Crevan Arnaud, age 24, is one of many Arnaud cousins involved in the family “business” – a combination of honest trading, smuggling in violation of League import laws, on-going violations of Quaj limitations on shipment through Tivaris, and even more unsavory activities.

In recent years, Crevan has lined his pocket both by skimming from the Arnaud family’s own shipments, as well as working with a bandit-crew working the north/south rode between the East Redding and Tarrish. In a mutual back-scratching operation, Crevan, Cloten the Miller in Obber’s Mill, the fighter/thief Tallon and the wizard Seril would occasionally arrange for Arnaud caravans to be way-laid – along with others, of course – and the proceeds split amongst them all. That operation was nearly uncovered by Cyrus Fletcher, sheriff of Obber’s Mill.

That would have been a disaster, especially in the eyes of the older generation of the Arnaud family. “If you are stupid enought to let the law catch on to what you are doing,” Crevan’s grandmother had always told him, “then you deserve to hang.” Crevan has his eyes on seizing control once the increasingly senile matriarch – Marguerite, Grandmere to Cassick, Amalia, Finnella, Crevan and other Arnaud cousins – finally kicks the bucket. This may, of course, require some careful manipulation of Grandmere’s affections, to make sure she rewrites her will. Fortunately for Crevan, Amalia saw fit to marry herself off to some wheelwright’s son, and Finnella apparently has developed some foolish ideals – and if Crevan’s luck holds, the League might see fit to arrest and hang the bard before she comes to her senses and tries to compete for control of the family holdings.

Unfortunately, Crevan’s cousin Cassick seems to have too good a hold on portions of the business and Grandmere’s affections to give Crevan the guarantees he would like about his future position in the family hierarchy. Dealing with Cassick, perhaps the same way Cyrus Fletcher was dealt with, might require some careful thought and planning. That task might have been more easily accomplished if Tallon and Seril hadn’t gotten themselves killed in an ill-advised raid on the WayStation of Kalle …

DM’s Note: Portrait adapted, under Creative Commons license, from this photograph.