Obedient
Obedient
2153
Climate/Terrain: | Dementlieu |
---|---|
Frequency: | Common |
Organization: | See below |
Activity Cycle: | Any |
Diet: | Omnivore |
Intelligence: | Average to high (10-15) |
Treasure: | M |
Alignment: | See below |
No. Appearing: | 1 |
Armor Class: | 10 (by armor type) |
Movement: | 12 |
Hit Dice: | Varies |
THAC0: | Varies |
No. of Attacks: | 1 |
Damage/Attack: | By weapon |
Special Attacks: | Nil |
Special Defenses: | Nil |
Magic Resistance: | Nil |
Size: | M |
Morale: | Elite (14) |
XP Value: | Varies |
The Obedient are those unfortunate souls who have been mesmerized into lifelong servitude by the lord of Dementlieu, Dominic dHonaire. They help their evil master hatch plots against their neighbors and keep nosy outsiders from discovering too much about their cursed land,
The Obedient are normal townspeople living in and around the land of Dementlieu. Many of them are the wealthier and more influential persons about town, for Dominic finds their positions useful in fulfilling his complex schemes.
All members of the Obedient speak the elegant language of Dementlieu. Those among them who have traveled or are well educated will know other tongues as well.
Combat: Most of the Obedient are simple fishermen, shopkeepers, and the men and women who work at the inns, taverns, stables, and other places where visitors are likely to stop. Dominic has often provided these persons with poisons to kill or render unconscious anyone he suspects of causing trouble. If forced into direct conflict, the Obedient wield a variety of weapons from long swords to simple daggers. Characters who realize that the Obedient are under the control of another but opt to slay them anyway are subject to a powers check,
Escaping the control of dHonaire is a difficult thing without outside help. Spells such as command, emotion, or the like can be used to shatter the hypnotic blocks that the lord of Dementlieu has established. If one of the Obedient is freed from the influence of the master hypnotist, however, Dominic will know immediately. The former servant will despise dHonaire for enslaving his mind and usually help a party defeat him if possible.
Habitat/Society: The primary purpose of the Obedient is to inform Dominic dHonaire about current events in the villages of Dementlieu. One of the most powerful servants is Lord-governor Marcel Guignol. In public, Dominic pretends to be the Lord-governors adviser, but in truth, Guignol is the hypnotists puppet. Other important persons under Dominics control are the constables in the towns of Port-a-Lucine and a Chateaufaux, most of the wealthier merchants, and even the captains of Port-a-Lucines fishing fleet.
Characters operating within Dementlieu will not go unnoticed by these servants. and word will reach dHonaires ears within hours of any strangers arrival. Particularly powerful visitors, especially warriors and wizards, might attract Dominics personal attentions as he attempts to mesmerize them and gather them to his flock of guardians and protectors.
Female characters with high Charisma scores (14 or better) will almost certainly attract Dominics attentions, and may even be invited to dinner at the advisers elegant chateau. Characters aware of Dominics weakness for beautiful women may use this as a way to get to the hypnotist, but if they should discuss their plans while in Chateaufaux or Port-a-Lucine, there is a strong chance that they will be overheard by the Obedient and relayed to their master. Dominic has turned the table on do-gooders more than once, transforming a dinner at his chateau into a deadly trap for his guests.
If visitors to town are particularly vocal about their attitudes toward Dominic or even the Lord-governor, the hypnotist will dispatch several of his more powerful servants to do away with the troublemakers. These servants are typically of the same average level as the character party, and are made up of two warriors, a wizard, and a priest. If extra villains are needed, Dominic can send more warriors of 1-2 levels lower than the partys average to fill the ranks. The DM should generate the characters as an NPC party of the appropriate levels, including the possibility of magic items and so forth.
Though dHonaire often uses brute force as described above, most of the Obedient are everyday folk who live and work in the villages of Dementlieu. When not delivering messages to the hypnotists minions, they go about their everyday lives exactly as if nothing was going on.
A member of the Obedients alignment is normal until he must report to his master of take some action to protect him. At that point it switches to lawful evil, returning to normal only after the task is complete.
Ecology: The Obedient live, eat, and sleep like normal men and women. Dominic prefers human servants over elves, dwarves, or other humanoids, because other races arent usually trusted anyway, and the illusion of trust and normality is an important facade for the Obedient.
Last Modified: April 22, 2009, 13:48:46 GMT
◆ 1369 ◆