Finneas Underhill's page

About Finneas Underhill

It is unknown exactly where or even when Mhalifu and his twin sister, Illusitoria were born. Like most halflings in Cheliax, they were born into slavery and sold or traded away from their parents. They grew up in a circus spending the spring, summer and early autumn traveling from town to town along the coast from Corentyn to Westcrown and the winters in Egorian, capital city of Cheliax. Their owner, a Vundrani known to everyone simply as “Boss” was a cruel, bully of a man. When he wasn’t swindling customers out of their last pieces of silver, he was beating or starving the animals and performers, most of whom were halfling slaves.

Initially, Mhalifu and Illusitoria were nothing more than porters and tent-hands. It was later that the former demonstrated skill at stealth and sleight of hand, while his sister showed promise as both a performer and fortune-teller. They would often be paired together with Illusitoria distracting customers with a reading, while Mhalifu liberated their coin purse. Sometimes, Boss would send Mhalifu out with a band of his thieves while the show was performing to infiltrate the homes of people attending. His small size and nimbleness allowed him to go unnoticed and enter the homes through small windows, chimneys, or even drainage pipes. Even if Mhalifu considered fleeing during one of these excursions, Boss always reminded him that Illusitoria would pay the price.

This went on for nearly two decades until they finally had enough of the beatings and other mistreatment. They decided it was time they try to escape. They waited until autumn, thinking that it would be easier to get lost in a city full of halflings than in the countryside, but before the temperatures dropped so they could hide outside if necessary. Plus, they could steal away in one of the many caravans or shipping boats that came and went daily in Egorian. Unfortunately, the night they sprang their plan, they were discovered. Thinking quickly, Mhalifu created a distraction and Illusitoria was able to slip away.

Things went from bad to worse for Mhalifu. He was beaten, abused and starved nearly to death, but every time he thought his time had come, Boss would fix him up so it could all start again. These days he was shackled most of the time and when he wasn’t, he was always being closely watched by some of Boss’ henchmen. The one thing that kept Mhalifu going was the thought that his sister was free. He only hoped she was far away from this miserable life.

Illusitoria was indeed free. She had made it all the way to Absalom. There she joined the Pathfinder Society and after three years of study, graduated as a full-fledged agent. She used this new-found status and with the help of the Envoy’s Alliance and their connections with the Bellflower Network, tracked down the circus that had once been her “home.” Mhalifu was surprised and delighted, when his sister returned and helped him escape.

The docks of Egorian are filled with bounty hunters looking to return escaped slaves to their owners before they can flee the city. As such, the siblings escaped across country hoping to use the cover of the wilderness. They traveled northeast across the Fields of Chelam and then along the northern edge of the Whisperwood carefully avoiding the dark denizens of that corrupted forest. Continuing east along the south reaches of the Menador Mountains, they eventually arrived in Elidir where they took up with a caravan headed to Falcon’s Hollow. Tamli Grent the half-orc caravan captain has promised to introduce the siblings to a river merchant who can facilitate their travel to Almas. From there they can gain passage on a ship to Abslom.

If the twins were ever caught, it is certain they would be returned to the circus. The name Bandobraden is not safe so they took on the monikers of Finneas and Tori Underhill. Only the Grand Lodge Masters in Absalom and a few key people in the Envoy’s Alliance know their true identities.