NPC Stats: Lord Balsadarus

Here’s another of the important NPCs, one of my favorites, mostly because he is one of the few true antagonists in Mor Aldenn. So far, Lord Balsadarus is only level 3, but as the PCs grow, so does the Lord Advisor!

 

Lord Balsadarus

Male human wizard3; CR 3; Medium humanoid (human); HD 3d6+3 plus 3; hp 16; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 14; BAB/CMB +1/+1; Atk/Full Attack +2 melee (1d4+1/19-20, +1 dagger of venom) or +1 (1d6/1d6, mwk quarterstaff); SA –; SQ arcane bond (object), cantrips, chosen school (conjuration), prohibited schools (abjuration and enchantment); AL CN; SV Fort +2, Ref +2, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 9, Cha 13.

Skills and Feats: Appraise +6, Bluff +9, Craft (alchemy) +6, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Ride +2, Sleight of Hand +3, Spellcraft +6, Stealth +3; Deceitful, Iron Will, Martial Weapon Proficiency (shortsword), Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (bluff).

Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 3rd; +2 ranged touch); 0—detect poison, detect magic, mage hand, read magic; 1st—comprehend languages, disguise self, grease; 2nd—detect thoughts, summon swarm.

Languages: Common, Abyssal, Elven.

Possessions: dagger of venom, mwk quarterstaff, ring of protection +2, 2 potions of invisibility, potion of cure serious wounds, wand of blindness (50 charges), wand of magic missile (50 charges), plus 1d6 1st level scrolls and 1d4 2nd level scrolls.

Note that the quarterstaff that Lord Balsadarus carries, was actually a gift from the mayor, given in the early days of their friendship, of course.

Another interesting idea that came up to the surface during his creation is concerned with his chosen school – conjuration. I’m actually thinking that maybe Lord Balsadarus has contacts within (or is a member of) the cult tied to the demon in the Fallen Tower. For this reason, the Lord Advisor also know the abyssal tongue, though this is a well-kept secret.

NPC Stats: Mayor Oswin

I’ve previously written a great deal about Mayor Oswin Theodorick, so I won’t get into detail about who he is, or about his former craft or family etc. Instead, I’ll shine a little light on the statistics of Mayor Oswin, so that he could be used in a game.

Because I want these stat blocks to take up as little space as possible, I’ve decided to go with the good old stat block, as you can see below! 🙂 If you dont like it, please comment, and I might decide to change back to the new Paizo stat block.

 

Mayor Oswin Theodorick

Male human commoner6; CR 5; Medium humanoid (human); HD 6d6+6; hp 32; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 18, touch 15, flat-footed 17; BAB/CMB +3/+6; Atk/Full Atk +9 melee (1d6+6/1d6+6, +3 quarterstaff) or +7 melee (1d8+3/19-20, mwk longsword); SA –; SQ –; AL LG; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +4; Str 16, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 15, Cha 10.

Skills and Feats: Craft (weaponsmithing) +3, Diplomacy +3, Handle Animal +4, Perception +9, Profession (carpenter) +8, Ride +6, Sense Motive +7, Survival +3, Swim +8; Alertness, Dodge, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Martial Weapon Proficiency (longsword), Simple Weapon Proficiency (quarterstaff).

Language: Common.

Possessions: +3 quarterstaff, mwk longsword, amulet of natural armor +3, ring of protection +3, bracelet of friends, potion of invisibility, 2 potions of bear’s endurance.

The fun thing about Mayor Oswin is, that he really sin’t worthy of being a mayor. He has no powers that make him excellent at this job, except perhaps his (somewhat) large Wisdom and natural alertness (see feat). If it weren’t for the magic of the mages, he would probably be a very easy target for assassins and enemies.

Another great little detail about Mayor Oswin Theodorick, is his bracelet of friends. So far, I only know of two “friends” who are keyed to the charm, which is Lord Balsadarus and Lady Selyssa. Great way of keeping your “trusted” advisors close to you at all times. Well, one of them is trusted, anyways. 🙂

Mayor Oswin Theodorick

Aye, Mayor Oswin is a good man, if a bit simple. Don’t ask me how he learned that Thallion was innocent, but the mages seem to agree with him, which must mean that he is right. If you are interested in his craftsmanship, I have a good chair at home that he created years ago. Last I heard, Oswin had started making chairs again…

– Crent the Boatsman

 

Four years ago, the old mayor of Mor Aldenn died while visiting friends in one of the northern villages. His party was attacked by a group of young hill giants and, sadly, the mayor was not the only one to lose his life; several of his mage advisors died as well. The city needed a new mayor and so the mages started looking for one.

