The Oderbry Inheritance
by Sean MeaneyHISTORY: Twenty Five years ago (AC996), in a dalliance with his housekeeper, Lord Oderbry, the then Finance Minister, was gifted with three children out of wedlock. Though he never had the chance to acknowledge them publically, retiring from the Ministry in early AC997 and dying soon after, he did leave documents with the Bank of Darokin naming them as his heirs and acted to defraud the then Duchy of Karameikos of ten thousand gold royals, placing an inheritance in that Bank, to be released on the twenty fifth year to his illegitimate children. The Deposit was disguised as a secret payment of bribes to foreign officials for information on the Iron Ring and the whereabouts of twenty thousand abducted Traladarans. Unfortunately Valdo Tiza who became the new Finance Minister in AC997 discovered the ’minor loss’, and Oderbry’s apparent ‘pro-Traladaran sympathies’. Minister Tiza proceeded to top that meagre effort up to more than fifty thousand royals a year, and what was once a small inheritance has since become a million gold royals over the twenty years that followed.
The three children of Lord Oderbry were broken up and adopted by various families after their mother died in child-birth raising them under other identities (one is currently a Wizard in far off Glantri’s School of Magic, the other two – a boy and girl - went to Traladaran and Thyatian families).
RECENT HISTORY: Investigators for the Bank have spent the last five years locating all three heirs. However, rumours of Lord Oderbry’s ‘illegitimate heirs’ have gotten back to the now sixty-five year old Patriarch Alfric Oderbry and he is none too happy about the prospect of half-Traladaran Bastards carrying the name Oderbry.
DM NOTES: While the NPC heir became a Wizard in Glantri (Vaal Malvolo is detailed below), the two remaining children exist so that the DM may select one as the secret origin of one of the PCs (male or female). At the same time the PC is being informed that he/she is the secret love child of Lord Oderbry and his housekeeper (and has two siblings) and that there is a million Gold Royals waiting for the three siblings in a Darokin Bank, Alfric Oderbry (who will use the funds to begin his Holy War early), Valdo Tiza (who has just realized the ‘fund’ was a sham and wants it as a retirement payout), and Vaal Malvolo (who sees it as an Opportunity to Finance his ambitions to become a Prince) will hear of it and begin a war to get their hands on the funds.
VAAL MALVOLO (ODERBRY): Chaotic Magic-user (Level 7); S9, I18, W16, D5, C9, Ch8; HP20; Skills: Read/Write (Thyatian), Read/Write (Traladaran), Read/Write (Darokinian), Read/Write (Alphatian), Woodworking+2, History of Traladaran Magic, ; Spell-book: 1-Read Magic, Sleep, Read Languages, Detect magic, Minor Puppet Animation (A 1 hp Wooden puppet can be animated for up to 1 round per level and instructed to carry out a simple task); 2- Clairvoyance, Levitate, Web, Knock; 3- Lightning Bolt, Greater Puppet Animation (Duration of an animated puppet is 1 turn per level; prepare as a wood -golem up to human size); 4- Charm Monster, Cloth-form.Personality: Somewhat embittered by his childhood with less than ideal adopting parents, Vaal is a bit of a nasty individual who finds his only Joy in crafting and giving away puppets to children – though the occasional puppet has been enchanted to carry out his bidding when the household is asleep.
Appearance: Vaal looks a lot like his half-brother Alfric did at that age with the short build, and brown hair and eyes though the club foot he was born with and the embittered personality he developed have been a hammer in that mirror. He takes the time to always wear a long heavy robe, fine clothes, and specially crafted shoes to conceal his club foot as nothing more than a permanent limp needing help of a Cane.