Rous

Rous H was a halfling basket merchant from Silvercrest City and the inventor of the Phonosax.

History

Early life

Rous was born to a family of halflings in northern Electricia or southern Swarte that despised non-religious musical endeavours, leading to Rous' expulsion at a young age. Travelling to Silvercrest City, he was taken under the tutelage of a master basket weaver who taught him the art of making baskets from straw, a trade that Rous eagerly picked up. In his free time, Rous experimented with musical instruments, eventually constructing a sort of tube-based instrument that allowed him to play a variety of notes. While melting down the brass required for one of his prototypes, a fire coincidentally started in the basket warehouse he was in, leading to the death of his master.

Rous continued with the basket-making process undeterred. Unfortunately, his master had not been able to teach him the finer parts of running a business, like how to make a sale or what to do with money. Rous continued to produce baskets, and attempted to sell them by becoming a sort of travelling salesperson, but melted down most of the money he earned to produce more components for his musical instruments.

Some time before Weathia: Resurrection, Rous completed his latest prototype, named the Phonosaxos or Phonosax.

Weathia: Resurrection

Rous encountered the Pawnbreakers near Silvercrest City after he had embarked on a journey to find new customers for his baskets. Unfortunately, he had forgotten his baskets at home, but did remember to take his phonosax with him. Upon encountering the Pawnbreakers, Rous performed with his phonosax and attempted to sell some of his non-present baskets.

Rous joined the party as they journeyed to Silvercrest City, inviting them to visit his warehouses. Upon opening the doors, the party was buried in an avalanche of baskets, as Rous had produced so many without making a successful sale that the warehouse was completely full. Likewise full was Rous' mailbox, which contained multiple notices from the government that he owed significant overdue taxes. This included a handwritten letter from Gin Silvercrest, whose name Rous did not recognise. Attempts by the party to explain the importance of taxes and how to go about paying them proved to be difficult, as Rous' only conclusion was that he could pay his taxes in baskets, as he had no money at all.

The party instead decided to perform a charity concert dedicated to Rous, appearing alongside the halfling as the band "F.V.R.L.Er" and performing in the Silvercrest City tax office. The concert was a success, giving Rous money to pay off his debt. The Pawnbreakers parted ways with the halfling, with Vaela being given a stack of 200 baskets which Rous encouraged them to sell.

Later life

Shortly after the stunt at the tax officer, Rous was arrested on suspicions of causing a public nuisance and brought into custody for questioning. Rous spent several weeks in custody, upset at being separated from his phonosax, but eventually realised that he had not actually been imprisoned and was instead merely sitting in the waiting area.

His time in "prison" gave Rous a new perspective on life, and he decided to revamp his basket industry to deal with the major problems of dwindling materials and space. His original plans were to become Weathia's first professional basket-disassembler, but during a discussion with his neighbour learned that he could sell his baskets for money and then use that money to buy more straw and make more baskets. The neighbour was promptly hired as Rous' first general manager.

With the basket making business in more capable hands, Rous turned his attention back to his instruments. He began construction on an improved phonosax, called the Phonomaximus.

Another effect of his run-ins with the law was that Rous developed a fascination with legal proceedings. After his "release", Rous decided that he wished to become a lawyer. He began his self-directed studies at the local library, tragically not initially in the section for law books. His discovery of a system called “adoption” was a monumental occasion for Rous, as it finally gave him answers to the question he had asked his old master years ago: “where do babies come from?”

A few years after the events of Weathia: Resurrection, Rous reunited with FBR and entered a business contract with him. The arrangement did not always please FBR, who considered it to be more babysitting than actual business, although the business was admittedly booming.

Rous and FBR eventually had a run-in with Silvercrest City's Owl Gang, an organisation that FBR initially did not believe existed (nor that they lived "under the street") despite Rous' insisting. Rous was eventually kidnapped by the Gang, and FBR was forced to venture beneath the streets to rescue him, which he did without much difficulty.

Trivia

• Rous believes that Electricia has "at least 16" laws.
• It is possible that Rous gave a prototype phonosax known as a "saxophone" to Morde during his travels after being cast out of his home village, although Rous himself doesn't remember this.

Appearances

• WEATHIA: RESURRECTION Chapter XXVIII: Saxes and Taxes
• Rouspilogue
• Year Four: The Misadventures of FBR and Rous