James is a former viscount of the Northern Reach, having lost his title as a result of publicly speaking out against the then-newly appointed viceroy Silas Capewell and an incident where a golem apparently in his charge temporarily disabled two senior officers within the NRA; Mer'Ek and Isibéal Brennan. Currently, he is serving as the steward of Castle Ashenholme though he has been somewhat remiss in his duties as of late and a dismissal would not come as a surprise.