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The Necromancer of Tyr

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
judicator_shekar
Sep 22, 2006 17:25:58 In the introduction of the supplement 'City State of Tyr', there is a small excerpt from the 'writings' of a certain Dote mal Payne, former Necromancer to King Kalak. What's the deal with this guy? Who is he, where is he described previously? Is he still alive? I haven't read the Prism Petand novels so perhaps he's explained within their pages.

Many thanks in advance.
#2
thebrax
Sep 22, 2006 18:57:34 I don't think any previous official writings describe him other than CSoT, and he's certainly not in the PP. But Dote Mal Payne's an old favorite NPC of mine, and he's making a comeback in my Lost Cities project.

Until he finally got killed in my campaign about 5 years ago, he was probably the most colorful NPC. Personality-wise, the closest match I can think of from TV or movies to the way I ran him would be Baal, one of the newer villains on SG1. He’s more interested in personal survival than ambition, and sometimes seems very easy to like as a character. He’s emotionally honest, if you know what I mean.

He hates being woken up for any reason.

In my campaign, through lots of strange twists of fate, a PC ended up being assigned to accompany Dote Mal Payne on a wilderness journey. Unknown to DMP, this Mul PC has had other encounters with DMP before.

After a while, the PC can’t stand it anymore and blurts out:

PC: “So you’re Dote Mal Payne, Kalak’s famous necromancer.”

DMP [staring off into the distance]: “I was.”

PC: “So you’re the Dote Mal Payne that Tyrian mothers tell their children
about, to frighten them.”

DMP [curiously flattered]: “Do they really?”

PC: “So you’re the Dote Mal Payne that destroyed the village of Lysanthar, and enslaved its inhabitants to build Kalak’s ziggurat.”

DMP [calmly]: “Yes.”

PC: “So you’re the Dote Mal Payne that raised an army of undead underneath Tyr, to hold the city hostage.”

DMP [looking mildly embarrassed]: “That’s right. It was all part of that Vordon business, of course. Not my idea.”

PC [increasingly shrill]: “So you’re the Dote Mal Payne that sent word to
Tythian that you wanted tribute, but when we came down to deliver your
tribute, you ordered your undead lackeys to murder me.”

DMP [dawning surprise]: “Ah! So you’re the poor mul that tried to wake me
up.”

PC [speechless]

DMP [calmly]: I don’t like waking up.

PC: Oh.

DMP: Wonderful fire you’ve built here. I’m ready to sleep now. I’d appreciate it if you’d stand guard. And if anything attacks, please take care of it yourself.

I don't like waking up."

DMP is very charismatic for a necromancer. People tend to like him when they meet him. He’s not vindictive in the long term, but if you annoy him enough, he pulls out all the stops to kill you, until he calms down.
#3
kalthandrix
Sep 22, 2006 19:13:17 I thought Pennarin had done a write up of DMP using his Royal Animator PrC?
#4
squidfur-
Sep 22, 2006 19:33:39 Good ol' Dote was also mentioned briefly in the Gladiator's Handbook as well...and not sure if Penn ever did an actual write-up, but he had certainly had several ideas of his own on the necromancer.
#5
Pennarin
Sep 22, 2006 20:17:46 I did do a write-up, but I remember it was discussed in the royal animator thread and my position was that the guy is a simple necromancer, either a wizard (defiler) or a necromancer (defiler).

[INDENT]Background: Mal Payne already was an influent senator when Kalak plucked him from the Senate and proposed to teach him the dead arts. The king had gambled well: the senator had hungered power as much as influence. Dote Mal Payne as become the master of a small creek of defilers in the service of the city, in times of war bolstering the army’s foot soldiers with undead beetles and other dead constructs, and in times of peace making a name for himself for his sadistic streak as arena necromancer. He has continued to serve under Tithian, although in an unofficial capacity, during his slaving campaigns to pay the Dragon’s levy.

Kalak toyed with the former senator, withholding sorcerous knowledge that would have made Mal Payne self-sufficient as a necromancer, instead making him dependent on the casting aid provided by minor defilers furnished by the king and whose numbers were regularly culled. Since Tithian’s rise to power, Dote has had access to the Royal Tyrian Library, which the king has kept closed-off to hide Dote and his creek, and is now accreting power as fast as he can decipher its ancient texts. Unbeknown to Tithian, Dote is pursuing a dark purpose of his own through study of the library’s texts.

One of Mal Payne’s most promising student is a young templar by the name of Timor, recently catapulted to the rank of Senior Templar by Tithian ― after he reviewed Dote’s accounts of the young man’s progress ― whom Dote believes may soon outrun his master.

