Francis Lightlas

Francis Lightlas was an airman, shipmaster, and trade businessman working in Misericordiae during the time of the Philomena Uprising. He was the owner of the Fields Trading and Supply Company and shipmaster of Philomena following the death of Augustus Fields.

Origins
In his youth, Lightlas was a large-framed man of powerful build. But a life in the sky has left his face windburnt and lined with wrinkles, his back stooped, his hair and neat beard white. He is intellectually as sharp as ever, known for quick judgment and the fearlessness of a man accustomed to danger. He is also (often unusual for men of his profession) known as a neat and tasteful dresser.

Known to be a private man, Lightlas shared little of his early days with those around him. But at least since the mid 820’s, he was known in Misericordiae as a formidable talent in the shipping industry, serving as loadmaster for a wide variety of different routes and vessels. All of these were under conducted under the auspices of the Fields Trading and Supply Company. Lightlas and Augustus Fields were good friends and even better allies in business.

Merchant's Rebellion and Aftermath
During the Misericordiae Merchant's Rebellion, in resistance to the embargoes of the Imperium Titus, Lightlas fought alongside Augustus Fields. Some witnesses report that he assumed command of Philomena following the death of Fields and was the sole reason the ship survived the rest of the battle. He served a brief time in an Imperium prison before being released. If he had been imprisoned only a few months later, he would most likely have been sent to forced labor in the Abyss. Following the failed rebellion, Lightlas was on the move, never staying in one port long. He often took on work as a loadmaster, but other endeavors took up much of his time.

Philomena Uprising
In 839, Lightlas took command of the Fields Trading and Supply Company and it’s lone vessel: the now-cradled ship Philomena, after receiving a highly lucrative shipping contract from a mysterious source. He then assembled a crew for the vessel, most notably Cyprian Fields, beginning his role in the Philomena Uprising.