An NPC from my Ravenloft campaign
Elleri Ban’Ethyn, more commonly called the Viscount because of his gallant manners and eloquent mode of speech, is a drow gunslinger with a fearsome reputation. Originally hailing from Faerûn, Elleri was once an enforcer employed by a crime syndicate in Waterdeep. The mastermind at the head of the syndicate used Elleri and his deadly skill with firearms to eliminate her rivals one-by-one, until the survivors were forced to band together to end her reign of terror. As his boss lay bleeding to death, Elleri tried to flee the city by night, but his flight plunged him into the midst of a disorienting fog that transported him into the Domains of Dread.
Elleri has attempted to atone for his misdeeds by living the peaceful life of a wandering gambler in this accursed land, but his reputation always uncannily precedes him in the form of a mysterious woman in black who tells tall tales of his matchless aim and his past as a remorseless hired gun. These tales cause many to give the fabled Viscount a wide berth, while others treat him with contempt as they have already judged him to be a cold-blooded killer. Few look upon the Viscount as a friend.
The stories told about Elleri also draw unwanted bravos into his orbit. These fellow gunfighters seek a duel against the Viscount to test their skill against his under the glare of the sun at high noon. Thus far, Elleri has emerged the victor from each challenge, but the death of every gunfighter he sends to the grave weighs heavily upon his already burdened soul.
The Viscount’s Traits
Ideal. “I want to die having made peace with who I was and what I did in Waterdeep.”
Bond. “I must discover the identity of the woman in black who tells tales of my crimes and deadly deeds.”
Flaw. “Although I try to atone for my bloodthirsty ways, I still take pleasure in felling a foe with a well-placed shot.”
Adventures with The Viscount
The Viscount has the statblock of a drow gunslinger. As long as Elleri wears his trademark pair of violet spectacles, he does not suffer from the Sunlight Sensitivity trait. Consider the following plots when featuring Elleri in an adventure:
- Angry townsfolk believe that Elleri is responsible for the murder of a beloved citizen. The characters know him to be innocent of the crime, but will they be able to apprehend the guilty party and clear Elleri’s name before he’s forced to shoot his way out of a difficult situation?
- The Viscount has mistaken the characters for a group of assassins sent to take revenge on him over the outcome of a previous duel.
- Elleri has devised a method of creating bullets that detonate with the force and effect of a fireball spell, but he needs help obtaining the ingredients needed to make his incendiary dreams a reality.
- Tired of chasing the woman in black, the Viscount needs aid concocting a scheme that will bring the mysterious woman after him instead.
