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@ariella-newheart Correct, although, arguably the modern-day version is a lot more interesting.

Well, here goes…

KKOA is a fantasy/steampunk mashup WIP of mine in which Jayce originates. A son of Bladashia, Jayce was born in a small village just east of their less friendly neighbor, Shadoni. He was an unusual child right from birth. You see there was no father… at all. His mother couldn’t quite explain what happened, just one day Jayce came along.

Naturally, with no explanation, assumptions were made. Often times people become their reputation and this case was no different. Jayce was left to fend for himself while his mother spent her days drinking her life away at the tavern. The evenings were left to making the one she blamed her failure on miserable as Jayce was subjected to much verbal and physical abuse.

During the day, an elderly woman took pity on the boy and looked after him while his mother wasn’t around. To keep him occupied, she gave him a bow which he took to immediately becoming quite skilled even at his young age.

One day marauders attacked his village and captured Jayce. Taken back to Rockladon, he was immediately sold into slavery where the taskmasters set about to break his will. Jayce was less than submissive and one night, after getting a hold of a whip and nearly killing a guard, he was chained down and branded with the mark of permanent. Sometimes, although very rarely, slaves could buy their freedom, however, those with the mark were destined to be slaves forever. It was sort of a fate worse than death type of thing.

Soon, Jayce was sold to a manor where he became something a little lower than a stable boy. Little food, abuse, and overseers that were quite free with the whip often took the lives of the poor souls that worked nearly day and night. However, some spirits are too stubborn to die. Jayce became quite good at snatching tidbits of food and nourishment for him and his fellow slaves. He developed a gift for quick hands and nimble fingers as well as a certain agility and cunning.

As fate or providence would have it, a thief broke into the very stable where Jayce was, looking for a horse. Instead of blowing the whistle, Jayce begged the man to take him away from that wretched place. The thief took pity on the boy and took him back to the brotherhood. It didn’t take them long to spot Jayce’s potential and, weighed with his size, decided to take him in and train him to be a first-class thief. Jayce learned quickly and soon surpassed even his teachers as well as increasing in skill with both his bow and the lute.

Staying true to his free nature, he soon became restless. Packing his bow and lute, he slipped on his hood and caught the fastest horse to Emberlin, the capital of Archia. This is where the story finds him stealing the necklace of a young senator’s daughter who happens to be Eva White. He soon contacted by Gavriel, a Mistborn in hiding, who recruits him into a team of thieves hired by an anonymous beneficiary to steal the Key of Emberlin. After the heist, Jayce decides to take the key for himself and, while fleeing from the scene, slips the key around his neck. Unknowingly becoming a Key Keeper and spiraling him into a century-long war for the seven Keys of Archia.

As far as flaws and quirks…

As I have already mentioned, Jayce has major OCD which is part of the reason for his Kleptomania. He also suffers from severe PTSD and panic attacks. He allowed his hair to grow shaggy for the sole reason of covering up the shameful brand.

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So that’s Jayce. Sorry it’s so long.