Aurelian chain-master

Start-class article · First seen: s15 · Last seen: s15
Aurelian chain-master
the Aurelian elite · the chain-master
Portrait of Aurelian chain-master.
Character
StatusAlive
First seens15
Last seens15
FactionAurelian forces, Pure Light

The Aurelian chain-master is the unnamed masked officer who led the Aurelian patrol that hunted Althea Stormsoro into the party’s clearing outside Eldwythe in session 15. A chain, which this wiki takes to be his, tore off Ruin’s head with no roll [1]; in the retreat a chain from the smoke pulled Caelumn’s backpack, with The Egg inside, away [9]. In session 23 the DM called the man who holds the Egg “an Aurelian binder” [10], a role and not a name; the line does not say that he is the Aurelian Binder of session 20, and this wiki keeps the two apart.

Overview

The Aurelian chain-master is the unnamed masked officer who led the Aurelian patrol that came for Althea Stormsoro in the clearing outside Eldwythe in session 15 [7][8]. A chain, which this wiki takes to be his, tore off Ruin’s head with no roll [1]; in the retreat a chain from the smoke pulled Caelumn’s backpack, with The Egg in it, out of reach [9]. The DM’s register calls him the main elite connected to the Egg’s theft (DM ruling 47).

He has not been seen since. The DM has twice said what the party knows of him: in session 19 that he “was the ranking officer” whose title nobody knew [3], and in session 23 that the man who holds the Egg “is an Aurelian binder” [10]. That is a role, not a name, and the line does not say that he is the Aurelian Binder of session 20, so this wiki keeps the two pages apart (DM ruling 112).

Appearance and demeanour

He wears a mask and smiles behind it [8]. He stands back with his arms crossed, watching, while his troops fight [11][12]; his own attacks come late [13]. The DM called the recruits beside him “just cannon fodder” in a “power hierarchy” [14].

Abilities as played

A chain wound round his hands that “extends unnaturally long” [15]; a whispered word that burned Althea for 9 radiant damage with no save and gave her disadvantage on her Concentration save, which she passed [16]; and an aura that forced Constitution saves from Vasquez and Terry, each taking half of 10 force damage [17]. The party read these as anti-magic [18].

Relationships

Disposition towards the party

Hostile, controlled and unhurried. He lets the patrol’s recruits, archers and knight do most of the fighting, and the DM has him smiling behind the mask as he steps forward [23].

Notable quotes

“You know that he was the ranking officer” — Nick (DM), [3]

“None of you know his official title.” — Nick (DM), [3]

“you know that he is an Aurelian binder” — Nick (DM), [10]

History in the campaign

Session 15: The Death of Ruin and Althea Joins

Main article: Session 15

A hard voice ordered the “fugitive” to step away; Mharos told Vasquez to blame the arcane on Althea, Vasquez took the blame himself, and a chain shot out and tore Ruin’s head off [24]. The leader stood back with his arms crossed until he whispered a word that burned Althea, lashed at Terry with the chain and loosed his force aura [12][13]. When Phil’s smoke bomb ended the standoff, a chain from the cloud pulled Caelumn’s backpack, with the Egg, away [25]. The pack held “lots of other stuff” and a healing potion [26][27]; the crooked broom is not among its listed contents and its whereabouts are unstated (last seen with Terry, [28]). Terry later spoke of building a character around “this anti-magic dude”, but the DM was then describing a marut, so whom he meant is unclear [29].

Session 19: A Penitent Priest, an Unmade Leash, and the Pixie in the Dark

Main article: Session 19

Weighing an assault on Aurelia for the Egg, Caelumn asked what position the Aurelian who took it had held. The DM said he was the ranking officer, more powerful, one would assume, than the officer who killed Mike, and that “None of you know his official title” [30]. Caelumn added that he had come with “a large platoon” [31]. The party reckoned the Egg’s holder at least as strong as the patrol officer they had met, and voted to abandon the raid for now [32][33].

Session 23: The Changeling in Manacles

Main article: Session 23

He does not appear. Telling Kole that Aurelians “ambushed us and have taken it from our hands”, Caelumn said a “very scary person” held the Egg, whose name the party never learned [4][34]. The DM answered “you know that he is an Aurelian binder” and that binders “can sense arcane usage even more than the wards in Aurelia” [35]. Read as a reply about the Egg-taker, the line gives a role and no name; it does not say that he is the session 20 binder or a different man.

Status

As of session 23. Alive and off-screen; last seen in session 15, with his patrol and its hounds on the party’s trail [36]. The Egg was taken by Aurelian forces and its exact location is unknown (DM ruling 26). The party set aside its push on Aurelia in session 19 [37][38] and in session 23 still meant to grow stronger before going back [39][40]. Which man the DM meant by “an Aurelian binder” is a question for him.

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 15, line 117-119: Decapitates Ruin with a chain attack; no save.
  2. ^ Session 15, line 500-504: Steals Caelumn's backpack including the Egg in the smoke.
  3. ^ Session 19, line 181: The DM on his standing: "he was the ranking officer"; "None of you know his official title.".
  4. ^ Session 23, line 1339: Caelumn tells Kole how the Egg was lost: Aurelians "ambushed us and have taken it from our hands".
  5. ^ Session 23, line 1351-1357: The Egg is "held by a very scary person"; "we just know what he looks like"; the DM: "you know that he is an Aurelian binder".
  6. ^ Session 23, line 1359: No name; binders "can sense arcane usage even more than the wards in Aurelia".
  7. ^ Session 15, line 94-103: Inline citation.
  8. ^ Session 15, line 416: Inline citation.
  9. ^ Session 15, line 496-501: Inline citation.
  10. ^ Session 23, line 1357: Inline citation.
  11. ^ Session 15, line 153: Inline citation.
  12. ^ Session 15, line 322: Inline citation.
  13. ^ Session 15, line 383-430: Inline citation.
  14. ^ Session 15, line 440: Inline citation.
  15. ^ Session 15, line 408: Inline citation.
  16. ^ Session 15, line 383-407: Inline citation.
  17. ^ Session 15, line 420-430: Inline citation.
  18. ^ Session 15, line 391: Inline citation.
  19. ^ Session 15, line 89: Inline citation.
  20. ^ Session 15, line 383-390: Inline citation.
  21. ^ Session 15, line 408-415: Inline citation.
  22. ^ Session 15, line 103: Inline citation.
  23. ^ Session 15, line 383-416: Inline citation.
  24. ^ Session 15, line 94-119: Inline citation.
  25. ^ Session 15, line 446-501: Inline citation.
  26. ^ Session 15, line 520: Inline citation.
  27. ^ Session 15, line 945: Inline citation.
  28. ^ Session 14, line 943: Inline citation.
  29. ^ Session 15, line 2013-2042: Inline citation.
  30. ^ Session 19, line 180-181: Inline citation.
  31. ^ Session 19, line 182: Inline citation.
  32. ^ Session 19, line 187: Inline citation.
  33. ^ Session 19, line 229-235: Inline citation.
  34. ^ Session 23, line 1351-1355: Inline citation.
  35. ^ Session 23, line 1357-1359: Inline citation.
  36. ^ Session 15, line 541: Inline citation.
  37. ^ Session 19, line 229: Inline citation.
  38. ^ Session 19, line 235: Inline citation.
  39. ^ Session 23, line 1372: Inline citation.
  40. ^ Session 23, line 1387: Inline citation.