Kvothe (pronounced Kv-oath) was born an Edema Ruh, a traveling troupe of performers widely known for their unfathomable talent. As a child, he spent years of his life on stages across the world, performing plays, singing, and playing music. Known for his uncanny ability to hear a song once and be able to play it flawlessly after only a few hours of practicing, Kvothe impressed many with his wide range of talents. However, tragedy would strike him when he was just ten years old, as his family was brutally murdered in a mysterious fashion. Left with no money, no family, no friends and no where to go, Kvothe ended up in a large city, where he spent much of his young life homeless. He begged for coins to eat stale bread and drink dirty water, and when begging failed him, he resorted to thievery. It was all in the name of survival.
After his family was taken from him, he had nothing but his father’s lute, but even that was eventually taken from him and destroyed before his very eyes. He lived without music in his life for three long years, until fortune struck him at last when he found a reasonable source of income doing lawless deeds for an underground gang. He saved up enough coin to buy a lute once again, and spent most of his evenings performing for local inns and taverns until a patron recognized his talent and offered to home him and get him off the streets and playing for rich nobles who would truly appreciate his talent. It was wonderful, for a time. Eventually, his patron fell ill and could no longer support young Kvothe, but Kvothe’s reputation stood strong amidst his patron’s death. Now, he wanders from city to city, playing for anyone who will listen, earning just enough money to survive and sleep indoors. His real reason for traveling the world is hunting for information on his troupe’s untimely murder.