Orlando was two when his parents emmigrated from Cheliax. When he was eleven they were killed by red mantis assassins. Noone, certainly not Orlando, ever knew why they were targetted although it is well known that the red mantis never makes mistakes. His father was a cloth merchant. His mother a singer, a soprano with a voice so pure and true that some swore it was an enchantment. They were kind people and their loss hit Orlando hard.
He went to live with less wealthy relatives in Old Korvosa. Filled with an anger he could neither adequately express or discharge he begain to run with the local children, groups of chels playing out running battles with the varisians, the fights of their parents in minature.
Always an affable and likeable boy, his powers manifested with puberty. He found that with his knack he could hum or sing songs that could affect the people around him, even influence and control them if he concentrated hard enough. He used this with little thought to the consequences, forging a little band with himself as the titular king. Unfortunately, he was sufficiently succesful that he brought the attention of underworld groups including a petty crimelord named Gaedren Lamm. The corpses of two friends later, his group was shattered and he was forced to reap the bitter fruit of his actions.
He ran the streets no more but the events provided a focus for his anger, the criminals of Korvosa. Leeches sucking the lifeblood of honest people like his cousins. Criminals like the people who took his parents away. This time he took a different approach, a smarter approach. This time he used his knack to gather information instead of followers and much of what he found he passed on to the guard. It was a small step from information gatherer to sometimes agent although this is known to very few.
Now twenty, Orlando has managed to develop his "knack" into a formidable magical talent. He casts his spells by singing or humming different tunes depending on the spell (this is functionally identical to incanting spells as normal). In his public personae he is well known among the people of the city as a finder of lost things and especially people. However he can't bear to take money from people who can't afford it (that of course being the majority of his clients). Accordingly, financially at least he has little success as a detective. The majority of his income either comes secretly from the guard or from selling information to other sources. He is used on occassion by the groups whose downfall he seeks. He is careful in those instances to reveal no part of his true intent.
Physically Orlando is non-descript although that is partly intentional. He is of slight build a clue to his distant heritage although he has no idea as to the source of his power. His most distinguishing feature is a brillant smile which we uses to good effect in his work. He normally dresses in slightly shabby clothing although he has a different range of outfits for different purposes.
While outwardly cynical Orlando is a patriot and deeply protective of Korvosa and its citizens. Throughout the years he has kept his ear to the ground for news about Lamm but without success.