Description: A man with humor lines on the corner of his eyes, Payne still boasts the same aristocratic look as in his senatorial days: that of a respectable but stern old man. He always wears a black cassock, covering the ashen traces the undead leave on his body.[/INDENT]
#6
thebrax
Sep 23, 2006 2:40:59
Good ol' Dote was also mentioned briefly in the Gladiator's Handbook as well...and not sure if Penn ever did an actual write-up, but he had certainly had several ideas of his own on the necromancer.

Oh, that's right, the snippet about him being a "minor necromancer" rumored to be looking for Kalak's body to revive it?

What I found most annoying about that entry is that it placed it within the category of "arena necromancers" -- which might have provided some info on DMP, but then corroborated the CSoT description, which was that he "Former Necromancer to King Kalak." So which is it? Seems like if he's the lowest of the low, the untouchable arena necromancer who gets the arenas 2-for-1 fights and animates the dead to clean the arena, that calling him the king's own former necromancer seems a bit of a stretch.

I had a bit of fun with making DMP feared and dispised by everyone, a creature who mothers told horror stories to their kids about -- but then was affable and polite in person, quite disarming.

And yet the distant horror stories told more truth about him than the disarming personal impression.
#7
Pennarin
Sep 23, 2006 3:28:05 Maybe Payne can be feared and loathed and yet be a minor necromancer, of the the arena at that, because there are other necromancers above him in positions such as those the Royal Necromancer PrC offer, i.e. undead war beetle and undead regiment making and maintenance.

Citizens don't see SWAT units and FBI agents, they see cops. Payne is the municipal cop of the federal big boys...doesn't mean he's not the baddest of the bad. ;)
#8
zombiegleemax
Sep 23, 2006 9:12:24 I made Dote Mal Payne into the senior defiler in the service of Kalak. He helped his master on several of the thornier sides of the zigguraut spell's research. He was sent away from Tyr at the time of the spell's casting, along with dozens of other, lesser defilers, to await their master's apotheosis into full dragonform. When Kalak died, the lesser defilers fled to Urik and Balic, whilst Dote Mal Payne returned to Tyr in secret and began plotting to resurrect his master.....but not for the reasons of admiration or loyalty.

--no, Dote Mal Payne intends on controlling an undead dragon-king NB
#9
rjtrotter
Sep 23, 2006 9:45:10
I don't think any previous official writings describe him other than CSoT, and he's certainly not in the PP. But Dote Mal Payne's an old favorite NPC of mine, and he's making a comeback in my Lost Cities project.

Ya. I'm using him in my home campaign right now, everyone of my players have never played in DS for very long, so they are in for a big surprise. It's going to be fun!

