Aleksandr "Sander" Martinovich Vysotsky was born the second son of an up-and-coming noble family, Sander was destined to be shipped off to France for his education. However, his parents made the mistake of giving him the money instead of chartering a ship, so instead of going to France Sander got on the first ship going anywhere else. This put him on an English ship, exposing him to the language, allowing him to practice the flute as the ship's musician, and letting him learn the trade of sailor. After a couple of voyages of middling profits, Sander decided they could do better. He applied his purse and keen insights to trading in the ports they frequented, and it wasn't long before he not only increased their profits but also owned the ship. However, the day-to-day drudgery of running a ship grated on Sander, so it was time to move on to the next thing. Leaving the ship in the capable hands of a surprised but grateful crew, he traveled inland, wandering with a performing troupe for a time before encountering Jarl Aesa's band on a trading mission. Since the troupe had disbanded, going Viking sounded like fun! Also, there was profit to be had. Win-win!