[quote=@Mokley]
[@Diggerton] Hey sure! If that's what you wanna do, it'd be helpful to determine exactly what sort of people he would have asked to sign his petition -- that way we'll establish which NPCs might recognize/respect him the most.
[/quote]

The way I envisioned Rowan is as a manipulator- while other characters might be more combat oriented Rowan's thing is playing the long con to further his goals. He knows how to identify what people want and how to exploit it. I would say he would probably show up in Winding and play his way up into a position of respect- his wealth and reputation as the prince of a distant kingdom would likely play a part in some sort of rise to power. While his kingdom may be in turmoil and it's pretty heavily implied he played a part in its downfall he is somewhat of a hero to the general populace of his homeland. As established in his backstory he's almost seen as a messianic figure in his kingdom and although he doesn't really live up to that reputation he's used it to his advantage. In other lands people would probably only hear the tall tales told about him, likely positive things. I'd say the official story that he's attempted to spread about the events surrounding the king and queen's death would be that his mother and father were killed in a coup and that he's fled seeking asylum. 

Basically he has puts up an act to hide his true motives and earn people's respect, and then used that respect to become a part of the council. I would assume that the exiled prince of another kingdom coming to Winding would be a pretty noteworthy event so he'd become well known quickly, which would allow him to make friends with key figures in the town. As to what sort would petition for him I can't really nail a specific demographic, I'd imagine with his wealth (Princes oughta be wealthy) he would be able to earn much of Winding's respect by financing public work projects- roads, helping small businesses, etc. In this way it could be said that he almost bought his position.

That's just me spit balling. In some ways reading over that it seems to me that Rowan might be a tad bit too influential, manipulative, wealthy, or all of the above, but perhaps that's balanced out by the fact that he's totally nutso past his facade and the fact that he's not a great fighter. I'd say as the plot progresses he'll almost border on 'villain' status depending on how things go. Tell me if you think I should make any changes [@Mokley] and I'd be happy to do so.