Brax did you get my email today?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 judicator_shekar Sep 22, 2006 17:25:58	In the introduction of the supplement 'City State of Tyr', there is a small excerpt from the 'writings' of a certain Dote mal Payne, former Necromancer to King Kalak. What's the deal with this guy? Who is he, where is he described previously? Is he still alive? I haven't read the Prism Petand novels so perhaps he's explained within their pages. Many thanks in advance.
#2 thebrax Sep 22, 2006 18:57:34	I don't think any previous official writings describe him other than CSoT, and he's certainly not in the PP. But Dote Mal Payne's an old favorite NPC of mine, and he's making a comeback in my Lost Cities project. Until he finally got killed in my campaign about 5 years ago, he was probably the most colorful NPC. Personality-wise, the closest match I can think of from TV or movies to the way I ran him would be Baal, one of the newer villains on SG1. He’s more interested in personal survival than ambition, and sometimes seems very easy to like as a character. He’s emotionally honest, if you know what I mean. He hates being woken up for any reason. In my campaign, through lots of strange twists of fate, a PC ended up being assigned to accompany Dote Mal Payne on a wilderness journey. Unknown to DMP, this Mul PC has had other encounters with DMP before. After a while, the PC can’t stand it anymore and blurts out: PC: “So you’re Dote Mal Payne, Kalak’s famous necromancer.” DMP [staring off into the distance]: “I was.” PC: “So you’re the Dote Mal Payne that Tyrian mothers tell their children about, to frighten them.” DMP [curiously flattered]: “Do they really?” PC: “So you’re the Dote Mal Payne that destroyed the village of Lysanthar, and enslaved its inhabitants to build Kalak’s ziggurat.” DMP [calmly]: “Yes.” PC: “So you’re the Dote Mal Payne that raised an army of undead underneath Tyr, to hold the city hostage.” DMP [looking mildly embarrassed]: “That’s right. It was all part of that Vordon business, of course. Not my idea.” PC [increasingly shrill]: “So you’re the Dote Mal Payne that sent word to Tythian that you wanted tribute, but when we came down to deliver your tribute, you ordered your undead lackeys to murder me.” DMP [dawning surprise]: “Ah! So you’re the poor mul that tried to wake me up.” PC [speechless] DMP [calmly]: I don’t like waking up. PC: Oh. DMP: Wonderful fire you’ve built here. I’m ready to sleep now. I’d appreciate it if you’d stand guard. And if anything attacks, please take care of it yourself. I don't like waking up." DMP is very charismatic for a necromancer. People tend to like him when they meet him. He’s not vindictive in the long term, but if you annoy him enough, he pulls out all the stops to kill you, until he calms down.
#3 kalthandrix Sep 22, 2006 19:13:17	I thought Pennarin had done a write up of DMP using his Royal Animator PrC?
#4 squidfur- Sep 22, 2006 19:33:39	Good ol' Dote was also mentioned briefly in the Gladiator's Handbook as well...and not sure if Penn ever did an actual write-up, but he had certainly had several ideas of his own on the necromancer.
#5 Pennarin Sep 22, 2006 20:17:46	I did do a write-up, but I remember it was discussed in the royal animator thread and my position was that the guy is a simple necromancer, either a wizard (defiler) or a necromancer (defiler). [INDENT]Background: Mal Payne already was an influent senator when Kalak plucked him from the Senate and proposed to teach him the dead arts. The king had gambled well: the senator had hungered power as much as influence. Dote Mal Payne as become the master of a small creek of defilers in the service of the city, in times of war bolstering the army’s foot soldiers with undead beetles and other dead constructs, and in times of peace making a name for himself for his sadistic streak as arena necromancer. He has continued to serve under Tithian, although in an unofficial capacity, during his slaving campaigns to pay the Dragon’s levy. Kalak toyed with the former senator, withholding sorcerous knowledge that would have made Mal Payne self-sufficient as a necromancer, instead making him dependent on the casting aid provided by minor defilers furnished by the king and whose numbers were regularly culled. Since Tithian’s rise to power, Dote has had access to the Royal Tyrian Library, which the king has kept closed-off to hide Dote and his creek, and is now accreting power as fast as he can decipher its ancient texts. Unbeknown to Tithian, Dote is pursuing a dark purpose of his own through study of the library’s texts. One of Mal Payne’s most promising student is a young templar by the name of Timor, recently catapulted to the rank of Senior Templar by Tithian ― after he reviewed Dote’s accounts of the young man’s progress ― whom Dote believes may soon outrun his master. Description: A man with humor lines on the corner of his eyes, Payne still boasts the same aristocratic look as in his senatorial days: that of a respectable but stern old man. He always wears a black cassock, covering the ashen traces the undead leave on his body.[/INDENT]
#6 thebrax Sep 23, 2006 2:40:59	Good ol' Dote was also mentioned briefly in the Gladiator's Handbook as well...and not sure if Penn ever did an actual write-up, but he had certainly had several ideas of his own on the necromancer. Oh, that's right, the snippet about him being a "minor necromancer" rumored to be looking for Kalak's body to revive it? What I found most annoying about that entry is that it placed it within the category of "arena necromancers" -- which might have provided some info on DMP, but then corroborated the CSoT description, which was that he "Former Necromancer to King Kalak." So which is it? Seems like if he's the lowest of the low, the untouchable arena necromancer who gets the arenas 2-for-1 fights and animates the dead to clean the arena, that calling him the king's own former necromancer seems a bit of a stretch. I had a bit of fun with making DMP feared and dispised by everyone, a creature who mothers told horror stories to their kids about -- but then was affable and polite in person, quite disarming. And yet the distant horror stories told more truth about him than the disarming personal impression.
#7 Pennarin Sep 23, 2006 3:28:05	Maybe Payne can be feared and loathed and yet be a minor necromancer, of the the arena at that, because there are other necromancers above him in positions such as those the Royal Necromancer PrC offer, i.e. undead war beetle and undead regiment making and maintenance. Citizens don't see SWAT units and FBI agents, they see cops. Payne is the municipal cop of the federal big boys...doesn't mean he's not the baddest of the bad. ;)
#8 zombiegleemax Sep 23, 2006 9:12:24	I made Dote Mal Payne into the senior defiler in the service of Kalak. He helped his master on several of the thornier sides of the zigguraut spell's research. He was sent away from Tyr at the time of the spell's casting, along with dozens of other, lesser defilers, to await their master's apotheosis into full dragonform. When Kalak died, the lesser defilers fled to Urik and Balic, whilst Dote Mal Payne returned to Tyr in secret and began plotting to resurrect his master.....but not for the reasons of admiration or loyalty. --no, Dote Mal Payne intends on controlling an undead dragon-king NB
#9 rjtrotter Sep 23, 2006 9:45:10	I don't think any previous official writings describe him other than CSoT, and he's certainly not in the PP. But Dote Mal Payne's an old favorite NPC of mine, and he's making a comeback in my Lost Cities project. Ya. I'm using him in my home campaign right now, everyone of my players have never played in DS for very long, so they are in for a big surprise. It's going to be fun! Brax did you get my email today?