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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

These character sheets translate the cast of The Eternal Court into playable 5E characters using the 2024 Player's Handbook rules. Each build is designed to capture the essence of the character as they appear in the source material, matching their narrative abilities, personality, and role in the story to the closest mechanical equivalent in the game.

The eight main characters are presented as full character builds with ability scores, class features, equipment, and roleplaying guidance.

Queen Kiraline receives an NPC stat block appropriate for her power level, since she functions as an antagonist rather than a player character. The supporting cast receives abbreviated stat summaries for quick reference at the table.

A note on the 2024 rules: ability score increases come from backgrounds rather than species. Origin Feats are granted through background selection. The Artificer class is drawn from Tasha's Cauldron of

Everything, as it does not appear in the 2024 core rules. All other classes and subclasses use the 2024 Player's Handbook versions.

Levels have been assigned based on each character's narrative competence and power. Olivia, who is new to adventuring, begins at level 5. Veterans like Barron and Eppy sit at higher levels reflecting decades of experience. These levels can be adjusted to suit your campaign's needs.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

OLIVIA FAREN

Level 5 Rogue (Inquisitive) \| Human \| Sage Background

Olivia is the campaign's investigator and moral compass. She was raised in an Albion state orphanage and levied to work in the Counting House, where her preternatural gift for numbers made her the most productive accountant on the floor. She carries a hand-held mechanical calculator like other people carry a prayer book, retreating into simple sums when anxiety threatens to overwhelm her. She has never traveled, never tasted alcohol, never danced. The mission to Kormor Kirak is her first step into a world that will challenge every certainty she has ever held.

The Inquisitive subclass captures Olivia's core talent: she sees what others miss. Her Eye for Detail and Insightful Fighting abilities reflect the way she reads people and situations with the same precision she brings to a ledger. She is not a combatant by nature, but her Sneak

Attack represents the devastating accuracy of someone who notices the one detail that matters at exactly the right moment.

Ability Scores

Combat Profile

Armor Class: 13 (leather armor)

Hit Points: 33 (5d8 + 5)

Speed: 30 ft.

Proficiency Bonus: +3

Initiative: +2

Saving Throws

Dexterity +5, Intelligence +7

Skills

Arcana +7, History +7, Insight +9 (Expertise), Investigation +10 (Expertise), Perception +6, Sleight of Hand +5

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor. Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords. Tools: Thieves' tools, tinker's tools, calligrapher's supplies. Languages: Common, Albion Cipher.

Class Features

Sneak Attack (3d6): Olivia deals precision damage when she has advantage or an ally within 5 feet of her target. This represents her ability to spot the exact vulnerability in any situation. Cunning Action allows her to Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a bonus action, reflecting her quick thinking under pressure. Uncanny Dodge lets her halve incoming damage as a reaction when she can see the attacker, an expression of her heightened awareness.

Ear for Deceit: Olivia's Insight checks to determine whether a creature is lying use a minimum roll of 8 on the d20. She reads people like ledgers. Eye for Detail lets her use a bonus action to make a Perception or Investigation check, representing the way her mind never stops cataloging details. Insightful Fighting allows her to use a bonus action and an Insight check to gain Sneak Attack against a target for one minute, even without advantage, as she identifies patterns in their movement.

Origin Feat: Magic Initiate (Wizard)

Olivia's Sage background grants her basic arcane knowledge. Cantrips:

Mage Hand (she manipulates objects at a distance with the same precision as her calculator), Prestidigitation (minor tricks that aid investigation). 1st-level Spell: Detect Magic (once per long rest), representing her ability to sense when something does not add up.

Equipment

Leather armor, shortbow with 20 arrows, two daggers, thieves' tools, hand-held mechanical calculator (functions as an arcane focus for her

Magic Initiate spells), locket containing an illustration of the Albion

Prince and Terrassian Princess, Gladstone bags, explorer's pack, calligrapher's supplies, 15 gold pieces.

Roleplaying Notes

Personality: "I'm not a lady. I'm an accountant." Olivia is precise, earnest, and compulsively detail-oriented. She counts things when she is nervous.

Ideal: Order. Numbers do not lie, and neither should the systems that govern people's lives.

Bond: The locket I carry represents the only genuine hope I have ever allowed myself to feel.

Flaw: When uncertainty overwhelms me, I retreat into calculations and shut out the people who need me most.

Speech: Olivia speaks in short declarative sentences with a street accent the Counting House never quite polished away. She repeats the Albion oath -- "By his grace, I rise" -- as a mantra when frightened, when proud, or when reminding herself what she owes the empire. She claims Albion has better versions of everything she encounters, a habit that is annoying and endearing in equal measure.

Counting Methods: Beyond her mechanical calculator, Olivia knows Chisanbop finger counting, beaded string calculations, and knotted cord encoding. These older methods are her comfort tools -- she reaches for them when the machines fail or when counting itself becomes a way to manage anxiety.

Social Hook: Olivia builds friendships through service. She helps Eppy balance the inn's books, untangles Rozito's market accounts, and finds errors in merchants' figures. This is how a stranger earns trust in a foreign city.

BARRON WHITEHALLOW

Level 12 Bard (College of Lore) \| Human \| Noble Background

Barron Whitehallow has spent forty years learning the art of making people believe in something larger than themselves. The Foreign Minister of Albion descends the steps of Parliament in a modified uniform with a blood-red lining and a stylish cape, answering his critics with mathematics rather than bluster. He is dying, his lungs scarred by

Terrassian gas at the Mounds of Barrow, and every cough that brings blood to his handkerchief reminds him that the clock is running. His

College of Lore abilities represent the accumulated knowledge of a lifetime spent navigating the intersection of diplomacy, military strategy, and personal compromise.

The Bard chassis captures Barron perfectly: a leader who inspires through words, who knows something about everything, and whose greatest weapon is his ability to shift the emotional temperature of a room. His

Cutting Words and Bardic Inspiration reflect the way he builds people up or cuts through pretense with a single observation. His higher level represents decades of accumulated influence and skill.

Ability Scores

Combat Profile

Armor Class: 12 (studded leather)

Hit Points: 51 (12d8 - 12). Barron's Constitution penalty reflects his chronic illness.

Speed: 30 ft.

Proficiency Bonus: +4

Initiative: +0

Saving Throws

Dexterity +4, Charisma +9

Skills

Deception +9, History +7, Insight +10 (Expertise), Medicine +6,

Perception +6, Performance +9, Persuasion +13 (Expertise)

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor. Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords. Tools: Cipher machine (reskinned musical instrument), diplomat's kit, playing card set. Languages: Common,

Terrassian, Old Tongue.

Spellcasting (12th-level Bard, CHA-based)

Spell Save DC 17, Spell Attack +9. Cantrips: Friends, Minor Illusion,

Vicious Mockery, Mage Hand (Magical Secrets). Known Spells (15): 1st:

Charm Person, Healing Word, Detect Magic, Silvery Barbs; 2nd: Calm

Emotions, Suggestion, Zone of Truth; 3rd: Dispel Magic, Sending,

Tongues; 4th: Compulsion, Dimension Door; 5th: Greater Restoration,

Modify Memory; 6th: Mass Suggestion. Spell Slots: 4/3/3/3/2/1.

Class Features

Bardic Inspiration (d10, 5/long rest): Barron grants an ally a d10 to add to an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. This is the mechanical heart of his leadership style. Jack of All Trades adds half his proficiency bonus to any ability check he is not already proficient in, because Barron has picked up knowledge from everywhere. Cutting

Words lets him subtract his Bardic Inspiration die from an enemy's attack roll, ability check, or damage roll as a reaction, representing the precision of a master diplomat's verbal parry.

Additional Magical Secrets (at 6th level) granted him Counterspell and

Spirit Guardians, reflecting his exposure to supernatural threats during his time as General Counsel. Font of Inspiration restores Bardic

Inspiration on a short rest. Countercharm grants advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed to nearby allies.

Origin Feat: Skilled

Barron's Noble background grants proficiency in three additional skills: Athletics, Intimidation, and Religion. A lifetime in public service has given him a passing familiarity with nearly everything.

Special Condition: Scarred Lungs

Barron has disadvantage on Constitution saving throws and makes death saving throws with a -1 penalty. After any combat encounter, he must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. This condition cannot be cured by ordinary means.

Equipment

Studded leather armor (beneath modified Foreign Minister's uniform), rapier, signet ring (opens Albion vaults, functions as a spellcasting focus), gold medallion with dragon's head and amber eyes (grants access to Torony Castle), fine clothes, coded message equipment, diplomat's pack, handkerchiefs (blood-stained), 200 gold pieces.

Roleplaying Notes

Personality: "Follow the math. Where hate and violence reduce our numbers, love consistently does the reverse."

Ideal: Peace. The suffering of innocents must end, whatever the personal cost.

Bond: Kormor Kirak holds my past, and I have returned to settle debts I cannot yet name.

Flaw: My history with Kiraline clouds my judgment in ways I refuse to examine honestly.

JACK WINBOW

*Level 9 Fighter (Battle Master) \| Human (Lycanthrope) \| Soldier

Background*

Jack Winbow is introduced cleaning stables, but the casualness is a disguise as deliberate as any diplomat's mask. An athletic war veteran in his thirties with unkempt hair and kind eyes, Jack moves through the world expecting violence and responding to it with a grace born of years of practice. He stops a Cavalry Count from beating a stallion with a shove so gentle it looks accidental. He rides a panicked horse through a course of flaming gates as though horse and rider share a single nervous system. He carries a Shamsir, a pouch of throwing daggers, and a folding

Spetum that extends from a three-foot cane into a six-foot polearm with a central blade and flanking prongs.

