Vareth Kaelmaur, the Iron Silence
Enforcer of the Pact-Law; Sentinel of the Hollow Edict Vareth Kaelmaur
Vareth Kaelmaur stands as an imposing figure clad in a suit of rusted, blood-streaked armor that groans with each movement. His body is long gone, consumed by time and ritual; only a ghostly core of spectral flame remains, flickering dimly through the armor’s rents and seams. His helm bears no eye slits, yet he sees perfectly—guided by ancient judgment and bound oaths.
Chains hang from his pauldrons and gauntlets, each one inscribed with the names of traitors, rebels, and oathbreakers he has executed. His blade, Gorefallow, is jagged and pitted, forged from soul-iron and quenched in the blood of the condemned. It hungers still.
Where he walks, voices fall silent, not from fear alone, but from the pressure of his presence—an unnatural stillness that damps sound and thought.
Physical Description
Special abilities
- Spectral Chains: Can bind targets in spectral fetters, preventing escape or spellcasting. These chains whisper the crimes of their captives.
- Edict Sight: Sees the "weight" of oaths and broken laws on a person’s soul like scars or fractures.
- Armor of the Condemned: His armor absorbs the essence of those he executes, bolstering his durability and feeding his spectral flame.
- Voice of Verdict: His rare words carry compulsive power—capable of stilling crowds, silencing spells, or forcing confessions from the guilty.
Personality Characteristics
Representation & Legacy
Vareth never speaks unless necessary, and even then, only to deliver judgment or command. His presence on the battlefield or in council chambers is a grim omen, as he rarely moves unless justice—or vengeance—is required.
In life, he was a general who defied death by offering his soul to the Thornveil, vowing to hunt oathbreakers for eternity. His transformation was the first true enforcement of Blackthorn’s law, setting a precedent that endures to this day.
Council members often dread his slow, iron-shod steps when they echo through the Blackroot Spire. Yet none question his loyalty or purpose. He is death with a lawbook, the final arbiter of the Hollow Council's authority.
Reign
Vareth serves as the enforcer of the Hollow Council's will, tasked with maintaining internal discipline and punishing insubordination, sedition, or heresy. Unlike Blackthorn’s legions or the Dominion’s undead armies, Vareth acts alone—or with spectral hounds known as Hollow Mawlings.
His primary roles include:
- Executioner of Edicts: When the Hollow Council passes sentence, it is Vareth who carries out the punishment.
- Inquisitor and Hunter: Tracks dissidents, deserters, or corrupted agents across the Thornveil and beyond.
- Custodian of the Severed Oath: Maintains a black ledger of all broken promises and oaths sworn before the Dominion. Those inscribed within it are marked for death—or worse.
He is feared not for his violence, but for his utter, unflinching impartiality. Mercy is not in his vocabulary, nor is cruelty. Only judgment.
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