Velmarius Elazarin

Defense

Offense

Statistics

Description

Male human sorcerer 4

Played by Jason Bulmahn

Born in the Chelish capital of Egorian to the minor noble house of Elazarin, Velmarius grew up living a pampered lifestyle. His every need cared for, Velmarius became a man who cares little for work and even less for those who toil for a pittance. When Sameena, his mother, insisted that he receive a formal education, Velmarius scoffed, but he relented under the withering gaze of Lord Kassar, his father, who threatened to disown him should he not become a proper member of the house. Over the next year, Velmarius moved from one school to another, either by his own choice or by that of the headmaster. Finally, after being expelled for the fifth time, Velmarius and his father got into a heated argument. After Lord Kassar beat Velmarius to within an inch of his life, fire erupted from Velmarius’ fingers, nearly immolating his father. Velmarius’s sorcerous powers were revealed. It soon became clear that Velmarius’s blood was not entirely pure, and behind a veil of tears, Sameena confessed to consorting with devils many years ago. Unable to accept such tainted blood in his line, Kassar banished Velmarius, telling him never to return to Egorian if he valued his life. Thus, with only the clothes on his back and the coins in his pouch, Velmarius left Cheliax to find his fate.

Velmarius is an arrogant, untrusting man who lives by his own personal code. He believes very strongly in social castes and treats those he views as beneath him (which is nearly everyone) with mild disdain. This applies especially to halflings, whom he frequently refers to as the “servant race.” He loathes work of any sort but realizes that without his family wealth, he needs to find some way of earning the coin to support his preferred lifestyle. He has dreams of returning to Cheliax and casting down his father to take his rightful place as the head of the House Elazarin, but such dreams seem impossibly remote. About his mother, he is deeply conflicted. It was her indiscretion that led to his current predicament, but as it is also the source of his power, he is mildly grateful. Velmarius is more than willing to undertake dangerous adventures, so long as they pay well and do not involve too much filth. He can often be found in the arms of buxom bar maidens with a bottle of expensive wine at his side, as these are his most frequent habits. Velmarius knows a great deal about the inner workings of the Chelish aristocracy, but such conversations bore him terribly and serve to do little but remind him of the life that is currently denied him.

If in civilized lands, Velmarius tends to dress in the fashions common to the Chelish nobility; that is, primarily in red and black. His clothes are of fine make, but they are starting to get a bit threadbare. In the wilds or while out on an adventure, Velmarius dresses to blend in, hoping to avoid trouble while outside the protection of authority. He is well aware that his homeland does not enjoy the most respected of positions around the world and he is fearful of what self-righteous peasants might do if his heritage or nationality were uncovered.

In combat, Velmarius prefers to control the situation through his enchantment spells, particularly charm person and daze monster. If these are ineffective, he quickly shifts to more obvious spells, such as burning hands and magic missile. In either case, he prefers to stay away from the actual fighting, as such crude, physical exertions are completely beneath him.

Velmarius is a slight man with a thin frame, attractive despite the haunting gray tone of his eyes, sunken underneath a heavy brow. Although obviously of Chelish stock, his exact heritage is something he keeps to himself, unless he believes it might get him some measure of respect or privilege. Most of the time he simply relies on his wealth, magic, and scathing wit to get his way.

Boon: Velmarius is unlikely to have a helpful attitude toward anyone who isn’t a noble (–10 penalty on checks to improve his attitude beyond friendly if the acting character is not a noble), though someone willing to appeal to his baser interests can get past this. Most of the “help” he provides is critiquing an ally PC’s manners and speech; after a day of “instruction,” the PC’s attempts at Diplomacy and Intimidate improve so his target’s attitude only decreases toward him if he fails by 6 or more. Velmarius may be willing to negotiate on behalf of a less-skilled PC, though in the interest of saving time he may simply cast charm person on the target.

Source: NPC Guide, p. 62