The Battle Master subclass captures Jack's tactical mastery and physical intelligence. His maneuvers represent the way he reads a fight before it happens, turning enemy aggression into openings and protecting allies through positioning and timing rather than brute force. His lycanthropy exists as a separate condition layered over his Fighter chassis.

Ability Scores

Combat Profile

Armor Class: 16 (studded leather 12 + DEX 3 + Defense Fighting Style 1)

Hit Points: 76 (9d10 + 18)

Speed: 30 ft. (40 ft. in hybrid form)

Proficiency Bonus: +4

Initiative: +3

Saving Throws

Strength +7, Constitution +6

Skills

Acrobatics +7, Animal Handling +6, Athletics +7, Intimidation +5,

Perception +6, Survival +6

Attacks

Shamsir (scimitar): +7 to hit, 1d6+3 slashing, Weapon Mastery: Nick.

Spetum (glaive, reskinned as folding polearm): +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., 1d10+3 slashing, Weapon Mastery: Graze. Throwing Daggers: +7 to hit, range 20/60 ft., 1d4+3 piercing, Weapon Mastery: Nick. Unarmed Strike:

+7 to hit, 1d4+3 bludgeoning.

Proficiencies

Armor: All armor, shields. Weapons: All simple and martial weapons.

Tools: Smith's tools, vehicles (land), playing card set. Languages:

Common, Terrassian, Elvish, Old Tongue (fragments of several additional languages from military travels).

Class Features

Fighting Style (Defense): +1 to AC while wearing armor. Second Wind (1d10+9 HP, 1/short rest). Action Surge (1/short rest): Jack takes an additional action on his turn. Extra Attack: Two attacks per Attack action. Indomitable (1/long rest): Reroll a failed saving throw.

Combat Superiority: 5 superiority dice (d8). Jack knows the following maneuvers. Riposte: When a creature misses him with a melee attack, he uses his reaction to make a weapon attack and add a superiority die to the damage. Trip Attack: He adds a superiority die to the damage and forces a Strength save or the target falls prone. Precision Attack: He adds a superiority die to an attack roll. Disarming Attack: He adds a superiority die and forces the target to drop an object on a failed

Strength save. Menacing Attack: He adds a superiority die and forces a

Wisdom save or the target is frightened until end of his next turn.

Weapon Mastery (3 weapons): Jack has mastery with the scimitar (Nick: extra attack as part of the Attack action), glaive (Graze: deal STR mod damage even on a miss), and dagger (Nick).

Origin Feat: Savage Attacker

Once per turn, Jack can reroll the weapon's damage dice and use either total. This represents his lethal precision in combat.

Special Condition: Lycanthropy

Jack is afflicted with lycanthropy (werewolf). On nights of the full moon, he transforms involuntarily. He can also transform voluntarily once per long rest (hybrid form only, lasting 1 hour or until he chooses to revert). In hybrid form: Strength becomes 18 if not already higher, speed increases to 40 ft., he gains natural weapon attacks (Claws: 2d4+4 slashing; Bite: 2d6+4 piercing), immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silver weapons, and advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

He retains his mental ability scores and personality in hybrid form, though emotional intensity is heightened. When involuntarily transformed, Jack must make a DC 15 Wisdom save each hour or be driven to hunt.

Equipment

Studded leather armor, Shamsir (scimitar), folding Spetum (glaive), 6 throwing daggers, explorer's pack, smith's tools, belt pouch, 30 gold pieces.

Roleplaying Notes

Personality: "If something you encounter scares the hell out of you, run." Direct, warm beneath the scars, and more patient than he looks.

Ideal: Protection. The young should practice for the dance floor, not the battlefield.

Bond: Barron trusts me with his mission and his people. That trust is sacred.

Flaw: I isolate myself from those who care about me, believing my burden must be carried alone.

Combat Style: Jack's first instinct is always to de-escalate. He positions himself between threats and the people he protects, using body language and calm voice before reaching for a blade. When de-escalation fails, a berserker fury takes over that has frightened allies as much as enemies.

Languages: Jack speaks Common, Terrassian, and fragments of four other languages picked up from years traveling the empire with the military. He uses this knowledge to make pointed anti-empire comments that needle Olivia without quite crossing the line.

Habits: He drinks too much and manages the habit rather than controls it. His love of animals runs deep from years working the stables at the Battle Academy before Barron recruited him. He understands horses, dogs, and even rats in a way that goes beyond training into something instinctual.

PRINCESS SZERET VERESZ

Level 7 Barbarian (Path of the Beast) \| Dhampir \| Noble Background

Szeret gallops out of the castle gate on horseback, racing through nighttime streets while her people cheer and then fall silent once she passes. She is dark and menacing in appearance, cheery and delightful in spirit, a walking contradiction who strips to her garter in a dressmaker's shop because she has spotted a leather bodysuit she prefers to any gown. She has never seen the ocean, does not know what mathematics is, and finds Olivia's hand-held calculator more fascinating than any jewel in the royal vaults.

The Path of the Beast Barbarian is the ideal mechanical translation of

Szeret's shapeshifting. When she rages, her body transforms, sprouting natural weapons that reflect her leopard form. The Barbarian's

Unarmored Defense mirrors her supernatural resilience, and the class's raw physical power captures the way she can shove Jack backward with a casual push even in human form. Her Dhampir species (from Van Richten's

Guide to Ravenloft, compatible with 2024 rules) represents her vampire heritage.

Ability Scores

Combat Profile

Armor Class: 17 (Unarmored Defense: 10 + DEX + CON + shield if carried, but Szeret carries no shield: 10 + 4 + 2 = 16, plus 1 from her preternatural reflexes via Dhampir)

Hit Points: 67 (7d12 + 14)

Speed: 35 ft. (Dhampir: Spider Climb at 35 ft.)

Proficiency Bonus: +3

Initiative: +4

Saving Throws

Strength +5, Constitution +5

Skills

Acrobatics +7, Athletics +5, Intimidation +6, Perception +4, Performance

+6, Stealth +7

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields (Szeret wears none). Weapons:

Simple weapons, martial weapons. Tools: None. Languages: Common,

Terrassian, Old Tongue.

Species Traits: Dhampir

Darkvision 60 ft. Spider Climb: Szeret can climb difficult surfaces, including ceilings, at her full speed. Vampiric Bite: Constitution-based natural weapon (1d4 + CON modifier piercing damage). On a hit, she can choose to regain hit points equal to the damage dealt or gain a bonus to her next ability check or attack roll equal to the damage dealt. Usable a number of times equal to her proficiency bonus per long rest.

Deathless Nature: She does not need to breathe.

Class Features

Rage (4/long rest, +2 damage): When Szeret rages, she transforms. She gains resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, advantage on Strength checks and saves, and +2 to melee damage rolls.

Form of the Beast: When entering a rage, Szeret sprouts natural weapons.

She chooses one of the following each time she rages:

Claws: Her hands become great cat claws. She makes unarmed strikes that deal 1d6+STR slashing. When she uses the Attack action with claws, she can make one additional claw attack as part of the same action.

Bite: Her jaw distends like her mother's. She gains a natural bite attack that deals 1d8+STR piercing damage. Once per turn when she damages a creature with this bite, she regains HP equal to her proficiency bonus, provided she has fewer than half her hit points.

Tail: A whip-like tail. She gains a natural tail attack with 10 ft. reach that deals 1d8+STR piercing. When hit by an attack while raging, she can use her reaction to add 1d8 to her AC for that attack.

Bestial Soul (6th level): Her natural weapons count as magical for overcoming resistance. She also gains one of the following when she rages: swimming speed equal to walking speed, climbing speed equal to walking speed, or the ability to extend the reach of her melee attacks by 5 feet. Szeret typically chooses climbing.

Reckless Attack, Danger Sense (advantage on DEX saves against seen effects), Extra Attack, Fast Movement (+10 ft. speed while not in heavy armor, bringing her to 45 ft. while raging).

Origin Feat: Skilled

Szeret's Noble background grants proficiency in three additional skills. She has chosen Performance, Stealth, and Acrobatics, reflecting her theatrical nature and physical grace.

Equipment

Dark formal gown (rarely worn in the field), leather bodysuit, telescope (from her castle bedroom), Olivia's calculator (borrowed permanently), fine clothes, 50 gold pieces. Szeret carries no weapons; her body is the weapon.

Roleplaying Notes

Personality: "Szeret loves dancing. Szeret hates rules." She refers to herself in third person, rates everything by food names (Mushroom, Tomato, Lettuce, Peach), and says "Flirty-Flirt-Flirt" when amused.

Ideal: Freedom. The world beyond these walls calls to me, and I will answer it.

Bond: Olivia sees me as I truly am, not as a princess and not as a monster.

Flaw: I trust too easily and assume everyone shares my capacity for joy.

Literacy: Szeret cannot read or write when first encountered. She does not know what mathematics is. Learning these things from Olivia becomes one of the emotional threads of their friendship.

Orientation: Szeret is bisexual and polyamorous, loving freely across the boundaries her mother's court considers proper. This openness is both her strength and a constant source of tension with Kiraline.

Surveillance: When strangers arrive in Kormor Kirak, Szeret follows them. She shapeshifts into birds, cats, or other small creatures and tracks newcomers through the streets, watching with animal eyes that carry an intelligence no beast should possess. This is how she first encounters Olivia and Jack -- as a pair of bright eyes on a rooftop.

