Enway, Bleak Cartel Chairman

Male human vampire necromancer 8/cartel magus 7: CR 17; Medium undead (augmented human); Hit Dice 15d12; 103 hp; Init +7; Spd 30 ft. (6 squares); AC 26, touch 15, flat-footed 23; BAB/Grapple +7/+10; Atk +10 melee (1d6+4 plus energy drain, slam), or by spell; Full atk +10 melee (1d6+4 plus energy drain, slam); SA blood drain, children of the night, command undead 1/day, create spawn, dominate, energy drain, spells; SQ alternate form, bone overseer, bone slave, consume essence, damage reduction 10/silver and magic, fast healing 5, gaseous form, necromantic spell power +2, poison use, resistance 10 to cold and electricity, restrained debauchery, spider climb, summon familiar, +4 turn resistance, vampire weaknesses; AL NE; SV Fort +8, Reflex +13, Will +17; Abilities Str 16, Dex 17, Con —, Int 20, Wis 14, Cha 18.
Skills and Feats: Bluff +17, Concentration +8, Craft (alchemy) +23, Diplomacy +8, Heal +3, Hide +11, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (arcana) +23, Knowledge (history) +2, Knowledge (local) +2, Knowledge (the planes) +23, Knowledge (religion) +23, Listen +12, Move Silently +11, Search +13, Sense Motive +15, Spellcraft +28, Spot +12; Alertness, Augment Summoning, Brew Potion, Combat Reflexes, Craft Wondrous Item, Dodge, Empower Spell, Extend Spell, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (Spellcraft), Spell Focus (conjuration), Spell Focus (necromancy).
Typical Wizard Spells Prepared (4+1/6+1/5+1/5+1/5+1/5+1/3+1/2+1/1+1; CL 17 with necromancy spells): 0th—detect magic (x2), disrupt undead+, messageprestidigitation; 1st—alarmgreasemagic missile (x3), ray of enfeeblement+, shield; 2nd—blindness/deafness (x3), command undead+, flaming sphere (x2); 3rd—dispel magicgentle reposehalt undead+, empowered magic missilesummon monster III; 4th—animate dead+, enervationempowered flaming spherescryingwall of fire; 5th—cloudkillquickened magic missile (x2), mage’s private sanctumwaves of fatigue; 6th—circle of death+, chain lightningeyebitesummon monster VI; 7th—finger of death+, greater teleportprismatic spray; 8th—horrid wilting+, mind blank.
+ denotes a spell prepared as one of the additional spells per day gained for specialization in necromancy.
Spellbook Contents: 0th—all cantrips from the core sorcerer/wizard spell list, except those from the schools of enchantment and illusion; 1st—alarmgreasemage armorchill touchmagic missileray of enfeeblementshield; 2nd—arcane lockblindness/deafnesscommand undeadflaming sphere; 3rd—dispel magicgentle reposehalt undeadsummon monster III; 4th—animate deadenervationscryingwall of fire; 5th—cloudkill, festering claw, mage’s private sanctumsymbol of painunctuous contamination, waves of fatigue; 6th—circle of deathchain lightningeyebitesummon monster VI; 7th—control undeadfinger of deathgreater teleportprismatic spray; 8th—horrid wiltingmind blank.
Possessions: 71 gp, 8 sp, bag of holding type IV, belt pouch, black onyx (x34, market value 25 gp each), boots of striding and springingbracers of armor +5, candle stub, cloak of resistance +4, fur gloves (market value 2 gp), necklace of fireballs type III, miniature bell (market value 1 gp), noble’s outfit, ring of protection +2scroll of hastescroll of wind wall, silver wire (market value 2 sp), silver mirror (2 ft. wide by 4 ft. tall), signet ring set with amber nugget (market value 80 gp), silver pins (x15, market value 2 gp total), spell components and foci, spellbook (50/100 pages, market value 5,000 gp).

Treasure (secured in a vault in Enway’s townhome in Entera): 200 pp, 500 gp, alexandrite (market value 200 gp), amber nuggets (x2, market value 110 gp each), aquamarine (market value 600 gp), black pearl (x2, market values 500 gp and 700 gp), engraved silver comb (market value 100 gp), etched silver chalice (market value 80 gp), golden idol of Ekar (market value 800 gp), golden dagger with turquoise inlay (market value 700 gp), golden topaz (market value 300 gp), lapis lazuli (market value 12 gp), obsidian (market value 9gp), turquoise (x2, market value 12 gp each), violet garnet (market value 400 gp), white pearl (market value 80 gp).

