Rylo Brightsteel



Once a fixture in the courts of Crystal Water City, Rylo Brightsteel was exiled from a life of privilege amidst the most salacious of rumors. Formerly one of the youngest and most respected captains of the Ko trading fleet, Brightsteel fled Crystal Water City under the cover of darkness and quickly forged a new life plundering the prizes of his former masters, The Merchant Princes of southern Sirrion.



Due to his intimate knowledge of Ko trading routes, in less than a year Brightsteel had amassed a fortune in gold, silks and spices which he turned for a heavy profit in the harbor of Raven's Watch. It was this exceptional rise to prominence which gained the attention of William the Red and Dante Vellasco, two of the Council Lords of The Stormsworn Brotherhood. Breaking with tradition, it was Willam and Vellasco who lobbied the appointment of Brightsteel to a seat on the Council, as a replacement for the ailing Captain Gareth DuMonde. The motion passed and Brightsteel not only became the newest Council Lord, but also the youngest captain in history to ever hold the position.



Brightsteel gains his name from his expert skills with a blade; growing up amidst the aristocracy of the Ko empire, Brightsteel often had to defend himself in honor duels. It is rumored that despite the dozens of duels he fought, he bears no scars from his opponents. His weapon of choice is a razor sharp rapier dubbed Kingfisher, though in combat at sea he is often seen wielding a stiletto. Eyewitness accounts describe him as moving from foe to foe with preternatural grace, in some cases slaying upwards of ten men in a single battle.



Regardless of his new career, Brightsteel has never shed the trappings of his past. He still dresses very much the part of a Ko nobleman, often pulling the choicest pieces of his wardrobe from the bodies of other Ko captains he has killed in combat. While in port at Raven's Watch, he is known to throw lavish parties aboard his flagship, the Empire's Folly, to which invitations are highly sought after. His manners remain the epitome of court behavior, seamlessly balancing refined gentility with vicious intrigue.



In spite of his achievements, few in the southern reaches of Sirrion are aware of Brightsteel's exploits. After his exile, all record of his existence was expunged by direct decree of the Emperor himself. Even speaking his name is an offense punishable by imprisonment and seizure of property. As a result, the Left Hand of the Emperor is kept quite busy silencing witnesses and paying off Merchant Princes who lose their wares to the Ko pirate.