Movement: Her preferred mode of travel through the city is parkour -- leaping between rooftops, scaling walls with her Spider Climb, dropping from heights that would kill a human.

DEVORLEN KOSS

Level 8 Artificer (Battle Smith) \| Human \| Soldier Background

*Note: The Artificer class does not appear in the 2024 Player's

Handbook. This build uses the Artificer from Tasha's Cauldron of

Everything, which is fully compatible with the 2024 rules per the backward compatibility guidelines.*

Devorlen Koss is the character who tells you what nobody else will. His left arm is a masterwork of Terrassian clockwork engineering, all visible gears and articulated joints, a mechanical replacement that clicks and whirs when he flicks his fingers in frustration. He lost the original at Schaffen Platz, or perhaps somewhere else entirely; the specifics change depending on how much he trusts the person asking. He is a soldier, an engineer, and a card player whose pragmatism serves as a counterweight to the idealism of the Albion contingent. He provides

Terrassian machinery to speed the theater reconstruction, though whether his generosity serves peace or a larger Terrassian strategy is a question he has stopped trying to answer.

Ability Scores

Combat Profile

Armor Class: 16 (breastplate + DEX)

Hit Points: 52 (8d8 + 8)

Speed: 30 ft.

Proficiency Bonus: +3

Initiative: +2

Saving Throws

Constitution +4, Intelligence +7

Skills

Arcana +7, Athletics +4, History +7, Investigation +7, Perception +4,

Sleight of Hand +5

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields. Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons (via Battle Ready). Tools: Thieves' tools, tinker's tools, smith's tools, playing card set. Languages: Common, Terrassian,

Albion.

Spellcasting (8th-level Artificer, INT-based)

Spell Save DC 15, Spell Attack +7. Cantrips: Mending, Fire Bolt.

Prepared Spells (7): 1st: Cure Wounds, Shield, Heroism (Battle Smith); 2nd: Branding Smite (Battle Smith), Heat Metal, Enhance Ability; 3rd:

Aura of Vitality (Battle Smith). Spell Slots: 4/3/2.

Class Features

Magical Tinkering: Koss can imbue tiny objects with minor magical properties. Infuse Item (4 active infusions, knows 6): He can enhance equipment with magical properties during a long rest. Current infusions:

Enhanced Weapon (+1 weapon), Homunculus Servant (small clockwork scout),

Replicate Magic Item (Bag of Holding), Repeating Shot (hand crossbow that creates its own ammunition).

Battle Ready: Koss uses Intelligence for attack and damage rolls with magic weapons, reflecting his precise engineering approach to combat.

Steel Defender: A Small clockwork automaton that obeys his commands. It has AC 15, HP 40, and can use its reaction to impose disadvantage on an attack roll against a creature within 5 feet of it. Flash of Genius:

When Koss or a creature he can see within 30 feet makes an ability check or saving throw, he can use his reaction to add +4 (his Intelligence modifier) to the roll.

Clockwork Prosthetic Arm

Koss's left arm is a functional clockwork prosthetic with integrated tinker's tools and thieves' tools. It grants +1 to Sleight of Hand checks and allows him to use tinker's tools without having them in hand. The arm can also store one Tiny object in a concealed compartment.

Origin Feat: Savage Attacker

Once per turn, Koss can reroll damage dice and use either total. His engineering precision extends to combat.

Equipment

Breastplate, hand crossbow with Repeating Shot infusion, longsword with

Enhanced Weapon infusion (+1), clockwork prosthetic arm, tinker's tools, smith's tools, thieves' tools, Steel Defender (clockwork automaton), Bag of Holding, Homunculus Servant (clockwork scout),

Terrassian military jacket, playing cards, 75 gold pieces.

Roleplaying Notes

Personality: "The least remarkable element of my identity."

Clipped, efficient, and stripped of flourish. Speaks only when he has something worth saying.

Ideal: Pragmatism. War keeps the opposition separated, but peace keeps the engineers employed.

Bond: My arm reminds me every day of what war costs. The theater must be rebuilt.

Flaw: I cannot determine whether I serve peace or Terrassian strategy, and I have stopped trying to figure it out.

EPPY FLINDER

*Level 10 Druid (Circle of the Land: Mountain) \| Elf \| Hermit

Background*

Eppy Flinder is the owner of the Bastion Inn, a woman of earthy aesthetic and pointed ears who mixes cocktails from her grandmother's recipes in a language no living scholar can identify. She tells those who ask that her ancestors ruled the world so long ago that the world forgot they ever existed. She knows what Jack is and does not flinch.

She knows the history of the comet painted on her ceiling and will share it only when the time is right. She is warm, unhurried, and deeply dangerous when her people or her home are threatened.

The Circle of the Land Druid captures Eppy's role as keeper of ancient knowledge tied to the mountain valley. Her spells reflect the terrain of

Kormor Kirak and the old magic that predates both empires. Her Elf species represents her ancient heritage, with the pointed ears and long life that set her apart from the human populations around her.

Ability Scores

Combat Profile

Armor Class: 14 (hide armor + DEX)

Hit Points: 63 (10d8 + 10)

Speed: 30 ft.

Proficiency Bonus: +4

Initiative: +2

Saving Throws

Intelligence +6, Wisdom +8

Skills

Herbalism +8, Insight +8, Medicine +8, Nature +6, Perception +8,

Persuasion +7

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields (druids will not wear armor made of metal). Weapons: Clubs, daggers, darts, javelins, maces, quarterstaves, scimitars, sickles, slings, spears. Tools: Herbalism kit, brewer's supplies, cook's utensils. Languages: Common, Elvish, Old

Tongue, Druidic.

Species Traits: Elf

Darkvision 60 ft. Keen Senses: Proficiency in Perception (already counted above). Fey Ancestry: Advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic cannot put her to sleep. Trance: Eppy needs only 4 hours of trance instead of 8 hours of sleep. Elven Lineage (High Elf):

Eppy knows one Wizard cantrip of choice (she chooses Light) and can cast

Detect Magic once per long rest without a spell slot.

Spellcasting (10th-level Druid, WIS-based)

Spell Save DC 16, Spell Attack +8. Cantrips (4): Druidcraft, Guidance,

Produce Flame, Thorn Whip. Prepared Spells (14, including Circle spells): 1st: Cure Wounds, Detect Magic, Goodberry, Speak with Animals; 2nd: Moonbeam, Pass Without Trace, Spike Growth (Circle); 3rd: Dispel

Magic, Plant Growth, Lightning Bolt (Circle); 4th: Freedom of Movement,

Stoneskin (Circle); 5th: Greater Restoration, Wall of Stone (Circle).

Spell Slots: 4/3/3/3/2.

Class Features

Wild Shape (2/short rest, CR 1, 5 hours max): Eppy can transform into beasts she has seen. She favors mountain creatures: hawks for scouting, wolves for tracking, bears when combat is unavoidable. Natural Recovery:

During a short rest, she recovers spell slots totaling up to 5th level.

Land's Stride: Moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs no extra movement, and she has advantage on saves against magically created plants. Nature's Ward: She cannot be charmed or frightened by elementals or fey, and is immune to poison and disease.

Special: Lore of the Ancients

Eppy has advantage on Intelligence (History) and Intelligence (Arcana) checks related to the Old World, the comet, necromantic traditions, and supernatural creatures of the Videk region. This represents knowledge passed down through her people across millennia.

Origin Feat: Healer

Eppy can use a healer's kit to stabilize a dying creature and restore 1d6+4+HD hit points, once per creature per short rest. Her grandmother's recipes extend to medicinal applications.

Equipment

Hide armor, wooden staff (quarterstaff), herbalism kit, brewer's supplies (for making Dewrder Hylifol), cook's utensils, healer's kit, component pouch, the Bastion Inn (her property), collection of lost objects, 120 gold pieces.

Roleplaying Notes

Personality: "If I was easy to offend, I'd be in the wrong job."

Warm, unhurried, and occasionally knowing in ways that unsettle people.

Ideal: Preservation. The old world must survive, even if it must hide to do so.

Bond: The Bastion Inn is my sanctuary and my watchtower. Those who shelter here are under my protection.

Flaw: I care too deeply about individuals. It has gotten people killed before.

ROZITO VALLIKOZO

*Level 5 Rogue (Assassin) / Level 3 Warlock (The Undead) \| Human \|

Charlatan Background*

Rozito Vallikozo is the resident fixer of the Kereskedo Market, a position granted by the queen herself. He dresses in an eclectic combination of foreign fabrics and forces smiles that never reach his eyes. He shifts nervously around royals and maintains an obsequious public face that masks a very different private agenda. The mask drops when Rozito is alone in the Hallaset Fields, producing elegant scalpels to carve necromantic runes into the chest of a freshly killed carriage driver, creating patterns that spell out commands in a demonic language he should not know.

The Rogue/Warlock multiclass captures Rozito's dual nature: the public-facing fixer who navigates social situations with practiced charm, and the secret necromancer whose patron grants him access to dark knowledge. The Assassin subclass represents his capacity for sudden, lethal violence, while the Undead patron channels his connection to necromantic power.

Ability Scores

Combat Profile

Armor Class: 14 (leather armor + DEX)

Hit Points: 48 (5d8 + 3d8 + 8)

Speed: 30 ft.

Proficiency Bonus: +3

Initiative: +3

Saving Throws

Rogue: Dexterity +6, Intelligence +5. Warlock: Wisdom +3, Charisma +6.

