Difference between revisions of "Pontius MkKlain XVII"

Latest revision as of 08:17, 25 June 2018

Pontius MkKlain XVII, 8th level LN(G) fallen paladin of Vastuvian, 3rd magnitude undead construct

Title: Earl Marshal of the Klain, Knight Commander of the Order of the Ebon Chalice

Method of Address: "your Grace", or "Lord Sir Pontius Mkklain XVII"

Statistics

His Grace Knight Commander Pontius MkKlain XVII, Earl Marshal of the Klain, bearing for the firs time the terrible Black Sword and donning the powerful armor of the first Earl Marshal , Pontius MkKlain I. Pontius took the sword and armor of his ancestor after the death of his family at the hands of the church he once served, vowing to destroy the religion completely. After taking up his ancestor's blade, MkKlain became mighty indeed, and after many exploits of great prowess, became thereafter himself known as the Black Sword of the Klain.

Str 15 (in life 18:77, w/ gauntlets of ogre strength 18:00) Dex 14 Con - (in life 17) Int 15 Wis 15 Cha 9 (in life 18)

Hit Dice: 8d10 + 24, (former hp: 66)

Age: 35 (at time of death)

Hair: Blonde, Eyes: Green

Movement: 12 (maximum movement rate of 18)

ht.: 6 ft. 3 in. wt.:  ? (formerly 210 lbs.)

Weapon Profs.: bastard sword, heavy horse lance, war hammer, dirk

Non. Weapon Profs.: (groomer), land based riding, endurance, reading/writing, healing

Languages: Common, High Philosian

Undead Attributes

Physical Description: Pontius MkKlain appears pale and his eyes dull and off-colored. Due to his appearance alone, anyone who draws close to him will almost certainly sense he is no longer of the living. His naked skin is festooned with numerous black-inked cuneiform symbols and glyphs, which generally appear on both sides of all major and even some minor segments of his body. Where his heart was, there now exists a great scar in the form of the image of roots of gnarled black tree reaching outward across his chest as if they were veins. His body also smells faintly of formaldehyde.

General Undead Condition: Since his transformation, Pontius MkKlain's body has been effectively dead, for he has no heartbeat, and no organ he possesses is required for him to operate to his full potential, although the loss of limbs and muscle groups will have an effect. Furthermore, MkKlain's body has been ridden of almost all his blood, and has instead been replaced with a preservative formaldehyde formula. If MkKlain ever loses over 50% of his hit points due to lacerations or punctures, he will have leaked too much of this clear fluid, and will thereafter appear inhumanly gaunt and wizened until he ingests more formaldeyde. Although he recognizes injuries, Pontius does not feel pain as such, and may fight up to -10 hp, at which point his body will collapse. When wounded, the cuneiform symbols nearest the injury will become all the more apparent on his skin, and will ooze forth tendrils of darkness that feed the wound until it is restored, healing him at the rate of 1 hp/turn.

MkKlain's muscles are no longer as strong as they once were, and his body now moves to a large degree due to sorcery and his undead power. Therefore, without his gauntlets, Pontius' physical strength is limited to the magically bestowed strength of 15

Special Undead Abilities: cannot sleep, no requirement for air, water or feed, regeneration 1 hp/turn, infravision (180 ft. range)

Special Undead Defenses: 1/2 damage from cold-based and electrical attacks, immunity to diseases, immunity to poisons, immunity to sleep, charm and hold spells, causes psychological harm to those who are not undead when telepathic psionic attacks are attempted

Special Undead Vulnerabilities: may be turned as a 8HD undead monster or spectre, +2 damage/die when suffering fire-based attacks

The Door of Saints, later called the Door of Doom, that was built in the once holy city of Vatia. Although originally intended to be a door to the heavens and designed to summon the god Vastuvius, the door instead opened to the Abyss and its demons, and thus became the catalyst for the end of MkKlain's world.

The Life of Pontius

Pontius MkKlain was born on the world of Hustar during the 6th year of King Strannos’ Reign which was the 459 year of Lord Vastuvian the God of the Gods.

Pontius MkKlain named line is always named to the second son; so his father was the second son of his father who in turn was the second son of his and so on till Lord Pontius MkKlain the First. The first born son takes control of the lands and lordships of the castle and grounds. The lauded second son goes at the age of 5 to squire to the Knights of the Ebon Chalice.

