Master Flea

Once a humble familiar to a powerful and secretive wizard, Flea absorbed his masters essence after their death and became a bizarre hybrid of man and animal. A tactical genius and educated spellcaster, Master Flea's freakish exterior belies a brilliant mind.

Familiar
The last of many familiars his secretive master had, Flea's main purpose was to fetch books and arrange boards for strategy games his master played. Not knowing anything about his birth and his rodent family, Flea loved his master unconditionally. However, all men, even wizards eventually age and die, and Flea's master was no different. After succumbing to age and disease, Flea was the first time in his short life, alone.

The Absorption
It was a quick process, locked in a magically sealed power, the experiments and inborn magical power of his master merged and Flea slowly consumed the glut of magical power. Gaining both increased sentience and a more humanoid appearance, Flea eventually reached a full awakening. Left with nothing but fond memories of his master, a collection of spell books and a slightly battered board and pieces, Flea assuaged his ever-increasing boredom with an extensive program of reading and training. But the seals in his tower remained unbreakable, even for all his skill and talent.

The Outside
Though sealed from the inside, treasure hunters still lusted after the magic inside the tower. All failed, until one day, Alion Sariande and Selach came across the tower. Seeking the power inside of it, they cracked the tower open, and instead of the riches they were expecting found a humanoid rat dressed in the robes of a wizard and holding a book. Though the Seer and future Imperator were disappointed, Flea was tremendously curious about the outside world and continued to follow them. Feeling sorry for the rat, the newly dubbed Master Flea was let into the Glass and Steel Brotherhood.

Appearance
Long bodied, Flea has short arms and legs, each ending with clawed hands that move with disturbing speed. Covered in dull brown fur, his long tail is usually wrapped around his neck. Master Flea is usually found dressed in rough-hewn brown robes, leaning on a gnarled staff and holding a bag of carved bone tokens in his paw, Flea acts much as his old master did, and the ease in which he apes human mannerisms disturbs many. Flea guards himself with a potent aura of intellectual disdain, sneering at most he deems "less intelligent", and though he does not show it with words, his hair bristles at insults or comments about how "natural" he is.