House Sulescu

Lord Zemiros Sulescu: Ruler of Sulescu
The Sulescus have ruled their estate for over 300 years, and save for his modern dress and manner, the current lord is the very model of his ancestor. He has sworn fealty to the king, but has also sent notice that royal meddling in his small territory will not be tolerated. The crown has responded that, as long as Sulescu keeps his lands and people under control, there will be no problem. The line of Sulescu is in reality a single undead creature known as a nosferatu, a variant of the vampire with magical abilities, resistances to vampiric banes such as sunglight, and a neutral demeanor. The nosferatu has masqueraded as his own sons and grandsons over the years, adopting young men to play the part of him and sending them off to Glantri and Thyatis for schooling (actually giving them a large sum of money and telling them never to return to Karameikos). When the time comes, the present Lord Sulescu “dies” and the new one is sent for, whereupon the nosferatur returns as his own descendent and picks up where he left off.

Sulescu lives off the blood of beasts, both as drink and baked into foods. He drains the blood of invaders and criminals, and often those condemned to die are kept alive for months in his dungeon as a larder. Sulescu doesn’t want to create additional nosferatu – an experiment early in his unlife soured him on such companionship.

Personality: The nosferatu Sulescu has a strong devotion to his people and will not act to harm them. He considers it his obligation as an undying (if not Immortal) being to aid the short-lived. He brooks no interference in his rulership, and outside forces often meet with mysterious disasters. While Sulescu did not join the Marilenev Rebellion, a detachment of troops assigned to capture the village disappeared during the initial Thyatian invasion, and it was never found.

What He Says: “It’s a quiet little town. We like it that way” (commonly attributed to him).

What Others Say: “Zemiros Sulescu could be on another plane for all the attention he pays to the Traladarans beyond his borders” (Lady Magda Marilenev, who has yet to forgive the Lord’s lack of support in the earlier rebellion).

Appearance: Tall and imposing, Sulescu is thin, but he lacks the pale, desiccated look of a vampire. He has brown hair, worn long and swept back from his face in a leonine cut, and brown eyes. While he has magical abilities, he prefers to dress in modern Karameikan court styles rather than in wizard’s robes. His current incarnation admits to “dabbling” in magic, but he has always been a powerful wizard.

Using Sulescu: Sulescu is undead, and if the player characters realize that, they might storm his castle with stakes and mallets in hand. But Sulescu is a beneficent individual who seeks to protect his people, a better ruler than some of the others in Karameikos.

When playing Sulescu, avoid the vampire cliches used in the old movies. Sulescu is urbane, intelligent, and friendly. He only becomes a potential foe when the adventurers start snooping about his background. Tools the DM can use include a 300-year-old diary of the Sulescus (all in the same handwriting), a dusty master bedroom (Sulescu sleeps in a crypt), well-equipped butcher shop, and the dungeon/larder. Unless the PCs start looking, Sulescu

should appear to be a typical lord, and an enlightened one at that.

Combat: The Nosferatu has many weaknesses: He does not cast a reflection, is harmed by running water, and can by killed by a stake through the heart. He flinches when presented with a holy symbol, but isn’t repelled by it. Most importantly, he can move about normally in bright sunlight, experiencing no harm, and he commonly greets newcomers to his home in the central courtyard by day – confounding those who suspect he’s a vampire.

Note that, if caught in the act of performing some vampiric ability (flying, changing shape, or charming someone), he can brush this off by admitting his wizardly nature. He does not know the fly spell, however.

Zemiros Sulescu (9th-level mage/nosferatu vampire): THAC0 11; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4 (bite) or +2 (Strength bonus); AC 2; HD 9; hp 53; MV 12, Fl 18 (B); SA: animal form, charm, regeneration (1 point/ round), spells; SD: immune to nonmagical weapons as well as sleep, charm, and hold spells; ML fanatic (17); AL N. Str 18, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 17. Languages: Alphatian, elvish (Callarii dialect), dwarvish, Thyatian, Traladaran. Proficiencies: Ancient history, heraldry, local history, spellcraft. Spellbook: 1st level – Alarm, burning hands, detect magic, feather fall, light*, magic missile*, phantasmal force*, read magic, sleep*, unseen servant, ventriloquism. 2nd level – Detect evil/good, fog cloud*, knock, locate object*, scare*, wizard lock. 3rd level – Blink, clairvoyance, dispel magic*, lightning bolt*, protection from normal missiles*, slow. 4th level – Charm monster, minor creation*, minor globe of invulnerability*, polymorph other, wall of ice. 5th level – Cloudkill, cone of cold, contact other plane, feeblemind, transmute rock to mud*.