He was raised harshly by the cruel and brutal training regime that consists of the Knights but Pontius prevailed in all aspects. Mounted combat, line infantry melee, horse care, poetry, reading and writing, armor maintenance, weapon skill and care, etc. all were taken to with a fervor to be the best. In this Pontius truly was the best and one night when he was of the age of 13 the power of Vastuvian washed over him and he rose from his bed chambers surrounded by Black Fire; a true sign of being a chosen champion of Vastuvian. From then on Pontius life went from Squire to Knighthood at the youngest age ever in its history.

A true and noble hero to his core Pontius traveled the land with his battalion of loyal men at arms doing what they could against marauders, bandits, orcs, trolls, ogres, and other evil denizens that plagued the lands of his home. Yet, as Pontius aged he noticed the Clergy of Vastuvian had become slightly more hard edged and covetous of power and wealth. The citizens of the Kingdom of Strannos being harshly treated, taxed, over worked and abused; they cried out for mercy to their King but yet the King was properly placed under the thrall of Vastuvian Clergy.

Longer and longer this continued, Pontius spoke against these actions when it was politically and socially acceptable but even those cases were becoming harder and harder to come by. Manacled by his loyalty, duty, and faith in Vastuvian clergy and the God himself Pontius could only say and do so much to stop the tide of impending evil and cruelty that was coming against him.

Finally, in the 46th year of King Strannos’ Reign, the clergy took and unacceptable cross of the line. A small town near the border of the Kingdom refused to accept their lot anymore and denied all loyalty to the Throne. Pontius was ordered to take travel there and either make them see the light or burn them all with it. Optimistic he traveled there with his 500 men at arms to try and plead with the citizens to try and hold out a little longer till things could be changed for the better. They would hear nothing of his speeches. The peasants of this land were so malnourished, overworked, and near to death that Pontius could not bring himself to slaughter these people. He returned to report the horrible conditions that these people were in and if they were helped by Church they would turn around and come back to them peacefully.

The Clergy did not take to Pontius’ debate and declared him Traitor. Him and his men at arms were seized immediately and placed in chains. For three years Pontius was imprisoned as one by one each of his loyal soldiers were convicted guilty after a trial and executed by hanging as he could only watch on from his small cell. Pontius lashed out and was infuriated by this treatment and the ‘trials’ his men were given.

During the end of his imprisonment Pontius felt a waning of Vastuvian’s power. All the clergy felt it and even the people could feel something was horribly wrong. Vastuvian had abandoned them and so very abruptly. In this matter, worldwide chaos was sewn nearly overnight. The clergy declared every person heretic even each other and wars broke out immediately and everywhere. It was during this chaos that Pontius was able to make his escape and travel back to his fiefdom. More tragedy was to rear its head as Pontius approached its border. In being declared Traitor his lands had been ravaged and pillaged to nothingness and salted. Ten Thousand square hectare’s salted and razed. Grieved he approached his castle which had been reduced to rubble and all value seized by the Clergy and in front was 6 crucifixes; one for his wife Anastasia, his three daughters, Melena Kitiara and Asa, and his two sons, Octavian and Pontius the XVIII.

Unfathomable horror, rage, anger, sadness, and grief surged through him and he thought all is lost. Moving quickly to a small hillock on the outskirts of his lands lay the tomb of his Ancestor, Pontius MkKlain the First. His rune carved stone of memorial lay shattered and broken and of course the grave was salted. But none the less Pontius dug with his bare hands, zeal lending his torn hands strength and he dug and dug deeper until he unearthed his ancestor. Clad in ancient field plate mail and lying buried in his grave for over 200 years it was pristine; a cobalt black trimmed in Gold a family artifact that Pontius would immediately put to use. Also laying at his side was the Black Blade. A bastard sword of magnificent craftsmanship also a cobalt black trimmed with gold.

Readying himself Pontius led a one man assault on a Vastuvian Temple and slaughtered all that he could till he was brought down by mass numbers. His armor and weapons oddly enough could not be touched by the clergy or anyone with evil in their hearts. Though it wasn’t hard to chain Pontius in heavy links and again be brought into imprisonment.

