Claude

Claude was born in Los Pecados, a western town in the Land of Dawn. An infamous city of sins, without ruler or order, lawless and ravaged by crime.

Growing up as an orphan, Claude quickly learned to fight, lie, gamble, and steal: tricks of the trade he had to rely on to survive. He was particularly talented in the latter area, and no purser he ever met matched him in his keen eye and nimble fingers.

It wasn't long before he became the leader of a band of wanderers, relying on his "skills" and making a name for himself in Los Pecados. He found one who would offer him and his gang protection: Waldo Kane. Kane had not yet obtained the Los Pecados monopoly he had dreamed of. Wild ambition and conspiracy brewed deep within him. For him, this motley band of homeless vagabonds was the perfect tool to achieve his goals. Behind a mask of kindness, he manipulated these children, with sweet lies and false compassion leading them down a dark path. He molded them to become members of his criminal group, with each wayward child calling him "Father."

At the age of 18, Claude is given a monumental task: travel to Grandrock Castle, north of Moniyan, and sneak into the Duke of Vance's house. Then he pretended to steal secret accounts, while blaming another gang. Kane promised Claude that people would be waiting for him once he got inside. Once his mission was accomplished, Claude and his team would be rewarded with housing of their own. They would no longer need to live in slums.

The truth, however, was nothing Claude could have imagined. No one expected him: he was just a simple pawn, and neither he nor his brothers would receive any reward. Like Claude, they were only stepping stones for their “Father” to become king of Los Pecados.

So when he slipped into the Duke's mansion, he found an unavoidable trap waiting for him. Claude could only accept his fate and was taken into police custody. Following a rushed trial, he was quickly found guilty of all charges and thrown into a cold, dark cell.

Chained, Claude burned with regret. The only thing in his mind that kept him going was his band of brothers, lost and with nowhere to go.

The days passed slowly. One day, Claude was forced to change cells, his new cell shared with an old man with a beard and snow-white hair. This particular old man was none other than the master thief of legend: Merlin. Merlin, powerful and incredibly resourceful, had a reason to be locked in a cell. One reason that left Claude speechless: he just wanted a quiet place to retire.

The cunning Claude reminded Merlin of his younger self. He therefore decides to pass on his inheritance to her. Yet, in return, Claude would have to acquiesce to one of Merlin's strangest requests. Once released from prison, he must pillage every town in the Land of Dawn, leaving his name behind as his calling card.

Over the next two years, Claude inherited every one of Merlin's wonderful techniques of deception, evasion, and combat, among others. His abilities grew until he was ready to steal anything he could imagine. One night, Claude put his perfect prison escape plan into action, stealing his freedom.

To keep his promise, Claude traveled throughout the Land of Dawn over the next few years. The streets were bristling with whispers about the master thief Claude, his charm and his incredible talent. With his carefree smile, Claude was your man if you ever needed something stolen, no matter what. All he asked was that the pay be generous, and that the one from whom it was stolen should be evil.

As this continued, Claude was joined by the perfect partner: the mysterious Dexter. This mischievous little monkey first met Claude in Moniyan, when he stole a lucky gold coin right from under his nose. After a brief chase, their friendship blossomed and Claude took on Dexter as his partner in crime. And this is how their adventures began.

In the fifth year of his departure from Los Pecados, Claude finally kept the promise he made to Merlin. He had left his traces in every town in the Land of Dawn.

Then he would return to Los Pecados. However, nothing could have prepared Claude for what he saw upon his return after his five years of absence. His brothers of old had not risen through the ranks of the underworld, had not escaped poverty thanks to their manipulative “Father”. No, a completely different fate had befallen them. Instead, he found that not only were there still pitiful street children on every corner of this dilapidated city, people like the Claude of the past; there were even more than before.

Claude had been deceived and this sent him into a violent rage. He began to plan his revenge as she swirled within him. Waldo Kane had acquired his monopoly on the city, thus becoming the kingpin of Los Pecados. In order to take revenge, Claude slipped into Eruditio and, with Dexter's help, pretended to be captured, entering prison. He then stole Dr. Rooney's latest invention: a strange holographic mirror.

Satisfied with his success, it was then that Claude noticed a line of text on the device: "I hope this device serves you well. If you have any ideas or suggestions for improving it, contact me immediately!—Rooney."

Thanks to this "gift" from Dr. Rooney, Claude and Dexter created songs for Los Pecados. In this chaotic city of nefarious outlaw dealings, he would make the one who deceived him in the past pay the price.