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Lorthact

Once, Lorthact was a darling of the powers of Hell, an infernal duke beholden to no single archdevil and rumored to have the favor of the god Asmodeus himself. But Lorthact was not satisfied in his station—like so many devils— and concocted a plan to reverse roles with Eiseth, one of Hell's Queens of the Night. Lorthact hoped to gain control of the erinyes armies of Hell and a substantial portion of Dis, while Eiseth would take the role of his consort.

Eiseth uncovered the plot, and Lorthact found himself the target of her legendary fury. His allies and patrons abandoned him, unwilling to bring Eiseth's wrath upon themselves, and Lorthact fled Hell entirely. He leapt from plane to plane, unable to find refuge until at last he slipped Eiseth's pursuit by hiding as a mortal in the city of Korvosa.

Korvosa proved a fruitful haven and hideout for Lorthact. He quickly found a mortal powerful enough to further his ambition but foolish enough to bargain with him: Volshyenek Ornelos. It wasn't long before Lorthact replaced the man, and for over a century, Lorthact led the Acadamae directly. When Volshyenek's identity drew too much attention from Eiseth's minions, he faked “Ornelos's” death and continued to direct the wizards' college from the shadows until today. He collected souls over the years—primarily through an elaborate hoax known as the Breaching Festival—hoping to eventually rebuild his name and reputation in Hell's hierarchy, but patience was never one of Lorthact's virtues.

His attempts to quicken the process have backfired twice in recent years, both as the direct result of adventurers accidentally interfering with his plots. In the years since these risky failures, Lorthact sacrificed much of his infernal power to maintain his metaphysical secrecy from Eiseth. Now but a shadow of his former power (already much reduced from his original strength as an Infernal Duke), Lorthact is risking everything in a final attempt to regain an edge by supporting the vampire, strigoi progenitor Aliriel, planning to betray her and claim complete control over Ileosa's soul once she returns to life.

Recall Knowledge - Fiend (Religion): DC 45
Unspecific Lore: DC 43
Specific Lore: DC 40

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

LorthactCreature 16

Legacy Content

Unique LE Medium Devil Fiend 
Source Shadows at Sundown pg. 62
Perception +27; greater darkvision
Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Azlanti, Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Ignan, Infernal, Jotun, Shoanti, Thassilonian, Undercommon, Varisian; telepathy 300 feet, tongues
Skills Academia Lore +32, Acrobatics +28, Arcana +30, Deception +33, Diplomacy +31, Intimidation +31, Legal Lore +30, Occultism +30, Religion +27, Society +30, Stealth +32
Str +6, Dex +6, Con +6, Int +6, Wis +3, Cha +9
Items staff of power
AC 38; Fort +28, Ref +30, Will +25
HP 300; Immunities divination, fire; Resistances mental 15, physical 15 (except silver); Weaknesses good 15
Divination Immunity As a side effect of existing slightly outside the normal time stream, Lorthact is difficult to detect via divination spells and abilities. These effects function as though Lorthact and items he carries are not present, and those specifically targeting him, such as scrying, fail entirely unless the source of the divination is a higher level than Lorthact—in which case they succeed only if the caster succeeds at a DC 16 secret flat check.
Speed 25 feet, fly 20 feet
Melee [one-action] staff +32 [+27/+22] (two-hand d8, versatile Piercing), Damage 3d4+14 bludgeoning plus 2d8 mental plus thought theftMelee [one-action] claw +30 [+26/+22] (agile, magical), Damage 3d4+14 slashing plus 2d8 mental plus thought theftArcane Innate Spells DC 37, attack +29; 8th dispel magic, maze, suggestion; 7th divine decree (lawful or evil), magic missile, teleport; 6th dominate (×2), feeblemind, scrying (×3), slow; 5th dimension door (at will); Cantrips (8th) detect magic, mage hand, message, produce flame, read aura; Constant (8th) tongues
Arcane Prepared Spells DC 37, attack +29; 8th horrid wilting; 7th shadow blast; 6th phantasmal killer; 5th magic missile; 4th invisibility; 3rd mind reading; 2nd mirror image; 1st ray of enfeeblement
Arcane Absorption [three-actions] (arcane, enchantment, manipulate, mental) Requirements Any creature adjacent to Lorthact is stupefied, capable of casting prepared arcane spells, and is either immobilized, unconscious, or willing; Effect Lorthact attempts to drain a 1st- through 8th-level prepared spell from the target, who can resist with a successful DC 37 Will saving throw. On a failure or against a willing target, the prepared arcane spell is transferred from that creature as if it were cast, and Lorthact immediately prepares that spell in the same level slot. If he already had a spell prepared in that slot, the previously prepared spell is lost. That creature is then immune to Arcane Absorption for 24 hours.Arcane Spellcaster As long as Lorthact has one arcane spell prepared in this way, all arcane spells are on his spell list, which allows him to activate items such as scrolls, wands, and staves. He can recharge his staff of power as a prepared spellcaster by using his arcane spell slots. He has one spell slot to prepare arcane spells of each level from 1st to 8th, and can prepare any Common arcane spell in these slots during his daily preparations. The spells listed above represent those he most typically prepares, but given time, he can adjust this selection as needed for the task at hand.Scholastic Masquerade [one-action] (arcane, concentrate, polymorph, transmutation) Lorthact takes on the appearance of Volshyenek Ornelos or reverts to his true form. In Volshyenek's form, he loses his fly Speed and claw Strikes, doesn't inflict additional mental damage with his Strikes, and reduces his AC to 34. He gains a +4 status bonus on Deception checks to appear human in this guise.Staff of Power Lorthact's staff of power is tipped with a pair of metal tines that grant the weapon the versatile piercing trait.Thought Theft (curse, divine, enchantment, mental) Any creature that takes mental damage from Lorthact's claws or staff must succeed at a DC 37 Will save or become stupefied 1 (stupefied 2 on a critical failure). Further mental damage dealt by Lorthact increases the value of the stupefied condition by 1 on a failed save to a maximum of stupefied 4. Whenever Lorthact causes a creature to become stupefied in this way, he absorbs some of those thoughts and gains a +1 status bonus on all Will saving throws and Intelligence-, Wisdom-, or Charisma-based skill checks until the end of his next turn.

Sidebar - Advice and Rules Lorthact's Cult

Lorthact's cult is incredibly small. Even in his reduced state, he can still grant spells to his few remaining clerics (none of whom appear in this adventure). His symbol is a staff wrapped in scrolls.
Edicts learn arcane secrets, take from others what you cannot make yourself, rule from the shadows
Anathema reveal your actual identity, share power with the weak
Follower Alignments LE, NE

Devotee Benefits

Divine Font harm
Divine Skill Arcana
Favored Weapon staff
Domains magic, time, trickery, tyranny Cleric Spells 1st:
magic missile, 3rd: slow, 6th: feeblemind

Sidebar - Additional Lore Other Names

Lorthact has used many names, and those who research him might come across references to names besides Volshyenek Ornelos. Lorthact has also been known as the Unraveler, the Dwimmerlaik, the Ur-Magius, and the Diabolus Mystere.