Editing BotR Jon Sterling (section)

===Background===

'''Name a crime you are wanted for but didn't do.'''<Br/>

Marshal Arvis Crane of the Aylwood Rangers was poisoned in a local tavern several weeks after the young lord Hanel Aylwood withdrew his suit for the hand of Miss Emberlyn Sterling, Jon's niece. Arvis and Jon were friendly to each other, and testimony from multiple persons at the scene placed Jon at the scene drinking together with Arvis and tampering with the officer's drink. This testimony and the charges were false, and a majority of the locals do not believe them to be credible, but with judgment sitting in the hands of the hostile Baron Aylwood, Jon could see no plausible way to defend himself. <Br/>

'''Name a crime you committed that nobody knows was you.'''<Br/>

Once in Adamalash, the relics at a shrine of the Wanderer were seized by the authorities when its priests failed to make their proper tribute. After hearing the complaints of travelers about the treatment of the shrine and its guardians, Jon infiltrated the Judiciary Palace to steal both the relics and the assessed taxes from the judicial coffers, returning them to the shrine in secret. While the Judiciary was well aware that the goods had been liberated by illegal means, by the time they were ready to move against the shrine the next day, a "spontaneous" outbreak of song and praise concerning the "miracle" had spread around the city, and the Judiciary opted to play along rather than risk protest and riot. Ultimately, this gave the Wanderer's servants breathing space to make good their finances by the time of the next assessment.<Br/>

'''Name a shady contact. Include their description and occupation.'''<Br/>

Lady Amaryll Finch is an outcast from Bar-Kesh high society who now runs the sprawling tavern and gambling-hall ''Finch's Roost''. Amaryll herself is a handsome tiefling woman of middle years who continues to maintain an air of refinement a bit at odds with the ramshackle charm of the ''Roost'', where a variety of legal and semi-legal vices are available. Amaryll works hard to maintain the dignity and the agency of those who provide those services, both her direct employees and those independently using the ''Roost'' as their base of operation, because her real stream of income comes from brokering information that passes in and out of her establishment.<Br/>

'''Name your claim to fame.'''<Br/>

Jon is well-known for a number of songs he has originated, like "The Royal Rascal" and "Sara's Seven Secret Charms". However, his greatest accomplishment is that he knows the true version of the infamous "Eight Lost Verses" of the epic ballad "Princess Kvana's Ride". The missing material -- suppressed by the descendants of the legendary dwarven warrior Kvana's family -- concerns the princess's dalliance with her lover Melia, the "Songsmith of Iron Deep". Garbled, bowdlerized, or entirely reinvented versions of the verses crop up occasionally before they are again stamped out by the Clanclave, but Jon managed to learn the true verses from the ghost of Melia herself after proving his worth in a contest of song. Rumor has somehow gotten around that Jon knows these verses, but he has yet to find the right time and place to reveal them, having pledged to Melia's spirit that he would only do so when they could properly honor her and Kvana.<Br/>

'''What is your onstage role in the band?'''<Br/>

Jon sings lead on some songs, but he's just as happy to back others on vocals and guitar, or contribute to some of the complicated percussion pieces that the group can put together behind Gareena; he likes the mix of styles that the group can bring. While he does play into the personal notoriety that his past has given to him off stage, when everyone's performing together it's a different story.</Br/>

'''Personal Ties'''<Br/>

Jon has a particular soft spot for Una because she reminds him a great deal of his niece Emberlyn, particularly in her singing voice. While he's aware that this is probably a misplaced sentimentality and he takes care not to treat her in a patronizing way, he nevertheless tends to be especially supportive of her efforts and tries to make sure she has the chance to shine among the group.<Br/><Br/>
He sometimes finds himself frustrated with (@thorya's character). It's a combination of being a little dismissive of the latter's more formalized musical background, and the feeling that they're not achieving up to their potential.<Br/>