Alternate Form (Su): Enway can assume the shape of a bat, dire bat, wolf, or dire wolf as a standard action. While in his alternate form, he loses his natural slam attack and dominate ability, but gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of his new form. He can remain in that form until he assumes another or until the next sunrise.

Blood Drain (Ex): Enway can suck blood from a living victim with his fangs by making a successful grapple check. If he pins the foe, he drains blood, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution drain each round the pin is maintained. On each such successful attack, Enway gains 5 temporary hit points.

Children of the Night (Su): Enway commands the lesser creatures of the world and once per day can call forth 1d6+1 rat swarms, 1d4+1 bat swarms, or a pack of 3d6 wolves as a standard action. These creatures arrive in 2d6 rounds and serve him for up to 1 hour.

Command Undead (Sp): Enway can use command undead once per day as a spell-like ability. The save DC is 16.

Consume Essence (Su): Enway has unlocked the secret of using a willing donor’s lifeforce to fuel the creation of a magical item or the casting of a spell with an XP component. By performing a ceremony that takes one hour and causes 1 point of Constitution drain to the donor, he gains sufficient life essence to stand in for 5 XP per level of the donor (for a maximum of 100 XP per point of Constitution drain from a 20th level donor). Enway can extract the life essence only of donors that belong to the humanoid and monstrous humanoid types and that possess Intelligence scores of 3 or better. XP gained through the use of this ability does not count towards his progression towards the next level; they are counted separately and may be used solely for the purposes of item creation and as the XP component for a spell.

Create Spawn (Su): A humanoid or monstrous humanoid slain by Enway’s energy drain rises as a vampire spawn 1d4 days after burial.

If Enway instead drains the victim’s Constitution to 0 or lower, the victim returns as a spawn if it had 4 or less HD and as a vampire if it had 5 or more HD. In either case, the new vampire or spawn is under his command and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction. At any given time Enway may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice his own Hit Dice; any spawn he creates that would exceed this limit are created as free-willed vampires or vampire spawn. Enway may voluntarily free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave a new spawn, but once freed, a vampire or vampire spawn cannot be enslaved again.

Dominate (Su): Enway can crush an opponent’s will just by looking onto his or her eyes. This is similar to a gaze attack, except that he must use a standard action, and those merely looking at him are not affected. Anyone the vampire targets must succeed on a Will save (DC 21) or fall instantly under his influence as though by a dominate person spell (caster level 12th). The ability has a range of 30 feet.

Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by Enway’s slam gain two negative levels. For each negative level bestowed, he gains 5 temporary hit points. He can use his energy drain ability once per round.

Necromantic Spell Power (Su): Enway receives a +2 bonus to his effective caster level when casting spells from the school of necromancy. The bonus applies to level-dependent spell effects, spell resistance, and the maximum number of Hit Dice of undead which he can control via animate dead and similar spells, but it does not count for the purpose of determining his highest-level spell or number of spells per day.

Poison Use (Ex): The preparation of bleak banyan wine is a dangerous process, requiring the exercise of great care to avoid being poisoned or addicted to the product. Because of his training in the rigorous safety measures used for the proper manufacture of bleak banyan wine, the Enway never risks accidentally poisoning himself when readying poisons for use.

Restrained Debauchery (Ex): Enway’s continuous exposure to debauchery and luxury related to the bleak banyan trade has deadened the appeal of drugs and wine. He gains a +2 bonus to Charisma-based checks against creatures under the influence of bleak banyan wine.

Berteld, Enway’s Bone Overseer

Human warrior skeleton: Medium undead; Hit Dice 15d12; 103 hp; Init +7, Spd 30 ft. (6 squares); AC 32, touch 12, flat-footed 30; BAB/Grapple +7/+11; Atk +12 melee (1d10+7/19-20, +1 adamantine heavy flail), or +11 melee (1d4+4, claw); Full atk +12/+7 melee (1d10+7/19-20, +1 adamantine heavy flail), or +11 melee (1d4+4, claw) and +11 melee (1d4+4, claw); SA —; SQ control mindless undead (30 HD), damage reduction 5/bludgeoning, immunity to cold, mindlink, turning immunity, undead traits; AL NE; SV Fort +5, Reflex +8, Will +9; Abilities Str 18, Dex 17, Con —, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 1.

