Jon Aris

Jon Aris

Jon Aris is the current king of the Farseas by inheritance, accident, and the weight of a crown no one thought he would ever wear. Once a carpenter and swordsman who preferred simple work and honest grief, he became king by default when his father Erdrick Aris died during land treaty negotiations at Elden's Crossing.

Before the Crown

Jon Aris was a carpenter — and not reluctantly so. He was good at it. He is "more carpenter and swordsman than king," and that description fits him more comfortably than any coronation portrait. He visits the grave of his late wife and son regularly. He loves his brothers — Caduca Aris and Dorimo Aris — with the uncomplicated intensity of someone who does not feel the need to prove it. His family is, in some ways, the only project he has ever undertaken out of genuine enthusiasm.

The Reluctant Crown

The Aris family's claim rests on the defeat of Thaalim Torchtower's bandit forces in the early 14th century and the treaties that followed. When Erdrick died mid-negotiation in Elden's Crossing's now-submerged west end, Jon inherited those claims along with the chaos of the civil war they were meant to defuse. He is "somewhat seen as weak" — willing to do "whatever it takes to secure his people's future and safety," which is admirable in a father and dangerous in a king.

Manshoon's Approach

In approximately 1506–1507 DR, Jon was contacted by Manshoon — a clone of the historical arch-manipulator, currently running the The Black Circle — through agents led by Leopold Le'claw, a Tabaxi operative. Manshoon offers Jon support: resources, intelligence, portal infrastructure, and political weight. The promises are real. The cost has not yet been fully disclosed.

Caduca sees the problem. Dorimo's jaw has gone tighter. Jon is listening.

The Aris Secret

What the family does not discuss, and what could shatter their political legitimacy if revealed, is that they are secretly descendants of Thaalim Torchtower himself — the bandit king whose defeat granted them their claim. The victory was real; the bloodline is complicated.

See also: Caduca Aris, Dorimo Aris, Erdrick Aris, Aris, Manshoon, Leopold Le'claw, Elden's Crossing.