Jasper (servant)

Jasper was the Human servant of Benelaius, a retired War Wizard of Cormyr. He was born and raised in the village of Ghars, on the edge of the Vast Swamp. After an encounter burgling Benelaius' house on a bet in 1366 DR, he "chose" to become Benelaius' servant. He lived with Benelaius and a large number of Benelaius' cats in a house outside of Ghars, abutting the Vast Swamp.

Personality
Jasper idolized the fictional detective Camber Fosrick.

History
Prior to his employment under Benelaius, a few things are known about Jasper's past, as revealed in Murder in Cormyr.

Jasper was born and raised in Ghars. He has no living family, his father having died when he was seven and his mother in the spring of 1366 DR.

After the death of his mother, he worked as slop boy at the Sheaf of Wheat Inn for 2 Silver Falcons a month.

Because he was of small build, he claimed to have a halfling ancestor in his family tree, specifically his maternal grandfather Hurthkin. Whether this is true is unknown.

In summer of 1366 DR, a boast about his halfing ancestry (and it's purported natural thieving ability) lead him to take a bet from his friends to burglarize a house outside of Ghars and steal a triffle to prove he did it. The house had been recently bought by Benelaius, a retired War Wizard of Cormyr.

The burglary went well until he chose to grab a stuffed pillow as his prize. It turned out to be one of Benelaius' many cats. The resulting cacophany of the hissing and biting cat and his screams of pain awoke Benelaius and the jig was up.

Given the choice of being turned over to the authorities and facing the criminal justice system of Cormyr or serving Benelaius as a servant for 1 year, whereupon he would receive room, board, a small stipend (1 Silver Falcon a month) and an education in exchange for his services, Jasper chose to serve Benelaius.

In 1367 DR, nearly at the end of his year-long service with Benelaius, Jasper helped the War Wizard solve a mystery that occurred in Cormyr.

Behind the Scenes
Jasper is an analog of Archie Goodwin, with Benelaius in the role of armchair detective Nero Wolfe.