THE LAIRS OF THE COUNCIL OF SAGES 3: MÁRLOCK'S LAIR

 

Hook: Bridge Town has grown in prominance on the frontier of Calibor next to The Wilderness. The Erämi, though they are reluctant to claim full alliance with anyone, have honoured the agreement put forth in The League of Four Crowns, which includes the Caliphate of Asham, Calibor, the tribal lands of Antŵra, and the wild Erämi. The elves stayed away from any agreements, remaining in the depths of their wild forests, but, it was guaranteed, if the need were great enough, the elves would emerge to defend the lands from aggression. They needed no binding terms to know what was right, much as the Erämi claim. The mountain gnomes also remain hidden away, save for rare instances when they emerge to travel the lands to gather greater knowledge of the world to use in their making. The League agreement has proven to be a good failsafe against the forces of evil, as Xoár and the Strixians have continued to prove troublesome, but, manageable. Enough of a threat to remain watchful... The Marcher Lords, Taryŵnish purists responsible for watching the thin western border of Calibor, have been left to their own wild devices building fortified villages along the frontier to keep watch on any invading forces and to indulge their own civil strife between clans. The Crown simply requires them to assemble and answer its call, during times of war and great need. The northern clans living in the Marcher Wolds and southern Hundred-Headed Mountains, are lesser royalty, marcher lords, knights, lesser chieftains and governors, in charge of fortified villages on the frontier. The southern clans, two larger political entities, The March of Tŵrk, and the March of Mabinŵg, are ruled by marks, a title equivalent to Lumenorian princes (minor nobles and military commanders), or Caliborian lords, or chieftains. The Lumenorian purists rule militarised mercenary units as tacticians and mercenary princes, who make their money as guards and leaders hired to lead as generals, specialised foot soldiers, and elite cavalry in times of war. It is by this uncertain backdrop that the Mark of Mabinŵg, Bryŵn, has grown increasingly suspicious of one of the local wizards, Lŵgon, upon hearing rumours of his gathering forces in The Wilderness, and finding evidence of those same forces ambushing caravans on the roads. It may be that he is planning a coup. The Mark has sent word throughout town that he desires a group of individuals go to Lŵgon's lair, find him, and bring him back to Bridge Town for questioning, and, if he does not wish to return, they are permitted to deal with him, as they please. Any goods stolen from local craftsmen are to be returned, should anything be found.

Details: Márlock is of the Ashamite tribe of Âras. He joined Uronos as a child, when the old wizard traveled the Sun Sea on one of his many adventures. Márlock was a pick pocket who chose the wrong mark. Or maybe he chose the right one? Uronos was impressed with the boy who had no parents and made his living off the streets like a common urchin. He spent his time relieving unsuspecting travellers of their belongings along the docks of Ayún Asham (City of the Sun). Márlock soon became a lazy but sharp student of the master wizard, going far with his training, despite his predilection for overeating and aggrandising himself. He chose alchemy as a path of interest, rather than choosing to study all the schools of magical thought and practice, or one of them. He had been poor too long and vowed never to be so, again. Márlock built his lair in the Dusty Plains, a long dead land of rivers now only capable of scrub brush and high yellow grass.

The poor child from the streets is now a grown man, a wizard of more-than-capable skill, and one of Uronos's most trusted former apprentices and friends. The Ashamite wizard has a small harem of women he has gathered to him from his own land, as well as Ashamite servants, and a handful of retainers he hired for body guards and sentries. The bodyguards carry the curved swords popular among the people of the Sun Sea tribes. Márlock's well-groomed appearance is due to a meticulous and entitled sense of self-care that he does not shirk. His long, yellow, Ashamite robes, dark hair, fingers, and neck are adorned with bronze, gold, and silver, and a few precious gemstones. He is Uronos's right-hand man, and will alert the old master to anything that he witnesses that might seem pertinent to the Council's current agenda. However, he is a coward, and will likely beg or bend if truly caught, and might, if his reward is high enough, turn on his fellow companions, just to save his own hide. He will, before he does that, seek to manipulate any characters who manage to get the drop on him, and lead them to Uronos or into a trap, then deliver them to Uronos, or lock them in his mine with the imp slaves he keeps. The slaves living in that mine provide ore for him to transmute into silver, gold, and copper (among other things) for use in supporting the Council of Sages' attempt on Bridge Town. The front of his lair is as extravagant as any Ashamite tomb in existence, complete with painted statures and figures, caryatid columns, except it is made of native limestone with sandstone accents, not sandstone from the Sun Sea.