particular for what he sees as rescue from a desperate life in the Warrens.
Although Aerian is relatively well-liked and known about town, he has found it useful to cultivate a couple of aliases. There are some things reputable traders are not interested in talking about with a known street urchin from the Warrens, granted one who has “reformed”. Similarly, there are occasions when his known connections with the church might make people with important information less likely to talk. Consequently, he regularly visits a number of contacts in the various markets and trading precincts of the city disguised as Servius Paradi – travelling merchant who (so the story goes) is regularly out of town on various business ventures or scouting out new mercantile opportunities – all of which remain suitably vague and ill-defined.
Similarly, he will often be seen wandering the Warrens disguised as “Old Man Bartle” a slightly infirm, street dwelling beggar who collects valueless odds and ends in a moldy old sack. In truth, Aerian uses this cover to mine for information as he allows himself to be “swindled” out of a few coppers in purchasing useless junk by the street dwellers who regard him as an easy target for a con.
He doesnt like real violence. In general he tries hiding first, talking his way out second and if neither of those work - running away. However, if push comes to shove, he is not unable to handle himself in a fight. He still remembers his training from the swordmasters within the church, plus he’s picked up one or two tricks along the way from his time on the streets. In general, he fights with his sap – partly because he doesn’t really like hurting people, however there is a more pragmatic reason as well. He knows from Samson that the watch take the discovery of a corpse much more seriously than some beating in a street fight.
