Lem

Lem

(Iconic)

Alignment

Chaotic good

Ancestry/Species

Halfling

Class

Bard (maestro muse)

Gender

Male

Homeland

Cheliax

Deity

Shelyn

Images of Lem

Source: Meet the Iconics

The iconic bard, Lem is a male halfling from the nation of Cheliax. For years, he has done freelance work with the Pathfinder Society. Lately, Lem and his recent adventuring companion the monk Sajan have styled themselves as aspiring Firebrands.

Meet the Iconics

See also: Meet the Iconics

Lem casts the spell haunting choir.

Although Lem was raised in the lap of luxury, his childhood was anything but comfortable. He had the unfortunate luck to be born into slavery, to a mother indentured to one of Cheliax's countless noble families. Lem was sold a half dozen times to different nobles before he reached the age of two. Such is the fate of most of Cheliax's halflings (often called "slips" by that nation's citizens). Halflings are much valued as slaves in Cheliax since they take up less room and since their inborn optimism ironically stunts escape urges. Halflings born into slavery in Cheliax are prone to think of their lot in life as "lucky." They are fond of saying, "At least we aren't living in the gutter or starving!"

Nevertheless, halflings who rankle at the concept of enslavement do appear. Halflings like Lem. Growing up a slave in the devil-haunted empire of Cheliax exposed Lem to a shocking range of decadence and debauchery. He learned from a young age how to say what his superiors wanted to hear, and as he grew older, these skills often secured him less onerous jobs. While his kin toiled in basement washrooms or tended hellhound stables, Lem was taught to play the flute so he could entertain at family gatherings. Yet Lem was not blind to the discomfort of his brothers and sisters, and when he learned that a dozen of his kin were to be sacrificed to a devil as an offering to seal a new trade contract, Lem knew the time to act had come. Taking advantage of his increased mobility in the manor, it was a relatively simple trick to light a few fires in secret corners and then ensure that all of his halfling kin were safe in the slave's quarters. The manor burnt quickly, but Lem was shocked to see his kin rush back to the manor in a hopeless attempt to aid in extinguishing the flames. As the place burnt to the ground, and the halflings bemoaned their fate and the loss of their shelter, Lem slipped away into the night, bitter and distraught over this unexpected turn of events.

Lem left Cheliax by stowing away on a merchant vessel and never looked back. He rarely speaks of his childhood today, but one can see its effects in his high disdain for law and order, and his intolerance for cruelty. Always quick to side with the underdog, Lem has learned that his most powerful traits are his optimism and sense of humor—virtues that almost make up for his small stature and impulsive nature. Lem's reasons for traveling with his current companions vary upon the day and his mood, but he certainly values their strengths—and the never-ending supply of comedy material their antics provide him.

History

In Absalom on an occasion where the novice wizard Ezren was just beginning his adventuring career, Lem saved Ezren's life from an imp who worked for Ezren's diabolist brother Truan. At this time, Lem claimed to be a member of the Pathfinder Society.

At various encounters in his career, Lem is known to have allied in Andoran with Merisiel, Kyra, and Valeros; in Ravounel with Feiya, and on a mission as a freelancer for the Pathfinder Society with the inventor Droven.

Years after meeting Ezren, Lem traveled with the monk Sajan to Nex, on a mission for the two to prove themselves to the Firebrands as new members of the organization. Here they allied with Harsk (sent by the Pathfinder Society), Seelah (sent by the Knights of Lastwall), and Quinn (a private detective who had been hired on an investigation). All of them had been given the same target: Gabsalia Venris, a woman who had information of interest to all their factions. Gabsalia was a dissatisfied "quick" seeking to defect from her position as an advisor to the twilight sage Kwo Qenguin. The five adventurers did not know that they had been subtly led to their converging missions by the scheming Gebbite necromancer Nyctessa, whom they allied with to extract Gabsalia's intel and, to Nyctessa's fortune, defeat Kwo, one of Nyctessa's opponents in the cutthroat political world of the city Yled. With their work done, the five heroes left the city, hoping to continue to stick together as an adventuring party.

Associates

In addition to the Pathfinder Society, the Firebrands, Sajan, and Lem's other adventurer allies, Lem also has friends in the Bellflower Network.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.