Duncan

Duncan is a peasant that has gained his freedom by escaping the land upon which he was born. He is well-versed in both basic numbers, letters, as well as basic skills in working with horses. He is not yet a skilled magician, but he has gained enough control to avoid the types of mistakes that will forever damn your soul. He has traveled the Pah lands and gained the trust of many of their tribesman, finding them a sensible people. The last companions he traveled with, Sir Gunther Strausberger, Nevin Crawford, and Sheila Crawford, he has left because staying with them would have become increasingly dangerous.

Whether accepted as a curse or blessing, Duncan is able to channel divine power into his body and heal the body of any he touches. Which divine being that works though Duncan is rarely the same and there have been times when the god has instead decided to destroy the body of any who would so arrogantly traffic in the realms of the gods.

Duncan was born the second son and third child of William, a horse trainer for Sir Adelson of Veneto, a landed knight on the Pah frontier. William was good at his craft, and well treated by his lord, so Duncan grew up well for a serf. Duncan also was the same age as Sir Adelson's eldest son Braniff of Veneto, and became a natural playmate for the future ruler of Sir Adelson's lands. Braniff was taught numbers and history by a wizard named Lyoness Cardai. William hoped his second son might be taken in as a house servant, especially when Duncan showed a talent for numbers during some of Braniff's tutoring sessions.

So Duncan grew up, learning some of his fathers horse training craft, and studying beside the young Braniff. Duncan was learning more than anyone realized about the subjects taught by Lyoness. Braniff got upset when Duncan learned faster than he did, so Duncan learned to hide just how much he was picking up from the wizard. He also asked her questions about how she cast her magic and she freely shared her knowledge. She knew that he was asking out of more than just curiosity, but other than giving him a few cautionary warnings about how dangerous magic could be if done wrong, she continued to tell him what he wanted to know.

Duncan didn't want to spend the rest of his life as a serf, and he knew that if he didn't leave he always would be. He liked Braniff and Sir Adelson, but Braniff always kept a little bit of distance between the two of them, and Duncan did not believe Braniff would ever free him. Magic was going to be Duncan's way out. He thought he could be good at it, and he knew that he could make his way in the world if he could learn it. He was seventeen the first time he got a spell to work properly. Once he did so, he began to plan how and when he would leave to become a common law Freemen.

Before he could finish his plans though, an opportunity dropped right in his lap. A mapping expedition, lead by two merchants, one of whom was half Pah, came through Sir Adelson's lands, looking to map some of the Pah'Shar Tribe's lands, and they were shorthanded. Duncan conned them into believing he was a freeman and got himself accepted as a backup drover and apprentice mapmaker. He left a note for Lyoness, asking her to tell his father what had happened, packed up all he owned and left.

The mapping journey was long and arduous, but mostly uneventful. The Pah'Shar tribes were hospitable, accepting that these people were peaceful and might bring more trade their way, and Duncan had some time to study the books that Lyoness had given him as a going away present. Duncan now uses the surname of Williamson, and has been away from home for more than a year. He hopes his parents understand why he left, and kind of dreads ever meeting Braniff, since he believes Braniff may be upset about him taking off. He is considering sending a letter to Lyoness to find out how things stand.

Duncan has average looks and no strong coloration. He has a broad face, brown eyes and mud blonde hair. His tan never completely fades in winter, and he never gets a really dark tan in summer. Only his size is unusual, since he's 6' 1“ inches tall and weighs a little over 200 lbs. He carries a quarterstaff and wears leather armor. He also has a pack to carry his books and wears homespun clothing. He has an amazing education for a serf, knowing a good bit of this and that, and of course has learned some magic. He would have liked to follow the true wizards calling that Lyoness did, but felt that he wouldn't be able to settle down anywhere long enough to study it well.

• William is of average intelligence but of no ambition. He likes working with horses, and he is good at it. Freedom for him is irrelevant. Free or not, he couldn't really do better than working a job he likes, so why fight a system that works so well for him.
• Braniff believes strongly in the serf and freemen and nobility hierarchy. He isn't a bad sort, but he is a stick in the mud on that one point. He might have a less strict view of things, but growing up isolated, he feels that other nobility might see him as a country bumpkin, so he sticks to the orthodoxy.
• Sir Adelson believes in the nobility system, but he also believes in accidents of birth. His grandfather was a yeoman knighted for bravery on the battlefield, so he sees how some people should be given a chance to rise above their station. He knows some nobles he believes should probably not have titles, so it wouldn't bother him to see a serf raised to the level of freeman, especially one who has learned to be a spellcaster.
• Lyoness would probably have taken Duncan on as an apprentice if he had been born free. She admires him for learning as much as he managed to, and hopes that he makes a good life for himself. She sees him in some ways as the son she might have had, if she had not spent so much time with her magic that she never had time for kids.
• Duncan's older brother, Rundorig, is actually much like William, and has taken quite well to the task of being a horse trainer. Duncan's two sisters have both married other serfs. Duncan missed the second wedding.