Aygavan Salmain's page

Life was terribly hard for a bored Chelish noble’s son, especially one with a mind like a steel razor and a distaste for the hierarchy of the Asmodean church. It felt like that, at the very least.

Such was life for Aygavan Salmain.

Born in Ostenso to a noble family of considerable power, he was the fourth of five sons. He would not be groomed for a life in high society like his oldest brother, nor sent to the clergy like the second, nor even prepared for military service like his brother Aldred right before him. No, he and his youngest brother Mertentius lived in a sort of limbo. While Mertenius indulged in all the vices afforded to him by great wealth and a lack of accountability, Aygavan took an entirely different route in life. He would not sit around idly by, living off the largesse of what would be, in time, an eldest brother who had very little time for him. He would make his own way in the world, and stand on his own merits.

He trained in weaponplay, learned the basics of alchemy, ravenously studied almost anything he could get his hands on, and learned how to lie and cheat and steal to get what he wanted. He took to the streets at times, running cons just to prove to himself that he could. The quick conman's patter was a part of his tactic, of course, but more than that it was a process of meticulous planning and careful observation, knowing ahead of time that all the details had been accounted for, that nothing could go wrong. That was, of course, until he tried to con someone that really could outsmart him. It was a simple ploy, the Magician’s Gambit, using his skill with alchemical formulae and carefully constructed lies to spin a tale of being a down-on-his-luck wizard who just needed a bit of money to buy components for a ritual that would make both himself and the target rich. The man he was scamming called his bluff with shocking ease. Rather than admonish the young man, the older businessman gave him an offer. He could stay a noble wastrel, making small change on the streets of Ostenso, or he could use his talents for greater gains than he could ever imagine with the Aspis Consortium.

The businessman was a silver agent of the Consortium, a man named Tarento Vantolis, and he offered to be Aygavan’s sponsor in the organization.

It was a match made in heaven. Aygavan was seemingly made for work with the Consortium, and he refined his skills, finding a deep and abiding loyalty to the organization. With Tarento’s guidance and his own skill, he knew that this was his way to the top.

His first real assignment came not too long ago. The Golden Cartel based in Corentyn had come to threaten the interests of the Aspis Consortium, and their informants in the Kortos Consortium had tipped them off that they, too, were feeling the heat from the Cartel. Aygavan was fingered as a perfect match. An up-and-coming member of the Consortium, this job would either cement him as a valuable asset to the Patrons and possibly merit him a promotion to bronze agent, or knock him down enough pegs that he couldn’t threaten anybody’s ambitions.

Aygavan, or Ayg to those he’s close to, is a Chelish man in his mid-20s. Neither bulky nor especially tall, his slim frame belies a deadly grace, especially with a whip, his favored weapon. His skin is pale, and his wavy black hair is kept short and neat, though sideburns and seemingly perpetual stubble add a certain dashing charm to his well-kept appearance. He wears well-tailored but not overly flashy clothes that one would expect from a member of the lower nobility, and he carries a finely crafted whip coiled at his waist.

There are a few things that Aygavan cares for more than most other things in this world. Money is one of the greatest among them, of course, as it should be for all agents of the Aspis Consortium. More so than money, he wants to prove that he has merit, talent, skills to set him apart from the rest. This fresh start in Diobel is a chance for that. He is deeply committed to the Aspis Consortium, and sees his obligations to Diobel and the Kortos Consortium as extensions of that. Enriching Diobel and the Kortos Consortium will reflect well on him, so he’ll go to great lengths to make sure that the town and the merchant league prosper. In most things, Aygavan is willing to do whatever it’ll take to get what he has to, whether it’s some quick cash for himself or a broader goal for his employers. He does draw the line at the excesses of cruelty though. Murder of innocents, and stealing from those who have absolutely nothing are beyond what he’s willing to do. At the end of the day, Aygavan is clever, determined, and smart as hell, but often falls prey to the insecurity that has driven him his entire life. Despite his calculating demeanor, he does genuinely enjoy the friendships he can make, and finding potential allies in the dirty biz of cutthroat business.

While he doesn’t do it much these days, Aygavan is an avid gambler, though he’s never been close to make a career out of it. There are few things he loves better than seeing the defeat in someone’s eyes when they realize they’ve lost it all to him.

Though a scheming, conniving fellow, Aygavan has a softness for a few people in his life. Tarento, for one, is a trusted associate and mentor to him. Even now that he’s not working with him anymore, he keeps in regular correspondence with Tarento. He’s also on good terms with his younger brother Mertentius. By chance, Mertentius moved to a townhouse in Absalom, becoming something of a bohemian artist. Aygavan visits him with some regularity, swapping stories over large amounts of wine. Carefully concealed from most, Ayg is also a hopeless romantic, hoping for someone that’ll see him for something beyond just his potential for enrichment.