Lazarus NPC Descriptions
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Updated Vampire NPC descriptions to include Courts of Sorrow and Hunger.
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Eastland Marauder Archmage
Description
A powerful and enigmatic figure, who has dedicated her life to mastering the secrets of time magic. She is intelligent but brash and impatient, possessing a deep understanding of the intricacies of time magic.
Rumours and Speculation
She is driven by a desire to overcome the finality of history. She is highly ambitious, and will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. She is feared by many, for even the great mages of yore reckoned using magic to attempt to interfere with time was to invite the wrath of higher powers. She is said to be making use of both the Menhirs dotted throughout Narfell, as well as a strange extraplanar substance which rumours suggest fuels her strange brand of arcana.
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Updated Court of Hunger to add Wolfe Casement, plus updated image for Seven Twenty.
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The Waterdhavian Coven - The Court of Sorrows
The Court of Sorrows is said to be most active in the north of Narfell, particularly in the City of Peltarch. As the only Court to which mortals have formally visited, more is known about their members and roles than either of the other two.
Danag Styx
Description
Those few who have laid eyes upon this reclusive creature speak of an alabaster skinned vision of perfection, with snow white hair, slumbering as still as the grave in a crystalline coffin, protected from her own kin behind the constant fall of running water all around.
Rumours and Speculation
Danag Styx was said to have been the Master vampire who reigned the longest out of the three, while the Coven was active in Waterdeep. When the Courts were eventually driven from the City of Splendours, she was forced to allow the more martially inclined Lidérc to take her place, and so she slumbered while he completed the century long task of carefully and painstakingly relocating the surviving kindred across Faerun to Narfell.
Rumour suggests she slumbers still, somewhere beneath the Icelace Lake, while her Court claims rulership over Peltarch in her name.
Ancon Je'laan
Description
Richly attired in fine cloths, he is a pale, amber eyed elf of noble demeanor. His fineries are carefully understated compared to more modern Peltarchan nobility, who favour more bold, ostentatious displays of their standing and means. Bearing a calm and collected expression, he speaks with a mild but articulate voice given to neither passionate exultation nor dry exposition.
Rumours and Speculation
Ancon Je'laan is listed in the official roll-books of former Senators, and as a matter of public record he was a mage from House Je'laan who served his city faithfully until he disappeared whilst on a private trip to Waterdeep.
He is now said to have returned to his home, the most senior member of his court while his mistress slumbers, taking the title of Prince Regent. He is said to hold court in the most traditional fashion out of the three bloodlines, and enforces very strict laws upon his kind in order to ensure the daytime cohabitants of 'his' city do not have cause enough to take the drastic actions the Lords of Waterdeep once did.
Quintus Amelius Galbus
Description
A tall, bald man robed in cloth stitched with Oghman symbology and bearing a mage's staff, Quintus is unremarkable save for an occasional amber sheen to his grey eyes that marks him as more than merely human.
Rumours and Speculation
Quintus is the Seneschal of the Court of Sorrows, and most likely to deal with outsiders, whether they be from other courts or even mortals. He is said to not hold mortals in overt disdain like so many of his kind, and can deal with them quite amicably - particularly when discussing a subject that piques his interest. He is a consummate academic, and can occasionally be found pursuing interests entirely unrelated to his vampiric nature or his Court's designs.
Galen
Description
A burly, grey haired man typically seen encased in silver armour engraved with the gothic "D" of his mistress. Despite his size and the weight of his armour, he moves with a speed and grace typical of his kind. In battle he wields a sword and shield.
Rumours and Speculation
Galen is the Sheriff of the Court of Sorrows, said to be the one to whom his Prince Ancon entrusts with the unfailing enforcement of his laws upon members of the Court and outsiders alike. He is said to brook no compromise in fulfilling this duty, and unlike many in his Court he is quicker to settle disagreements with his blade rather than with his tongue.
Gustav
Description
A gentleman musician, blonde of hair and genial of expression, he is rarely seen without his violin either in his hands or by his side. His presence provides an unnatural sense of calm, of welcome, of safety, and his magnanimous smile and soft, often glib, tone quickly puts one at ease.
Rumours and Speculation
Gustav is the Keeper of the Court of Sorrows, which those familiar suggest involves responsibility over the well-being of the Court, both in terms of hospitality and in terms of provisions. Rumours speculate that in order to keep a low profile, the Court keeps very careful track of their "feeding" activities, ensuring deaths are avoided and the typically territorial creatures of the night take care to not over-sample from one area. As Keeper, Gustav is said to be responsible for coordinating these activities.
