On the Lich Lord: Bentreign The Undying

07.51 Unknown 0 Comments

Lords of undeath, I perused as a child. The adventure was silly, full of railroads, and bizarre siege-level combats.

But the interesting thing to me was the portraits of the five lich lords that ruled the undead island. In that spirit, for immediate use at least in a walk on cameo in your game, I present:

Bentreign the Undying

By C. Campbell Not blurry at full size

Description:
Damakos Bentreign is tall and thin, with a narrow triangular hairless face. He has two long tall thin horns that grow from his head, the left one broken.

He wears fashionable robes, in the modern style, and his hands and arms are so thin, the bone shows through in places. Otherwise, in a dim room, he could pass for a living being.

Domicile:
Damakos Bentreign lives in the last full standing tower in the Fortress of Runes, south of the grey forest, ostensibly named for the color of the dominate fungus in the area.

History:
Damakos Bentreign was cursed from birth.

His father an Incubus, his mother brutally scarred and cast out of his village, he grew up surviving in the wilds and learning what little hedge magic he knew from his mother.

Soon afterward, she was murdered in front of him by a gang of bandits. They took him captive.

He lived with them for years, hating and needing their protection. It was during this time he lost four of the fingers on his left hand, cut off for the pleasure of some minor bandit that Damakos later slew, as punishment for "cheating" during a game. (Cheating in this case meaning, being a better player).

He had little empathy for other people after that childhood.

His demonic heritage gave him surprising power over magical energy, and he spent a time travelling from place to place, seeking out wizards. Sometimes learning from them. More often killing them and stealing their secrets. During this period, he fathered a child with the sorceress Lirill. He does not know the whereabouts of his illegitimate son.

Eventually, realizing that while he lived, what he had could be taken from him, he found and bargained with the ancient Dracolich, Naruzaek for the secret of eternal undeath, in exchange for a future un-named favor. Now immortal, Damakos has had too long to consider the dracoliches power of augury, and spends most of his energy trying to discover what task the old evil will ask of him.

He still speaks to his father on occasion.
Some final parting words. I've noticed the tendency myself to try to "save" the good stuff for later, but really, every game should be your most interesting game. It's not like there's a shortage of resources. Use whatever excites you in your game tonight, and it will last longer.

---

Hack & Slash