The captain of the guard, Izek Strazni, has a history of violence as well as a fiendish deformity: a monstrous arm with which he can conjure fire. This strange appendage has barbed spines, elongated fingers, and long nails. He can create fire with the snap of his fiendish fingers and has used the flames to put the fear of the devil in every Vallakian. Fear of Izek keeps the
baron's enemies at bay. Izek carries an iron ring of keys that unlock the stocks in the
Town Square.
Background
One morning, Izek's father took him fishing on
Lake Zarov. On the way back to town, a dire wolf attacked Izek and bit off his right arm. His father fought the wolf off and carried Izek back to town. Soon after, his parents both died under mysterious circumstances and left Izek an orphan. Growing up, other children ruthlessly mocked him because of his dead family and his missing arm, but he was a large boy and had no trouble killing them and disposing of their bodies.
Izek was eventually caught in the act and brought to the baron. Instead of punishing the boy for his crimes, Baron Vallakovich pardoned Izek and took him into his home. Izek has been loyal to the baron ever since, enjoying the power of his position and the comforts of his master’s mansion. After years of doing Baron Vallakovich’s dirty work, Izek awakened from a drunken stupor one morning to find that he had grown a new arm to replace the one he had lost.
Perhaps more disturbing than his fiendish arm and his murderous nature is Izek’s collection of dolls, which he keeps in his bedroom in the baron's mansion. Lately, Izek has dreams of an odd, pale man, and for months he has forced local toymaker
Gadof Blinsky to craft dolls in then man's likeness. Izek doesn’t pay for the dolls but instead threatens to burn down Blinsky’s shop unless the toymaker delivers a new doll every week.
Developments
The party encounters Izek outside Blinsk'y Toyshop, where it becomes clear that the man in Izek's dreams is Simak. Izek claims that he has been promised Simak's soul, and that he must protect Simak to help him finish his purpose, so that Izek can receive his reward. Izek takes Simak back to the Baron's Mansion, where he locks him in his room. Simak soon escapes and rejoins the party.
Later, with the help of
Lady Fiona Wachter the party ambushes Izek and a group of town guards. The party successfully traps and kills Izek, and he dies at Simak's feet. Searching his body, the party finds nothing of interest except Izek's ring of keys, and his favorite Simak doll, kept close to his heart. The party hacks off Izek's demon arm to keep in hopes it may be useful.
Later, while at the
Wizard of Wines, the party is attacked by a fully formed demon regrown from Izek's arm. It devoured and grew from the various dead bodies and other organic material kept in Sam's Bag of Holding.
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