Jakob Gleam
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This section contains canon info from officially published sources |
Jakob Gleam[1] was a folklorist from Lamordia. He was the brother of Hans Gleam, brother-in-law of Giselle Gleam (maiden name unknown), and uncle of Oscar Gleam and Liesel Gleam. 
The creation of Hans and Jakob Gleam may have been inspired by the Brothers Grimm.[2]
Background
Jakob and his brother Hans both attended the Universitat Ludendorf, then moved on to the University of Il Aluk, graduating before the Requiem. The brothers were brilliant folklorists and friendly rivals. Their constant competition motivated them to give their best effort, but they published everything together - until Jakob alone was offered the newly formed Chair of Historiography at the University of Dementlieu, and Hans was offered nothing.
Jakob offered his brother a full third of his grant and a lecturer's position under him, and even considered turning the Chair down. He became enraged, however, when Hans informed him he would rather starve on the streets than 'feed on his scraps', and accused him of stealing recognition for their work. The two brothers disowned each other, and Hans and his wife Giselle moved to Teufeldorf, where they lived as paupers while Hans struggled to sell his papers to academic journals to support his family. In time, Giselle would give birth to their children Oscar and Liesl, but Jakob would never get to meet his niece.
Half a Winning Team
Not much is known of Jakob's career at the University of Dementlieu, except that he was not as successful without his brother as he had been with him.
Reunited in Tragedy
Jakob would meet his brother again after Hans wrote to him, informing him that he was once again living in Ludendorf ... and that his daughter Liesel had been murdered in a most vile manner.
Jakob rushed to Hans's side to care for him, but found his brother a broken man. Hans gave up all of his notes to Jakob, including an unfinished monograph on the Bogeymen of the Core, and abandoned his studies.
Giselle was distraught by the loss of her daughter, and Oscar was badly traumatised from having witnessed the murder. Both were put in the care of the Chateaufaux asylum, and Giselle would never leave there. Jakob struggled to pay for the family's upkeep, and even sold some of the notebooks to make ends meet - including the monograph that had led to Liesel's death.
Jakob would come to blame himself for his family's tragedy, especially after Hans's death.
