Allemange the Seer

Appearance:

Allemange the Seer is a tall, broad-shouldered humanoid man of his later years. His skin has a jaundiced tone, making him appear sickly and yellow. He has a broad mouth, and when he speaks it seems like his mouth opens wider than it should, and his teeth appear to be both sharp, and too many to fit inside even his disconcerting jaw. He carries himself in a very rigid, very formal posture, and his voice is clear, well-spoken, and likewise, exceedingly formal. Speaking with the High Seer is akin to being interrogated by a parliamentarian, scolded by a university provost, or spoken down to by a high wizard who is humoring you because he could have answered all of your questions with a scroll with seven words written on it delivered by one of his winged homunculi two weeks before when you were sitting in the tavern getting tipsy with the boys after the last dungeon raid.

He is seldom seen without his high-collared purple robe and has an impressive collection of magic staves. He is thought to treat magic rings, and magic rods, and said magic staves more as fashion accessories than as items of magical power. This is a misconception he supports, as these items are truly potent, but secondary to his true powers, divination, and the power of summoning eyes.

Lair:

The Citadel of Reunion is a glittering crystal thrust up through the basin of a massive crater-like basin in the far north. The castle is a single spire design, and more of a fortified monolith of red basalt and blue-white quartz crystal than a traditional castle. Everything is contained within, and while dozens of stories tall, it extended hundreds of feet beneath the surface.

Entrance/Guardian - isolated in the north, ringed by the Iceron Mountains, raw and ragged, capped in ice. The Plain of Reunion is a stark, flat place with nowhere to hide or take shelter from the hard, cold, driving winds. Reaching the Citadel is a man v environment challenge. The Citadel has a single gate and it is guarded by Allemange's most loyal of servants, the Draal. The Draal are hyperborean cyclopes notable for their love of horns and antlers in their workings, their blue and purple skin, and their single red eye. Draal Guardians are dressed as antlered great bears, in gleaming blue and white armor and are armed with spears, long knives, and slings.

Puzzle/RP challenge - once inside the main wall of the Citadel, visitors who aren't invited guests must face a number of riddles and puzzles to gain admittance to the inner Citadel. In the outer citadel, they will be given the most minimal of hospitality by the castle residents, bread and water, and allowed to stay in a vestibule with their own gear and equipment. Failure means they have to wait. Challenging a riddle bearer invited instant combat.

Easy Riddles are given for allies and acquaintances of the High Seer, almost a formality. These riddles are given by one of the Draalish Sorcerers, impressive Draal with long caftan-like robes. They are accompanied by a pair of Draal acolytes. To attack these servants is an affront to the High Seer, and likely to begin a feud.

Moderately difficult riddles are given for people who are known, and though they may not be allies, they are not declared enemies, nor are they hostile to the High Seer, at least not openly. These riddles are delivered, one per day, by one of the 'Daughters of Reunion'. These are hybrid beings that have the upper body of a comely woman, but the lower body of an exotic animal of the north, such as that of a behir, a remorhaz, or centaur versions that replace the equine half with the body of a polar bear, a reindeer, or some other more mundane, but large northern animal. They are accompanied by a small cadre of Draal rangers, druids, and a sorcerer or two. Those who fail, but can make a good charisma check might be able to 'Horny Bard' into the citadel, but that means seducing and then pleasing a woman who is half polar ice worm, and not die in the process.

Challenging riddles are given to enemies seeking an audience with the High Seer. The riddle is delivered once, and if incorrectly answered, the visitors must leave and not return for a month, or they must fight for their life to remain and try again the next day. The riddle is delivered by a young dracoliche, which is accompanied by a cadre of Reunion High Guards, Draal High Mages, and Allemange's personal servants, Beholders.

Trick/Setback - the inner areas of the Citadel are exceedingly pleasant, warmed from the blood of the Earth, with steaming pools, tables heavy with food, and bottomless supply of fine wines and aged spirits. The inner citadel is staffed by Draalish women, who are slender and exotic compared to the large and brutish men of their species. Desires are tempted, and the entire time, the guests are being watched, discretely questioned, their secrets and interests pulled from them. Those who maintain discipline, who do not make light the bounty of Reunion, who do not waste or become wasted are shown courtesy and respect, and will have the chance to speak with the High Seer. Those who give up their secrets, who break things, and waste, who eat like animals and attempt to carouse their way through the staff are given a quiet end. A knife in their beds, poison in their cups, or a visit from one of the castle maidens who aren't human, and who's kiss can drain blood or soul.

A wise visitor brings gifts to share with the High Seer. This is really important.

