PCs:Janur da Medican

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Noble, but humble roots

the da Medican Family

Janur da Medican was born as the third son of a minor noble in M'Chek. His family arrived in M'Check by sea some fifty years before his birth. What few knew: The da Medicans were once the Barons of Medec, a fief in the Kurathene Empire. Alas, the woes of politics and an insurrection forced them to flee into exile.

What's in a name

Young Janur was named after a semi-mythical founding ancestor of the da Medicans, the notorious adventurer and cavalier Janur da Medican. The da Medican family always had a great chest of tales, anecdotes and stories of this person.

It is said, that he earned nobility for saving the world more than one time, that he was a friend of dragons and elves, that he fought undefeated in the gladiator pits of the lizard king and that his courage and manners finally convinced a princess to refuse her title and live with him as a commoner. Other versions say, that he wielded holy weapons and that he still lives somewhere in another plane of existence.

Yet another variant says that he was just a rogue, who made up the nobility title to gain access to a ball where he wanted to seduce a duchess, and kept the title out of habit.

Everyone in the family regards this Janur da Medican of the past as what he probably is: A mythical figure, based on a petty adventurer who has lived long ago. But it is a good bedtime story to tell the kids.

Young Janur has always been intrigued by this wealth of story around his namesake. He knew that he would probably never be as adventurous, but felt that this strive for grandeur is also in him. So he searched for another way to fame, one that perhaps involves his family past, or the lives of other heroes.

Since Janur normally wouldn't inherit anything (Being exiles, the da Medicans didn't have enough land to live from it, so the income came from the work as merchants. So there was not enough to hand out to all three sons), young Janur followed a travelling bard to learn his trade.

End of an Apprenticeship

Saalam Siing, his tutor journeyed with him through the outskirts of Mikona, teaching him the trade of a bard. From his master, Janur learned allt he basics a travelling bard needed to know. Sadly the two got in the way of bandits, and Janur panicked.

He ran as fast as he could. He never saw Saalam again, and knows not if his mentor is dead, captured or alive and angry. Janur is still deeply ashamed of this deed and won't tell anyone of it. If asked, he always tells that they 'went different ways'.

Early years

Janur roamed Mikona and tried to make a living. After a while, he tried going out adventuring again, but after dying two times he was not only afraid anymore: He became convinced that this was not his way, that he should not fight! He then swore a vow not to wield a weapon again.

He assumed that the political stage might be more suited for him, or the stage of trickery. Or perhaps some of the legends are true, and there is more strength to his name and blood than he suspects?

The Artist

After his first weeks in the Mikona countryside, Janur found out a few things: First off, he discovered that he was gifted with a talent for pictures: After always having done small doodles and sketches, he now started to pursue this as a career, which even earned him a decent living. An example of his work is his Portrait of Dashel Knight.

He still adhered to his vow of not wielding a weapon again, although this didn't hinder him to accompany heroes on their forays. He watched them with a morbid interest, but never participated. Janur constantly seeked for proofs for his beliefs, challenging the world to provide it.

On the outside, he became wary of pieous worshippers of any god, although he counted friends among the most devout of them: Aradan Kir, Kaelyn MacCaddor, Amonien Amana, to name just a few.

Heroes of Avlis entry

Early in the Summer of 2070, a young bard broke free from his tutor. Janur, runaway third son of the da Medican family, had set out to gain fame and fortune.

Little did he know of adventuring, or how to survive the attacks from bandits or undead. As most hot blooded youths did, Janur got into his fair share of fights. But unlike his peers, Janur didn't grow stronger or more skilled at killing. He actually began to resent it, and it didn't take long for him to swear a solemn oath at the Temple of Mikon: He swore not to take up a weapon again.

Instead he started to earn his (meager) living by tagging along other adventurers, to tell their tales in taverns and at fireplaces. His situation quickly improved though, once he discovered a hidden talent:

Always having done small doodles and sketches, he has now started to pursue painting portraits as a career, which was earning him a decent living. He became sought out by many who wanted their likeness committed to canvas, as a memory to their heroic deeds. This not only kept him clothed and fed, but also introduced him to the important persons of the world.

