The King is Dead: Count Adalwulf, Blood Sorcerer

Peter Capaldi in Tom Jones

The villain of "Dhampir," the third of four The King is Dead sessions I'll be running at GaMExpo!

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Count Adalwulf von Stenzgard
Villain

What is the difference between a count and a marquis? A marquis is the lord in charge of a mark or march – a borderland between the heart of a kingdom and its enemies. A count is the lord of a settled, peaceful county – just one amongst many divisions of a kingdom.

 

There are no counties in Malleus, only marches ruled by warlords installed centuries ago by King Wilhelm the Undying. Every province of Malleus is viewed by its rulers as a hotbed of rebellion, the potential home of a hostile army.

 

A count in Malleus, then, is the peacetime administrator of a mark. Especially as they age into inhuman strigoi, the marquises of Malleus are happy to surrender direct rulership of their domains to their spawn. These children (more often second-generation vampires, but occasionally dhampirs) are bestowed the title of count and left to do with the marches as they see fit.

 

Count Adalwulf von Stenzgard is one of those rare dhampir counts. His father, Marquis Lothar Eligos von Stenzgard, has put down two rebellions by sons given Sathaniel’s Gift, and is reluctant to upraise any more vampires. Count Adalwulf, though, acquits himself well in vampiric high society; his wit and gift for sorcery make him a darling of the Hammerstadt set.

 

Back in Thornmark, though, he is feared as a capricious, brutal debauchee.

Attitude: Count Adalwulf is Hostile (and demeaning) to anyone except his peers and betters. Even those offering him aid have to cajole him into doing anything that does not suit his caprices.

Attributes: Agility d12, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d12+2, Vigor d12

Skills: Fighting d10, Gambling d6, Investigation d6, Intimidation d10, Persuasion d6, Notice d8, Riding d8, Shooting d8, Sorcery d10, Stealth d6, Streetwise d4, Taunt d10

Charisma: +2; Pace: 8; Parry: 10; Toughness: 8

Hindrances: Arrogant, Habit [Major; blood addict], Overconfident, Stubborn

Edges: Alertness, Arcane Background: Blood Sorcery, Improved Block, Improved Counterattack, Improved Extraction, Level Headed, Noble, Quick, Strong Willed

Special Abilities:

• Bite: When the dhampir has a victim grappled, it may bite for Str+d4 damage. The dhampir recovers 1 Wound or 5 Power Points for every Wound it inflicts.
• Claws: The corrupting power of vampire blood gives the vargr claws that do Str+d4 damage.
• Fast Regeneration
• Power Points: 20
• Powers: darksight, deflection, light/obscure, puppet, quickness, shape change, smite
• Weakness [Sever the Head]: If the blood-drinker is incapacitated by a Called Shot to the head, its head is severed and its regeneration disrupted.
• Weakness [Stake to the Heart]: Disrupting the flow of blood through the body with a Called Shot to the heart renders the blood-drinker immobile.
• Weakness [Sunlight]: The moroi is at -4 on all physical actions taken in direct sunlight.