He is rumoured to occasionally be heard playing his violin atop the Bardic College or City Hall, whilst looking down upon the city. The song is invariably sonorous and melancholic, and some say it can stop even the hard hearted citizen in their tracks.
Morgana Makere
Description
A half-elven lady of obvious noble bearing, favouring black and red dresses and ruby jewelry. She has a curious demeanor, her gaze filled with a cat-like detached interest. A silver trumpet hangs from a belt loop against her thigh, though strangely she does not seem to use it when announcing guests to the court.
Rumours and Speculation
Morgana is said to be the Herald of the Court of Sorrows, the only known responsibility of which seems to be the announcing of arrivals to court. As a matter of public record, the Makere family did have a half-elven member by the name of Morgana who was enrolled in the Bardic College some generations ago; she was said to be an avid musician and left Peltarch to perform for greater audiences than Narfell could provide.
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The Waterdhavian Coven - The Court of Hunger
The Court of Hunger is reportedly most active in the east of Narfell, in and around old Jiyyd and the plains south of it.
Á̴̛̯̟̖͎͖̮͉ͣ̍̾͑̀͐ͫ̋̎̄̓̚̕s̸̵̳̱̯͇̯̹̬̹̘͙̘͍̹̺̺͍̦̊̑̄̄̋̐̈́ͫ̅͋̆̃͑͘͞ͅͅē̋͗̽͏͚̩̥̀͜m̶̿̇̇͢͜͏͏̹̤͎̳̳̝͙͙̤̣͙̩͇̠͕ͅâ̛ͯͮ̎ͤͤ̉̀ͥ̚͜͜͏̸̙͍͓̠̜̝̠͚̠̟͈͓̙̜͕̖̰̹̹
Description
Those unlucky few who have caught a glimpse of this vampire remember how it felt more than how the creature appeared. A deep gnawing hunger that crept into the veins, each beat of the heart drawing that ravenous attention into sharp, twisted focus. Eyes that bored past meager flesh and instead sullied the soul with their gaze. A͈̟̦ ͕̱̤̻̣̘h̠̥̟̘̲̦̝͜a̺n͜d͠ ͅṛ̘͙e͎̜̼̠̪̯̼a̬̱͉c̘̤̮͔͚̦̤h̵̩̤̺̪̪ͅi̮̼ng̶̖̰͖̘͖ͅ ̮̬f̠̳̙o̹̖̦͉̥̬r͉̰͔͕͉̺̀ t͔̰͇h̝͚̙͇̹͟e͢ ̪̦̱̗̼n̨̯̞̩̙̟̲e͕̟͖̥͘c͇̦k̦̺̹̤̹͟.̧͚̹̞̫̭
Rumours and Speculation
This creature's name is known to a small few of misfortunates, and in hushed tones they warn any who might learn of it to never let it pass their lips. To give it voice is to draw attention from its owner, they say, with faces ashen and eyes glazed with unbidden memories.
He is 'served' after a fashion like his siblings, by a Court of vampires all of whom live in terror of his commands and yet must obey them without faltering. Rumours and sightings of these vampires, many with the gothic "A" stitched or engraved into their arms and armour, suggest the Court of Hunger is most active in eastern Narfell, south of old Jiyyd. S̶̗̟̘̩̣͖ͤ̔ơ̻̙͉̮̳̂͐̎̕o͔ͤͦ̆ͤ̃̅ͯ̿́ͅñ̞̗͇̞̱̤̪̼ ̙͚́̃ͬ͛̎́̈͠h̾ͯ͏̡͙̩͔ě̳̩͖́̐̑̉ͅ ̫̙͓̪͈̼͔̱̞ͤ̆̀͝w̢̫̔̊͆̌͡i͕̼̪̬͉̰̲̩̹͑͂ͫͫl̞̫͓͎̻͊͗ͤ̅̀͂͜l̸ͤ̔ͨ̽ͭ͒͊͏̰͓ ͔͔̹̜͉̐̌͐́̃̈́̈̔̈͢feed.
Wolfe Casement
Description
Wolfe's vibe is invariably that of a neat and tidy professional. From his well trimmed beard to his neatly coiffed hair he exudes the formality and reserved air of a man from a more gilded age. Until he speaks; his soft sonorous baritone is deeply understanding. His wide watery blue eyes are as engaging as they are sad. His rare smile is disarming, as though offered in spite of bleak circumstances and dark times.
Rumours and Speculation
Wolfe's role within the Court of Hunger is as yet unclear. He has appeared on the scene recently, and has as yet only been interested in trading information, favours and gifts.
Parnell
Description
Eyes and hair alike are a deep, sanguine shade of crimson. She has a slight build, quick to slip out from the shadows or back into their safety. Stealth is one of her most obviously honed crafts, and when forced into battle she tends to wield a rapier and main-gauche.
