Gavin Desantis

wears brightly colored clothing and hangs his thumbs through his suspenders while he speaks of the daring escapades and exciting locales that have contributed to his “world-famous marvelous menagerie.” A charismatic man, he is used to being able to quickly wow his acquaintances with his sparkly personality and knowledge of rare creatures, but depending on their own proclivities and travels, the party may not be so easily swayed. Gavin makes quick use of his silver tongue trait, granting him advantage on Charisma (Deception) checks if he feels the party’s trust—or interest—is waning.   Gavin Desantis was born to a lesser noble house in Cadia, the great capital city. Ever a fanciful and wonder-filled young man, he inherited little of his family’s strong sense of loyalty to their home. Gavin was, at an early age, determined to wander the world and make his own way. The young man soon discovered that without the financial support of his family, aimless wandering quickly resulted in destitution. After a particularly bad run of luck, Gavin was assailed by bandits and left for dead on the side of a road. As fate would have it, a hedge mage’s abandoned homunculus named Squig found him and brought him back from the abyss. They struck up a partnership and decided to travel together through the Empire searching for fresh sights and adventure wherever they could find them. One evening, the odd pair was making camp and passing the time with music and song when they were chanced upon by a merchant. He was so enthralled and delighted by the unusual entertainment that he gifted Desantis and Squig a large sum of gold to thank and encourage them in their pursuits. Desantis realized that he had found a way to continue his traveling and adventures without the crippling burden of being penniless. He would acquire the unusual and fantastic, show and display the wondrous, and charge for the pleasure of viewing. He persuaded Squig, his trusted friend and ally, to see the potential of their new arrangement, and the pair set about “collecting” magical creatures for the show. It took some doing, and a lot of less- than above-board work, but they eventually unveiled Gavin’s Glorious Gewgaws, the greatest traveling menagerie Azuria has to offer (according to the flyers). Over the years, Gavin’s procurements have grown more and more incredible, a feat that requires him to source creatures from ever more exciting locales. With the spring thaw, word reached him of a mystical creature, part fae, part unicorn, and so small as to travel perfectly with his menagerie.