Bornelius is a very small rock gnome with unruly copper hair, enormous green eyes, and a waxed mustache that curls upward at both ends. He wears a patched navy-blue wizard's coat covered in brass buttons, hidden pockets, and brightly colored thread. His spellbook is chained to his belt, and his spectacles are fitted with interchangeable lenses for reading, forgery, and dramatic effect.

Bornelius is theatrical, inquisitive, and relentlessly optimistic. He treats every conversation as a performance, every locked door as an intellectual challenge, and every minor inconvenience as an opportunity for an elaborate solution. Beneath his bluster, he is compassionate toward outsiders and deeply afraid that his many disguises have left him without a genuine identity.

Bornelius Snogglewallop III was raised in a cramped workshop beneath the bell tower of a gnome settlement, where his family manufactured novelty keys, counterfeit medals, and mechanically enhanced greeting cards. He discovered magic after attempting to enchant a wooden duck and accidentally giving it a strong opinion about local politics. Although his family considered the incident a commercial success, Bornelius became fascinated by the deeper principles behind illusion, transmutation, and the art of making people believe what they desperately wanted to believe. He eventually studied under a traveling wizard who taught him that deception could be used for more than profit. Bornelius learned to disguise himself, forge credentials, and create convincing magical distractions for smugglers, corrupt officials, and dangerous criminals. When his mentor vanished after exposing a noble family's conspiracy, Bornelius adopted his current name and began searching for the truth. He now travels as a wandering scholar and occasional confidence artist, using clever tricks to help the powerless, embarrass tyrants, and acquire enough money to fund his investigation. His greatest challenge is remembering which version of his own life is the real one.