Few know, however, that Astemba is secretly a preserver.
Astemba takes great care to conceal his abilities, and only
his father knows of his illicit studies. Astemba generally
selects spells with no material components, or with
material components that are easily obtained. He uses his
comprehend languages spell to demonstrate understanding
in languages like that of a normal trader, and indeed
has become adept at a few nonhuman languages without
magical assistance.
Astemba's magic is Ragstol's secret weapon. He will
not use the magic against an opponent in a business
negotiation (you get no repeat business by cheating a
charmed opponent), but more than once, Astemba's
magic missiles have made the difference between loss of
the outpost and the complete rout of attackers.
Unfortunately, since Astemba has developed his abilities
secretly, he has a limited selection of spells. He is a
voracious student of magic, and is filling out a reasonable
spellbook as fast as he can.
Astemba is developing a close relationship with the
Swiftwing elves, using his position to gain their trust and
respect. The Swiftwings will probably not completely trust
the son for a number of years, but Astemba is hoping
that eventually he will be able to turn to the elven tribes
for further magical training
Astemba Wavir is the son of Ragstol Wavir, and appears to be a skilled trader in his own
right. He has less skill in negotiating, but he can appraise
an item's value more quickly and more accurately than
his father. Garbed as a trader and bearing a bronze
dagger which is the image of his father, Astemba can look
forward to a long career in House Wavir.