The young painter quickly found himself to be involved in a lot of things, as people told him of their experiences, and often also asked him for advice. His familiarity with people knew no boundaries: It wasn't unusual for him to do a portrait for the High Priest of Maleki in the morning, only to spend the evening over an ale with the High Paladin of Gorethar in the City Gate Inn. Janur never lost his gentle manners though, which kept him in high regard with most young women. It was a rare day when Janur wasn't flirting with some young lass. His liaisons were never very serious, except one: Lisa Kler, the younger sister of the Gorethar Cleric Hollis Kler.

It should have been a carefree time for the young man, as he didn't have to worry over his future much, nor did he suffered from poverty or illness. But Mikona was a city under constant threat of considerable dark forces: Mysterious vampyres roamed the countryside, and an invasion of over a thousand Sereg'Wethrin was imminent.

Janur knew that he couldn't do much against either of this by himself, but he spent a lot of his time trying to arrange help from the various heroes. He set nearly impossible aims for himself, and despaired at his perceived lack of success. The only place he could find solace seemed to be the bottom of cheap bottles of goblin brew.

The cure for these woes came from an unexpected corner: The Legion of Darkness, a group that flaunted it's dark desire for power sought a public front, someone who would mediate in negotiations. Janur, desperate for feeling useful, was deemed the perfect candidate. Slowly recovering from his drunkenness, Janur became embroiled in games of high intrigue. Few know what really happened to the Legion of Darkness, but most are convinced that it has been disbanded long ago.

Out of this, the former artist emerged as a well-known diplomat, with contacts to most circles in Avlis: The once penniless painter, now married to the High Priestess of Angadar (a coupling many deemed surprising at that time), was a respectable citizen now. He quickly had raised enough gold to erect one of Mikonas finest taverns, together with his old friend Merago Jert: The Canvas.

The lavishly decorated place quickly became popular with those who could afford the exorbitant cost for the required membership. Janur made full use of all the connections he had acquired in his prior life. It has been said that even the mysterious leader of the Ravens, the "Red One" frequented the place, rubbing elbows with the establishment of Mikona.

Finally settled down, Janur pursued his leisure interests: He started to participate in stage plays, joined the South Avlis Trade Federation, dabbled a bit in politics, and generally sticked around. He was renowned as Sage in the Avlis Tower University. His lectures often tended to obscure parts as arts in general or marriage customs.

He even renewed his love to Lisa Kler. To the amazement of many, Janur took Lisa as second wife, so that he was now legally married to Amonien Amana and Lisa Kler. True to his reputation as womanizer, he also has an illegitimate child. He mostly talked about her mother in hints and vague concepts, but acknowledged Elvanshalee as his own and raised her in his house.

It seems Janur has retired from most "adventurous" activities today. Still, those who take an interest know that The Canvas has strange locked doors, and that it never fully ceased to be a place of intrigue and plotting... Source

Events after that

At the morning of March the 17th in the Spring of 2133, an Angadar priestess published an open letter, allegedly containing the last words and will of Janur da Medican. The letter starts explaining that the Angadar Priestess Talana Lyonard was instructed to publish it should she have proof of his death.

In the further paragraphs, Janur reveals that he was at a time the Mikonan High Priest of the Church of Angadar, a position formerly held by his wife. He also mentions a few other clandestine operations, which did sound very dubious and were not really believed. His claim to have been Cerran Wiston, the Angadar High Priest was confirmed though.

His last will gives all his worldly possessions to his wives and his daughter, as well as setting up a fund for young artists. The Canvas, his most prized creation later gets caught into an affair and then closed down by the Mikonan Government

For a long time, everyone thought that he was dead and gone for sure. There are rumours though, that he has reappeared again in Kuras.