Erryl's background
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Erryl Vandermar was born into a moderately wealthy but slightly disreputable family of Westmarch merchants, specializing in exotic imports. While they tend to showcase goods from various different human cultures and locations, their true profit comes from discretely trading with the Northlands and Westlands. This requires a fair amount of caution, stealth, and diplomacy. Thus Erryl was raised with these qualities being heavily reinforced upon him.
When he was old enough to travel with his uncle on a voyage to meet their contact from the Westlands, Erryl became intrigued by the Fair Ones. Over the next several years he managed to befriend a young elf, who taught him the art of the rapier over the course of numerous trading sessions, during the loading of goods on the ship. Unfortunately, one of these meetings was discovered and raided by the Westmarch Navy. Erryl’s friend and mentor was killed in the attack, and Erryl was captured.
He spent some time serving in the navy as a result, until his family was able to buy his release. However, as a known smuggler he was little use to a family that was trying to maintain a believable cover of lawful trading. Somehow he had managed to keep the rapier his mentor had given him, and his father, feeling guilty about sending him out on his own, gave him a beautiful suit of enchanted armor, so he was far from destitute. Thus Erryl was suddenly without a direction in life, and he took to the life of an explorer, vowing to see areas beyond his little stretch of land and sea.
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