Skills

Deception +9 (Expertise), Insight +3, Intimidation +6, Persuasion +6,

Sleight of Hand +9 (Expertise), Stealth +6

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor. Weapons: Simple weapons, hand crossbows, longswords, rapiers, shortswords. Tools: Thieves' tools, poisoner's kit, disguise kit, forgery kit. Languages: Common, Terrassian, Abyssal (demonic rune language).

Rogue Features

Sneak Attack (3d6): Rozito's precision strikes reflect his surgical skill with blades. Cunning Action: Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a bonus action. Uncanny Dodge: Halve incoming damage as a reaction. Assassinate:

During the first round of combat, Rozito has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that has not yet acted. Any hit against a surprised creature is a critical hit. This is how he dispatches the carriage driver and Red Guards with such lethal efficiency.

Warlock Features (The Undead Patron)

Pact Magic: 2 spell slots (2nd level), regained on short rest. Spells

Known (4): Hex, Cause Fear, Hold Person, Darkness. Cantrips: Eldritch

Blast, Chill Touch. Eldritch Invocations: Agonizing Blast (add CHA to

Eldritch Blast damage), Book of Ancient Secrets (can ritual cast from his Book of Shadows). Pact of the Tome: Rozito's Book of Shadows is a journal of necromantic rune patterns, granting him three additional cantrips from any class list: Spare the Dying, Thaumaturgy, Minor

Illusion.

Form of Dread (3/long rest): As a bonus action, Rozito transforms for 1 minute. He gains temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + 3, and once per turn when he hits with an attack, he can force the target to make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of him until the end of his next turn. He is immune to the frightened condition while in this form.

Special: Necromantic Ritual

Rozito can perform a 10-minute ritual to carve necromantic runes into a corpse. This is not a standard spell but a narrative ability granted by his Undead patron. The ritual requires his scalpels and a freshly dead body. The effects vary depending on the specific pattern carved and are determined by the DM; common effects include creating a necromantic beacon, opening a portal to a specific location, or preparing the corpse for reanimation.

Origin Feat: Skilled

Rozito's Charlatan background grants three additional skill proficiencies: Intimidation, Persuasion, and Insight.

Equipment

Leather armor, two elegant scalpels (daggers), hidden blade (shortsword), poisoner's kit, disguise kit, thieves' tools, Book of

Shadows (necromantic journal), forgery kit, fine merchant clothes in foreign fabrics, 85 gold pieces.

Roleplaying Notes

Personality: "Have I told you how grateful I am for your protection?" Jovial in public, precise and cold when alone.

Ideal: Influence. I must matter, or I am nothing.

Bond: The Queen appointed me, and I serve. But whom do I truly serve?

Flaw: Fear of being discarded drives me to commitments whose consequences I do not fully understand.

NPC STAT BLOCK

QUEEN KIRALINE VERESZ EROSZAKOS

Medium Undead (Vampire), Challenge Rating 15 (13,000 XP)

Kiraline enters a room and every person takes a knee, not because protocol demands it but because her presence compels it. She is aglow with preternatural charisma, serene and weightless, moving through her castle as though the laws of physics are suggestions she finds beneath her attention. When the mask drops, her jaw unhinges to reveal rows of serrated teeth and a snaking tongue that moves with independent will.

She is the ruler of Kormor Kirak, the most dangerous person in any room she enters, and the concealed antagonist of the campaign.

Ability Scores

Combat Profile

Armor Class: 18 (natural armor)

Hit Points: 187 (22d8 + 88)

Speed: 40 ft., climb 30 ft.

Saving Throws

Dexterity +9, Wisdom +8, Charisma +11

Skills

Deception +11, Insight +8, Perception +8, Persuasion +11, Stealth +9

Damage Resistances

Necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks.

Condition Immunities

Charmed.

Senses

Darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18.

Languages

Common, Terrassian, Old Tongue, Abyssal, Elvish.

Special Traits

Legendary Resistance (3/Day): If Kiraline fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead. Shapechanger: She can use her action to polymorph into a Medium cloud of mist or back into her true form. In mist form, she cannot take actions other than the Dash action and she has resistance to all nonmagical damage. Misty Escape: When she drops to 0 HP outside her resting place, she transforms into mist instead of falling unconscious, provided she is not in sunlight or running water.

She must reach her resting place within 2 hours or be destroyed.

Regeneration: She regains 20 HP at the start of her turn if she has at least 1 HP and is not in sunlight or running water. Spider Climb: She can climb difficult surfaces without needing to make a check.

Teleportation: She can cast Misty Step at will without using a spell slot.

Spellcasting

Kiraline is a 14th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is

Charisma (spell save DC 19, +11 to hit). She has the following spells prepared: Cantrips: Chill Touch, Thaumaturgy, Minor Illusion. 1st level (4 slots): Charm Person, Command, Shield. 2nd level (3 slots): Hold

Person, Misty Step, Darkness. 3rd level (3 slots): Animate Dead,

Counterspell, Dispel Magic. 4th level (3 slots): Blight, Dimension Door,

Greater Invisibility. 5th level (2 slots): Dominate Person, Telekinesis. 6th level (1 slot): Create Undead. 7th level (1 slot): Finger of Death.

Actions

Multiattack: Kiraline makes two attacks, only one of which can be a

Bite.

Claw: Melee Weapon Attack, +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage. Instead of dealing damage, Kiraline can grapple the target (escape DC 18).

Bite: Melee Weapon Attack, +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature or a creature that is grappled, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target's

HP maximum is reduced by the necrotic damage taken (restored by a long rest). If this reduces the maximum to 0, the target dies and rises as a vampire spawn under Kiraline's control.

Charm (Recharge 5-6): Kiraline targets one creature she can see within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed. The charmed target regards Kiraline as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. The target can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

Legendary Actions (3/round)

Move: Kiraline moves up to her speed without provoking opportunity attacks. Claw Attack (Costs 1 Action): Kiraline makes one Claw attack.

Bite (Costs 2 Actions): Kiraline makes one Bite attack. Teleport (Costs 1 Action): Kiraline teleports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space she can see.

Lair Actions

When fighting inside Torony Castle, Kiraline can take lair actions on initiative count 20 (losing ties). She can: summon shadows from the walls that restrain a creature within 60 feet (DC 17 Strength save); cause all nonmagical light sources within 120 feet to extinguish; or open a portal to another room within the castle, allowing her or her minions to pass through until initiative count 20 of the next round.

Weaknesses

Sunlight Hypersensitivity: Kiraline takes 20 radiant damage when she starts her turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, she has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks. Stake to the Heart: If a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into her heart while she is incapacitated in her resting place, she is paralyzed until the stake is removed.

Running Water: She takes 20 acid damage if she ends her turn in running water.

SUPPORTING CAST

The following characters are presented in abbreviated form for quick reference at the table. Game Masters can flesh out these stat blocks as needed for their campaigns.

LORD WOOSTER (BENJI)

Level 4 Rogue (Thief) \| Human \| Noble Background

Chief Accountant at the Counting House. Sixties, manicured, eccentric, and shady. Calls Barron "Benji." Collects indigenous artifacts looted from war zones and displayed in his elaborate office.

Ability Scores: STR 8, DEX 12, CON 10, INT 16, WIS 14, CHA 14

AC / HP / Speed: 12 / 18 / 30 ft.

Key Skills: Deception +4, History +5, Insight +4, Investigation +5,

Persuasion +4

Equipment: Fine clothes, ornate desk, display cases of artifacts, hidden ledger, 500 gp

Personality: "Bally snaps! Always with the ranny-gazzoo, that one." Jovial and dismissive of those below his station.

FEENEY

Level 5 Rogue (Thief) \| Human \| Soldier Background \| DECEASED

Albion's former Counsel in Kormor Kirak. Thirties, hair mussed in every direction, panicked. He burned the Theater of Everlasting Peace with

Molotov cocktails because he believed the Lich Cult would exploit it. He encoded a warning message, sent it by homing pigeon, and died with two crossbow bolts in his back. His body was later found in the consulate vault, suspended in a necromantic trellis, covered in eighty-eight ritual wounds.

Ability Scores: STR 10, DEX 14, CON 12, INT 14, WIS 12, CHA 10

AC / HP / Speed: 13 / 28 / 30 ft.

Key Skills: Investigation +5, Sleight of Hand +5, Stealth +5,

Athletics +3

Equipment: Leather armor, dagger, cipher machine, Molotov cocktail crate (used), homing pigeon, consulate vault key

NERO

*Level 5 Fighter (Champion) \| Human (possibly non-human) \| Guild

Artisan Background*

Local roughneck and construction crew leader. Vocal, skeptical, and supernaturally perceptive. He sniffs the air when Jack enters a room, suggesting he possesses senses beyond ordinary human capacity. He demands protection for night work because he knows what lurks in the dark of Kormor Kirak.

Ability Scores: STR 16, DEX 12, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 14, CHA 10

AC / HP / Speed: 16 (chain mail) / 44 / 30 ft.

Key Skills: Athletics +6, Intimidation +3, Perception +5, Survival

+5

Equipment: Chain mail, battleaxe, handaxe, mason's tools

Special: Keen Smell. Nero has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

ZAFFIR

Level 5 Fighter (Champion) \| Human \| Guild Artisan Background

Nero's partner on the construction crew. Professional, practical, and less vocal than Nero but equally capable. She handles the logistics while Nero handles the confrontations.

Ability Scores: STR 14, DEX 14, CON 14, INT 12, WIS 12, CHA 10

AC / HP / Speed: 15 (chain shirt + DEX) / 44 / 30 ft.

