Villains: Cornes Solethar
NE male half-elf wizard 8
Power is what Cornes Solethar has always craved, and that’s what he got from the demon Arachne in return for his soul.
This corrupt magicker has converted a ruined chapel into a shrine dedicated to his demonic patron and revived an ancient evil—the vampire Oleander—to aid him in his dark mistress’s service.
Background
By Dave Peterson
Disillusioned by an adventurer’s life, and dismissive of his companions, this greedy sorcerer took what little wealth he had gained and artefacts he had acquired and settled down to a life of earnest study.
The discovery of certain blasphemous tomes led him to the worship of the demoness Arachne. His initial interest soon turned into an unhealthy obsession. Desperate for power, he begged Arachne to let him enter her service.
Once the pact was struck and Cornes entered her service, Arachne led him to a crumbling, windswept chapel overlooking jagged cliffs. Beneath this fallen holy place, the sorcerer discovered a tomb containing a very old and powerful servant of the monstrous spider demoness. The vampire Oleander had been sleeping for centuries until the blood of sacrificial victims brought to him by Cornes reawakened the undead fiend. Now the sorcerer and his vampiric ally have rebuilt and fortified the chapel and set about carefully binding the locals to their will. In addition to being able to call upon his undead servant, Cornes has charmed several farmers and fishermen who serve as his eyes and ears in the area— ensuring that no-one gets near the lair without his knowledge.
Oleander chooses his victims, usually passing travellers, carefully to avoid suspicion, and is now considering siring a female companion to take to the catacombs beneath the church where he lairs. Meanwhile, Cornes is slowly building an extensive library of powerful spells and rituals with which to further Arachne’s plans. In time, the sorcerer intends to attract more capable followers, like warriors and apprentice sorcerers, to help his fledgling church expand its sphere of influence.
Personality
Cornes is a deranged but supremely intelligent practitioner of the dark arts, motivated by his own thirst for knowledge and arcane power and an unswerving loyalty to his demonic mistress. Simply being in his presence is an unnerving experience. He is a thoroughly black-hearted individual whose eyes seem to pierce the soul of anyone he meets. Prone to sudden, violent rages, he is a dangerous opponent whom even Oleander fears.
Cornes is not mad, but there is a fine line between genius and insanity and the half-elf walks that line daily.
Mannerisms
The half-elf has a sickly constitution which means he is plagued by an unshakeable hacking cough. He often wanders the grounds of the chapel talking to himself and becoming quite agitated by the conversation. His frustration at the slow progress of his schemes often manifests itself in fits of petulance during which he throws and kicks inanimate objects. The only affection he ever shows is reserved for a small, stray black dog which wandered into the chapel one day and which, bizarrely, the sorcerer has taken a liking too. Indeed, he cares more for the unnamed animal than any of his minions.
Distinguishing Features
Cornes is a bookworm, constantly sifting through mouldering tomes and dabbling with ancient magicks. His long hours of study means his eyes are constantly ringed through lack of sleep and the odour of mouldy parchment hangs about him. He is never without his voluminous, black-hooded cloak gifted to him by Arachne herself (or so he believes).
Adventure Seeds
Surrounded and protected by charmed guards and minions, Cornes only bothers himself with foes if they prove particularly resilient. Foes entering his presence, however, can expect to have their will crushed and to become his willing slaves.
Use one of these adventure seeds, or design one of your own, to insert Cornes into your campaign:
Disappearing Travellers: The characters may encounter Cornes and his cult of Arachne when they investigate the disappearance of several travellers in the area. If Oleander hears of their interest, he unleashes a strange gaggle of minions to slay them.
Dead Sage: Cornes could come to the characters’ attention when he breaks into a sage’s home in search of certain elder tomes the unfortunate savant possessed. The sage is found the next morning seemingly slain by his own hand—but the characters are tasked with investigating the matter by a suspicious relative.
Dark Cult: Rumours of a dark cult operating in the area draw a curious, good-aligned party to Cornes’ domain. It quickly becomes obvious a vampire is somehow involved and the characters track the attacks to Cornes’ lair. Alternatively, a local villager may ask the characters to help when a loved one’s personality suddenly changes dramatically.
Kicking a Small Dog: The characters are in a village near Cornes’ lair when they witness a bizarre scene. A traveller kicks a small black dog and is immediately set upon by several villagers who in turn beat and kick the traveller. Investigations reveal the villagers are terrified of the dog’s owner who often sends his servants to punish those hurting or neglecting the dog. The villagers deliberately paint a bleak view of the situation in the hopes the characters will rid them of Cornes and his servants.
Lore
The characters may already know something about Cornes Solethar or they could learn some of the facts below by talking to the locals.
This is Cornes Solethar. Cornes is a powerful sorcerer, whispered to have the taint of the Abyss flowing through his veins.
Cornes is a devotee of Arachne and has at least one undead servant of great power in his entourage.
A cold-hearted scion of evil, Cornes’s one weakness is his love for a small black dog. Anyone harming the dog earns his unending ire; indeed he has slain entire families to punish transgressions (both real and imagined) against the dog.
More
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