Sam's parents came to the main continent when Sam was a baby, fleeing a civil war and a plague. Someone on the ship was infected, and by the time it pulled into the port city of Mercury on the continent's western coast, everyone on board was either dead or dying, including Sam's parents. Sam was placed into an orphanage in Mercury, and as he grew some of the older boys started to teach him how to pickpocket and steal from the market vendors. Sam was a fast runner and appeared to have lightning reflexes and senses, earning him the name Scout. What no one, not even Sam realised, was that his "reflexes" were actually due to his minor prophetic powers, a remnant of his distant elvish ancestors. Sam was less sensing the people around him and more seeing flashes of a near future and reacting accordingly.
His activities in the market did not go unnoticed within Mercury's criminal underbelly, and Sam was adopted by a man when he was 8. His new father turned out to be a high value thief who targeted the mansions and warehouses of Mercury's merchants. He had a son several years older than Sam who he came to view as an older brother. Sam's brother gave him his proper name and taught Sam how to play the lute, changing the direction of Sam's life. He fell in love with music, and dreamed with his brother of escaping this life and becoming travelling musicians.
As Sam grew older his desires to run grew stronger. He and his brother began to save every coin they gained from their jobs to eventually run away. This continued until one fateful night when Sam was 16, when they took on their biggest job yet. A shipment of artwork had come in from the Western Continent and was being stored in a vault in of the richest merchant's mansions right on the water. Sam was the usual lookout while his father and brother broke into the mansion. As he stood in the garden, keeping an eye on the building, he got an incredibly strong vision of a fire consuming the earth, moving as if it was sentient. As with all his visions, Sam connected this with being in the imminent future. Distressed and scared for his brother's life, he abandoned his post and broke into the mansion to warn his family. In Sam's panic he forgot to stay quiet, exposing the three to the mansion's security. As they ran through the halls for their lives Sam's father started a fire to buy them time. The fire spread quicker than expected, filling the hallways with smoke, and the ceiling started to come down. Sam's brother, bringing up the rear, was blocked by the fire and caught by the guards. As Sam reached the window and looked back he saw no sign of his brother following and tried to run back to find him. His father caught Sam's collar and dragged him out the window, leaving his son behind to die whilst he and Sam escaped. Sam ran away that same night, taking all the money he and his brother had saved. He made his way to the Capital where he lived on the streets for a while, playing in taverns to earn money. One night, after a couple times playing with the same band, he was noticed by the crown prince. Sam was a couple months past 17 by this point, and lying about his age, he joined the royal band, becoming a close companion of the prince during his residence in the castle.
After a year of working in the castle, Sam was approached in secret by his father, in desperate debt and needing his help for "one last job", which Sam declined. Shortly after, evidence came to light regarding Sam's past and new plans to steal from the castle, and Sam was accused. Reverting back to the only solution he knows, Sam ran away, and agreed to help his father on that last job. They're caught, and Sam's father sacrifices Sam to save his own skin. The only reason Sam isn't executed is due to the involvement of the prince, who pardons him, and Sam is jailed for the foreseeable future.
Sam joins Aarne, Ghost, and Cory in their quest to save the continent from the destructive rule of the fire spirit which has possessed the queen. He meets Aarne after being locked up for two years when the crown guard is accused of treason. There is a general distrust between them, as Aarne was the one who arrested Sam, and Sam enjoys teasing the knight for also being a criminal now. Sam is intrigued by Cory from the moment they meet, but he doesn't make much progress in breaking through their shell until they are forced to reveal their wings to him. Sam vows to help Cory heal their wings, and he eventually confesses his own past Cory. Sam connects with Ghost through their shared love of music - they often play their instruments together around the fire when the group stop for the night.
last edited 4th June 2026.
