== Character History ==

== Character History ==

Trivel was born in Karmir nearly half a century ago.  For as long as he can remember, his father, Luterick, worked as the court jester of the kingdom.  His father taught him how to juggle at a very young age (his mother claims he could juggle before he could walk).  He also taught him how to sing and tell jokes properly (“it’s just as much about insulting them as it is about flattering them,” his father once said).  As a child, he would often wait up for his father to come home after the banquets and festivals because he always had the greatest stories to tell.  Like the one about how he accidentally tossed a ball into the dwarven ambassador’s mug of ale while juggling and was chased around the hall by the aforementioned dwarf with two axes—both trying to decapitate him, or about the time he caught on fire while jumping over the flaming table and had to run from the hall to the royal stable where he barely managed to put the flames out by jumping in a trough, or at Queen Venia’s birthday celebration when he performed his greatest trick that would forever be remembered by all who witnessed it: his flaming-dagger-juggling-and-disappearing-act.   

Trivel was born in Karmir nearly half a century ago.  For as long as he can remember, his father, Luterick, worked as the court jester of the kingdom.  His father taught him how to juggle at a very young age (his mother claims he could juggle before he could walk).  He also taught him how to sing and tell jokes properly (“it’s just as much about insulting them as it is about flattering them,” his father once said).  As a child, he would often wait up for his father to come home after the banquets and festivals because he always had the greatest stories to tell.  Like the one about how he accidentally tossed a ball into the dwarven ambassador’s mug of ale while juggling and was chased around the hall by the aforementioned dwarf with two axes—both trying to decapitate him, or about the time he caught on fire while jumping over the flaming table and had to run from the hall to the royal stable where he barely managed to put the flames out by jumping in a trough, or at Queen Venia’s birthday celebration when he performed his greatest trick that would forever be remembered by all who witnessed it: his flaming-dagger-juggling-and-disappearing-act.  

   

This trick would forever be remembered for two reasons: firstly, because it was the greatest trick anyone had ever seen and second, because it was Luterick the Jester’s final jest.

This trick would forever be remembered for two reasons: firstly, because it was the greatest trick anyone had ever seen and second, because it was Luterick the Jester’s final jest.

That day, he was on top of the world.  He made the crowd laugh with some of the funniest jests that the court and commoners alike had ever heard; he made them cry with the saddest of songs ever to be plucked from a lute; and then he fascinated them with the greatest trick of all.  Trivel remembers watching from the front of the largest crowd he had ever seen.  His father climbed skillfully to the very top of a fifty-foot-tall pole in the center of the arena.  He produced seven daggers and lit the first on fire.  He began juggling three daggers, but soon it was five, then six, and finally seven.  As he juggled, the others caught simply by passing close enough to the flame.  The crowd was cheering and clapping as he began to walk a narrow rope connected to the poles holding banners high in the air over the stadium.  Trivel had never seen anyone walk a rope so high…

 

That day, he was on top of the world.  He made the crowd laugh with some of the funniest jests that the court and commoners alike had ever heard; he made them cry with the saddest of songs ever to be plucked from a lute; and then he fascinated them with the greatest trick of all.  Trivel remembers watching from the front of the largest crowd he had ever seen.  His father climbed skillfully to the very top of a fifty-foot-tall pole in the center of the arena.  He produced seven daggers and lit the first on fire.  He began juggling three daggers, but soon it was five, then six, and finally seven.  As he juggled, the others caught simply by passing close enough to the flame.  The crowd was cheering and clapping as he began to walk a narrow rope connected to the poles holding banners high in the air over the stadium.  Trivel had never seen anyone walk a rope so high...

 

And then, suddenly, his father fell.

And then, suddenly, his father fell.

Seven daggers flew through the air, arcing towards the king and queen’s podium.

Seven daggers flew through the air, arcing towards the king and queen’s podium.

The crowd gasped.  A woman screamed.  Trivel held his breath and watched his father fall perhaps a dozen feet and then disappear completely.

The crowd gasped.  A woman screamed.  Trivel held his breath and watched his father fall perhaps a dozen feet and then disappear completely.

The seven daggers fell from the sky and thudded one-by-one into the wooden thrones of the king and queen: one on each of the four armrests, narrowly avoiding the king and queen’s arms; one on each headrest, barely missing their crowns, and the seventh and final dagger landed with a thud on the seat of the king’s throne escaping his “royal jewels” by just a hair's breadth.  Luterick tumbled out from underneath the queen’s dress and threw his arms out to the sides, welcoming his audience.

The seven daggers fell from the sky and thudded one-by-one into the wooden thrones of the king and queen: one on each of the four armrests, narrowly avoiding the king and queen’s arms; one on each headrest, barely missing their crowns, and the seventh and final dagger landed with a thud on the seat of the king’s throne escaping his “royal jewels” by just a hair's breadth.  Luterick tumbled out from underneath the queen’s dress and threw his arms out to the sides, welcoming his audience.

There was a moment of silence and then the crowd burst into the loudest and longest applause that Trivel had ever heard.  The royal attendants hurried forth to remove the daggers.  The king and queen were in shock, but applauding nonetheless.  The roar of the audience was deafening.

There was a moment of silence and then the crowd burst into the loudest and longest applause that Trivel had ever heard.  The royal attendants hurried forth to remove the daggers.  The king and queen were in shock, but applauding nonetheless.  The roar of the audience was deafening.

It was at that moment that Trivel decided he would be a jester, just like his father.  After all, he had been trained by the best.

It was at that moment that Trivel decided he would be a jester, just like his father.  After all, he had been trained by the best.

Few weeks passed before Trivel and his mother were greeted at their door by King Armandel himself.  Trivel’s mother looked worried; he was confused.  The king came to tell them that their husband and father, Luterick the Jester, had died earlier that night while performing his duties to the kingdom.  Trivel didn’t understand.  Had his father finally fallen too far?  Had he insulted the wrong person?  How does a jester die while “performing his duties to the kingdom”?

Few weeks passed before Trivel and his mother were greeted at their door by King Armandel himself.  Trivel’s mother looked worried; he was confused.  The king came to tell them that their husband and father, Luterick the Jester, had died earlier that night while performing his duties to the kingdom.  Trivel didn’t understand.  Had his father finally fallen too far?  Had he insulted the wrong person?  How does a jester die while “performing his duties to the kingdom”?

He noticed that his mother oddly accepted the news and was sobbing softly.  Armandel reached out to comfort her and told Trivel that his father was working as an assassin under direct orders from him.  It was during one of these missions that he had been killed.  He expressed his sorrows and said that a funeral would be held in his honor.  He patted Trivel on the shoulder and said this: “a good jester is hard to find, especially one as good as Luterick.  He will be sorely missed.”  He left without saying much more.

He noticed that his mother oddly accepted the news and was sobbing softly.  Armandel reached out to comfort her and told Trivel that his father was working as an assassin under direct orders from him.  It was during one of these missions that he had been killed.  He expressed his sorrows and said that a funeral would be held in his honor.  He patted Trivel on the shoulder and said this: “a good jester is hard to find, especially one as good as Luterick.  He will be sorely missed.”  He left without saying much more.