Skills and Feats: Balance -3, Climb -2, Jump -2, Hide -3, Move Silently -3, Tumble -3, Swim -2; Improved Initiative.

Possessions: +1 adamantine heavy flail+2 full plate armoramulet of natural armor +1ring of protection +1.

Control Mindless Undead (Su): Berteld can shoulder some of Enway’s burden associated with controlling undead created via the animate dead spell. The bone slave can take over control of up to 30 Hit Dice of mindless undead. If the bone slave is destroyed, any undead under its control revert to its master. If Enway already commands his maximum number of Hit Dice of undead, the excess undead become uncontrolled.

Mindless undead controlled by Berteld can be turned, destroyed, rebuked or commanded as normal, but they are immune to spells like command undead and control undead and to effects like an overseer zombie’s dominate undead ability.

Mindlink (Su): Berteld can communicate telepathically with Enway.

Turning Immunity (Su): Berteld cannot be turned, rebuked, or commanded by anyone except Enway.

Physical Appearance and Personality

Enway’s foreign origins are obvious to anyone who compares him to the typical Enterian; the natives of Enteria are pale-skinned and tend to have light hair and eyes, and the vampire who chairs the Bleak Cartel is so dark that his facial features are hard to read if he’s not in strong light. In life he was slim from an ascetic life of arcane study, and he made the transition to vampirism while in his prime. His features are blunt but regular, stopping short of being handsome, but his carriage and an indescribable air of authority make up for the lack in physical attractiveness. A well-traveled observer who hears his strongly accented speech would be certain that he is originally from the eastern reaches of the Federated River Kingdoms, probably near the city of Alba. Enway stands a little over six and a half feet tall, and most onlookers would guess that he probably weighs a little less than two hundred pounds.

Starting Attitude: Unfriendly.

Modifiers: The PCs are agents of the House of the River (-4), the PCs are known opponents of the bleak banyan trade (-4), the PCs have a reputation for actively opposing necromancy or vampires (-4), the PCs are agents of a noble house of Enteria (-2), the PCs include a cleric of Oceus or Merthia among their party (-2), the PCs are agents of the Aureshan Empire (-2), the PCs are members of the Bleak Cartel (+2), the PCs include a wizard or sorcerer with a reputation for skill at necromancy (+2), the PCs are actively involved in smuggling or producing bleak banyan wine for the Bleak Cartel (+4).

If Hostile: Attacks the PCs, attempting to kill or disable them as quickly as possible.

If Unfriendly: Orders the PCs away unless there is an immediate reason for their presence; may attempt to order, trick or intimidate the PCs into undertaking dangerous tasks.

If Indifferent: Ignores the PCs unless approached. If approached, provides socially expected interaction with the clear goal of ending the conversation and going on with his daily business.

If Friendly: Provides the opportunity to undertake missions on behalf of the Bleak Cartel. May provide information on topics related to a common interest between the PCs and the cartel’s business activities or arbitrate minor grievances between the PCs and lesser cartel members.

If Helpful: Offers training as a cartel magus to eligible PCs. May arrange favors for PCs using cartel resources or allow the PCs to invest in a business venture involving bleak banyan wine.

Enway is the chief of the directing board of the Bleak Cartel, making him first among equals in control of the oldest, largest and most powerful of the bleak banyan cartels in Enteria. As chairman, he executes the board’s decisions regarding the cartel’s operations and provides strategic vision and planning. His role gives him enormous influence over the cartel’s employees, but he is by no means an absolute force. All of his fellow board members are ruthless, dangerous, and experienced businesspeople.

As the chief strategist for the cartel, Enway is obviously a great planner. His is the sort of mind that thinks many moves ahead of its opponents, planning for contingencies and setbacks. Despite his meticulous, detailed approach to strategy and planning, Enway is quite willing to take decisive, even precipitous action in response to changing circumstances.

Most of the time, he prefers a measured response to the vagaries of his chosen business. He keeps track of the activities of adventurers in all theaters of the Bleak Cartel’s operations, partly as a way of managing the risk they pose to the cartel’s business, and partly because they are often a source of convenient, effective, deniable muscle for the cartel or his private agendas.