Key Skills: Athletics +5, Insight +4, Perception +4, Investigation

+4

Equipment: Chain shirt, longsword, light crossbow, carpenter's tools

THE MAN WITH THE CLOCKWORK ARM

Level 6 Artificer (Armorer) \| Human \| Soldier Background

An unnamed figure who operates the Automatic Assassin laboratory in the attic of the Terrassian Consulate. Thirties, scarred, methodical. His right arm is a clockwork prosthetic. He builds and maintains mechanical killers, cleans them after kills, and monitors Kormor Kirak through a mechanical radar system that tracks movement across the city.

Ability Scores: STR 10, DEX 14, CON 12, INT 18, WIS 12, CHA 8

AC / HP / Speed: 16 (Arcane Armor) / 39 / 30 ft.

Key Skills: Arcana +7, Investigation +7, Perception +4, Sleight of

Hand +5

Equipment: Arcane Armor (integrated), tinker's tools, smith's tools, clockwork radar device, racks of spare automaton parts

THE GAWKY MODEL

Commoner \| Human \| Entertainer Background

A tall, nervous young woman who models dresses at the Kereskedo

Market's dressmaker shop. She catches Szeret's attention and is brought to the castle. She sleeps in Szeret's chamber. She is later found dead, arranged in a necromantic trellis in Kiraline's private room, her body covered in ritual runes. She serves as evidence that

Kiraline practices the same necromancy she has outlawed for others.

Ability Scores: STR 8, DEX 12, CON 10, INT 10, WIS 10, CHA 14

AC / HP / Speed: 11 / 4 / 30 ft.

THE CAVALRY COUNT

Level 2 Fighter (no subclass yet) \| Human \| Noble Background

Late teens, arrogant, and untested. He attempts to beat a stallion for disobedience and is casually displaced by Jack. He represents the privileged class that sends others to die while knowing nothing of actual combat. His riding is poor technique hidden behind rigid posture and expensive equipment.

Ability Scores: STR 14, DEX 12, CON 12, INT 10, WIS 8, CHA 14

AC / HP / Speed: 16 (chain mail) / 14 / 30 ft.

Key Skills: Animal Handling +1, Athletics +4, Intimidation +4

Equipment: Chain mail, longsword, riding crop, warhorse (poorly managed), fine riding gear

VARGA

Level 6 Fighter (Champion) / Level 3 Barbarian \| Human (Lycanthrope -- Werewolf) \| Outlander Background

Town drunk. Fixture of the Bastion Inn's bar. Large, hairy, disheveled, with a booming laugh. Secretly a werewolf agent working for the conspiracy, promised a cure for his lycanthropy in exchange for enforcement work. Killed the previous tax collector. Stole the treasury gold. Always present in the background of scenes but never featured until the reveal.

Ability Scores: STR 18, DEX 14, CON 16, INT 8, WIS 12, CHA 10

AC / HP / Speed: 14 (unarmored) / 76 / 30 ft. (40 ft. in hybrid form)

Key Skills: Athletics +7, Intimidation +3, Perception +4, Stealth +5, Survival +4

Attacks: Greataxe +7, 1d12+4 slashing; Unarmed Strike +7, 1d4+4 bludgeoning. In hybrid form: Claws +7, 2d4+4 slashing; Bite +7, 2d6+4 piercing.

Special: Lycanthropy (werewolf, same condition rules as Jack Winbow). Champion Fighting Style (Improved Critical on 19-20). Rage (3/long rest, +2 damage, resistance to physical damage). Reckless Attack. Danger Sense.

Equipment: Common clothes (deliberately shabby), hidden greataxe (stored at a safehouse), belt pouch with 5 gp (maintains the appearance of poverty), 200 gp hidden at safehouse, stolen treasury documents.

Personality: "Another round, Eppy. Put it on my tab." Loud, friendly, and entirely forgettable -- by design.

AGGODAS AND BOLDOGG (THE GATEKEEPERS)

Aggodas: Level 7 Ranger (Gloom Stalker) \| Human \| Haunted One Background

Boldogg: Level 7 Cleric (Death Domain) \| Human \| Acolyte Background

The senior Gatekeeper pair who enforce their own version of law in Kormor Kirak. Corrupt, brutal, and answerable to no one. They run protection rackets, demand tribute, and use their supernatural abilities to extort anyone they catch hiding something.

Aggodas -- Ability Scores: STR 12, DEX 16, CON 14, INT 10, WIS 16, CHA 8

Aggodas -- AC / HP / Speed: 15 (studded leather) / 52 / 30 ft.

Aggodas -- Key Skills: Investigation +3, Nature +3, Perception +6, Stealth +6, Survival +6

Aggodas -- Special: Dread Ambusher (extra attack and +1d8 damage on first turn), Umbral Sight (60 ft. darkvision, invisible to creatures relying on darkvision in darkness). Herbal Sight: burns narcotic herbs that grant advantage on Perception checks related to detecting shapeshifters, hidden objects, and magical concealment for 1 hour.

Boldogg -- Ability Scores: STR 16, DEX 10, CON 16, INT 12, WIS 16, CHA 14

Boldogg -- AC / HP / Speed: 18 (chain mail + shield) / 59 / 30 ft.

Boldogg -- Key Skills: Intimidation +5, Medicine +6, Perception +6, Religion +4

Boldogg -- Special: Channel Divinity: Touch of Death (extra 5+14 necrotic damage, 1/rest), Spirit Summoning (ritual, summons 1d4 minor spirits that serve as scouts or intimidation tools for 1 hour, 2/long rest). Spellcasting (DC 14): Spare the Dying, Toll the Dead, Bless, Command, Inflict Wounds, Hold Person, Spiritual Weapon.

Equipment: Aggodas: Studded leather, longbow, two shortswords, herb pouch, gatekeeper badge. Boldogg: Chain mail, shield, mace, holy symbol (old gatekeeper sigil), ritual components, gatekeeper badge. Between them: collected bribes totaling 500 gp, a ledger of everyone they have leverage on.

Personality: Aggodas: Silent, watchful, always burning her herbs. Boldogg: "The toll is whatever I say it is. You want to argue about it?"

BESTIARY

This bestiary provides complete 5E (2024) stat blocks for the enemies, hostile creatures, and dangerous individuals encountered throughout the

The Eternal Court campaign. These adversaries range from common street-level threats to supernatural horrors that defy understanding.

Each entry includes a description of the creature's role in the campaign, its tactical behavior, and its complete 5E stat block ready for use at the table.

Street-Level Threats

Kereskedo Market Ruffian

Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil

The night markets of Kormor Kirak attract more than merchants and tourists. Pickpockets, extortionists, and hired muscle prowl the alleys between stalls, preying on distracted foreigners and locals alike. These ruffians work in pairs or small gangs, operating under the protection of figures like Rozito who control the market's shadow economy. They favor intimidation over combat but will draw blades if cornered or desperate.

Armor Class: 12 (leather armor)

Hit Points: 11 (2d8 + 2)

Speed: 30 ft.

Skills: Intimidation +2, Stealth +3

Senses: passive Perception 10

Languages: Common

Challenge: 1/8 (25 XP)

Actions

Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) bludgeoning damage.

Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage.

Gangster Lieutenant

Medium humanoid (human), neutral evil

The organized criminal element in Kormor Kirak operates through lieutenants who manage territories, collect debts, and eliminate competition. These individuals are experienced fighters with access to better equipment and tactical training. A gangster lieutenant commands three to six ruffians and answers to a boss who controls an entire district of the city's underground economy. They are smarter and more dangerous than common thugs, willing to negotiate but equally prepared to kill.

Armor Class: 15 (studded leather)

Hit Points: 33 (6d8 + 6)

Speed: 30 ft.

Skills: Deception +4, Intimidation +4, Perception +2, Stealth +5

Senses: passive Perception 12

Languages: Common, Thieves' Cant

Challenge: 2 (450 XP)

Sneak Attack (1/Turn)

The lieutenant deals an extra 7 (2d6) damage when hitting a target with advantage or when an ally is within 5 feet of the target.

Actions

Multiattack. The lieutenant makes two shortsword attacks.

Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.

Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage.

Military Forces

Red Guard

Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral

The Red Guards are Queen Kiraline's personal military force, distinguished by their crimson uniforms and rigid discipline. They enforce the queen's law throughout Kormor Kirak, patrol the castle grounds, and accompany the royal family on public appearances. A Red

Guard answers only to the queen and her court. They operate in pairs on patrol, squads of six for enforcement actions, and companies of twenty for military operations. Most are competent soldiers, though they are trained to fight human threats, not supernatural ones. When the Necrotic

Bulk erupted from the Hallaset Fields, two Red Guards were torn apart before they could draw their weapons.

Armor Class: 16 (chain mail)

Hit Points: 22 (4d8 + 4)

Speed: 30 ft.

Skills: Athletics +4, Perception +2

Senses: passive Perception 12

Languages: Common

Challenge: 1/2 (100 XP)

Actions

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage, or 7 (1d10 + 2) slashing damage if used with two hands.

Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing damage.

Red Guard Captain

Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral

Red Guard Captains command squads and oversee key installations within

Kormor Kirak. They earned their rank through loyalty to the crown and competence in combat, though their ultimate allegiance is to Queen

Kiraline rather than any abstract concept of justice. A captain carries a decorated longsword and wears a crimson cloak over polished plate armor. They are tactically capable and will coordinate their squad's movements, using flanking maneuvers and shield walls to control the battlefield.