Shortly after a desperate try by the Vasuvian Clergy to bring their God back they constructed a large portal of adamantine and iron 50 feet in diameter. Citizens and captured soldiers treated as slaves constructed this at the cost of thousands of lives. The clergy had enlisted the help of many powerful wizards to try to summon Vasuvian back in trade that they may practice their magicks unmolested.

The summoning commenced, the world’s sky turned to red and blood and ash rained down. Nothing prepared anyone for the calamity that commenced. A direct portal to the Abyss had opened and could not be closed. Hustar quickly became a plaything for demons and all was lost. Nothing truly remains of Hustar, it is a world of blood and ash and death.

At some point in time Pontius was traded to a powerful Lich by a Tanar’ri Lord for an ironic prisoner; all that is good imprisoned by all that is evil.

The Undeath of Pontius

Draft Summary

The Burning of the Lab, the Lich's Silence, Ktandeo the Undying, and the Lich's Vengeance

Locked in his inner sanctum and unable to escape, it was many days before Pontius MkKlain and his companions in captivity were at last defeated by the lich. Unable to find the lich's inner sanctum or confront him in combat, they ravaged the mysterious lich's dungeon and laboratory, freeing many of his monsters, despoiling his wondrous treasures, and setting fire to his vast library. Amidst the ruins of the once fabulous sanctum, the various heroes at last freed the agent of their initial redemption, the mighty warrior Ktandeo.

Set upon a great hook held aloft by an enormous iron pole, Ktandeo inexplicably lived despite days of hunger and thirst as well as incredible and unending pain. At last satisfied that the lich was either destroyed in their fires or otherwise unable to harm them, Pontius, having recovered his magical ancestral sword, cut down Ktandeo, and relieved the great warrior's pains and woes with his paladin's healing hand. Ktandeo, thankful of the aid given, told the scattered heroes his tale, such as it was, and after recovering some of his strength, aided MkKlain and the other heroes in how they might best escape the lich's sanctum, examining the Great Machine to see if they could master its use. In one occasion, they succeeded in this, and caused the great system of globes and domes to spin and swirl until one of their party disappeared, to planes unknown. Although unsure of his fate, the heroes agreed that such a fate was better than starvation in the lich's dungeon, and prepared to use the Machine again so that each of them could make their escape. Ktandeo volunteered to remain, announcing that he would not flee the ruin until he discovered the answer to the riddle of the lich's location, and destroy him.

While on guard during their party's rest, MkKlain was approached by one of their recent companions freed from the dungeon, and now amongst their number. A half-angelic being of great grace and beauty named the same as Pontius' deceased wife Anastasia, she comforted Pontius. However, admidst her caresses and sweet smelling embrace, an evil and subtle poison was imperceptibly introduced over MkKlain's skin. Saying that the others meant to abandon Pontius, and that Ktandeo would betray his word to use the Machine first, MkKlain grew unbalanced and wroth, and left to an evil poison-induced stupor, slew outright his resting companions as they slept, with Ktandeo alone escaping, yet even he received a mortal wound from Pontius' black blade. Soon after the black rage, the poison wore off, yet in vengeance, when her answers to his questions did not suffice, in the last stages of the poison's swoon, MkKlain still slew Anastasia, although the soul of the lich that had possessed her had just left to manifest into a previously invisible body. Examining her body, MkKlain soon found the unhallowed bottle of black glass which had a sweet yet subtle smell, and quickly surmised the truth, especially as he heard the cackle of the invisible lich which was looking on.

Pontius rushed to destroy the long-absent undead sorcerer, but with a wave of his hand the enchantments woven over his armor by the soft hand of Anastasia were activated, and his armor fell off in a wave, including his magical heume, which protected his mind. Nonetheless Pontius charged, but with a flash the lich's naked bones became golden, and even the slashes of the black sword could do him little harm. Next, in desperation, Pontius wrestled-down the lich, but the touch was so chill and enervating that it sapped MkKlain's will, and although he prevented the lich's spells, he could not destroy him. However, in the struggle, MkKlain dislodged a magic stone set into the corpse's eye, and smashed it, to the great anger of the lich. At last, incapable of bearing the unfathomable cold any longer, Pontius released, and the wrathful lich, in a victorious stance, threw a spell upon his mind, sending him into a swoon of madness and pain. The last thoughts of freedom MkKlain would remember before he collapsed into a heap were of magically-induced madness and despair, as the lich's magical mind spider weaved through and consumed his inner thoughts in a flurry of pain.

