Jonagher Witt's page

The mixed heritage of Jonagher Witt resulted from a spur-of-the-moment, yet passionate, romance between an elven noble and a well-educated, human sage from Isger named Miranda Witt. Born in Breachill, Jonagher grew up without his father, who returned to Kyonin to fulfill his diplomatic duties. Several of Jonagher's friends and playmates were also half-elven, an inevitable by-product of similar dalliances between the two cultures. But, in the case of Jonagher's mother, he always sensed a deeper relationship between her and his father. Though he had never met the elf, his mother often described him as an adventurous sort, someone who visited her archives quite frequently in search of ancient lore. She had much in common with him and a rare enough beauty that she seemed destined to catch his father's eye.

In his youth, Jonagher helped clean and organize the archives, often sifting through old tomes and knick-knacks, some artistic and others merely ornamental. He learned a great deal from his mother and her books, even so far as to develop an interest and budding talent for magic. But Jonagher also loved the streets of Breachill and the forested hinterlands, spending an increasing amount of time getting into trouble by carousing with his friends. At their urging, he developed a skill for stealing small items and food they could enjoy from street vendors and shops, always keeping such activities hidden from his mother. He admittedly enjoyed the notoriety and adulation it brought him among his friends, not to mention the thrill and sense of accomplishment with each successful scam or heist. Even so, he kept track of the number and difficulty of such challenges more than the actual value of any items he stole.

Then, one night his friends dared him to steal something from the archives, something rare and interesting that would entertain everyone with whatever secrets it contained about Breachill's past. Jonagher didn't especially relish the idea of taking something from his mom, but cajoled by his friends and convincing himself he could easily return it in the morning, he finally agreed and stole a book of ancient elven lore. Jonagher knew a visiting wizard had commissioned his mother to translate it for him, but the man hadn't returned for nearly a year, so Jonagher thought it would make a perfect item to steal – something unlikely to be missed, and yet containing something interesting for everyone, provided he himself could decipher the ancient elven script, of course. It never dawned on him that it was unusual for a wizard to seek out a human sage to decipher an elven tome rather than entrusting the elves of Kyonin to do so.

Little did Jonagher understand how much that one simple act would change his life. After departing with the tome, he showed it to his friends. And, he did manage to read some of its secrets to them, even though they didn't actually understand what it all meant. This disappointed his friends, who ridiculed Jonagher's apparent reluctance to steal anything significant or valuable. Some even suggested he simply feared his own mother's wrath too much to risk getting in trouble with her. After enduring their scorn for most of the night, he finally offered to make up for it by taking on a much riskier heist. Desperate to win back their approval, he suggested breaking into the local jeweler's shop. Such an idea came to him, because he knew one of the girls in his circle of friends coveted a sapphire necklace she'd seen there. So, he hoped to present her with it, win her love, and regain everyone's approval.

Of course, the break-in at the jeweler's shop did not go well. How was he supposed to know the owner had so many magical alarms and traps protecting the place? The town guard caught him red-handed, paralyzed, and humiliated. They confiscated everything, including the book from the archives. Thankfully, Breachill's constable recognized Jonagher and, rather than lock him up, they marched him home for a confrontation with his mother – a punishment he gladly would have traded for a night in jail instead. When they arrived at his mother's home, however, they found the entire building in flames, gutted from within by a massive explosion. Eventually, they dug his mother's bones out of the ashes and laid her to rest. Investigation of the tragedy found several witnesses who confirmed seeing a man visit her. They all described an unusual scar on his right cheek, a distinguishing enough characteristic that Jonagher recalled seeing it on the same man who originally brought the elven book to the archives for his mother to translate.

Fraught with guilt and grief, Jonagher withdrew from his friends. The constable dropped any charges against him for the failed heist at the jeweler's shop, recognizing the loss of his mother as a far more horrifying punishment than anything he might inflict on the boy – and also unwilling to heap further misery on anyone so young. Despite the constable's kindness, Jonagher convinced himself his actions had doomed his mother. With the tome 'missing,' she obviously didn't have it when its original owner came looking for it. And the man undoubtedly took out his anger on her. So, Jonagher kept the book with him as a remembrance of his crime, but also in the half-hearted hope the man would come looking for it again, granting Jonagher the chance to avenge his mother.

This turn of events also changed Jonagher's perspective on stealing from others. Never again would he steal for fun. Of course, he couldn't swear off thievery completely. After all, his mother's death left him to fend for himself on the streets of Breachill for a short time, and it became a matter of necessity and survival. Though he mostly eked out a meager existence off the kindness of others, he also took no shame in stealing from those who could clearly afford to help him, but refused to do so...or those he observed mistreating others...viewing his actions as a self-imposed form of justice on those committing their own crimes against the lower class.

