The Batman of Korvosa's page

Where are 3 of the places that Batman trained?
Following the deaths of his parents, young Wayne didn't take long to begin traveling across Golarion, needing time and space from the murder--and the right education and experience to seek his justice. At the University of Lepidstadt in Ustalav, he learned philosophy and arts of investigation, from understanding the mind of a criminal, to the rudiments of finding clues and piecing together a mystery. He also learned more of his father's own work, the art of alchemy to cure ailments and discover the truth of the physical world.

From there, however, he knew that practical experience would be necessary. The duels at Lepidstadt taught him something of battle, but he would not always have a sword to hand--and few criminals would end a fight at first blood. The journey to Tian Xia was long and arduous, but it helped harden Bruce's body and spirit and ready for his training in distant Quain, famed for its many temples of the martial arts. But the techniques there were still formal, built on mystical theory and spiritual enlightenment as much as bodily function. Bruce holds no ill feeling toward such practices, but he knew he could learn only so much from them. So once he had learned what he could as an apprentice, the young foreigner took his leave and returned again to the other side of the world.

He dabbled in multiple regions, learning the ways of criminals, the ways of those who chase them. He finally found a mix of both in Absalom, the bustling metropolis at the heart of the Inner Sea. There he served for over a year as one of the notorious hotspurs, the bodyguard-guides who worked for anyone with coin and a mind to explore the city. This was the closest practical experience he could find, as the work took him from the finer sides of the city to its seediest establishments, defending foolish nobles in bar fights and providing enforcement for common thugs--thugs he would usually turn in later on, quietly leading the city's law to make important arrests.

But even this was but training, and a return to his hometown, Korvosa, was always his fate...

What does "Wayne Tech" do?
The Wayne Consortium is a powerful enterprise comprising multiple guilds and businesses, ranging from smithing to mercantile shipping to everything in between, whether through its own work or an alliance or subsidiary. The most well known business today, however, particularly in Korvosa, is Wayne Alchemy, an endeavor focused on utilizing magical science to create new opportunities and creations in many sectors. The late owner, Thomas Wayne, was himself a skilled chirurgeon, and hoped to keep the company focused on improving quality of life for the common people with alchemical cures and potions. Since his death and the disappearance of the heir apparent, however, the Consortium's leadership have sought to gain prosperity by focusing on other endeavors--according to rumor, primarily by making deals with Chelish nobility and providing improvements for their military.

What are your feelings about the Lambs? Do you blame them or their enslaver?
For a long time, Bruce has struggled with his feelings on the source of criminals, particularly in cases like the Lambs. Life can be difficult, and sometimes it seems there are no legal options for survival. But ultimately, he feels there are choices to be made, and while there are gray areas, there also depths of blackness. Gaedren Lamm himself falls decidedly in the latter camp. His servants were kidnapped, forced into committing crimes on behalf of the rotten man. They are not without their burden of guilt, to be sure--but Lamm himself is the real target, the real source of corruption. Removing a finger does not excise an infection from the arm.

What is the public image of Bruce Wayne?
For most in the city, Bruce Wayne is something of an enigma, and generally seen as a sad story. He was young when his parents were killed, only ten years old, and only narrowly escaped their fate himself (common rumor claims Blackjack saved him, but the precise details aren't generally known). The last most heard of the young man, he was off to boarding school in another nation--Cheliax, most people guess--and has all but disappeared from the face of Golarion since. He isn't believed dead by the average Korvosan, but they're certain that if he should return, he will be a changed man, and can only hope (or fear) he might be the same benevolent noble his father was.

Most recently, however, there are rumors of Korvosa's prodigal son returning to the city--quietly, and enigmatically, but here once more. What this bodes for Wayne Manor, the company, or even the city at large, remains to be seen.

Have you revealed your return in your social identity yet?
Although he has finally returned to his hometown, Bruce Wayne is on a path of vengeful justice, not noble reclamation. He has yet to make his presence known widely, although he isn't going to any particular effort to hide it. Inertia, more than anything, has kept quiet the return of Bruce Wayne: most of Korvosa does not expect him to be alive and present, and so most of those who would notice have not yet done so.

