Villains, S&W Style 3

The Cult of the Dark Wolf (Modalid) is a zealous religious community that serves the dark side of the nature.  Evolon, a goddess that represents growth, rebirth and prosperity of nature.  Modalid, her brother, represents the unforgiving part of nature.  He is responsible for natural disasters, blights and predators.  Evolon is worshiped openly and grand temples have been built to honor her.  Modalid is given respect, but no temples stand to honor his name.  Though no noble likes to have the followers of the Dark Wolf in their lands very few are brave enough to turn them away. 

The following is an example of a Dark Wolf cult that would be found in nearly any town.  Where most cults hide and the members are kept secret, the faithful of Modalid walk openly among the people and in the halls of nobility.  Besides, can you really have too many dark cults in game? 

Cordel the Wolf Bearer  

7th-level Cleric, Human, Male

S: 16, D: 14, C: 16, I: 10, W: 16, Ch: 10

HP: 38, AC: 1 [18], Dam: 2d4+4, Save: 9

Equipment: +3 Leather Armor (+2 save vs. cold), +2 two-handed mace, +1 Dagger (Fang of the Umber)*, Boots of Speed, +2 Ring of Protection, Gauntlets of Swimming and Climbing

Spells:

1st Level: Cure Light Wounds (2x), Detect Magic

2nd Level: Hold Person, Speak to Animals

3rd Level: Cause Disease, Speak with the Dead

4th Level: Speak with Plants

5th Level: Quest

Cordel is a large man who is in a perpetual good mood.  He wears a large hide of an albino worg and a necklace of large teeth.  A two-handed mace is strapped across back and curved knife in his belt.  Cordel dislikes the crudeness of combat.  Only when all other avenues have been exhausted does he believe combat will settle anything.  And even then he believes there is no victor.  He will preach the gospel of how nature is the true judge of all things.  It decides who lives and dies.  Entire races have vanished from existence by dropping their island into the sea, a disease that had no cure or a subtle difference that wasn't noticed until it was too late.  So drawing a sword, casting a spell seems trite and childish.

Part of Cordel's tactic is to give someone a disease to some unaware commoner then will offer to cure it the next day.  He also heal (use his Cure Light Wounds spell) to show the commoners and others that he can be trusted, to relax their guard.  Later, Cordel will send people he dislikes or those who want a favor from him on quests to further his goals.  Cordel is in the process of gathering the three shards of the Umber Sword.  He wears the first shard in his belt as a dagger and is searching for the other two pieces.  He will send these people to discover the locations of the shards.  If they die he can always send more.  And should the players or noble give him trouble, Cordel will have his Blight Wolf (see below) run through the countryside killing every crop in its wake.

His trial to advance to the next level is coming soon.  His trial is to hunt and kill an Umber Hulk on his own.  The Sword of Umber was created to kill these creatures and Cordel is aware he will need it to defeat one.  He uses his information spells to discover the whereabouts of the two other shards and the location of an umber hulk.

Cordel's entourage consists of Marcenise (see below), six 0-level men-at-arms, and four pack wives.  The blight wolf will never come into town unless summoned.  Should Cordel be killed there is a 5%/level that Modalid will extract revenge from the region in the form of a natural disaster.

Marcenise

2nd-level Cleric, Human, Female

S: 12, D: 9, C: 10, I: 12, W: 13, Ch: 17

HP: 8, AC: 3 [16], Dam: 1d4+2, Save: 14

Equipment: +1 Chainmail, Shield, +1 Light Mace

Spells:

1st Level: Detect Magic

Marcenise is a beautiful young woman with a fierce temperament.  She dislikes commoners and anyone who dares mention her attractiveness.  Her tongue is much more powerful than her mace, but she is not afraid to knock some grabby man out of their shoes.  Marcenise is Cordel's lead wife and is responsible for the other wives performing their duties.  She berates them often.

To achieve her next goal she must take a magic item.  It must not be bought or found, she must take it.  If given the chance, Marcenise will lure one of the party members away promising a wild time, but will instead attempt to subdue them and take all their magic items. 

Blight Wolf

AC: 5 [14]

HD: 5

Attacks: Bite (1d6+3)*

Save: 12

Special: If bitten the character must make a save or contract a disease.  The limb will become useless and move through the body unless a Cure Disease spell is cast or another remedy is found.  The blight wolf can spread the disease to plants by brushing up against them.  Within a matter of days the blight can ruin all the crops in the wolf's range.

Move: 12

Challenge Level: 5/240

Blight wolves are companions given to Modalid's most faithful, those who achieve 7th level.  Blight wolves stay in the wilderness except when summoned.  When summoned they teleport to their master's side.  A cleric can do this once/day.  They appear as large black wolves with dead gray eyes.  They don't eat or sleep.  They can at will have all plants they touch contract the blight.   If the blight wolf is killed the cleric will have lost it forever.  Only one is ever given.  These are the only companions a cleric may take when they are undergoing their trials.