James Grant

James Grant (b. 13 June 1948) is the current head of the Grant family, one of House Lindhardt's Prominent Families. Although he was born into an Independent magical family, he swore his allegiance to Dirch Lindhardt following the Lindhardts' restoration to power.

History
Grant was born as the only child of Caleb and Sophia Grant on 13 June 1948. The Grant family was a prominent family in the Independent magical community in the Phoenix area, and the family had served as leaders of the local Chandler Magical Association since its foundation in 1932. He received an extensive education in magic from the other members of the community.

Grant took control of his family following his father's death in 1969 and became the leader of the CMA shortly thereafter. The influence of the CMA reached its peak under his tenure.

His aggressive expansion of the CMA's influence did not come with a cost. The CMA came into conflict with the Mesa Magical Association, a longtime rival, as both associations sought to expand into the Gilbert area. Led by the venerable Harper family, the MMA was older than the CMA, but a recent string of controversies had negatively affected the organization's influence across the East Valley. Grant's exceptional organizational skills further reduced the Harpers' and the MMA's influence, and by late 1977, the MMA was on the verge of collapse.

The Harpers offered their daughter Amanda in exchange for peace, and on 12 February 1978, the pair were married. Although the marriage was arranged for the sake of peace between the two organizations, the couple eventually became close. The couple's 1st son Jacob was born on 20 April 1982, and their 2nd son was born on 12 June 1984. The marriage was shortly followed by the absorption of the Mesa Magical Association into the Chandler Magical Association, forming the East Valley Magical Association.

Grant met Dirch Lindhardt in 1994 during a meeting between the Guild and the Independent magicians of the Phoenix area. Lindhardt was, at the time, the heir to House Lindhardt that was attempting to move into the Phoenix area, and both Grant and Lindhardt understood that an alliance between the Guild and Independent magicians of the area would benefit both sides. Grant managed to convince several Independent magical families within the EVMA to join into a business alliance, though others refused, nearly fracturing the EVMA into two warring factions. It was only through Grant's leadership that the organization avoided such a schism.

Following the near-annihilation of House Lindhardt in early 1998, Grant sheltered the remnants of the family, including Dirch Lindhardt and his pregnant mother Margrethe. His decision came under severe criticism from both Guild and Independent magicians for seeming to get involved in Guild affairs, but Grant refused to give up the remaining Lindhardt family members.

Grant made the decision to join the Guild after House Lindhardt's restoration to power and the extinction of House Friis. His wife and children agreed to the decision and joined him when he swore to House Lindhardt. Several other Independent families joined the Grants in joining the Guild as well.

Although the Grant family and House Lindhardt had both been severely weakened due to the conflict with House Friis, Grant joined the Guild forces during the Grey War and was present at the border of Michigan and Wisconsin at the start of the Michigan Disaster. He assisted with evacuations before returning home to the Phoenix area.

Grant has spent the past 20 years promoting peace between the Guild and Independent magicians in the Phoenix area. As a result, the relationship between the Guild and Independent magicians has been better compared to other areas. However, the relationship has started to deteriorate, and the Independent organization Subrosa has stepped in to promote the condition of the Independent magicians.

Education
Grant had been a longtime member of the Chandler Magical Association and later the East Valley Magical Association. As a child, he was trained by many other members of the CMA and received an extensive education from the older magicians.

He actively pursued learning opportunities throughout his life, and following his induction into the Guild, he created a grimoire. His grimoire rapidly matured and has been known to be particularly beautiful.

Personal Life
The Grant family has always been small, and Grant's parents did not have any siblings or other children, leaving Grant the only child of his family. He had numerous associates in the CMA and EVMA.

He married Amanda Harper in early 1978 as part of a peace agreement between the two families. The couple had two children: Jacob in 1982 and Graham in 1984.