NPC - Keleron The Mad

Keleron The Mad

Keleron was born on the banks of the Sunless Sea. His mother, a priestess of the Spider Queen, his father, a human mage of vast power. He should never have been born, and once born he should have been sacrificed on the blood-soaked alter of the Dark Elves. Instead he was simply abandoned on the lightless bank to perish or survive as the fates degreed.

The spiders found him. Why the saved him is not understood, but they took the babe and spun him in a cocoon of silk then carried him back to their caverns. They fed him on blood and taught him the language of the dark. Quickly, quickly he grew to be a man, half-elven, filled with grace and intellect, and as part man he grew tall and strong.

Within the black realm of the spiders, deep at the center of their domain, was the chamber of pain. Something rested there that the spider-kind loved and feared above all things; worshipped more than the Spider Queen and never spoken of except twice in a lifetime.

Twice would those of Spider-kind visit the chamber. Once when the desire to breed would come upon them and once more when death sang its song to them and pulled at their twisted souls.

When Keleron grew to manhood the spiders led him down ancient passages, over chasms bridged by webs, past the Husk Guardians and the Mirror Children, through the Door of Glass and left him to walk the final twisting steps to the chamber.

When Keleron returned he was no longer sane, no longer simply elven or man. Something burned inside of him. It flared from the bloody holes where his eyes once were, from his navel where the terror had entered and hollowed out his soul. From the great treasure hoard of the spiders he retrived the edgeless Blade of Ice that steamed the air beside him and froze the words of men before they could be spoken. In his left hand he carried the Winged Staff whose light was a deadly beam that withered the denizens of the underworld at a touch.

Keleron turned upon the spiders, his foster parents, purged the caverns, sought out the dark elves and the Spider Queen. He has swept through the dark elven cities and cleansed them of unbelievers, renewed the strength of the Spider Queen's faith and become her champion. His armor is formed from her own chitin and his helm from a bestial demon of the abyss. He has turned his eyeless face upon the upperworld and yearns to make his loathsome queen the ruler of his father's race.

Monster - Banek

NOTE: An old 1e monster from my Greyhawk campaign. I'm working on some 5e conversions but I'm still getting used to the system.

Banek

Frequency: Rare
No. Appearing: 3-15
Armor Class: 5
Move 12"
Hit Dice: 4
% in Lair: 70%
Treasure Type: c
No. of Attacks: 3 (Bite/Claw/Claw)
Damage/Attack: 1d12/1d8/1d8
Special Attack: The bite of a Banek is poisoness. Any character bitten by this creature must save versus poison or receive an immediate 1d6 damage. This save must be made against ever successful bite attack.
Special Defense: nil
Magic Resistance: 10%
Intelligence: Average to High
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Size: M

Language: Their primary language is Drowic, but many are intelligent enough to speak several languages. Most will speak an underworld trade language or the common tongue in addition to Drowic.

Physical Description: The Banek have the body of a lion and the head of a female Drow. Their fur and their facial skin is a dusky grey and the hair on their head is shockingly white. Their mouths are filled with the sharp pointed teeth of a cat.

Combat: Though they have intelligence the Banek act more like beasts in combat. They will throw themselves on an opponent and go for its throat, though they will bite any flesh within reach. Their front paws are equipped with sharp claws and as they bite they will also rend. While these monsters travel in packs they normally attack as individuals and it is rare for a mansized creature to be set upon by more than one. Often these beasts will sit and watch as one of their kindred fights and will only attack if the first Banek withdraws or is incapacitated or killed.

Ecology: The Banek is the product of foul sorcery and the melding of Drow with various cat species (primarily panthers). These offspring of that melding are highly valued and kept as guardians and pets by only the most powerful or wealthy Drow. Their successful birth rate is very low despite an active breeding program in several Drow enclaves, most notably the Kokeiluyhteiskuntzasium of  Erelhei-Cinlu which originated the process.

Many Banek's have escaped over the years and can be found beyond Drow cities, vaults, outposts or enclaves. hey do not breed in a normal fashion since all are female, but they do take various feline or feline-like males as mates. They have the ability to Charm male feline creatures and they can be found lairing with lions, displacer beasts or even manticores.  They reproduce by cell division and a pack of Baneks will all look exactly alike. This process happens once every year or so and a pack of Baneks can double in size suddenly. There is a constant struggle for dominance among them and commonly the fight for leadership will be to the death.

Baneks are named beings but have a pack mentality and are not solitary creatures. Escaped Banek that are unable to reproduce and find themselves alone will make their way back to Drow society even if it means punishment and their virtual enslavement.

NPC - Malarith Salamander Lord

NPC - Malarith Salamander Lord

 From the Elemental Plane of Fire the great Salamander Lord Malarith has been sent as an ambassador to the Fire Giant King Snurre. The Drow, at least those who worship Elemental Evil, stand in high regard with the strongest of Salamander kingdoms from the Fire Plane. It is at their urging that an alliance be formed with the Fire Giants and plans for a massive summoning of Salamander warriors is underway. 

Deep in human lands is a fire mountain, a volcano, sleeping but waiting to be awakened. In the burning magma of the Oerth the Salamanders can run free. With rivers of Lava to renew themselves they can bear the chilly climes  of the Oerthly Plane and bring flame and terror to the nations of the Flanaess.

Already it has been agreed for the Salamanders to be summoned to the Drachenscrab Hills to awaken the Fire Mountain and release a legion of Salamanders upon the unspecting lands within reach.

Unbeknowest to the Salamanders or Snurre the intent of this first foray is to weaken the worshipers of Lolth and their alliance with the Slave Lords.

NPC - Vir'Veth Warrior-Mage

NPC  - Vir'Veth Warrior-Mage

During the giant incursions into Geoff in 576-577cy A mysterious elven figure was seen leading contingents of ogres, orcs and hobgoblins in the worst of the fighting. Now revealed to be a Drow, the dark splinter-race of elves that vomited from the Underoerth during those dark times, Vir'Veth was one of the first encountered by people of Geoff.

He rode a Nightmare and went armored as a warrior and cast spells as a mage. His weapons and armor bore powerful enchantments but during the last weeks of fighting his blade shattered as it met the power of the druid Haakul's staff and his armor was pierced by the arrows of the ranger Evest, she of the Lightning Bow. 

Vir'veth was not slain and to this day leads a band of outlaws and monsters who lair in the Crystalmist Mountains above the Hornwood.

NPC Eclavdra's Sister

In the UnderOerth her's is a name of terror. She has died a hundred times and always one of her sisters rises and takes her place. Eclavdra's magic brings forth another sister-clone, another Eclavdra at every death.

NPC - Drow Warrior Gyr'On

After the invasion of Geoff when terror stalked the land the true leaders behind the giants apppered. The Drow Warrior-Lord Gyr'On riding upon a Nightmare prowled the wilds of Geoff hunting down those who'd fled and those who still fought. His story and that of a Geoff ranger are intertwined around that of the half-elven maid Ffion have becomr legendary among those who have taken the land back.