Character Profile

From: martin <102541.3423_at_compuserve.com>
Date: 25 Oct 95 19:33:09 EDT


Character Profile

This is a NPC that has become quite important in my Prax campaign.

Morthander Deville

Priest of the Red Moon, Magus and Illumintate. Associate of Yelm, Mastakos, Irripi Ontor, Yanafal Tarnils and the Crimson Bat.

History

Morthander Deville was born 1581 in Dorastor, though he is unaware of this, believing he was abandoned as a baby in Glamour, was found by a patrol and was taken to the Teelo Onori Great Orphanage. His actual parents were the semi-divine being Skanth and a ritually-prepared Red Goddess Priestess. The Cult leaders consider Deville to be an experiment in applying chaos to a subject and then creating a valuable member of the Empire. Deville was watched closely by the cult until recently. Now they feel secure in his loyalties. He remains unaware of his background.

He was raised under the Red Moon and along with the other orphans,his talents were checked at an early age to test their potential for the Empire.

Deville was found to be a genius in many areas but his strength was in magical manipulation. His potential was recognised early by the examiners and he was soon sent to the Inner City School of the Minor Classes. He was the youngest, non-Imperial child, in the school at the time and he was bullied for his small size and great intelligence. The school authorites expected their pupils to suffer somewhat as a means of toughening them to face the dangers inherent in their future professions and so didn't intervene.

With Deville, the bullying crystallised within him, an almost fanatical hatred of rudeness and impropriety. He began to take extra classes in the Yanafal Tarnils Sword Annexe as well as the normal command classes in the Yelm Annexe of the school. Before long, and several duels later Deville earned a reputation as a man prepared to seek satisfaction over the slightest of insults.

Meanwhile, he continually excelled in his studies and much to his teachers amazement (they were unaware of his origins) he became illuminated at fifteen through his own studies and sessions with the School Riddlers. A golden future avaited Devile and on graduation he became a Priest of the Red Moon and an Adept of the Minor Classes.

He took a year out and campaigned with the army in Tarsh, meeting his first barbarians. Here, he heroquested for the first time and found his Sword that he would name Enlightenment. Deville also found that his Heartland ways did not sit too well with the Provincials and he duelled several times. One unfortunate Dunstop noble took magic as his weapon when challenged. Deville keeps his soul in a fluffy white cat for his amusement.

When he returned to Glamour he entered the Major Classes School, graduating in just over two years. He then spent seven years in several different magical colleages and units, including the Spell Archers, the Crater Makers, the Sunspears and even a year as an associate of the Crimson Bat which hardened his attitude to human suffering considerably.

Finally, in 1606, he ended his scholastic endeavours by seeking employment in Dart Competitions. He was soon hired by the Doblian Satrapy and performed magical assaults on the Satrap's enemies and rivals.

By 1609 he was tiring of the vanities of Sultanate life and he sought fresh experiences. He presented himself to the Provincial Government at Mrins Cross and offered his services. They immediately assigned him to Sartar as part of the magical arm of the occupation forces. His madate was as follows:

(1). Examine all magics in the conquered area for either use or
destruction by the Empire.

(2). Suppress Sartarite magical strength by covert or direct action
whenever it is found.

(3). Locate and destroy any esoteric magics which may aid the Sartarite
resistance unless such magics may be turned to the Empire's benefit.

(4). Recruit a team of operatives from among the indigenous population
who can provide magical support and an understanding of the inner secrets of Orlanthi magic.

(5). Explain the Lunar way and spread the illumination of the Red Moon
to the subject peoples.

(6). Detect and remove inefficient or impious members of the Provincial
Government in the area you are assigned to.

He was provided with funds and some bodyguards of choice. For eight years he wandered Sartar, rooting out rebellion and crushing strife wherever he met it. He avoided the court in Boldhome as much as possible, finding Euglyptus unbearably rude and crass and Temertain to be an idiot with no real learning. The court returned the dislike and he was often out of favour and funds as a result.

In 1613 he aided Fazzur by taking part in the ritual to open a gate to hell when Fazzur met the Sartarite rebel leaders. Fazzur found him strange but efficient and often asked his advice on matters involving magics.

In 1615 Deville was commended by the Imperial Court for his part in stopping a Snake Pipe Hollow raid from devestating the Alda-Churi. His deadly magical strength and the personal victory he achieved over a Fiend earned him guestright accross the region. Many young Alda-Churi professed an interest in the Lunar faith after seeing Deville in action.

Later that year, Tatius the Bright ordered Deville to prepare a report on the best site for a new Temple of the Reaching Moon in Sartar. Deville had already done some groundwork on this and prepared a detailed report including an essay on StormWalk spirits that won an award in Glamour.

After this, in 1616 Deville moved to Prax to carry out a detailed survey of the magics in the region and to aid in the formation of the Red School of Masks which was behind schedule in training and effectiveness.

In New Pavis, Deville was met with a cool reception, Sor-eel had underfunded the School of Red Masks, believing it a pointless undertaking. Deville, with a cold determination ordered Sor-eel to provide the specified funding or face the wrath of the Provincial Overseer. The funding arrived but he made few friends among the nobility that year and Radak positively hates him as a effete Heartlander.

His superior ways and icy tone have alienated him from many other Lunars too. Curiously, though, he is respected as a man of his word and an honest and courageous individual by most of the local population. One assasination attempt was enough for many of them. Seeing Deville repel four crossbow bolts, float into the air on a moon beam and calmly blow the brains out of six powerful warriors was enough to scare the hardiest of souls.

Devilles motives and actions will be detailed later, if anybody is interested. I'll also post his stats to the Rules Digest.


End of Glorantha Digest V2 #180


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