Keyair Heartstone was a wealthy merchant who was born 940AE and died in 1012AE. He was the twin of Amayl Heartstone-Rodin, and the son of Gauge Heartstone-Rodin and Yimi Jun. He was the nephew of Tazim Chakif. He married Celia Heartstone and had three daughters with her: Jacinta Piers, Amarika Ludlow, and Rasheba Heartstone.
He should have been known as Keyair Sands but never introduced himself as such, preferring the surname of his grandmother for its 'pleasant ring' with his own name.
He was one of the two founding members of the Ludlow Accord along with Mancel Ludlow. He all but adopted Mancel, despite the man not being that much younger than he by thirteen years. Family meant a lot to him, whether blood or not.
He is known for having many close friends and being very charismatic. He had a knack for creating strong bonds with people, which helped greatly as his trade empire expanded.
He had a close relationship with his granddaughter Serenity Piers in the years leading up to his death. They were known to make up stories together and even practice with a blade. With her parents having died when she was three years old, he was as good as her father. She helped him heal from the death of his wife Celia at the same time.
His death in 1012AE at age 72 was peaceful. He passed away in his sleep to natural causes. Paris Kalani was the priest that conducted his funeral ceremony before he was cremated and his ashes entombed in the family crypts.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Keyair was born alongside his twin Amayl in 940AE, in the Tropics. The difficult childbirth killed their mother, Yimi Jun (15), and the newborns were left in the care of their incredibly young father Gauge (12). However, it was Sylvie Heartstone, their seamstress grandmother (28), who looked after them for the first few years of their lives. Yimi Jun's younger 2-year-old half-brother Tazim Chakif, now without a caregiver, was also taken in by Sylvie.
With an extremely young family, Sylvie originally passed the twins off as her own to avoid the shame of knowing she hadn't been able to protect her young son from the very early responsibility thrust upon him by a careless older girl.
The Big Break[]
Gauge had been working since he was 8 years old and continued to work hard during the twins' early years, mostly working as a deckhand and leaving for sea weeks or months at a time. It was 8 months into their lives when he returned to his mother, admitting he had found something while at sea - something he had kept hidden from the rest of his crew. He showed her a large, oversized pearl that would fetch thousands.
Sylvie found a buyer through her seamstress contacts. Only taking enough of a cut so she would not be burdened by daily costs of the children, she encouraged Gauge to travel to Everglow City and find better work. Gauge originally agreed and did so, but his love of the ocean came back to haunt him - and reward him yet again. At the tender age of 14, he won a merchant's ship in a card game. Hiring a crew, he returned to the Tropics to pick up his family. Sylvie, previously plagued by horrendous sea-sickness, declined, but allowed the children to go with him despite their ridiculously young ages.
Tazim, two years older than the twins, was better at following instructions, but Gauge quickly learned he needed to keep Keyair and Amayl on a leash. Gauge had to hire a nanny aboard the ship to keep the children in-line, but he started picking up contracts with trading companies. Soon, he and his crew were traveling all-over on their new trade routes.
Meeting Elmer[]
The precocious toddlers and difficult ship-side life as one of only a few women soon had the nanny quit. Gauge would take the twins with him on a leash when he went land-side, and one such time resulted in Amayl slipping the cord. She managed to get away from him and fall into the Sorrows before he could turn back - but an elf named Elmer rescued the little girl and returned her safely to her father. Gauge thanked him profusely and asked him to join his crew. Then, he discovered the elf was a slave - he promptly paid the elf's master and emancipated him. The elf's name was Elmer, and he gladly joined Gauge's crew.
Elmer would end up being responsible for teaching all three of the children to read and write, and he furthered Gauge's scant education. Gauge was intelligent, so the extra training only served to sky-rocket his business endeavors. What started as calculated risks now was becoming financial certainty.
The children watched this change in their fortunes and Keyair developed a very early interest in acquiring wealth and power - strangely, not for himself, but to serve those around him. He became intrigued by numbers and constantly followed his father and Elmer about, absorbing all the knowledge and experience he could from them. Amayl was less interested in the how, instead enjoying what wealth could bring her with nice toys, lovely dresses, and expensive things.
It was around this time that Gauge acquired another ship. He officially formed The Heartstone Trading Company in 948AE.