Who is to say what the mages are looking for when they search for a mayor. Perhaps they want someone wise, just, valorous, popular, charismatic, intelligent, or perhaps they just want some naive and stupid. Either way, this time it took the mages 12 whole days and nights to find the right man for the job. In the past there have been times when the mages had to find their mayor outside the city, but this time they settled on a human carpenter named Oswin Theodorick.

Oswin lived a quiet life in the southern part of Mor Aldenn, making tables, chairs and even houses for the moraldenns. He was married to a stout woman named Kaelene, or rather, he is still married to Kaelene, and together they have four children. Mayor Oswin is a caring, if slightly naive man, who loves his family and his craft. He thought long and hard about taking the job, but how could he deny the mages?

In the beginning, being mayor was hard work, even harder than being a craftsman. There was much to be learned and long meetings to be held with the mages, but he quickly learned about all the benefits. His family would never starve, nor would they ever be in any real danger with the Aldenic Guard watching over them. Servants, magic, advisors, gifts and lots of other things quickly became part of Mayor Oswin’s new life. Sometimes his family loves this life more than he does, but in the recent years, the mayor has found time to ply his old craft. He doesn’t need to sell his work, having everything he needs, but occasional does.

Being mayor does give Oswin some responsibilities that he can’t get out of, like being High Judge. Most of the times, the moraldenns take their complaints to the mages, but sometimes the complainers are referred to the mayor. One would think that these were minor case, but alas, they are not. Recently the mayor had to judge whether or not an elven tailor had killed his partner. The city seemed to think so, but after hearing a large number of statements, the High Judge declared the innocence of the tailor.

Mage Advisors

The most renowned of the mayor’s mage advisors is perhaps Master Balsadarus, a not-very-talented wizard. Balsadarus would never have gained any kind of power with the guild, but when the Masters asked him to serve the mayor, the wizard did not hesitate. He now lives at the mansion, along with plenty other servants, but he is no ordinary servant. In fact, rumors say that Balsadarus is the true puppeteer behind the mayor, making all the important decisions. This last year, though, has been slightly different. An elven lady named Selyssa Fadhyra became another of the mayor’s advisors. She opposes Balsadarus in almost every decision that he makes and the mayor finds it hard to be around both at the same time.

Introducing Mor Aldenn

A city of magic? Well, Mor Aldenn may not be as wondrous as all that, however, you will find strange things, see powerful wizards, charismatic sorcerers and even experience wondrous events that other cities certainly lack. To call Mor Aldenn a large city, or even an old city,  would be to exaggerate, but with each passing day, Mor Aldenn grows bigger and more wondrous. If you’ve come to study the arcane arts, you’ve definitely come to the right place!

A City of Magic and Mages

Located inside the amazing forest realm of Ossindrillon, Mor Aldenn is home to humans, elves and half-elves, as well as centaurs, halflings, gnomes and even a small clan of kobolds. The largest part of the city is located on the island that was once inhabited by a powerful green dragon, but you’ll find other, minor, islands inhabited as well, connected by beautiful elven bridges. Two rivers converge around Mor Aldenn, and the main island is only connected to the main land on the eastern bank, a wide bridge overseen by an old watch tower. You’ll find lots of fields and small hamlets surrounding the city, but also a few fishing villages. The rivers are an important part of Mor Aldenn and even the mages know this fact.

Mage towers are spread all across the city, like the Tower of Divination; a small tower located on a small island south of the main city, not far from where the mayor lives in his mansion, and the Tower of Abjuration on the Tower Hill, a powerful and wondrous tower. In fact, in Mor Aldenn you’ll find a mage tower devoted to each of the arcane schools. You’ll find the Tower of Illusion on an invisible island north of Mor Aldenn and anyone will tell you that the Tower of Conjuration was abandoned long ago, after the upper part was destroyed by a powerful demon that escaped its summoning circle, yet is still trapped within the walls of the tower.

MOR ALDENN
Small City; conventional (mayor); AL Neutral Good
GP Limit 15,000gp; Assets 6,591,750gp

[DEMOGRAPHICS]

Population 7,789
Type integrated (35% humans, 33% elves and half-elves, 15% halflings, 7% centaurs, 10% other races)

[AUTHORITY FIGURES]

Mayor Oswin Theodorick (male human, commoner6); Master Ardamiron (male half-elf, wizard11); Lord Balsadarus (male human, wizard3); Lady Selyssa Fadhyra (female elf, sorcerer4); Orregil Silvermane (male centaur, fighter5/ranger5).

[IMPORTANT PERSONS]

Prince Valthor of Calathia (male human aristocrat3/fighter7); Yargus Tem (male human, rogue9); Jordrick Runsen (male human, exp3/wiz4).