Role

Chapter 2

Aeldan and Nephinae were imposter syndrome given physical form. Nephinae was
less cunning than her brother and this led to him being the favored son.
Aeldan would bribe poor farming families to tell their father about the acts
of strength and wit he accomplished while wandering the countryside. As a
skilled conman, Aeldan was quick to coach the farmers on their narrative and
the answers that they needed to remember when his mother inevitably pressed
for details. Nephinae lied with equal skill and always had the bruises and
forged documents and accolades she needed. Though it was unfair and hurtful,
her 'successes' were forgotten when Aeldan arrived home from a long day of
being an insufferable rake.

As the women around town fawned over Aeldan, his sister had little success in
dating and very few friends. Her honeyed words fell flat when her friends
realized that she didn't actually care about their problems. With nothing left
to lose, Nephinae decided to up the ante. She returned home one night with a
gleaming sword on her hip and signed papers from the Warrior's Guild in
Galadon. The papers declared that Nephinae was a prodigy and had been accepted
to the Academy a year and a half early. Aeldan watched from the kitchen, where
he could do nothing but congratulate her on the praise that neither of them
would ever deserve.