He is the third son of the strict and powerful House Overgaard, a high noble family known for its formidable military commanders and heavy-handed politicians. He was disinherited and exiled after refusing a politically convenient arranged marriage and being caught in a scandalous romance. He wanders the world pretending to be a simple errant troubadour under the acronym "BARDO" (Bartholomé Aurelius Roderick Dorian Overgaard), seeking inspiration to write a musical epic that will prove to his family that art endures much longer than war. He is now heading to the Iron Peaks Castle, the domain of his older sister, Duchess Isolde.