Scienter Whitfield originally hales from the Mierani Forest. He came to Korvosa several years ago, originally intending to study arcane magic at the Acadamae. His plans were delayed by lack of money and what appeared to Acadamae admissions staff to be a somewhat undisciplined personality. They noted Scienter’s tendency to become distracted by one or another particularly fascinating arcane aura, whether emanating from a spell effect or an enchanted item. They thought it odd that Scienter would attempt to describe the look and feel of such auras, and how he could alter them. They did not appreciate that this was simply a manifestation of Scienter’s talent for the Arcanist’s art.
Attempting to address the first of these two problems, Scienter made an error in judgment in choosing to deal with a criminal by the name of Gaedren Lamm. Gaedren had heard about Scienter’s circumstances and spotted an opportunity. He approached Scienter one day and struck up a conversation at a café near the Academae. The conversation went something like this:
Gaedren: Quite an impressive organization, that Academae, wouldn’t you agree?
Scienter: Most definitely – are you part of it in some way?
Gaedren: Oh not at all, I have no talent for it whatsoever. But as a lifelong resident of Korvosa, I regard it as one of the jewels of our city, a sentiment I think is shared by the great majority of our citizens.
Scienter: Such a sentiment is entirely understandable.
Gaedren: As a civic minded person, I would like to see the Academae maintain if not increase its status, so I’ve been giving some thought to setting up some sort of scholarship program?
Scienter: That is indeed, civic minded, how would that work?
Gaedren: I don’t have it set down in complete detail, but what I have in mind is some sort of system in which people with talent but limited means would apply, and worth candidates would receive financial support should that successfully obtain admission to the Academae.
Scienter: That sounds like a worthy program and I could certainly think of at least one individual who would be a good candidate for such a program?
Gaedren: Really, who?
Scienter: You are sitting across from him. I’ve been told my arcane talents are considerable, but unfortunately, my wealth is anything but.
Gaedren: Well, that is certainly the sort of person I would be looking for. I have an assistant who is working on the details of the program, and I expect it to be ready within the next few months. In the meantime, while we wait, would it be too much of an imposition on your time to request an errand or two?
Scienter: I suppose not, what do you have in mind?
From that conversation forwards, Scienter would deliver sealed packages for Gaedren in an around Korvosa in return for small sums of money. Scienter wondered what they contained but never knew for certain. He soon began to question Gaedren’s ethics, but reasoned that his money would go just as far regardless of how pure its source. Over time Gaedren became familiar with Scienter’s talents and in particular his talent for seeing and understanding arcane auras. Gaedren eventually decided the time had came to make use of that talent and asked Scienter to steal a particular magic item. Scienter refused, then fell ill shortly thereafter. This was not a coincidence. Gaedren told him that he had secretly drugged Scienter with a drug known as “Shiver” in order to improve his attitude towards the tasks Gaedren wished to assign to him. Scienter fled Korvosa rather than comply, and remained away from Korvosa until he was able to overcome his addiction to Shiver. He has only recently returned to Korvosa, more suspicious of humans than he was when he first arrived, and more than happy to exact revenge on Gaedren, should the opportunity present itself.