Rumours and Speculation
Like many of her sire's brood, Parnell is said by those who have encountered her to be erratic, to say the least. Prone to dramatic and sudden shifts in mood, complete changes of topic or focus, she is difficult to deal with at the best of times. Some have used her unhinged mental state to their advantage however, as she is said to have no special love of her own kind over anything else.
An individualist and a loner, she typically is encountered by herself without support, though she rarely makes herself known without closely observing from the safety of the shadows for some time beforehand. In combat she is vicious and always prefers to strike from a position of surprise and shadow. If on the other hand, she is the one who is ambushed, she will invariably flee by foot or if harried hard enough, by transforming into mist.
Bluebell
Description
A wiry blue haired elf that looks a little on the underfed side. Her azure eyes are flecked with crimson, and she seems to have a perpetually alarmed expression, as though she is about to bolt like a startled fawn.
Rumours and Speculation
Bluebell was known to some in Peltarch as a waif and a vagrant, taken in by the Bardic College. She was long a target of murderous obsession by the vampire Parnell, and recent rumours linking her to sightings south of Jiyyd indicate she may finally have been given the gift of eternal life by her unpredictable associate.
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The Waterdhavian Coven - The Court of Valour
The Court of Valour is said to be most active in the south and west of Narfell, covering a much more vast tract of territory than either of the other two.
Lidérc
Description
Tall and sinewy of build, features sharp and angular, Lidérc strikes an imposing presence. His platinum hair is tied back, his eyes an unwholesome shade of yellow, marring an otherwise flawless elegance. His steel armour bears the gothic L insignia emblazoned on it boldly, as do the arms and armour of all his servants. He rarely deigns to speak, save to his kindred and servants, his tone smooth and rich - derisive and loathsome when directed toward mortals, his disgust for their kind palpable in every word uttered.
Rumours and Speculation
Lidérc is the one of the "Waterdhavian Masters" whose name and appearance is common knowledge, and as such tales of him have been used to frighten children and squeamish adults alike for decades now. Said to be a warrior and swordsman of rare and unnatural skill, few have faced him directly and lived to tell about it.
Said to have been destroyed by divine might wielded by a mighty priest of the Morninglord deep within Norwick's crypts, the vampire war lord became mere legend and story…until decades later when he marshalled a considerable undead force to attack Peltarch for unknown reasons. The attack was beaten back, but Lidérc is said to be gathering his strength anew even now.
Seven Twenty
Description
Drab is the best word to describe Seven's character. Her voice is monotonal and almost dreary to listen to, her demeanor is passive and unimpressive. Her black hair is tied back in a plain, functional manner and her light grey eyes are disinterested and downcast.
Her armour is, by contract, much more interesting to look at - festooned with unusual symbols and sigils, runic designs and patterns, and the unmistakable emblems of the Vaunted. She typically wields a morning-star and shield in battle, though she prefers to allow her undead creations do her fighting for her.
Rumours and Speculation
Little is currently known about this necromancer, though she is said to devoutly serve the vampire Lidérc. How he came to command the loyalty of such a dispassionate priestess is the subject of many rumours amongst those investigating the history or current plans of her much more infamous master.
She is said to have an unusually potent ability to raise the dead; the sheer number of undead under Lidérc's command is evidence of this, and he seems to be able to replenish his undead forces far more quickly than his peers. Could Seven Twenty be the reason? Certainly, most sightings of her have been in the wild areas of Narfell, amassing undead forces and leading them away, only engaging in battle if directly opposed.
Amelia
Description
Unlike her tall, lanky sire, Amelia is a short scrappy build that seems out of place with her magical prowess. Nonetheless, she strikes an imposing gaze; severe where her master's is dispassionate, hungry where his is restrained. Her raven hair often concealed beneath a hood, she wears elabourate robes stitched with the gothic "L" of her lord. In battle she is said to flit across the field using invisibility magicks, and descend upon individuals who stray too far into the fray, disabling them with potent magic and then feasting on their blood.
Rumours and Speculation
Amelia is the Seneschal of the Court of Valour, and as such the most likely to deal with mortals or other outsiders first. In this role, she is said to be hotheaded but quite reasonable if not antagonized. Like all members of the southern court, she takes the responsibilities of rulership seriously. One such rumour suggests that when Norwick was threatened by rogue Bodaks stealing children in the night, it was Amelia who warded the town's walls against further incursions from these dreaded stalkers.
Though a powerful arcanist, she is a conventional one, not given over to innovation or ritualistic research. Magic is but another tool with which she may serve her Court and Master, and outside of that it holds no special interest for her.
