Behn Brutalis

**Behn Brutalis** was the former champion of Katharis, the Vox Mortem, or the Voice of Death. He was one of the original dragon cultists who served Katharis when the Sunless Citadel was the primary base of establishment for the cult of Katharis. He served as the primary antagonist for Arc 1: Sunless Citadel, where he was defeated by the main party.

## Description

### Personality

Behn was a bloodthirsty and ruthless man, living life selfishly within the Sunless Citadel. Though initially he was a devoted worshiper of Katharis, the powers of the Vox Mortem and the immortal life granted by the fruit of the Ezias Tree was too much of a temptation, leading to his corruption. He wished to imprint himself on the world by creating tree thralls in his likeness. Behn, however, was also a bit of a coward, often avoiding anybody whom he thought of as superior, and maintaining an intimidating and domineering persona over the weak, as seen in how he commanded the bugbears and goblins who lived within the depths of the Sunless Citadel.

### Appearance

Behn appears as a disfigured Iselian man, whose human characteristics were turned beyond recognition. He wore bones fashioned into the image of an elk as a mask upon his face.

## History

### Before the Red Death

Behn was one of the original dragon cultists to Katharis who served the deity within the Sunless Citadel. At one point in his life, Behn was granted the opportunity to become the champion of Katharis, the Vox Mortem. Katharis tasked him with safeguarding the Ezias Tree, Katharis' throne.

Eventually, Behn turned on his fellow cultists, slaughtering them in cold blood. Using the fruit of the Ezias Tree, he prolonged his life force, and lived life as a recluse within the ruins. Though it is unclear what may have sparked his betrayal, Behn was likely corrupted by the immense power granted to him and the temptation of immortality.

Ultimately, Behn learned to create tree thralls with the Ezias Tree, perhaps after cooperating with some unknown entity that taught him the ways of desecrating an Avernal throne. In doing so, he threw off the balance of the material plane, sparking the events of the Red Death.

### Sunless Citadel

After the corruption of the Ezias Tree which sparked the Red Death, Behn sought to further his influence by using the goblins living in the Sunless Citadel to spread a corrupted version of the fruit of the tree. This fruit mimicked the effects of prolonged life force granted by the uncorrupted, purified version of the Ezias Tree, though it was not capable of actually granting vitality. Eventually, a resident of the neighboring town of Viridale, Pierce Thorne, bought some of this fruit from the goblins for his father, Nelius Thorne. While Nelius' health initially seemed to get better, he suddenly fell ill when he ran out of his supply of the fruit.

This got the attention of the other Viridale residents, who sent a group of mercenaries including Aether Kronus, Geneva Constance, Reggie Constance, and Ixu, to investigate the goblins of the citadel. When these mercenaries failed to return, the Viridale residents pooled together their resources to send yet another group of adventurers, this time consisting of Kenshin Ignia, Evelynn Montblanc, and Kayn Ka Kanye.

These three adventurers infiltrated the Sunless Citadel, and aided by the kobolds who were at odds with the goblins, they discovered the ill fates that befell the former mercenaries who came before them. Their continued efforts to discover what had truly happened led them to Behn Brutalis in the lower level of the citadel.

Behn proved to be a formidable foe, having turned Aether Kronus and Geneva Constance into tree thralls who fought by his side. He also captured and turned Meepo, a kobold ally of the adventurers, into a thrall as well. He, however, was defeated by the adventurers, who purified the Ezias Tree and restored Katharis' seat of power within the material plane.

## Abilities

**Vox Mortem:** As the Vox Mortem, Behn was able to commune with the dead. He was also able to create tree thralls, having corrupted the Ezias Tree. These tree thralls were essentially brainwashed underlings of his that he used to fight alongside him.

**Druidic Craft:** Behn was a naturally gifted druid, able to command the natural elements of the material plane. He primarily used the arts of the moon to channel his magic and spell craft.