Ruin
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Ruin was a tiefling warlock played by Mordane from session 10 to session 15 (deceased). He joined the party at the campsite outside Umbrafall via Sevryn’s sealed letter at Harvo’s pyre — the same Sevryn-replacement pattern previously used for Earthwing the Owlin and Terry — and was characterised by Sevryn’s letter as charismatic and capable but “don’t confuse charm with harmlessness”. His subclass played as warlock-flavoured with healing and burst components: Eldritch Blast, Hex, Sorcerer Burst, a wide spell list, and fire resistance. He was killed in session 15 by an Aurelian chain-master in a scripted execution — a chain wrapped around his neck and pulled with such force that his neck snapped and his head was pulled off, with no save offered [9]. The execution was the in-fiction send-off for Mordane’s removal from the table for toxicity. Ruin’s body was not recovered; he was not given a funeral. He was a member of the party for five sessions.
Appearance and personality
Tiefling. Warlock-coded — pyromancer / warlock vibe, low-affect, edgy-but-protective, charismatic-but-ruthless. The voice was bored as a default state, sharper when irritated.
His patter has the flavour of a man who has done this kind of thing before and wishes he weren’t doing it again: “Boredom” [3], on his reason for following Sevryn’s letter). “Some someone who’s a bit more civil than the rest” [2], of his preferred company). “Are you fucking insane? Like, what is the point of just standing in their faces and getting it beaten up?” [4]. “How do you feel about this fucker burning to a crisp?” [6]. “Who the fuck would have guessed?” [7], on the news that tieflings had been exterminated in Aurelia).
Sevryn’s letter introducing him noted: “don’t confuse charm with harmlessness”. The party did not entirely heed the warning; in s12 Ruin extracted a private side-deal from Phil Flowerforge (+20gp, a dozen cinnamon rolls upfront, in exchange for not snitching) — a pattern Caelumn in particular started marking down.
Background
Ruin walked into the party’s firelight at the campsite outside Umbrafall in session 10, asking if anyone had food. He came carrying Sevryn’s sealed letter — the same recruitment pattern that delivered Harvo in s2, Earthwing the Owlin in s3, and Terry in s4. The letter was Mordane’s player vehicle for returning to the table after his first character’s death.
Tiefling-by-race in a setting where, per the s14 Aurelia reveal, tieflings had been exterminated in Aurelia. The s14 line “Who the fuck would have guessed?” was Ruin’s reaction to the news; the line tracks darker in the context of his s15 death two sessions later.
Build
- Race: tiefling. Fire resistant.
- Class: warlock with a healing-type subclass. Eldritch Blast, Hex, Sorcerer Burst, large spell list. Mordane ran him as a mid-range damage-dealer with eldritch-blast-plus-hex as the staple.
Equipment
- Standard warlock kit. Trialled a paralysis potion at the Whisper Coil Emporium in s11 — ten minutes of paralysis plus one level of exhaustion. Failed a theft attempt at Starpoint Secrets earlier the same session, which doubled the prices and pointed him at a string of severed hands hung from the ceiling.
Campaign role
Ruin was at the table for five sessions. Beats:
- s10: arrives at Harvo’s pyre via Sevryn’s sealed letter. The letter is read aloud and is also the foreshadowing of Mharos and the larger sacrifice arc.
- s11: travel session toward Eldwythe. Failed theft at Starpoint Secrets (prices doubled, severed hands seen). Trialled the paralysis potion. Met Thomas Feld and his daughter Lysa on the road. Survived the owlbear ambush.
- s12: at Eldwythe. Negotiated his private side-deal with Phil Flowerforge (+20gp + dozen cinnamon rolls upfront). The party started marking the pattern.
- s13: in the Candy Cottage, pyromancer beats prominent. “How do you feel about this fucker burning to a crisp?” [6].
- s14: in the Cottage’s resolution, partnered with Terry in the deception 18 / persuasion 18 bluff that talked Uncle Nibblecheek into lifting the curses on Caelumn and Vasquez. Heard the s14 reveal about tieflings in Aurelia. Hit level 4 with the rest of the party.
- s15: died.
Death
Session 15, lines 100-119. The Aurelian patrol entered the forest clearing demanding the fugitive Althea Stormsoro. Mharos whispered to Vasquez to “blame the arcane on her”. Vasquez refused and walked forward to take the blame himself. The Aurelian elite — the chain-master — responded by firing a chain that snapped around Ruin’s neck and pulled with such force that his neck snapped and his head was pulled off. No save was offered. This was a scripted execution.
Ruin’s body was not recovered; the party fled into the Eldwythe sewers under Phil Flowerforge’s smoke bomb. He was not given a funeral. The campaign’s third PC death (after Cholmondeley and Harvo).
The execution was, on the meta-level, the in-fiction send-off for Mordane who had been removed from the table for toxicity between sessions 14 and 15. His replacement player, Maliwana, joined session 15 with Althea Stormsoro. Ruin’s scripted death cleared the seat in-fiction. The ruling was DM-driven and not subject to the standard combat-mechanic ladder.
Player
Mordane (Discord handle, full handle his name). Played Harvo from s2 to s9 (decapitated by dominated Hugo) and Ruin from s10 to s14 (decapitated by Aurelian chain-master in s15). Removed from the table between sessions 14 and 15. Replaced by Maliwana who joined in s15 playing Althea Stormsoro.
Notable quotes
“Boredom.” — Ruin, on his reason for following Sevryn’s letter, [3]
“Some someone who’s a bit more civil than the rest.” — Ruin, [2]
“Are you fucking insane? Like, what is the point of just standing in their faces and getting it beaten up?” — Ruin, [4]
“Eldritch Blast plus the owlbear.” — Ruin (recurring combat patter)
“How do you feel about this fucker burning to a crisp?” — Ruin, [6]
“Who the fuck would have guessed?” — Ruin, on the extermination of tieflings in Aurelia, [7]
See also
- Sevryn — sent the letter that recruited him.
- Harvo — the prior PC of the same player; pyre on which Sevryn’s letter appeared.
- Mordane — the player.
- Aurelian forces — killed him.
- Aurelian chain-master - the s15 patrol elite who executed him (separate entity from the s10 Aurelian Paladin).
- Phil Flowerforge — extracted his side-deal in s12.
- Uncle Nibblecheek — talked into mercy by his bluff in s14.
- Althea Stormsoro — joined in the same session as Ruin’s death.
References
- ^ Session 10, line 69-82 — Sevryn's letter at Harvo's pyre announces Ruin's arrival.
- ^ Session 10, line 404 — Some someone who's a bit more civil than the rest..
- ^ Session 10, line 263 — "Boredom." (his stated reason for following the letter).
- ^ Session 10, line 1083 — Are you fucking insane? Like, what is the point of just standing in their faces and getting it beaten up?.
- ^ Session 12, line 769-771 — Negotiates a private side-deal with Phil Flowerforge (+20gp, dozen cinnamon rolls).
- ^ Session 13, line 1767 — How do you feel about this fucker burning to a crisp?.
- ^ Session 14, line 1620 — "Who the fuck would have guessed?" — re: tieflings exterminated in Aurelia.
- ^ Session 14, line 799-801 — Bluffs Uncle Nibblecheek alongside Terry; deception 18 with inspiration.
- ^ Session 15, line 100-119 — Decapitated by Aurelian chain-master; scripted execution, no save.