The Undeath of Pontius MkKlain

Pontius awoke upon the lich's grizzly rack, being stretched and torn at the lich's own hands. Seeing Ktandeo once again mounted on his hook upon the wall, the lich, admitting his name to be the Marques Enco Salorini, tortured MkKlain for information, and demanding secrets. Amidst this questioning, the Marques revealed a fair amount of information about itself, as it attempted to glean the purpose of Ktandeo and the other companions that had escaped the dungeon. When it at last grew tired of its tortures, the lich announced that it would be best, before it killed him, that MkKlain offer up his soul in sacrifice to Nergal and his queen, the gods of the dead in the lich's world, and that MkKlain would regret it grievously if he did not. When MkKlain refused to offer up his soul in service to these dark deities, the lich placed MkKlain in a great stone sarcophagus of steels nails, and after seven closings with the blades moving, MkKlain at last died.

Upon awakening, Pontius found himself a mutilated corpse with a great hole in his chest, his heart missing. He lay on a slab, and was shown by the lich some of the garments and personal items of his youngest child and son, Pontius XVIII. Taking pleasure in the telling, the lich then told Pontius how after uncovering MkKlain's past with his mind-spider spell, the lich had divined and journeyed to MkKlain's fallen world, wherein the lich unearthed Pontius' youngest son, and used it to commune with the boy's soul in the afterlife. The lich then tracked the boy's soul to Elysium, and tricking the boy, merged him not with his restored body, which was an illusion, but rather with his decaying corpse. Once completed, the lich returned with the boy to his sanctum, and used the Machine to take the boy to the domain of Nergal, where he crushed the undead boy's skull, and buried him before an evil tree that had been grown from Pontius' dead heart.

The lich explained how the boy's sacrifice had been used to return Pontius to his body as an undead, and how the lich intended to repeat his course of action upon his other children. With each new sacrifice, Pontius would grow more powerful and look more human, which suited the lich's purpose, for he meant Pontius as an eternal weapon against his enemies, capable of mimicking the living. Amidst his talking, the lich admitted that he believed, should all of MkKlain's children and wife be sacrificed in such a manner, that the Powers of the underworld would see fit to return Pontius back to life.

The lich then commanded Pontius to assist him to do the same to several of his other children, and when MkKlain at first refused, the lich revealed the head of his wife, threatening that yet more vile fates for Pontius were yet possible, and that Pontius ought to have given his soul to Nergal before he had died. The lich then brought forth a seed produced from the tree of Pontius' heart and uttered a terrible spell, and commanded the undead MkKlain into obedience.

Two more children, Octavian and Asa, were likewise doomed by the lich and their undead father, with their remains and souls being buried under the tree of Pontius' heart. With each new burial, the tree grew, and Octavian became more human, and more powerful, and more damned.

Upon his last foray into the Upper Planes, an eladrin knight somehow saw through the illusions that the lich had weaved around the Pontius MkKlain, and recognized him as a undead creature of evil. So piercing was the eladrin's holy gaze that it burned into the very core of whatever remained of the fallen paladin's soul, terrifying Pontius beyond all reason. Alighting upon his celestial steed, the eladrin quickly called his fellows and pursued as Pontius fled. It was the first time Pontius had ever fled from battle, and the first time he had ever truly known fear. But behind this fear was shame, as the eladrin's piercing gaze saw all the evils that MkKlain had done, and illuminated them all at once in one terrible vision in Pontius' mind. It is a gaze Pontius will never forget, as it is the gaze that saw his ultimate shame.

The False Freedom of MkKlain from the Clutches of the Lich

Upon the fourth of MkKlain's children to be sacrificed, the lich expected Pontius' heart to once again beat, and his undeath to be ever more akin to life, which suited the lich's purposes. However, upon traveling to the plane of Arborea as the home of his daughter Kitiara's soul, this time the forces of good were ready, and despite all the illusions and trickery of the lich, the angelic spirits of the upper planes saw through the lich's magical shrouds, and attacked. Pontius, wielding the black blade, fought, but soon the battle went wrong, and the lich fled, leaving the undead Pontius to flee the righteous power of the immortal guardians of Arborea. Terrified by the holy light of the eladrin, Pontius ran down into a river basin, but the powerful eladrin followed and meant to destroy him in righteous indignation. Yet Pontius did not wish to end in this way, with his own vengeance left undone. Praying to whatever Powers might still listen, Pontius soon found a dark mist enveloping him, keeping him hidden from the eladrin scouts. Soon, the mists swept him away from the face of Arborea and Outer Planes entirely, leaving him in a realm that was very much different and fitting for his fate.

