Duchess Cecile Vuoriward
Cecile Vuoriward inherited her title and duchy from her parents, she was the eldest of 5 daughters, and lost her father to a war in Blue Rock and her mother to disease. She was always a woman of fine tastes, her dutchy had known peace for the past 30 years, and as a child of very old money grew bored quite quickly with conventional past times. Spending through the estate's funds was neigh impossible but Cecile and her sisters tried their best, they threw decadent soirees, hired the most eccentric of magic-users to perform occult readings and rituals, hosted pit fights to the death, and more than once were scolded by the priests when they and their guests awoke from drugged stupors in the chapel. Despite her extravagant pastimes Cecile was a strong and charismatic leader, she was worldly, swift to attend her duties, and uncompromisingly exacting and precise. She excelled under her tutors and began to find discoveries her scholars had not thought of. Over time most of her court enemies fell in love with the precise, partying duchess.
Overtime, Cecile became close with a strange, exotic noble. Her told her about an incredible power rumored to be inside her very dutchy, one rumored to grant immortal youth, beauty, and power. Cecile wasted no coin on searching out this power, her dutchy struggled to bear the sudden heavy tariffs, their wagons sagging under the weight of their raw materials being sold faster then they could harvest them. When Cecile finally found the source of the power, and the secret that it could only be opened by sacrificing the life of a Vuoriward, chaste Cecile did not hesitate to bring this strange noble to her bedroom to produce a child to be sacrificed.
The nobleman had no intention of sharing this power however, and on the eve when, masked by a soiree, Cecile was to complete the ritual to sacrifice the new child and claim this power, her attempted to take her life. As with everything in her life though, Cecile was triumphant, and she cackled madly as she completed the ritual, absorbed the power from beyond our humanly veil, and then, her mind brimming with unknowable arcane secrets, set about with a plan even more insidious than the first. She had witnessed the first aberrant created when the Malaavar rebelled against Ohma, and saw within its hideous infinite flesh a universe where there was no past or future, only the now, only the present, only an infinite gestation of carnality and decadence.
Enlightened by the new power she had claimed, she knew the true nature of this so called 'nobleman'. He was a malaavar, a fallen deity, who had masked himself in human form. She knew his mortal death was temporary so she set about her work quickly. Cecile entered the kitchen and demanded her servants leave. There she began exsanguinating the body of the malaavar, mingling its blood with her own in a dark ritual of hemomancy. She hid the combined blood mixture among her house vintage wines and served it to her guests and family. She drank deeply as they screamed and were transformed into vampiric monstrosities, and the mists rolled in and sealed her and her dutchy away.
Cecile's Powers and Dominion
Cecile is a patient and dramatic mastermind. Her statistics are similar to a lesser star spawn emissary. She is a master swordsman and possess powerful spellcasting, enabling her to destroy most foes personally. Cecile cruelty and love for flaunting her intelligence lead her to toy with threats, drawing their demise out as long as possible. When truly threated or enraged Cecile monstrous power reveals itself as a greater star spawn emissary.
A True Queen: Cecile is able to control any creature with vampiric tainted blood within 1 mile of her, ensuring complete compliance by her minions even against the most potent of charm effects. She may also communicate telepathically to them within this radius, though they are unable to respond, they don't need to, Cecile knows they must comply.
Duchess First and Foremost: Cecile plays up her nobility and loves to act the gracious host, even going so far as to help challengers defeat her. These games are always to drive her would be usurpers to madness and hysteria, and when she has the upper hand her megalomania and sociopathy. Cecile believes she has no peers and eagerly cultivates servants, infecting them with her tainted blood to ensure compliance. She hasn’t survived for ages by being reckless, though, and will retreat or sacrifices even her favorite playthings when necessary.
Unique Undeath: Cecile and her court are not undead creatures in the typical manner, they are twisted manifestations of their former selves. All undead within Cecile's estate lose any vulnerability that undead possess. For example, they do not grant additional damage on divine smites, may walk through magic circles unhindered, and are unaffected by the hallow spell
Closing the Borders: When Cecile keeps the borders to her personal estate close almost permanently. Only when she hosts a soiree or a personal invitation to the gate to her estate open. Otherwise the gates are closed and her estate is walled off. Any creature attempting to enter the Darklord's personal domain without permission is treated as being in the area of the blade barrier spell.
Cecile's Torment
Though she finally holds the power she so desperately craved, Cecile is tormented endlessly by the conditions in Dyrburg.
- Cecile's schemes twisted and deformed her courts and with it, Dyrburg's upper society. She is a creature of beauty and intelligence among a sea of hideous slaves.
- Cecile grew up in an age of peace and has never once been unable to solve a problem. The Feral Plagues damages to her dutchy and the viscounts endless letters about his inability to quell it, infuriate her.
- Cecile chafes within the borders of her domain. She has become a herald to an ancient, indescribable evil and cannot rest until she unleashes her vision upon the world.
Children
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