Aidan

Aidan Stormcrow was twelve years old when his father went mad.

In hindsight, the Reefolk realized that they had seen the warning signs. Normally steadfast and reliable, Caliban Stormcrow had been behaving strangely for months. He'd grown absent-minded and forgetful and increasingly irritable. But Caliban had lived a hard life, having spent many years as a slave and a gladiator in Gir, so a little irritability was to be expected. Even when his belligerence gave way to sudden bouts of anger and occasional fisticuffs, people dismissed it as a passing mood or the result of strong drink. After all, Caliban had been among them for more than a decade. He'd married a local, built a homestead, raised a family here. So the Reefolk forgave and they forgot . . . until the night Caliban took up the gladius he'd sworn never to wield again and slew nearly his entire family before falling on the blade himself.

It was pure luck that saved Aidan Stormcrow, though some argue whether it was good luck or bad. A traveling minstrel named Dunkirk had stopped at the Stormcrow farm seeking a warm meal and shelter for the night. He discovered Aidan amidst the bodies of his family—the only one with life still in him. Dunkirk knew enough of medicine and of magic to keep Aidan alive until he could get the boy to a proper healer.

Dunkirk delivered Aidan to safety and informed the town watch of what he'd found at the Stormcrow farm. He then went straight to the Inn of the Twin Dawn and told the story again. And again and again, to anyone who cared to listen. His audience kept his tankard full throughout the night, and by the time the Horn of Morning sounded, all of Ree knew in bloody detail what Caliban Stormcrow had done.

Speculations as to the cause of his father's madness have followed Aidan into adulthood. Had Caliban been hexed by the witches in the south? Cursed by the wizards of the Athenaeum? Had he blasphemed against the gods? Perhaps he'd angered Shall when he turned his back on the ways of killing and bloodshed, and the god of murder had decided to reclaim him?

Aidan has spent years ignoring the whispers and rumors and innuendos. He knows the Reefolk watch him with a wary eye, looking for any signs of incipient madness, waiting to see if he inherited his father's curse.

Expanded History

Childhood

Caliban Stormcrow's sigil

• Aidan has two prominent scars:
  • A lurid scar that starts on the left side of his neck and ends at the hollow of his throat
  • A thin tracery of lines on his right cheek in the shape of his father's sigil
• There are persistent rumors that Aidan has some sort of family legacy, an inheritance from relations back in Ilren or some hidden wealth that Caliban brought with him. As far as Aidan knows, there is no truth to these rumors.
• Aidan's brother Alain and his sisters Brigid and Nell were all younger than him.
• Aidan's mother was Raina Olorin, and her family had lived in Ree for generations. Her parents were gone, but she still had aunts, uncles, cousins, and a brother, all of whom own farmland to the west of Ree. After her death, they pretended very hard that Aidan was of no relation to them. They did it so well Aidan has nearly forgotten he still has relatives in Ree.
• If not for the legal and clerical skills of Lila Pennywash, the Mayor would have stolen Aidan's land from him after his family's death. With Marak's help, Aidan was able to sell the farmland in order to pay for his apprenticeship with Old Anders the blacksmith.

Aidan's Maker's Mark

• No one would buy the farmhouse after what happened there, so Aidan reluctantly retained ownership of it. He purposely kept the small plot of land where his family is buried. The gravesite isn't far from his family home, but the house cannot be seen from there, and Aidan is grateful for that.
• "Ruby Eye" Anders was half-bribed, half-blackmailed into taking on Aidan as an apprentice. He had been ready to retire and wanted no new apprentice, especially not one with so much baggage. Marak and the Thieves' Guild strong-armed him into it, but once coerced, he came to genuinely like and care for Aidan. And he's not the sort to do a half-assed job at anything, including mentoring.
• Aidan's weapon training was started by his father and continued by Old Anders, who had once been an adventurer.

Aidan's Lineage

• Aidan is the last living member of the House of Crows, the Imperial House of Gir.
• Aidan's ancestor Crow was created by Selsus the Scorpion, one of the remaining Roga. She used her own blood and that of seven different dragons and made her "children" using the Sigil as a blueprint. She created seven children and named each one after a corvid bird. They were the progenitors of the noble houses of Gir.
• Aidan's dragon ancestor was called Rysel.
• Including Crow and Aidan, there have been 9 generations of Aidan's family.

House of Crows Family Crest

Connections with Other Characters

Player Characters

• Gerrin: Unbeknowst to Aidan, Gerrin has taken an interest in him and his story. Like the rest of Ree, Gerrin is waiting for Aidan to go mad. Unlike them, he wants to find a way to use it to his advantage.
• Bran: Aidan's father and Bran's mentor Tomas were both gladiators in Gir years ago. Tomas was, in fact, the first opponent Caliban marked with his sigil in the arena. He and Caliban were close friends, and when Tomas escaped Gir, he learned all the martial skills he could with the intention of going back one day to rescue Caliban.
• Marak Bolduum: Marak is Aidan's strongest connection in Ree. He cared for Aidan during his recuperation, and afterward helped Aidan sell his family farm for a fair price. Marak also strong-armed the local blacksmith into taking Aidan on as an apprentice. There may have been some blackmail involved. Marak was the investigator assigned to look into the murder of Aidan's family. The tragedy only furthered Marak's disillusionment with local law enforcement. Marak found that several incidents involving Caliban Stormcrow had been ignored or covered up. If they hadn't, maybe the entire Stormcrow family could have survived.

NPCs

• Pete Johnson: Aidan's half-brother from Earth

Correspondence, Dreams, and Visions

• Letter from Innes
• Letter from Dr. Nathu
• A Gift from the Drudge
• Prime Sorcerers