Kotanmaru

Kotanmaru is a Maelstromyr from the Court of the Boar and The Champions of the Horn. Kotanmaru was a witty, sly, sorcerer, with a panache for getting others to do exactly what he wanted while following his own rules all the while. Kotanmaru had close ties with Hjar, Michael Landrum, and Pardus Stormstrider. Kotanmaru could cast various combative spells and produce many strange elixirs.

## Appearances

### Appears in

The Court of the Boar/The Champions of the Horn

### Appearance

* The Heroes of Oakhurst: Kotanmaru is a young kenku with black feathers, a long beak, and purple robes. She often wielded her arcane focus, an orbed staff.
* The Champions of Dorun: Kotanmaru, as the storm crow, is a white feathered, cloudy eyed sorcerer who wears dark purple robes.

## The Court of the Boar

### The Suffering of Kolnor

Kotanmaru was kidnapped by wights and brought to an underground cell with Michael Landrum, Pardus Stormstrider, and Jeremiah Gertle. He and his companions disrupted a ritual sacrifice give Kolnor a corrupted vessel. Jeremiah was dismembered in the process, but Michael Landrum and Kotanmaru together brought him back. They later setup lives for themselves in nearby Oakhurst.

### The Sunless Sin

After Kotamaru's alchemical studies brought the legend of the Sunless Citadel and the Gulthias Fruit to his attention, him and his friends headed to find the ruins and uncover whatever they could salvage, as well as rescue two missing adventurers: Xing and Chang Fhurt. Inside Kotanmaru healed the old kobold, Meepo, rescued Hjar, and Dramour, and then went on to help defeat Belak and stop his influence on the Gulthias tree.

### The Storm Below

After realising the danger of the incoming chaos storm, Kotanmaru, and his party went to warn Michael Landrum, but once he found him in the Sunless Citadel, he lead them to the Underdark, and a more hopeful route of escape. After moving through underground tunnels, Kotanmaru picked up the stragglers, Prince Derendil, Shushar the Woke, and Stool. Kotanmaru was terrified by the appearance of Demogorgon, shortly after arriving in Sloobludop, and fled with the survivors further underground. Eventually, he arrived in Gracklstugh where he went straight to Themberchaud to offer tribute, but upon learning the scheme against Themberchaud, he told the dragon, and unleashed its vengeance. Kotanmaru lead the party to escape through a herd of rampaging livestock, in which, Dramour's legs were badly trampled. Kotanmaru tried to heal the wounds with mending, but a miscast caused Dramour's kneecaps to disappear. He then carried the stretcher with Dramour on into Neverlight Grove, rested for a while, then continued on to Blingdenstone. He stayed in Blingdenstone for a couple months, in which Kotanmaru investigated underdark alchemy. He discovered a ritual involving a demon heart, that could bind demon lords together forcing them into conflict, so he went out searching with the party. He sailed over Darklake to the abandoned Mantol Derith, and then onto Menzobarranzan. In Menzobarranzan, the drow occupants were driven into insane fanatical prayer. In the inner sanctum, Graz'zt fought Themberchaud after having killed Lolth. Kotanmaru took Lolth's black heart and fled back to Darklake with the party. On the way to Blingdenstone, he met Sashra Mellow, who came with them. Shortly after arriving back in Blingdenstone, Kotanmaru performed the ritual and summoned Themberchaud, Demogorgon, Orcus, Zuggtmoy, Jubilex, and Fraz'Urbluu. The demons were vanquished. Afterwards, the surviving party headed back over the Darklake and journeyed through the vault of kings to Gauntlgrym.

### To Death with Dormani

Kotanmaru and the party ascended to the surface near Henrak Thun'gar. The coast of Rei Majoris was stormy and littered with dead and barely surviving refugees. The party met a resident called Nuratachalanutawa who offered them safe passage, they were lead through a drainage pipe under the city, where strange red eyed vermin men stalked them. They were taken to a small red plastered house in the capital, a safe place to avoid the city guard, who were killing refugees. It was the home of Abies Nobilis, where they also met Mallory Wuran, and Smig Hip. The party, Mallory, and Abies, headed through a travel gate, but were misled by their informant and were taken directly to the Crimson Palace. Inside they were to be executed before the Dragon Empereor, Dissectum Anguis, but they were rescued by Michael Landrum. They fled the capital and began getting as far away as possible, running to the furthest distant place they could, the ruins of the Nameless Kingdom in Uild. The King of Nothing led a massive force of nomads out of Gack who pledged their allegiance to Hjar, as he claimed his title and revealed the truth that Dissectum Anguis was a puppet. Kotanmaru then travelled with Michael Landrum for some time, going on small adventures, and collecting rare ingredients, but a fully insane Pardus Stormstrider stalked them, and Michael died saving Kotanmaru, who then went on alone for a number of years. He appeared once more to meet Hjar on his deathbed, before going on his own new journey into the underdark.

## The Champions of Dorun

### Recurring Nightmares

They party met the alchemically preserved Kotanmaru under the alias 'the Storm Crow', who led a kenku colony out of Blingdenstone. Kotanmaru and Abies did not recognise each other. Kotanmaru showed the champions of Dorun what had happened in Blingdenstone in illusory flashed of lightening. In his magic relic store room, Krad Klim touched the dark heart of Lolth, and his memory was returned to him. Kotanmaru warned them of her knowledge of Demogorgon, but led them onto the mortal gate.