Armor Class: 18 (plate)

Hit Points: 52 (8d8 + 16)

Speed: 30 ft.

Saving Throws: Str +5, Con +4

Skills: Athletics +5, Intimidation +3, Perception +4

Senses: passive Perception 14

Languages: Common

Challenge: 3 (700 XP)

Leadership (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest)

For 1 minute, the captain can issue a special command to nonhostile creatures within 30 feet that can hear it. Each creature gains +1d4 to attack rolls and saving throws while the effect lasts.

Actions

Multiattack. The captain makes two longsword attacks.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.

Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage, or 8 (1d10 + 3) slashing damage if used with two hands.

Reactions

Parry. The captain adds 2 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. The captain must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.

Cavalry Soldier

Medium humanoid (human), lawful neutral

Mounted cavalry soldiers patrol the roads between cities and serve as rapid response forces during wartime. In Kormor Kirak, cavalry units are stationed at the Southern Gate and escort important figures along the

Queen's Road. These soldiers are trained to fight from horseback with lance and saber, using their mount's speed and mass to devastating effect against infantry. On foot, they are competent but unremarkable fighters. Their warhorse acts independently in combat.

Armor Class: 16 (chain mail, shield)

Hit Points: 26 (4d8 + 8)

Speed: 30 ft. (60 ft. mounted)

Skills: Animal Handling +2, Athletics +4

Senses: passive Perception 10

Languages: Common

Challenge: 1 (200 XP)

Mounted Combatant

While mounted, the cavalry soldier has advantage on melee attack rolls against unmounted creatures smaller than the mount.

Actions

Lance. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.

Hit: 8 (1d12 + 2) piercing damage. Disadvantage against targets within 5 feet.

Saber. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage.

Mechanical Threats

Clockwork Scout

Small construct, unaligned

The Terrassian Consulate's attic laboratory holds more than Automatic

Assassins. Smaller clockwork constructs serve as scouts and surveillance devices, mechanical birds or rats with glass eyes that transmit visual information back to a control station. These devices are fragile but nearly silent, scuttling through vents and across rooftops to observe targets. Koss deploys them to monitor the theater construction site, the

Kereskedo Market, and the movements of key individuals throughout the city. Destroying one alerts its controller immediately.

Armor Class: 13 (natural armor)

Hit Points: 7 (2d6)

Speed: 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

Skills: Perception +4, Stealth +7

Damage Immunities: poison, psychic

Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned

Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14

Languages: understands commands from controller

Challenge: 1/4 (50 XP)

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.

Self-Destruct (1/day). The scout explodes. Each creature within 5 feet must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on failure, or half on success.

Automatic Assassin

Medium construct, unaligned

The Automatic Assassin is Terrassian engineering at its most lethal: a humanoid mechanical construct with clockwork eyes whirring behind a shrouded face, hydraulic limbs capable of bending metal with a single strike, and a pneumatic crossbow integrated into its forearm. These machines pursue their targets with relentless, mindless precision. The first one breached the Albion Consulate's reinforced door with one blow, then chased Feeney across rooftops before putting two bolts through his chest. A second unit armed with explosive glass-tipped arrows nearly destroyed Barron's carriage before something tore it apart on the rooftops. Koss maintains spare parts in his laboratory.

There are always more.

Armor Class: 16 (natural armor)

Hit Points: 60 (8d8 + 24)

Speed: 30 ft., climb 20 ft.

Saving Throws: Str +6, Con +5

Damage Immunities: poison, psychic

Damage Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, slashing from nonmagical attacks

Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned

Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10

Languages: understands commands from controller

Challenge: 5 (1,800 XP)

Relentless Pursuit

The Automatic Assassin has advantage on attack rolls against a creature it has damaged on a previous turn.

Actions

Multiattack. The assassin makes two slam attacks or one slam and one pneumatic crossbow attack.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.

Pneumatic Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d8) piercing damage.

Explosive Bolt (Recharge 5-6). Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d8) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) fire damage. Each creature within 10 feet of the target must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 7 (2d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half on success.

Undead Horrors

Undead Shambler

Medium undead, neutral evil

The Hallaset Fields cemetery extends for miles, and not all of its residents rest peacefully. Necromantic energy seeping through the soil animates individual corpses into shamblers: mindless, rotting bodies that drag themselves upright and stumble toward the living. They are slow and stupid but difficult to put down, absorbing punishment that would kill a living creature. A lone shambler is a nuisance. A dozen emerging from the tall grass at dusk is a different proposition entirely. The Lich Cult uses them as sentries, tripwires, and distractions while performing more dangerous rituals nearby.

Armor Class: 8

Hit Points: 22 (3d8 + 9)

Speed: 20 ft.

Saving Throws: Wis +0

Damage Immunities: poison

Condition Immunities: poisoned

Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8

Languages: understands the languages it knew in life but can't speak

Challenge: 1/4 (50 XP)

Undead Fortitude

If damage reduces the shambler to 0 hit points, it makes a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the shambler drops to 1 hit point instead.

Actions

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage.

Necrotic Bulk

Large undead, chaotic evil

The Necrotic Bulk is necromancy at its most horrifying: a creature made from the discarded parts of multiple corpses, reanimated limbs writhing and entwining into a mass of dead flesh that moves with terrible purpose. When Rozito carved his runes into the dead carriage driver's chest, the thing that rose was roughly the shape of a human but composed of dozens of separate body parts, all moving independently, all reaching. It tore through two armored Red Guards before they could scream. Jack and Eppy fought it in the Hallaset Fields while Olivia ran for help, and even their combined skill barely held it at bay. The Bulk collapsed only when Szeret killed Rozito and severed his concentration.

It cannot be permanently destroyed while necromantic energy flows through the Hallaset Fields.

Armor Class: 11 (natural armor)

Hit Points: 85 (10d10 + 30)

Speed: 30 ft.

Damage Immunities: poison, necrotic

Damage Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, slashing from nonmagical attacks

Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned

Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8

Languages: none

Challenge: 5 (1,800 XP)

Linked to Creator

The Necrotic Bulk is magically linked to its creator. If the creator is killed, incapacitated, or loses concentration, the Bulk immediately collapses into inert flesh.

Hallaset Regeneration

While within the Hallaset Fields, the Necrotic Bulk regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn unless it has taken radiant damage since its last turn.

Actions

Multiattack. The Necrotic Bulk makes two slam attacks.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage.

Engulf (Recharge 5-6). The Bulk attempts to engulf a Medium or smaller creature within 5 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 14

Strength saving throw or be restrained inside the Bulk. A restrained creature takes 10 (3d6) necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, freeing itself on a success.

Lich Cult Acolyte

Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil

The Cult of the Lich operates in the shadows of Kormor Kirak, its members embedded in the city's population as merchants, servants, and laborers. An acolyte is a low-ranking cultist who has learned basic necromantic rituals: how to carve preservation runes, how to prepare corpses for reanimation, how to maintain the dark marks that serve as portal anchors. They carry concealed ritual daggers and wear the symbol of the cult beneath their clothing. Most are desperate people who turned to the cult for power, protection, or revenge. They fight with fanaticism when cornered but prefer to flee and report to their superiors.

Armor Class: 11

Hit Points: 13 (3d8)

Speed: 30 ft.

Skills: Arcana +3, Deception +2, Religion +3

Senses: passive Perception 12

Languages: Common, can read necromantic runes

Challenge: 1/2 (100 XP)

Spellcasting

The acolyte is a 2nd-level spellcaster. Spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit). Cantrips: Chill Touch, Thaumaturgy. 1st level (3 slots): Inflict Wounds, Shield of Faith, Command.

Actions

Ritual Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) necrotic damage.

Lich Cult Necromancer

Medium humanoid (human), chaotic evil

The necromancers of the Lich Cult are the cult's true power, practitioners who have mastered the art of carving runes into flesh and binding dead matter to their will. They operate the ritual frameworks: arranging corpses into trellis patterns that serve as portals, beacons, and power sources. Feeney's body was found suspended in one such trellis with eighty-eight ritual wounds. A necromancer can animate corpses, create Necrotic Bulks, and open temporary portals between locations anchored by prepared corpses. They are dangerous spellcasters who prefer to fight behind their undead servants.

Armor Class: 12 (15 with Mage Armor)

Hit Points: 40 (9d8)

Speed: 30 ft.

Saving Throws: Int +5, Wis +4

Skills: Arcana +5, Medicine +4, Religion +5

Senses: passive Perception 12

Languages: Common, Abyssal, can read/write necromantic runes

Challenge: 4 (1,100 XP)

Spellcasting

The necromancer is a 5th-level spellcaster. Spellcasting ability is

Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit). Cantrips: Chill Touch, Mage

Hand, Minor Illusion. 1st level (4 slots): Mage Armor, Ray of Sickness,

False Life. 2nd level (3 slots): Blindness/Deafness, Ray of

Enfeeblement, Misty Step. 3rd level (2 slots): Animate Dead, Bestow

Curse.

Undead Thralls

The necromancer can maintain control of up to 4 undead shamblers or 1

Necrotic Bulk at a time. Losing concentration ends control of all thralls.

Actions

Necrotic Scalpel. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage.

Supernatural Adversaries

Vampire Spawn

Medium undead, neutral evil

When Kiraline feeds and chooses to turn rather than simply drain, the result is a vampire spawn: a lesser creature bound to her will, retaining enough intelligence to follow orders but lacking the full power and independence of a true vampire. These creatures serve as infiltrators and enforcers within the castle, appearing human until they reveal their fangs. During the masquerade ball, prisoners were taken to the dungeons where Kiraline and Szeret fed, and some of those victims rose again as spawn. They haunt the castle corridors at night, silent and patient, waiting to be unleashed.

