The Wraith

Start-class article · First seen: s07 · Last seen: s19
The Wraith
Rafe (s17)
Portrait of The Wraith.
Character
StatusAlive
First seens07
Last seens19
FactionThe Ascendancy, Project Veilbreak

The Wraith is Hugo’s handler in The Ascendancy: a woman with no insignia who calls him “Subject” and speaks of “the project” and its “leash” on him [30]. Hugo met her alone in a dark alley one night in session 7, when she asked for a status report after Maelis Dirn and the Titan were dead, and again on his watch in session 19, when she re-applied his conditioning with the words “Teddy Bear. Lamp.” [1][31]. The rest of the party has never seen her. Her exact relationship to Project Veilbreak remains uncertain.

Overview

The Wraith is the female handler Hugo reports to from inside The Ascendancy. She wears no insignia, though Hugo gets “a vibe that this is from the project” [9], and she calls him “Subject” [10]. The rest of the party has never seen her; every contact has been Hugo’s alone. She met him in a dark alley in session 7 and in person on his watch in session 19 [11][6].

The DM names her Rafe in sessions 7 and 19 [12][6], the Black Mask says “Rave” in session 12 and “the one you called Rafe” in session 17 [13][5], and the wiki calls her the Wraith without treating either form as settled. When Hugo asked, the DM told him that in a fair fight they would be about level, but “the project seems to put more effort into developing the Wraith” [2]. Her exact relationship to Project Veilbreak remains uncertain.

Appearance and demeanour

A woman standing against a tree, “a familiar face” to Hugo [6]. The Black Mask describes the lady Hugo met as “quite deadly good with knives” [14]. She is clinical and brief, speaking in the voice of “the project” and giving orders: “Status report”, “Complete your mission, return to Umbrafall. Good luck.” [10][8].

Abilities as played

  • Appearing: Hugo found himself in the alley, and afterwards in his bed with no memory of how he got there [15][16]; she later found him on a watch outside Aurelia [6].
  • Conditioning: the words “Teddy Bear. Lamp.” made his body go limp and his mind go blank, and he lost time [8]. The DM later described the result as being “conditioned to achieve your goal at any means necessary within reason” [17].
  • Orders: she carries the Ascendancy’s instructions for Hugo’s mission and has her own: an assassination of a noble in Arcanthys [7].

Relationships

  • Hugo: her subject, whose “leash” she operates [18][8].
  • The Ascendancy: she speaks for it and takes orders from it [19].
  • The Black Mask: offers to break her mind control over Hugo, for a second signature, and in session 19 undid her conditioning as she turned away [4][5][20].
  • Project Veilbreak: the DM has said only that the project “put more effort into developing” her [21].

Disposition towards the party

In play she has shown interest only in Hugo and his mission: she told him to stay with the group and learn what he could [16], and Hugo’s debrief covered the party’s movements [22].

Notable quotes

“Subject. Status report.” — The Wraith, [10]

“The project seems to have worries about your allegiance changing. Something about their leash weakening on you?” — The Wraith, [18]

“Sorry, I have orders to assassinate a higher noble in Arcanthys, someone that’s been bothering the Ascendancy.” — The Wraith, [7]

“Very well. Teddy Bear. Lamp.” — The Wraith, [8]

History in the campaign

Session 7: Maelis Falls, Vasquez Captured

Main article: Session 7

After the party went to bed at the Glomangol Inn, Hugo found himself in a dark alley before a woman with no insignia; the DM said the scene “seems to be very very real” [23]. He told her that the Titan and Maelis were dead, and showed what he had picked up of Maelis; the DM told him on a history check “This is Rafe” [24]. She said the project worried about his allegiance and the leash weakening; Hugo said his pull felt as strong as ever, and the DM ruled that no deception [25]. She told him to stay close to the group and learn what he could, and he woke in his bed unsure how he got there [16].

Session 12: Eldwythe and the Candy Cottage

Main article: Session 12

Calling the Black Mask on watch, Hugo offered himself as her champion if she would help him corrupt the Wraith [3]. The Mask asked whether he meant “some lady quite deadly good with knives”, and said Hugo could break “Rave’s mind control” only by learning how it worked from the Ascendancy’s lead doctor himself [4]. The Wraith did not appear.

