Member of the Mistborn.
Early Life
Whittaker was born in Arkrist on the 10th of Amunver, 8716 of the Shattered Era to Gram and Lothiri Morgana. His mother was a homemaker and a launderess. His father was a sailor. He had no siblings. Whittaker’s father’s work as a sailor meant that he was often away for extended periods of time, leaving Whittaker in his mother’s sole care. Many sailors would of course sail off never to be seen again by their families either because of tragedy or abandonment, but not Gram. He was a good man and faithful to Lothiri. They loved each other very much.
When Whittaker was very young, his home was broken into while Gram was away at sea. They didn’t have much, but what little coin they kept in the house was taken, and the home itself was ransacked. Lothiri was forced to take on extra work to make ends meet, and when Gram returned from the sea, he was shaken to his core at the thought that his family had been endangered while he was not there to protect them. Arkrist had always been something of a rough town, but it had gotten worse in recent years. My parents resolved to find a new home for us far away from the perils of the city.
It took a few years to save up the necessary money, but when Whittaker was five years old, his family set off on a voyage for the Skyre Islands. Gram had secured passage for Whittaker and Lothiri on a trading vessel that he had signed onto until the ship reached Vrungend, the capital of Asnorland. To Whittaker’s young mind, an adventure on the sea with his father was the most exciting thing imaginable. He learned knots and sailing terminology. He climbed the main mast, giving his mother a heart attack in the process. A few of the sailors were of the typical gruff variety who found a child on board to be a nuisance, but others were kinder to him and encouraged his explorations and curiosity. A man named Assan took a special shine to Whittaker. Assan taught Whittaker many things, and by the end of the journey Whittaker was very nearly a proficient sailor at the tender age of six. One evening, standing on the bow of the ship as the moon hung low in the sky, Assan pointed to the bright moon, Amundala, and told Whittaker of the moon goddess he followed. He said that in times of trouble he had always found that the moon had laid out a path for him to travel, and he traced his finger up the length of the moonlight shining like a silver road over the still waters. From that moment on, Whittaker loved the moon, and eventually he came to love and worship the moon goddess, Amundala.
When we arrived in Vrungend, the Morganas found themselves in a new land with foreign customs and strange ways. They spent a few weeks living in an inn, but eventually Gram found work first as a fisherman’s hand and later on trading vessels based in Vrungend. He would again be away from home extended periods, but he felt his family was in a safer land. Whittaker was eager to explore the new lands, and he did so with reckless abandon. Lothiri’s face bore many worry lines as a result of his escapades through the wilderness.
As Whittaker grew, his mother became increasingly concerned with his education. His parents wanted a better life for him than they were able to provide, and they believed the path to that was through education and service to the nobility. Through a connection with one of his father’s ship captains who thought highly of Gram, Whittaker’s parents were able to secure an apprenticeship on Inis Nuadha with the Skald of the Thegn’s court: Eamon Fearghasa. Eamon taught Whittaker music, poetry, oration, argumentation, logic, languages, and philosophy. Whittaker was reared and prepared for service to the nobility as a skald in any of the Asnor courts. When I reached the age of twenty one, Eamon retired, leaving Whittaker his position as the skald of the court of Inis Nuadha.
Life was good. Whittaker made a home on Inis Nuadha. He met a woman named Aisling. They fell in love and were married. In 8744 SE, they had a child: a girl whom they named Saoise. As the skald of the Thegn, now Ornolf Varsson, Whittaker was frequently called upon to act as a diplomat. He did not like to be away from my wife and daughter, but to again be on the sea was a delight for him. He found my skills as a sailor once again, and he fostered many peaceful dealing with the Skyre Folk and nearby Dwarven settlements. For years, he was a faithful servant to the Thegn. That all changed in Yilaver of 8751 SE.
While Whittaker was away on a diplomatic venture to Inis Tierneg, forces were at work foul his position at court and my standing in the eyes of the Thegn. He returned to the Inis Nuadha only to be immediately taken before the Thegn by his men-at-arms like a common criminal. Thegn Varsson confronted me with evidence that Whittaker had betrayed him. He was shown documents supposedly found in his chambers at the castle. These documents seemed to be a half-finished attempt to forge a patent of nobility for a man named Bodvar Egilsson who had asserted a claim to the throne of the Thegn. If his claimed bloodline were to be believed, some would conclude that he would have a stronger claim to the throne of Inis Nuadha than Ornolf Varsson, but his lineage could not be proven. Thegn Varsson believed the evidence, though Whittaker pleaded that the evidence was fabricated and that he was being framed. He was sentenced to serve in the Crimson Company until his debt to Asnorland and the Thegn was paid off. His wife and daughter were to remain with the Thegn, unable to leave the castle without armed escort.