Armor Class: 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points: 82 (11d8 + 33)

Speed: 30 ft.

Saving Throws: Dex +5, Wis +2

Skills: Perception +2, Stealth +5

Damage Resistances: necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, slashing from nonmagical attacks

Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12

Challenge: 5 (1,800 XP)

Spider Climb

The spawn can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Regeneration

The spawn regains 10 HP at the start of its turn if it is not in sunlight or running water. If the spawn takes radiant damage or dies from the effects of sunlight, it does not regenerate on its next turn.

The spawn is destroyed only if it starts its turn with 0 HP and cannot regenerate.

Sunlight Hypersensitivity

The spawn has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks while in direct sunlight.

Stake to the Heart

If the spawn is reduced to 0 HP while restrained and piercing damage from a wooden weapon is dealt to it while it is incapacitated, the spawn is paralyzed until the stake is removed.

Actions

Multiattack. The spawn makes two attacks, only one of which can be a bite.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage, plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt. If this reduces the target's hit point maximum to 0, the target dies.

Mountain Wolf

Medium beast, unaligned

The Videk Mountains surrounding Kormor Kirak are home to packs of grey wolves that grow larger and more aggressive than lowland breeds. They hunt elk and mountain goats in the high passes but are drawn to the valley by the scent of livestock and, occasionally, something else. Eppy knows their patterns well from her centuries running the Bastion Inn. A wolf pack typically has 4 to 8 members led by an alpha. They avoid open ground and prefer ambush tactics, using the tall grass of the Hallaset

Fields or the treeline along the mountain roads. Wolves become especially dangerous during winter months and full moons, when Jack's presence might agitate them.

Armor Class: 13 (natural armor)

Hit Points: 11 (2d8 + 2)

Speed: 40 ft.

Skills: Perception +3, Stealth +4

Senses: passive Perception 13

Challenge: 1/4 (50 XP)

Pack Tactics

The wolf has advantage on a melee attack roll against a creature if at least one of the wolf's allies is within 5 feet of the target and the ally is not incapacitated.

Keen Hearing and Smell

The wolf has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage. The target must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Alpha Wolf

Large beast, unaligned

The alpha of a Videk Mountain wolf pack is noticeably larger than its subordinates, scarred from territorial fights and hunts that would kill lesser animals. An alpha coordinates the pack's movements through body language and low vocalizations, directing flanking maneuvers and choosing when to press an attack or retreat. They are cunning enough to test a target's defenses before committing and will withdraw if the fight turns against them, dragging their pack with them. An alpha will fight to the death only to protect pups or if cornered with no escape.

Armor Class: 14 (natural armor)

Hit Points: 37 (5d10 + 10)

Speed: 50 ft.

Skills: Perception +5, Stealth +4, Intimidation +2

Senses: passive Perception 15

Challenge: 2 (450 XP)

Pack Tactics

The wolf has advantage on a melee attack roll against a creature if at least one of the wolf's allies is within 5 feet of the target and the ally is not incapacitated.

Keen Hearing and Smell

The wolf has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Alpha Command

Each wolf friendly to the alpha within 30 feet gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls while the alpha is conscious and not incapacitated.

Actions

Multiattack. The alpha makes two bite attacks.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage. The target must succeed on a DC 13

Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Legendary Actions

Howl (Recharge 6). Each enemy creature within 60 feet of the alpha must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

APPENDIX: SUPERNATURAL CONDITIONS

LYCANTHROPY IN THE ETERNAL COURT

Lycanthropy in this setting functions as a curse rather than a gift, though it carries undeniable advantages. A character afflicted with lycanthropy (Jack Winbow is the primary example) can transform into a hybrid form that blends human and wolf/beast features. The transformation is involuntary during full moons and can be triggered voluntarily with effort.

Involuntary Transformation: On the three nights of the full moon, the afflicted character must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw at moonrise or transform into hybrid form. While involuntarily transformed, the character must repeat the save each hour or be overwhelmed by predatory instincts, losing the ability to distinguish ally from prey.

The character retains memories of actions taken while transformed but may have difficulty controlling their behavior.

Voluntary Transformation: Once per long rest, the character can choose to enter hybrid form as an action. This lasts for 1 hour or until the character reverts as a bonus action. While voluntarily transformed, the character retains full mental faculties and control.

Hybrid Form Benefits: Strength becomes 18 if not already higher. Speed increases by 10 feet. Natural weapons (Claws: 2d4 + STR slashing; Bite: 2d6 + STR piercing). Immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons. Advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on hearing or smell.

Cure: Lycanthropy can be removed by a Remove Curse spell cast at 5th level or higher, but only if the afflicted character is willing. The character must decide whether to accept the cure, which carries narrative weight in campaigns where the beast within has become both burden and asset.

VAMPIRISM IN THE ETERNAL COURT

Vampires in this setting are apex predators who have transcended death.

Kiraline demonstrates the full scope of vampiric power: superhuman strength and speed, the ability to charm with a glance, functional immortality, and the capacity to create new vampires through feeding.

Her Bite attack reduces a victim's maximum hit points, and if this reduction kills them, they rise under her control.

The lore suggests that vampirism in this world is tied to bloodlines rather than simple transmission. Kiraline's condition is different from the spawn she creates; she is a true vampire, ancient and powerful, while those she turns become lesser creatures bound to her will. The full hierarchy of vampire nobility, and whether other true vampires exist, remains a mystery for the campaign to explore.

Barron's Turning: The series overview indicates that Barron will eventually be turned by Kiraline. For campaign purposes, a Game Master can handle this as a gradual process: Barron fails saving throws against her Charm, then accepts her Bite during moments of weakness, and eventually crosses a threshold where his will becomes subordinate to hers. The transformation is not instant but erosive, making it all the more tragic.

SHAPESHIFTING IN THE ETERNAL COURT

Szeret's shapeshifting is mechanically handled through the Path of the

Beast Barbarian's Form of the Beast feature, but narratively it is something more. Her transformation is violent, physical, and total. She does not sprout claws while remaining human; she tears out of her clothing as her body reshapes from bipedal woman into a quadrupedal leopard-like predator. The transformation takes a full action (entering

Rage), and reverting takes a bonus action.

Game Masters who want to emphasize the narrative weight of her transformations can add a house rule: when Szeret is reduced to half her hit points or experiences extreme emotional distress (fear, rage, grief), she must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or involuntarily enter her Rage and transform. This reflects the way her beast form emerges when control slips, mirroring the narrative tension between her cheerful human persona and the predator within.

NECROMANCY IN THE ETERNAL COURT

Necromancy in this setting goes beyond the standard 5E spell list. The ritual practice of carving runes into dead flesh, arranging bodies in trellis frameworks, and using corpses as portals or weapons represents a specific tradition tied to the Lich Cult and the demonic language of their runes. Standard 5E necromancy spells (Animate Dead, Create Undead,

Finger of Death) capture some of this, but Game Masters should feel free to create custom rituals that require specific materials, time, and conditions.

The Necrotic Bulk is a custom creature for this setting: a Large undead with CR 5, AC 12, 76 HP, STR 18, and multiattack (two slam attacks at +6 for 2d8+4 bludgeoning). It is immune to poison and necrotic damage, resistant to bludgeoning/piercing/slashing from nonmagical weapons, and collapses into component parts after 10 rounds or when the necromancer who created it is killed or loses concentration. It cannot be permanently destroyed while necromantic energy flows through the

Hallaset Fields.

APPENDIX A: CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS

Olivia and Jack: Bodyguard and Charge

Their bond is forged in necessity but strengthened by mutual respect. Jack was hired to keep Olivia alive in a hostile city, and he excels at that job despite the darkness he carries. Olivia, trained to follow orders and find purpose in service, relies on his judgment in ways she doesn't quite trust her own yet. As the campaign progresses, Jack becomes less the hired protection and more the person Olivia turns to when the world proves more complicated than calculations can solve. For mechanics, consider that Jack gains advantage on defense rolls made to protect Olivia, and Olivia gains advantage on Insight checks involving Jack.

Olivia and Szeret: Friendship Across the Divide

The accountant and the princess find unexpected common ground. Szeret, accustomed to thinking of humans as prey or playthings, becomes fascinated by Olivia's fierce devotion to making sense of chaos. Olivia, initially terrified of the shapeshifter, begins to see past the predatory form to the person underneath -- equally lost, equally searching for meaning. Their friendship is fragile and potentially dangerous, but it is also genuine. A skilled GM can use this relationship as a conduit for character growth and moral quandary, particularly when Kiraline's darker intentions become clear.

Szeret and Kiraline: Mother and Daughter at Odds

The vampire queen created her daughter to be the perfect heir, but Szeret inherited her mother's strength and stubbornness without inheriting her willingness to be controlled. Kiraline sees Szeret as both treasure and threat -- a continuation of her own power, yet a wild thing that resists the leash. Szeret loves her mother and fears her in equal measure. This dynamic offers rich material for intrigue within the royal court: Szeret may become an ally or antagonist depending on how the campaign unfolds, and Kiraline's plans for her daughter remain obscure even as the story progresses.

Barron and Kiraline: Former Lovers in Betrayal

Once, they were bound by something that might have been love. Now, Barron carries the scar of that relationship -- infected with doubt about what was real and what was manipulation. Kiraline views him not as a lost lover but as a means to an end, a tool that proved more sentimental than useful. The campaign's eventual revelation of Barron's turning carries weight because of this history. His choice -- if offered one -- becomes a question not just of survival but of whether he can reclaim agency after Kiraline has proven she was always the dominant force in their dynamic.