Climax - the visitors are granted an audience with the High Seer. He will allow them to attend him in the High Throne of Reunion, an open amphitheater in the top of the citadel. With no ceiling, the chamber is cold, but the view of the stars and the aurora is unblocked. The Throne itself is a single massive piece of quartz, shot through with veins of gold. It can be used as a beacon, filling the chamber with the unbearable light of a magical star. This beacon can be seen for dozens of miles away from the Citadel and is considered an ill-omen, or a warning that the High Seer of Reunion is not pleased.

Depending on their need or want, the High Seer might or might not help them. He is evil, but he is lawful evil, and this can be a tricky thing because, despite this, the High Seer has sided with the good/light side as an independent contractor, not quite a mercenary, and certainly sharing no ideological grounds. The Light prevails, and to side with Shadow is foolish. Information is relatively easy to get, magic items are more difficult, getting the High Seer to cast spells for them is very difficult, and committing his forces to the field might be the most difficult. He is very fond of his citadel, and his Draal, and certainly of his exotic collection of monsters, monster girls, and the like.

Reward/Revelation/Plot Twist - The High Seer might grant their request. He might reveal things that were not known and this is really where a lawful evil divinationist is going to shine. He might also completely change the pattern of the story. Are the good guys the villains and misguided? Is their high lord really an evil vampire lord's thrall, are they caught in the machinations of an evil spider goddess? Is one of their number a mole, a doppelganger, a shapeshifted rakshasa?

Guests who have respected hospitality, and formality may find themselves teleported back to where they need to go. Acceptable, if not gracious guests might find themselves shifted to the edge of the Plains of Reunion, the light of the Throne Star shining like a beacon. Guests who only survived by luck and pushing the laws of hospitality will be blinked from the High Throne to the foot of the Citadel, in a shower of shivering ice, to resume their trek aaaaaall the way back to where they started.

Equipment:

Robes of the Arch-Mage - this high-collared purple robe has a high magical armor rating and has two valuable protections sewn into it, Protection from Weather and Protection from Scrying. The former allows the High Seer to walk through a winter gale without being affected by the cold, the wind, the ice, all of it. He resides in a sleeve of comfort. The latter makes him invisible to others attempting to scry or otherwise divine his location.

Magic Rings -  many, many of them, possibly even an artefact ring or two. Were this Lord of the Rings, the High Seer might have one of the Nine Rings for Mortal Kings but has not yet fallen to its power.

Magic Rods - a fair number.

Magic Staves - so very many. The High Seer has magic staves like a celebutant has shoes.

The Havoc Staff is capped with the ram's skull of a chimera. It has impressive magical power, adding to the amount of raw power the bearer can hold as well as focusing and making said magic more potent. The staff can be used for greater divination, laying curses, and if pressed, into a suitable melee weapon. It is forged of a strange purple metal that is mined in the depths of Reunion.

The White Staff is a black iron staff set with a moonstone the size of a grapefruit. While only a modestly potent staff for storing or casting magic, its real power is that it has constant Protection from Evil effects.

The Staff of the Vizer is a gold serpent staff and modest in magical power, it is exceptional for casting spells that charm, manipulate, or control others.

The Artefact of the High Mage - The Evil Eye of Allemange

The Evil Eye of Allemange is a jewel that sits in his left eye socket and by itself is a potent powerstone. He cannot use it for divination, its power is twofold, it allows him access to a portfolio of summoning spells, and it can be pulled out and can transform into a deadly summons. The portfolio mostly involves summoning Beholders, beholder kin, eye tyrants, and the like. When snatched from the socket and invoked, the Evil Eye transforms from a stone into the Aspect of Ahrimagus, a draconic beholder, a beast having the body of a mottled gold and black dragon, wings, and claws, but instead of a head, it has a great leering single eye and a maw of razor-sharp teeth. The beast has no breath weapon, but it can disgorge a beholder from its gullet as a full-round action.

Motivations:

Allemange wants to be on the winning side, but has no interest in being an altruistic goody-two shoes. Heroes are idiotic, foolish, and reckless. They bleed and they die, and they gain nothing for their sacrifice but a trip back home to live like shells of who they used to be. Allemange has no interest in being defeated with the rest of the forces of evil, but also would remain a lawful power, not bending knee t some middling King who sat behind a castle and an army while the battle was fought. He also has no interest beyond holding Reunion in the north and continuing his magical studies. His willingness to even accept guests he feels is a show of good will. His puzzles and riddles do not end in death, merely being turned away. He gives no false counsel, at least not in his estimation, though he is very much involved in manipulating things. Allemange won't give you the answer you came for, he will give you the answer that will best serve his interests and machinations.