Backstory

Crispin Beanwhistle was born and raised in the bustling, yet perpetually anxious, city of Emberfield . Growing up in the shadow of Stonewatch Island and its sealed horrors, Crispin was fascinated by power. They enrolled in the prestigious Emberfield Academy of Arcane Arts, not out of a thirst for knowledge, but a desire for control. They found the Academy's methods slow and its ethics restrictive, a pointless delay to achieving true strength. Their impatience and arrogance led them to seek alternative paths.

In a dusty, forbidden section of the Academy's library, they found what they were looking for: a ritual to contact an extraplanar entity. Crispin, believing they were clever enough to control any being, made a pact with a shadowy patron who offered them power, unfettered and immediate. They dropped out of the Academy the next day, the rudimentary spells of their former classmates now seeming like children's toys.

Crispin moved into a local cottage that was rumored to have belonged to a sorcerer who perished during the Shadow War, and had been abandoned ever since.

Crispin had performed forbidden rituals in the cottage, hoping to master powers beyond conventional magic. These rituals left a mark on the building, attracting malevolent energies even before Ariel's corruption.

Despite their proud and self-absorbed demeanor, Crispin isn't cruel. They use their newfound abilities to work as a 'fixer' in the city's underbelly, solving problems others can't or won't. This work not only pays well but also places them in a position of power and influence, which they adore. They are known for their efficiency and discretion, but their methods can be unnerving.

Secretly, Crispin's acts of 'subtle kindness' are often manipulations, calculated to create a network of people who owe them favors, further cementing their control over the city's hidden currents.