Session 17: New Hands, the Black Mask’s Renegotiation, and the Rimeclaw

Main article: Session 17

In a frozen-time audience that only Hugo could see, the Black Mask said she would remove the Ascendancy’s mind control from Hugo and “the one you called Rafe” if he got a second person to sign her contract [5]. Hugo’s candidate, Mike, refused [26]. The Wraith did not appear, and the offer to lift her leash too was left open.

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

Main article: Session 19

On Hugo’s watch a pebble hit him, and a natural-20 Perception check showed “a familiar face. Just kind of standing against a tree. It seems to be Rafe” [27]. She asked why he had strayed so far from his hunting grounds, took a full debrief, and said she had orders to assassinate a noble in Arcanthys [28]. Then she said “Teddy Bear. Lamp.”, and Hugo’s mind went blank; she ordered him to complete his mission and return to Umbrafall [8]. As she walked away, time froze and the Black Mask appeared and undid the conditioning [20]. The Wraith did not see her. Only Hugo saw any of it.

Status

As of session 23. Active and out of sight. She was last seen in session 19, leaving to assassinate a noble in Arcanthys after re-applying Hugo’s conditioning, which the Black Mask then undid [29]. Her order sends Hugo back to Umbrafall and names no headquarters ([8]; DM clarifications, 2026-09-27). She has not been mentioned in sessions 20 to 23.

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 7, line 1000-1014: Meeting in a dark alley that "seems to be very very real"; status report, leash-weakening warning.
  2. ^ Session 7, line 1087-1088: The DM: in a fair fight Hugo and the Wraith are about level, but "the project seems to put more effort into developing the Wraith".
  3. ^ Session 12, line 194: Hugo's speech to the Black Mask (names the wraith encounter and asks the Mask to help corrupt the Wraith).
  4. ^ Session 12, line 203-207: Black Mask's counter-offer ("you say you want me to help you break Rave's mind control"), alternative path via breaking into the Ascendancy HQ.
  5. ^ Session 17, line 711: The Black Mask refers to the Wraith as "the one you called Rafe"; in s12 the name had been "Rave" (s12 L203).
  6. ^ Session 19, line 441: First in-person (waking) appearance: "a familiar face... standing against a tree. It seems to be Rafe" on Hugo's watch (Hugo-only).
  7. ^ Session 19, line 445: States her own orders: "to assassinate a higher noble in Arcanthys, someone that's been bothering the ascendancy"; takes Hugo's full debrief.
  8. ^ Session 19, line 449: Re-applies Hugo's conditioning with trigger words "Teddy Bear. Lamp."; orders "Complete your mission, return to Umbrafall"; then departs (time freezes as the Black Mask emerges).
  9. ^ Session 7, line 1008: Inline citation.
  10. ^ Session 7, line 1006: Inline citation.
  11. ^ Session 7, line 1000-1006: Inline citation.
  12. ^ Session 7, line 1010: Inline citation.
  13. ^ Session 12, line 203: Inline citation.
  14. ^ Session 12, line 205: Inline citation.
  15. ^ Session 7, line 1000: Inline citation.
  16. ^ Session 7, line 1014: Inline citation.
  17. ^ Session 19, line 467: Inline citation.
  18. ^ Session 7, line 1013: Inline citation.
  19. ^ Session 19, line 443-445: Inline citation.
  20. ^ Session 19, line 449-455: Inline citation.
  21. ^ Session 7, line 1088: Inline citation.
  22. ^ Session 19, line 448: Inline citation.
  23. ^ Session 7, line 1000-1008: Inline citation.
  24. ^ Session 7, line 1009-1010: Inline citation.
  25. ^ Session 7, line 1013-1014: Inline citation.
  26. ^ Session 17, line 732-744: Inline citation.
  27. ^ Session 19, line 429-441: Inline citation.
  28. ^ Session 19, line 443-448: Inline citation.
  29. ^ Session 19, line 445-455: Inline citation.
  30. ^ Session 7, line 1006-1013: Inline citation.
  31. ^ Session 19, line 441-449: Inline citation.