Equipment

Enco's new well-crafted field plate armor for Pontius MkKlain XVII, designed to match his magical gaunlets.

The Black Blade

Description: cobalt black, trimmed in gold. Fine religious iconography.

Personality: the black blade has a terrible hatred of evil, but especially hates efreet and tanar'ri, against whom it is merciless. The black blade was made in black hatred and wrath for such beings, and therefore, although it was made for a paladin and will serve one, it will never be a true holy avenger.

Powers: bastard sword +3, frost band, +6 vs. fire-using/dwelling creatures (simultaneously exists in the prime material plane/ethereal plane/shadow plane/fire plane)

This sword always provides a +3 bonus. The +6 bonus takes effect against creatures that use fire or live in fiery environments. The weapon does not shed any light, except when the air temperature is below 0 degrees F. It does give special benefits against fire, for its wielder is protected as if he were wearing a ring of fire resistance. The frost brand sword also has a 50% chance of extinguishing any fire into which its blade is thrust. This power extends to a 10-foot radius—including a wall of fire but excluding a fireball, meteor swarm, or flame strike.

Intelligence: 13

Ego: 26

Personality Score: 39

Communication: empathy

Alignment: lawful neutral (formerly lawful good)

Primary Ability: detect invisible object in a 10’ radius

Extraordinary Power: ESP, 30 yards range—3 time/day, 1 round per use

Special Purpose: slay/convert efreet (in pursuit of this quest, insanity for 1d4 rounds unless saving throw vs. spell is made)

Field Plate Mail of Pontius Mkklain I

This highly enchanted field plate armor is good and virtuous armor, and will not accept being donned by an evil being.

Description: cobalt black, trimmed in gold. A black chalice, limned in black flame, adorns the crest of the dark heume. Fine religious iconography.

Short History: enchanted by powerful prelates, and given to Pontius Mkklain I, so that he might rescue the Apostle to the Efreet, Saint Enver, who is imprisoned to this day in the City of Brass, after many centuries. Mkklain was struck down by the Grand Vizier of the Efreet when he attempted to free Saint Enver, and soon afterwards died. The armor has burned, on fire, since that time, and only now the 17th Pontius Mkklain has unearthed the mail, miraculously free of the Grand Vizier’s fire.

Powers: field plate +3 (exists simultaneously prime material/ethereal plane/fire elemental plane/shadow plane)

-acts as a ring of fire resistance

-descendants of Pontius Mkklain are able to induce the effect of an elemental aura of fire, which allows survivability in the elemental

plane of fire for 18 hours (18th level of ability) once per/week

-through shadow, the wearer may enter the border ethereal near the elemental plane of fire or the quasi-elemental plane of shadow

-the armor exists simultaneously on the ethereal and the prime material

-unless it is higher, the wearer’s constitution is raised to an 18 while wearing the armor

-the wearer does not suffer from thirst while wearing this mail, nor does he suffer from natural environmental heat or cold (permanent endure heat/endure cold)

-a paladin wearing this mail may lay on hands one extra time/day

-burning hands at 18th level of ability, once/day

-the helmet of this mail may attempt to influence fire elementals or efreet as described in paragraphs 1-3 of the rings of elemental command.

-by placing holy water in the helmet, the wearer may transform the holy water into ebon blame, a kind of “holy water” to be drunk by beings from the elemental plane of fire that is used to baptize them in the faith of Vastuvian. Standard holy water requires 1 round to transmute into ebon flame. The consumption of ebony flame by a non-good fire elemental being will likely prove fatal. If splashed on creatures, ebon flame will cause 1d6+3 damage, or 2d6+6 damage against cold-based creatures.

-while wearing the heume, the wearer is protected as if by a permanent mind blank, as per the 8th level wizard spell.

Categories:Ravenloft Player Characters