Niles Andarme of Löthur

## Niles Andarme

### Aliases

Emperor of Löthur, King of Stormhold and Thousand Heights, Niles the Reconsecrator, Headmaster of the Arcane College, Acting Mayor of Harkenhill

### Affiliation

Kingdom of Stormhold, Empire of Löthur, City of Harkenhill

## Standard of the Emperor

*“Am I a fraud, then, or a scholar? I am both, of course, as we all are. Half of what I know I do not believe. Half of what I believe I cannot prove. For the rest, I hope to muddle through and my mistakes go without comment.”*

-Niles Andarme

## History

Niles Andarme was born in the east of Löthur, and studied in the Arcane College, before traveling westwards to learn magic he could not find in his native home. Many of his family and friends suffered in the war against the elves, leaving him with a lasting hatred.

Defeated the ancient dragons Nethrazi and Nexxvanis, bound the Titan of Fire in his prison, united the nations of Löthur, and restored the lost magic of the heroic age.

## Personality

*"Why are the people who cling so fiercely to the notions of right and wrong the very same individuals that have the worst grasp of what they mean?"*

-Niles Andarme

Niles Andarme saw himself principally as a scholar, not an adventurer, traveling and fighting only as a means to an end. He was a highly pragmatic individual; a rationalist with quiet utopian ambitions, but who looked out for himself and disregarded notions of honor and compassion. He disliked evildoers but saw no issue with personal immorality and wickedness. Of noble birth, Niles Andarme was inclined to desire Philosopher-Kingship - he enjoyed wielding power, wanted to use magic to eliminate war, want, and hardship, and was determined to accomplish this goal himself, trusting no successor of his to carry out his ambitions. He believed that humanity's will to power was expressed by the domination of others.

Despite his erudition, Niles Andarme possessed an vague, incoherent moral code rooted vaguely in solidarity between humans and an inconsistent, selective respect for the rule of law. A deeply prejudiced individual, Niles Andarme looked down on non-humans, in particular elves, who he saw as barbarous thieves of magic. He human supremacism was buttressed by pseudoscientific writings on race, and manifested itself in callousness and contempt. Niles Andarme also believed that undead were not sentient, despite evidence to the contrary. Despite all this, he was capable of friendships and alliances with individuals from other races.

Niles Andarme was preternaturally well-prepared, spending time in cities to purchase things that he thought would be useful. His intuitions were unerring.

## Leadership Style

Niles Andarme relies on others when necessary, but does not trust them. His lack of trust is not paranoia, but lack of faith in the abilities of his associates. He is unhappy with others speaking for him, and trusts his own judgement; once he has reached a conclusion he is unpersuaded by the opinions of friends and experts alike. Similarly, he does not believe that his goals could ever be carried out by a worthy successor, and plans on accomplishing his goals himself, in his own lifetime. Despite all of this, Niles Andarme is capable of recognizing some of his limitations and therefore surrounds himself with those who can do what he knows he cannot, even if those individuals run afoul of his prejudices. Niles Andarme believes that a kingdom is composed of its people, not its physical boundaries and structures. An inveterate information gatherer, he believes that knowledge leads to victory. He recognizes that the more complicate the plan, the more possibilities for failure, and prefers to arm his allies with information and empower them to carry out simple objectives. It is in this way that he leads; Niles Andarme is cowardly and uninspiring, helping only reluctantly in combat and leaving the field of battle as soon as possible.

## War of the Philosopher-Kings

Niles Andarme was the only monarch to refuse to participate in the War of the Philosopher-Kings. Even other holdouts, such as King Onaxx or Princess Cordelia, found themselves drawn into the conflict, but Emperor Niles steadfastly refused to take part.

## Feats of Magic

Niles Andarme was by far the most scholarly of the Philosopher-Kings; only Brennen of Alara came close. He was no war mage; his presence on the battlefield was reluctant and marked by cowardice, but his research uncovered subtleties of arcane magic unknown to anyone else. Though he was educated in all matters, spellcraft was the sole object of his studies; he was not one for alchemy or the sciences.

* Niles Andarme mastered beyond all others the laborious task of memorizing incantations, and could commit spells to memory in seconds rather than hours.
* Though careful study and the reconsecration of defiled holy sites, Niles Andarme studied and unraveled dark magic, and learned to use blasphemous arcana without any threat to his soul.
* Niles Andarme's study of the necromantic ways of Ravencourt gave him the means to sacrifice his life essence to restore his arcane power.
* Niles Andarme could, despite the dwindling magic in Löthur, had a limited ability to call upon lost and powerful spells inaccessible to his countrymen.

## Legacy (Violence Begets Violence)

Niles Andarme was little known outside of Löthur, but among historians, many gave him credit refusing to participate in any way in the War of the Philosopher-Kings. It was said that while Emperor Ramander of World's End might have been the monarch who won, the Empire of Löthur was the nation that emerged unscathed.

Niles Andarme was buried in a mausoleum in Stormhold, alongside his predecessors. A statue commemorates his life and deeds.