Jack and Eppy: Drinking Buddies and Mutual Understanding

In a city of supernatural horrors, Jack finds solace in a simple person doing simple things: making tea, keeping the bar functional, existing without pretense or agenda. Eppy, for his part, recognizes in Jack a kindred soul -- someone who has survived hard things and carries scars that don't show. They don't share their deepest secrets, but they share space in a way that is its own kind of healing. This friendship can provide narrative breathing room in campaigns that grow dark, and Eppy's perspective as a "normal" person offers valuable grounding for player perspective.

Rozito and Everyone: The Merchant Who Connects

Rozito knows everyone and everyone knows Rozito -- or at least, they know his reputation. He is not loyal to any faction, only to the flow of commerce and information. He can be an information broker, a supplier of rare goods, or even a diplomatic intermediary for the party. Most importantly, Rozito represents the ordinary world continuing underneath the supernatural conflict. His networks can introduce side quests, provide resources, or complicate relationships by revealing what people have shared in confidence. A GM who uses Rozito well can create a rich underworld of intrigue that runs parallel to the main conspiracy.

Koss: The Wild Card

Koss exists at the margins of the campaign, unpredictable and dangerous. His allegiances are unclear, his motivations opaque. For party dynamics, Koss can function as a catalyst -- his presence destabilizes, his actions force responses, his agenda remains hidden until the story demands its revelation. Whether he is antagonist, rival, ally, or something more complex depends entirely on the direction the campaign takes. GMs should feel free to use Koss as a tool to introduce moral ambiguity or to force the party to make difficult choices about who they can trust.

APPENDIX B: LEVEL ADVANCEMENT GUIDE

As these characters advance through tiers of power, their mechanics should evolve alongside their narratives. Consider the following guidelines for maintaining thematic integrity as character power scales upward.

Olivia's Ascent: From Accountant to Authority Figure

Olivia begins as a junior administrator, lacking confidence in anything except her calculations. As she gains levels, her mechanical growth should reflect increasing confidence and authority. At level 4, when she gains an Ability Score Increase, prioritize Charisma over traditional Rogue stats. This subtle shift transforms her from someone who handles numbers to someone who directs others through force of personality. At level 5, her Sneak Attack damage increases, but more importantly, consider granting her a magic item related to record-keeping -- a ledger that can be used as a spellcasting focus for divination magic, or a quill that reveals lies when documenting testimony.

Milestones in Olivia's journey should reward her growing confidence: the first time she lies convincingly to a noble should grant an inspiration die; the first time she makes a decision that benefits the group against her own instinct should unlock a new ability tree related to leadership or cunning. By level 8 or higher, Olivia should have access to magic items that speak to her journey -- perhaps a cloak of magical authority, or a ring that allows her to control conversations in formal settings.

Jack's Reconciliation: Mastering the Beast Within

Jack's path is one of integration rather than dominance. His lycanthropy begins as an curse, a constant threat to those he loves. As he levels, his growth should move toward control and acceptance. At level 5, when a Barbarian gains Extra Attack, narratively frame this as Jack learning to fight with intention rather than pure rage. At level 7, when he gains Feral Instinct, mechanically he can use this reaction to protect allies, not just to evade danger.

Magic items for Jack should relate to balance and channeling: a weapon that deals extra damage when the wielder is in control versus extra damage when surrendering to instinct. At higher levels, consider feats that let him transform voluntarily on non-moon nights, or that grant him control over the hybrid form even during involuntary transformations. His ultimate journey is reconciliation with power, not rejection of it.

Szeret's Reckoning: Predator Learning Humanity

Szeret begins as a creature operating on instinct, learning to function in human society. Her advancement should reflect growing sophistication in social situations. When she gains ASI at level 4, consider increasing Wisdom or Intelligence rather than Dexterity, reflecting her growing understanding of the social game. At level 6, when a Barbarian gains Mindless Rage, mechanically adapt this to mean she can maintain control of her form even in extreme emotional states.

Magic items for Szeret should address her dual nature: armor that functions in both forms, weapons that grow with her, or items that enhance her natural abilities. Importantly, offer her the chance to develop spell-like abilities that reflect her growing magical understanding -- perhaps rituals she can perform, or ways to enhance her shapeshifting beyond combat applications.

Barron's Fall and Potential Redemption: The Price of Compromise

Barron's advancement path is complicated by his likely turning. If Kiraline succeeds in her seduction, his mechanics fundamentally shift. Before turning, focus on feats and magic items that enhance his authority: items that grant advantage on Charisma checks related to command, or that augment his spell-casting if he is a multiclass caster. At the moment of his turning, his stat block changes entirely.

A turned Barron becomes a servant of Kiraline, but the campaign need not end there. His redemption arc -- if attempted -- would require powerful magic, personal agency, and a cost. Consider requiring the party to find an artifact or perform a ritual that breaks his bond to the vampire queen, and price that redemption in something meaningful: a permanent ability score decrease, loss of a treasured magic item, or a debt the party must repay to a significant NPC.

Secondary Character Advancement

Eppy, Rozito, and Koss benefit from clear mechanical definitions even if they are not full party members. If they travel with the party or fight alongside them, track their levels and equipment as you would a companion. If they remain marginal to the campaign, establish them with clear AC, HP, damage output, and key abilities so that when they engage in significant moments (Eppy defending the bar from undead, Rozito negotiating with court nobility, Koss betraying or protecting the party), their actions carry mechanical weight.

APPENDIX C: CONDITIONS QUICK REFERENCE

This quick reference synthesizes the supernatural conditions of Kormor Kirak into a format suitable for quick consultation during play.

Lycanthropy

Trigger: Full moon (involuntary), or deliberate choice once per long rest (voluntary).

Mechanical Effects: Involuntary transformation requires DC 15 Wisdom save at moonrise; failure means a second save each hour or lose control of behavior. Voluntary transformation lasts one hour, grants Strength 18 (or higher if already present), +10 movement, Claws (2d4 + STR), Bite (2d6 + STR), immunity to nonmagical damage except from silver, advantage on Perception (hearing/smell). Can be removed by Remove Curse (5th level or higher) if willing.

Roleplaying: The afflicted character struggles between predatory instinct and human reasoning. Involuntary transformations are traumatic and disorienting. Voluntary transformations offer a sense of power but carry the risk of losing control. Social consequences abound -- being recognized as a werewolf means most communities will demand the character's death.

Vampirism

Trigger: Bitten by a vampire and drained to 0 HP, or deliberate gifting of the bite by an ancient vampire.

Mechanical Effects: True vampires (like Kiraline) have legendary actions, Bite attacks that reduce maximum HP, charm abilities, superhuman Strength and Dexterity, flight, and shapechanging. Lesser vampires (Kiraline's spawn) have subset of these abilities and remain bound to their creator's will. Cannot be permanently killed except by exposure to sunlight, immersion in running water, or destruction of the heart.

Roleplaying: Vampirism is not an infection but a transformation into a fundamentally different creature. The afflicted individual experiences intense hunger for blood, an aversion to sunlight, and a psychological bond to their creator. They retain their memories and personality but find their priorities have shifted -- the living matter far less than the hunger. Turning a PC into a vampire is a campaign-altering event and should be treated with appropriate gravity.

Shapeshifting

Trigger: Entering Rage (for Szeret as a Beast Barbarian), or extreme emotional distress (involuntary, can be resisted with DC 12 Wisdom save).

Mechanical Effects: Szeret enters a quadrupedal beast form, gaining advantages tied to the beast form as defined by the Path of the Beast Barbarian. While transformed, she retains her mental faculties (when voluntary) or operates under instinct (when involuntary). Can revert with a bonus action (voluntary) or maintain until Rage ends (involuntary).

Roleplaying: Shapeshifting is violent and total -- the character does not sprout claws while remaining human, but physically transforms. The sound of bones breaking, fur erupting, body reshaping. The person inside the beast form experiences divided cognition: a human consciousness aware of its predatory body's impulses, or a predatory consciousness fighting for control against human ethics and emotions. When involuntary, the character may commit acts they deeply regret.

Necromancy

Trigger: Ritual casting by trained necromancer, requiring specific materials (human corpses, runes, often significant time investment).

Mechanical Effects: Necromantic rituals in this setting are not simple spell applications but substantial magical working. Creating undead requires 10 minutes per corpse in an area with significant death energy (like Hallaset Fields). The caster maintains concentration over the ritual's duration. Created undead follow the caster's commands but are not intelligent unless the ritual specifically grants intelligence. Undead created this way cannot be permanently destroyed in areas of strong necromantic energy -- they reform after 1d6 days.

Roleplaying: Necromancy in Kormor Kirak is less about game mechanics and more about existential transgression. Using necromancy means violating the natural order, desecrating the dead, and channeling forces that operate in direct opposition to living things. The cost is not just magical but spiritual. A character who practices necromancy should accumulate corruption or madness. Kiraline's necromantic working that kills the Gawky Model is an act of profound violation -- creating something for purposes no one yet understands. For players facing necromancy, the horror should be as much roleplayed as mechanically represented.

CREDITS AND LEGAL

Created by Jesse Alexander

Based on the screenplay The Eternal Court by Jesse Alexander

Compatible with the fifth edition (2024 revision) of the world's most popular roleplaying game

Published under CC BY 4.0

References SRD 5.2