Lucien d'Aronde was born into a modest family in one of the Republic of Salvos provinces, his family ran a small vineyard just outside a small wine-growing village. He was the second son. The d'Arondes had worked the same patch of land for generations, never wealthy but always getting by, and after the Salvian Revolution overthrew and executed the local crown, families like his basically had to figure out where they stood in the new order. by the time Lucien was born things had gotten harder, the vineyard wasnt bringing in what it used to, and they were just sort of holding on. His older brother Henri was being raised to take over whatever was left of the family land, while Lucien being quieter and more into books from a young age, he got sent at fifteen to study under a parish priest who used to work as a clerk in the capital. Under him Lucien just read a lot, law, rhetoric, theology, and he kind of got obsessed with how the Republic actually worked, the Senate, the courts, the whole idea that power could rest on arguments and institutions instead of blood and titles. The priest died of fever in the fourth year of the arrangement so Lucien went back home but he didnt really have many options anymore, and the village was quieter than he remembered it. Then not long after, the Republic itself got crushed in the Siege for Salvo and the Lone Star Revolution, all the institutions he had spent years studying basically dissolved, and even the small life his family had managed to keep going slowly fell apart with it. So with his mothers push and a small purse from his fathers reluctant savings, Lucien set out for the Empire of Man to find work as a scribe or a clerk to someone whose work actually mattered.
Lucien is baffled and confused but still sits down as his legs hurt from walking, also something about her demeanor struck him as harmless, even if she was strange. "Hold on, before I answer anything, who are you? I dont think we've met." the hag ponders for a second and then responds almost as if she was making fun of him "You wouldn't know me, but ive heard of you." she shifts in her chair as she finishes speaking, Lucien isnt sure what to make of that so he says "What do you mean by that? am i known or something?" The hag waves her hand dismissively, as if his question wasnt worth answering. "All in due time, boy. Now answer mine." Lucien seeing as the granny poses no harm decides to drop his guard and answer the question. "I come from Salvo, small wine-growing village out in one of the provinces. " he looks down at his hands in his lap with uncertainty and continues speaking "I am venturing to the Empire of Man, ever since i was young i liked reading, i studied theology and law, but since the revolution my family has been on the brink of homelessness, so i wanted to put my intellect to use there, to make good money and provide for my family" The hag lets out a small laugh, more to herself than to him. "Theology, law, and a head on your shoulders. The Empire eats boys like you for breakfast, but maybe youll be one of the ones it doesnt." Lucien isnt sure if thats meant as a warning or a compliment, but it catches him off guard either way, he didnt expect her to actually engage with what he'd said. He sits up a little straighter in the chair. "What makes you say that?" The hag just shrugs, the kind of shrug that doesn't give anything away. "Just a feeling, boy. Ive been wrong before."
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