Steal this fantasy villain: Drona, the Daemonologist

Another member of the Lucius crew, and I thought I’d give you a magic user of sorts, this time round.

In his home country, summoning a Daemon to do a job is normal. People who can do so well are highly prized, but almost half the population have the ability to bring forth smaller denizens of the other realm to work for them. What is key though, is that they are not bound into servitude. Instead a deal is struck, and they are paid for their labours in a matter agreed upon by both parties. Sentient Daemons are afforded all the rights of other sentient creatures, first amongst those is that they shall not be bound into slavery of any kind. They walk freely amongst the cities, and some of the more powerful beings even attain office in government. But, having such a powerful creature bound to your every whim, would make a man powerful indeed.

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Drona began summoning daemons when he was but a child, and quickly revealed an aptitude for the craft. He was given all the schooling required and in his early twenties was already regarded as one the most highly gifted Daemonologists the college had produced in living memory. He continued to push the limits of his craft, but quickly realized that those whom he sought to bring into his world were too powerful to be contained, or too clever to be bargained with.

As a man of fierce pride, he was often frustrated by these impositions on his talent, so he began to devise ways of containing such beings in a manner that would allow him to stay in control. In deep caverns in the desert that surrounded the cities of his homeland, he created wards and controls that would bind such creatures to his will, turning them into instruments and tools, removing from them the freedom to act as they saw fit. For several years he worked secretly and with each success, saw to push further the boundaries of what was thought possible by the rest of his order.

It was his pride that was his undoing though, and in the end an entire city would pay for his sins. He never saw the cracks in his defenses, believing himself to be the superior to any Daemon that he could summon. Adramalech Daemon-prince of swords was something that no Daemonologist had encountered before though. In human terms, he would be a God to the Daemons, taken from a realm separate even to that of the Daemons that had been summoned in the past. How Drona stumbled upon it is a question for another time, but one which haunts him still. The Prince quickly shook free the bindings that had held other Daemons, and walked the sands towards the light of the city. Drona did what he could, but almost every life was taken before Adramalech was brought to his knees. The most powerful of Daemons that Drona had so far summoned were all brought to bear on the being, and eventually it was weakened enough to be banished.

The city lies there still, haunted by creatures allowed free reign due to the scars left in reality by the battle. And Drona was left a shadow of his former self, mind addled by the fight. He left his home land behind and looked for new shores. When he arrived at the city, he saw few daemons, and those that walked were bound, and of limited power. As he tried to ply his trade he suffered abuse at the hands of the city dwellers who trusted not the power of Daemons. It was a member of the criminal cartel who saw the chance for profit in his gifts.

He was given run of the sewers beneath the halls of the cartel, and put to work. Although far from his prodigious best, he has recovered somewhat and has proven useful indeed in summoning creatures at the will of others to aid in their criminal endeavours. And still he works beneath the city, reclaiming his lost knowledge and testing his mind against others who live in realms not of his own.

In appearance Drona looks considerably older than his 32 years. The battle against Adramalech was hard on his mind and body, and he appears to have aged by at least two decades more than he should have done. He wears the robes of his old order still, but by some strange twist of fate, his skin is not as dark as the others who were born to his desert culture, instead looking more Mediterranean than Arabian.

Using Drona in your game.

• As mentioned before, if Lucius is a part of your game world, then Drona will be a part of his crew. Although they do not get on at all. Lucius does not trust the Daemonologist, and abhors the idea of living creatures bound into slavery. His boss knows Drona’s value though, and has forbidden him to act on his mistrust. Drona knows this well, and constantly pushes Lucius’ buttons.
• As a solo antagonist, Drona could be a main villain to a campaign all on his own. He can summon powerful beings, but may not always be able to control them.
• He is also very knowledgeable indeed about his craft, and if others are using Daemonic means to harass the player characters, his advice is easily sought. Although it may not always be trusted.