Talin's father was a barber in the city of Northwatch, practicing his quiet trade in his quiet quarters. He taught his son to be a barber as well.  It wasn't something that Talin took too so well though.  What he could do and do quite well was sing.  Often he would open his dad's window and sing out to the people going about their own business.  As he grew older he had noticed that there were more drug-addled citizens in gutters than usual, but that wasn't his business. By now Talin though only 16 was a respectable young man and didn't stoop to speculating on other people's activities.

However, a masked figure with bardic abilities arrived at his father's shop with a few followers. This figure showed Talin the nature of the drug called Heart’s Blood, or – less fancifully – Dregs. It was essentially the toxic byproduct of a potion-brewing process that had a hard addictive property and a physically devastating effect on its users. This enraged Talin, a darkness crept into his heart unbeknownst to him.  Talin agreed to hide the group in secret until they were able to cut off the supply of this drug.

While the group stayed hidden in a storage attic above the barbershop, their leader taught Talin the beginnings of bardic magic, something for which it turns out he had a bit of talent.

Eventually, the group discovered that Cardinal Bratton, of the Church of Crown Glory, was responsible for the manufacture and distribution of Dregs in this area of the country. The group proposed to make a move against him, but one of their members was caught before they could put their plan into motion.

The town guard was coming for Talin as well as the others.  Someone had seen the group together and told the authorities.  The masked man gave Talin a scroll of Greater Invisibility to get him safely out of town, then fled himself.

Talin, was a man of great conviction. The drug issue wouldn't be solved unless someone did something, so he snuck through the streets he knew so well, then used the scroll just outside the Cardinal’s estate. He used this magical concealment to get inside the Cardinal’s room and bring the man to a just end. Talin then escaped into the night and ran from the city never to return again.

Since then, Talin kept moving from town to town until he came to Ptolus 5 years earlier. He has since grown a goatee and has grown his hair out somewhat.  He is a very good looking man and he uses this to his advantage.  He has carved quite a nice piece of life for himself at The Ghostly Minstrel.  Performing nightly for some rather good tips. He is a dexterous entertainer and daring strategist. He has a mixture of strength and agility, but don't let that fool you, he is also quite smart and – when the occasion arises – brutal.