Growing Up[]
When the twins turned 15 in 955AE, Keyair removed the Rodin from his name as he liked the ring of Heartstone alone. Leaping off his father's success, he began his own merchant career on the seas, captaining one of now many ships - Tazim became his first mate, and Elmer accompanied them briefly as an advisor. Amayl opted to stay with her father.
Amayl was betrothed at the age of 16 (956AE) to a lordling (Harold Umbridge) in Everglow. In transit, however, to her wedding, she was kidnapped by pirates. Gauge and Keyair teamed up to try and save her but despite years of searching, had no luck.
Married with Kids[]
In 964 AE, Keyair (24) met the young Celia Ysmar (17) while docked in Everglow. The two were smitten and Keyair sought her hand in marriage. Her widowed mother approved the match and they were wed in 965 AE. They welcomed their first daughter Jacinta that same year.
Meeting Mancel[]
In 969AE, Keyair came across the burning remains of another vessel taken down by the very pirates he and his father were hunting. Among the survivors was a young man named Mancel Ludlow - originally Keyair thought the boy was nobility due to his surname, but Mancel revealed there was no noble line with his name - only that he had been abandoned on the steps of an orphanage with that name scrawled on a note atop him.
Keyair had a soft spot for Mancel and quickly became firm friends with the guy. Mancel also benefited from Elmer's tutelage and had a keen interest in history and politics.
Discovering Caybourne[]
970 AE, Gauge discovered Caybourne while searching for his daughter. Gauge claimed the smallest island and named it Shelter. He had a shipyard and dock constructed there. The second-largest island was named Sylvie Isle in honor of his mother. Keyair named the final largest island Caybourne (meaning 'the limit of the rocky bay'), and collectively the three isles would be known as such.
Finding Amayl[]
Also in 970 AE, Elmer joined with House Umbridge searching for one of their ships taken by pirates. Both parties were still looking for Amayl and surprisingly discovered she was still alive. They killed the pirates holding her hostage and returned her to her father and brother. Gauge was very aware of what had been done to his little girl in the time he hadn't been able to protect her and never recovered from the guilt. Keyair took over all Heartstone Trading Company operations at this time as his father sank into a deep depression.
Family Deaths and Births[]
In 972 AE, Gauge died at the age of 44 to alcohol poisoning. He was the first to be cremated and his remains entombed in a cave system on Sylvie Isle. Keyair's grandmother Sylvie moved from the Tropics to finally be with her family. Keyair and Celia's second daughter Amarika was born that year.
Lording and Betrothals[]
In 973 AE the Ludlow Accord was formed in place of a House system. Although Keyair was in the highest position of power at this time, he made his young friend and protege Mancel Ludlow the lord of Caybourne. This was due to the way Mancel described how he visualized a just governing power, a concept which Keyair supported. With some Senate dealings, Mancel's brand new place in nobility was officiated (begrudgingly by some). Keyair promised his second-born daughter Amarika to Mancel upon her reaching womanhood, although at the time she was only an infant and Mancel had 20 years on her.
- In 974 AE, Sylvie Heartstone died in her sleep at the age of 61. She was the second to be cremated and her remains entombed in what would come to be the family crypts of the Ludlows.
- In 983 AE, Keyair and Celia had their last and youngest daughter Rasheba Heartstone.
- In 987 AE, Mancel and Amarika were wed shortly after she turned 15 - Mancel was 35. Darius was born to Jacinta and Elsik Piers.
- 995 AE - Angelique and Lyron were born to Jacinta and Elsik Piers.
- 997 AE - Claire and Jennifer were born to Mancel and Amarika.
- 998 AE - Casim was born to Mancel and Amarika (false - born as result of a rape Amarika didn't remember, by Elsik).
- 1000 AE - Serenity was born to Jacinta and Elmer (Keyair suspected) but Elsik is believed to be the father by most.
- 1007 AE - Rasheba comes home changed.
- 1003 AE - Celia, Jacinta, Angelique, and Elsik (false, Elsik murdered by Mancel) die to an illness.
- 1005 AE - Aimee was born to Mancel and Amarika.
- 1011 AE - Eason was born to Mancel and Amarika.
- 1012 AE - Keyair dies peacefully in his sleep age 72.