Instead, Wayne has been focusing on his own efforts: trying to dig up any information on Gaedren Lamm, the crime lord he blames for his parents' murder. But all the training in the world only goes so far, and the actual experience of fighting crime and searching for criminals is a far cry from his work so far. Already he has suffered wounds and setbacks, and only his sheer drive has kept him focused on a seemingly impossible task.

What does your costume look like?
Bruce has known all along that he could not face the underworld of his city under his own identity. It isn't merely the issue of legality; linking himself directly to such activity could destroy his family's legacy, mar the company's efforts, and bring undue danger to those few he still holds dear. As such, he's been struggling to protect his identity while forming an image. Inspired by Blackjack, the famed vigilante already operating in Korvosa, he seeks to become a symbol of hope and just vengeance.

In his trainings, he learned much about the minds of criminals; they are a cowardly and superstitious lot by nature, prone to images of fear. To accompany his armor, he has fashioned a mask, black as the night and shaped to bring primal terror to the front of the mind, evoking the horrors of the creatures that lurk in the darkness. His dark hooded cloak draws on the same imagery, while keeping him hidden in the shadows. He did not consciously choose the name of the Bat-Man, but drawing upon those dread creatures of the night was natural--for no matter where Bruce went in his travels, people instinctively feared those winged hunters in the night.

Does your Batman kill? Why or why not?
In his long years away from the city, Bruce struggled greatly with issues of death and mortality. Across Golarion, there are hundreds of opinions on morals, ethics, issues of when if ever it is appropriate to kill. Many claim it is more just to strike down those who have committed evil themselves; some even state this is the only remedy to the issue of criminals. Bruce is not so sure, and believes that holding himself above those he faces is important--so far as it is prudent. As such, Batman is not a common killer, and those he attacks are left alive, if beaten and broken. Still, he understands that some may lie beyond redemption, too dangerous and powerful to be imprisoned. Whether Gaedren Lamm is one of these remains to be seen, but even Bruce himself is unsure what his reaction will be when he finally confronts the man responsible for the death of his family and his life.

The setup.
Another night. Prowling. The Shingles are loud and dirty, like they always are. I pass over prostitutes hoping to see another morning free of the pox. I slip into the shadows as a pair of children run past, all skin and bones and scabs. A pesh addict stares after me with glazed-over eyes, and I doubt he'll remember me when the sun is up. Finally, the sound of a shattered window and a scream. I leap the gap and roll to my feet, facing the man who stands there, a crowbar in his hand. I see him perfectly even under the clouded sky. Long nights staring into the darkness paid off, in the end.

Not a man. A boy, tall and thin, and I know the look by now. A Lamb. Still, I have to pull my punches; he's only a boy. I could take him now, as he's turning, but he could fall on the glass--and in that moment of hesitation, he's already raising the crowbar. I think on my time in Quain, one of the forms for avoiding attack, and drop into the stance. A step to the side and the bar slams into the wood behind me, splintering the boards as the boy grunts. I snap a kick into his side, and I feel one of his ribs give under my boot. He gasps for air, staggering back, and drops over the side.

Quickly now. I can't catch him, but I drop to the ground below, a hand already going to my pouches. The fall was less than twenty feet. He's still breathing, but it's shallow, and blood is spreading on the dirt. Thankfully, I already have a curative prepared. I fight the wince in my stomach when his neck bends back unnaturally and pour the liquid down his throat. I watch as his head comes forward, the bloodflow stops, the breath becomes more regular. And as I place my hand on his chest to feel for the life there, I feel something under his thin jacket, like thick parchment. On a hunch, I reach in and slip it free.

A Harrow card. Curious. I start to turn it over, but there's shouting. Footsteps. Someone coming. I hiss and stow the card as I drop a pellet beside the Lamb's body. The acrid smoke covers my escape down the alleyways. But this is good. It's a development. It might be a guide.