Delglath the Animus-Priest

At the outbreak of war, Ivid decided that the then-ruler of Rinloru, Prince Grendemmen of Torquann, could not be trusted to support him. So, Ivid prepared to have Grendemmen and his immediate family slain, and looked around for an alternative, pliable, puppet ruler acceptable to Torquann and to himself. To place the lands in royal trust would have been an affront Ivid might have risked in peacetime, but not during war. So, Ivid chose Delglath for the role. A priest of Erythnul of no particular note, Delglath was swiftly appointed a judge of the sessions and then granted the title of prince with a minor land holding in royal trust within Ivid's own territories (this has been revoked since, of course). Ivid then moved to slay Grendemmen, but his agents did not succeed in killing the prince's wife, and she remained in the Sand Castle of Rinloru, defying Ivid. In his rage, Ivid turned on the hapless Delglath and had him made an animus. Soon the news came that Grendemmen's wife had been successfully poisoned, and Ivid marched an army to place Delglath in command at Rinloru. It was one the worst mistakes he ever made.

At first, Delglath was not entirely displeased at becom ing an animus. He was far more powerful than before, and his new servants and lackeys obviously feared him, which made him feel good. Unfortunately, Erythnul did not take it so well. Delglath found himself unable to spellcast, and was cast out of his priesthood.

That truly enraged Delglath. His faith was important to him. Delglath felt a cold, vile delight in hatred and brutality and had been getting a real appetite for more. Now his patron power had deserted him. Raging at his fate, the outcast invoked Nerull, the Reaper—and Nerull heard.

Soon, the court at Rinloru changed dramatically. From around the Flanaess, priests of Nerull were guided by their dreadful patron power to the city. They were not numerous, and the Reaper by no means guided all of his priesthood there, but those he chose were powerful, and they came by stealth and in disguise. With priests of Nerull spirited into his halls, Delglath slew a thousand souls in one night and animated them over the coming weeks as undead. To the assembled masses of the city, he proclaimed that he was now Delglath the Undying, and that any who opposed him or sought to escape his realm would not only be slain but subjected to torments after death which they could hardly even begin to imagine. Faced with a vast squad of undead flanking the red-robed maniac, whose own powers were evident from the serried ranks of people forced to kneel at his magical command, the survivors believed him. To be sure, thousands have successfully fled to other cities, but just as many more have suffered the awful agonies Delglath promised them.

Delglath has also gained experience very rapidly, becoming a formidable spellcrafter, and his dabbling in evil magic and artifacts makes him very dangerous.