Ereviel “Eight Toes” - Bard of (mis)Fortune

An Elven bard born in a small hamlet outside Baldur’s bustling port city of Edimir. Ereviel musical talents came self taught, for his parents did not have the coin nor the will to allow their child to seek out professional training at any of the prestigious Bard Colleges or Conservatoriums across the land. Ereviel simply learnt through observation, watching hundreds of performances in Edimir’s Gracewater Hall, after begging the manager there for a job so many times they simply allowed him to work there for free. Though he would often try gain the attention of the performers after their performances, very few gave time for a lowly elven stagehand. Finally though, one such performer did take an interest in him, a Nosmeni bard named Sera who gifted Ereviel one of her old lutes, encouraging the young Elf to continue his dreams. Though he had no idea how to play the lute, he tried for several months, much to the chagrin of his parents who were ready to smash the instrument upon the stone walls of their apartment. Though after a time, Sera returned for another concert at Gracewater Hall, and bestowed upon Ereviel several valuable books for learning the lute, as well as teaching him basic chords and melodies. He was smitten, and began practising every day, busking on the streets of Edimir with an open hat for coins that might be passed to him. Sadly this was not a profitable affair, until he was approached one day by a group of thugs. Thinking they aimed to take the few copper coins in his hat, Ereviel drew a small dagger in self-defense, though the thugs assured him they instead wanted to give him coins, not take them from him. They only wanted him to move his performance to a shopfront in one of the seaside markets, and he’d get a shiny bit of coins after. Cautiously, he agreed, knowing it was likely they were up to no good, but the promised sum was more than he had ever made from busking in a year. The pay he was promised was delivered, but he found that the group now relied on him for similar gigs across the kingdom of Baldur, and he was now in their employ, despite knowing nothing about their names or even the name of their organisation. He was simply told to play in a spot, distract store owners and collect a sum of coins after. Lawmen began associating Ereviel with these heists, and it wasn’t long until he became a wanted man. But before the law could find him, the Rossa Cartel did. It seemed one of the stores that got blagged was under their protection, and Ereviel was the only lead they had. Though he wanted to talk, he truly knew now information that was valuable to them, and for that, they took both of his big toes. He fled to Belfrie soon after, taking work as entertainment in small taverns and inns, keeping a low profile. Despite all this, his amputated toes became a quickly-spread rumour, and “Eight Toes Ereviel” became a moniker he wore for the rest of his days. Now the Golden Griffins have set their sites on him, knowing his story and giving him a chance for revenge against the Cartel.