Eventually, Jonagher's plight came to the attention of his father, Zierren Cylandia in Kyonin. The elven noble showed up in Breachill one day, surprised to discover Miranda's passing. Jonagher's years were a mere blip compared to the elf's longer lifespan, and though Zierren offered to take him back to Kyonin to live with him, Jonagher only did so until he fully came of age, never truly feeling at home in elven society. Instead, Jonagher spent much of his time traveling with Zierren on diplomatic missions to other lands, visiting the dwarves of the Five Kingdoms and the human nations of the Inner Sea. Those years helped dull the ache of losing his mother, and Zierren helped refine Jonagher's sense of the world, while also instilling a zeal for travel and skill-at-arms. But even Jonagher recognized the distance his father and the other elves maintained with him. It was as if he didn't fully belong. And so, after reaching maturity, he resolved to part ways with his father by joining an expedition into the Darklands. Some of the other elves were intent on investigating rumors of drow activity under the mountains, and though they never encountered any dark elves there, he did manage to learn a great deal about traveling the underground caverns and tunnels.

When the expedition returned to Kyonin to report its findings, Jonagher informed his father of his intention to return to Isger. Before leaving, however, Jonagher shared the story of his mother's death...and the role he played in it. Showing the ancient book to Zierren, Jonagher was surprised when the elf not only recognized the text, but removed a secret plate from the tome's spine. Marked with several holes and gaps, Zierren then used it to reveal cryptic characters hidden within the text of the very pages themselves. When scribed next to one another, the characters revealed an ancient script about the elven gates known as the aiudara. Zierren also shared that Jonagher's mother likely knew of the plate. Since she could also read the ancient elven language, she probably understood the text in its entirety. This revelation implied she learned something dangerous that she probably intended to keep hidden from the book's original owner. Thus, Jonagher's theft of the manual probably didn't matter as much as his mother's refusal to aid the wizard who returned for it. Even so, the matter still remained as to what secret his mother had died to protect.

Zierren encouraged Jonagher to find out, suggesting certain historians and sages like his mother might be able to aid him...and that there may be further secrets in Breachill worth investigating. After arriving home, Jonagher struggled to find an appropriate audience with anyone who could truly help him find his mother's murderer. But, he did recognize the town's council and their frequent calls for heroes as an opportunity to delve further into the town's history. He only hopes he can make some new friends and convince them to help unravel his mother's mystery. And along the way, maybe he can finally purge the guilt he still feels for her death and stealing the accursed book in the first place.

Physically, Jonagher appears tall and thin, as frail and fragile as an elf, despite his half-human heritage. He stands 5'10" but weighs only 155 lbs. He has long mostly-white hair, bright blue eyes, and partially elongated ears. From a distance, people often mistake him for a true elf, and he does little to discourage that perception, using the stereotypes of elven mysteries and aloofness to his advantage when it suits him. Members of an actual elven community, however, can easily tell him apart. His frequent travels under the harsh sun have darkened his all-too-human complexion and skin far more than theirs. And, despite his physical and mental agility, he still lacks their natural grace and a complete understanding of elven etiquette.

Jonagher dresses according to each occasion. On the road, he prefers clothing that helps him go unnoticed in the forest, favoring browns, greens, and grays. At night, he frequently changes into a darker outfit to help him keep to the shadows. Over these garments, he wears a well-crafted suit of leather armor and tucks his trousers into a pair of calf-length, brown leather boots. A well-oiled weapon belt holds the sheaths for his sword and primary dagger. He always keeps another dagger in his right boot for emergencies and quick throws. And he usually carries a shortbow with a double-full quiver of arrows to complete his arsenal.

Jonagher brings a pragmatic approach to almost every problem in life. Motivated by a sense of doing what's good, he rarely lets the strictures of law or the oppression of evil stand in his way. And he enjoys putting down such obstacles to draw attention to his heroism and earn the respect and admiration of others. Although sometimes a thief, Jonagher generally avoids stealing from those who can't afford it or don't deserve to be taken down a peg for their misdeeds. He remains steadfast and loyal to his friends, provided they mirror these principles. Otherwise, he quietly observes and marks them as potential problems he may have to deal with down the road...either by actively opposing them or leaving their company.

Always a talker, Jonagher enjoys conversing on a wide variety of subjects. History, magic, geography, and philosophy make for good topics most of the time. Even in combat, he tends to goad and rile his adversaries by taunting them with his words as well as his blades. Jonagher possesses a constant lust for adventure and getting the most out of life. He likes meeting new people, making new friends, and living in such a way that he can leave his mark on the world...hopefully, creating something better for those he leaves behind. To that end, he indulges occasionally in good food, fine wine, and fair women. Someday, he hopes to settle down, preferably with a beautiful girl, lots of treasure, and plenty of amazing tales to tell.