Gragnok

## Synopsis

Gragnok is a former soldier in the army of Aerzen, ultimately serving under the Alviren Empire. He served in the city of Hartwell under Duke Vincent Mason, along with his father, Carric Blackburn. After his father and compatriots were murdered by a mysterious necromancer, Gragnok deserted the army and set out on his own, in hopes of distancing himself from a troubled past and someday avenging his father.

## Adventuring Origin

Gragnok was born in the city of Hartwell, and raised there by his father, Carric Blackburn, a paladin in the army of Aerzen, serving under the Alviren Empire. While Carric is human, Gragnok is half-elven. He never knew his mother, and his father never told him much of anything about her. All that Gragnok knows for sure is that the relationship between Carric and his mother was forbidden by Carric's military superiors, which is why she was not a part of his life. Carric made apparent efforts to distance Gragnok from his elven heritage, and when Gragnok came of age to serve, he joined the army alongside his father.

Despite his father's best efforts, Gragnok's elven heritage marked him for shame and distrust among most of his peers and superiors. Elves being widely disliked in Aerzen, Gragnok was treated as inferior by his superiors, especially Duke Vincent Mason, his commanding officer. Duke Mason openly displayed dislike for Gragnok, and deliberately held him back from advancement or promotion within the army, due to his elven heritage.

On one occasion, about a month prior to the campaign's beginning, Duke Mason assigned Gragnok, his father, and most of his friends in the army to a patrol together through the Eiswald Forest. This was unusual, as Duke Mason would generally make an active effort to separate Gragnok from his father and peers.

During this patrol mission, Gragnok's troop was ambushed by a cloaked figure, who summoned undead creatures to attack them. As the undead overwhelmed the troop, the necromancer fled into the woods. Gragnok left his father and troop behind to pursue the necromancer, but by the time he caught up with him, the necromancer was completing a teleportation ritual and disappeared.

Gragnok returned to his troop, but found them all slain, including his father. Suspecting that Duke Mason was somehow involved, and knowing that he would be charged with desertion for leaving his father and troop to their deaths, Gragnok decided not to return to Hartwell, and instead set out to begin a new life, in hopes of redeeming himself for his perceived mistakes and someday avenging his father.

For about a month, Gragnok has wandered from town to town, laying low and accepting odd jobs to get by. Eventually, he made his way to Mimrinoth, and from there continued southeast towards Karaad.

## The Raven Queen

During his time in the imperial army, Gragnok drew his divine magic from Erathis - as many law enforcers and peacekeepers do. However, after the events that transpired near the Imlaq Colossus with the party, Gragnok was considered by Erathis to have betrayed his oath and violated his tenets. Meanwhile, The Raven Queen took an interest in Gragnok - both for his disdain for the undead, and the destiny that guides him towards preventing the plot of Thalien Omadithas. She sees him as a vessel to prevent the Thalien's use of her rites of ascension to ascend to godhood.

## Party Connections

### Odell and Malkoth

On the road from Mimrinoth to Karaad, Gragnok met with Odell and Malkoth. The three decided to share the road for safety, and have been traveling together for about a week.

## Planned Story Arcs

### Facing Duke Mason and Retrieving Orion's Key

Gragnok, with the guidance of The Raven Queen, must eventually retrieve the key to the Luxturrim Obelisk, which was buried with Alusfaen Orion in his crypt. During this excursion, he will find that Duke Vincent Mason is also attempting to retrieve the key.

By confronting Duke Mason, he will learn that Mason was paid handsomely by a mysterious individual to send Gragnok and his father out on their own. Duke Mason won't know the identity of the person who paid him (in truth, Avourel Orion on behalf of Thalien Omadithas), but will reveal that the person also asked about Gragnok's mother, Valania Aloro.

Ultimately, this encounter will point Gragnok towards Volus to look for Valania Aloro and find out who paid Duke Mason to have him and his father killed. It will also be his opportunity to retrieve Orion's Key.

### The Luxturrim Obelisk

At the behest of The Raven Queen, and in tandem with some other party members' goals, Gragnok will eventually come to the Luxturrim Obelisk, where he will find that Thalien Omadithas is attempting to learn the Raven Queen's rites of ascension.

### Learning The Truth of His Ancestry

In Volus, Gragnok can find Valania Aloro, and learn the truth of his ancestry - that he is the last descendant of Avara Wasanthi and Alusfaen Orion. During this encounter, Gragnok and Valania will be confronted by Avourel Orion, who will then be revealed as the necromancer who killed his father, on behalf of Thalien Omadithas and the Inquisitors. Thalien's plot to destroy the entire bloodline of the apostate Avara Wasanthi will be revealed, and Avourel Orion will attempt to slay Valania and Gragnok.

### Avenging His Father’s Death

Gragnok must face and defeat Thalien Omadithas, thereby avenging his father's death and fulfilling his oath to The Raven Queen.

## Story Rewards

### Team Skill: School of Hard Noks

Once Gragnok awakens Syntithenai, he permanently gains the following skill, which he retains even after he ends his attunement to the blade.

***School of Hard Noks.*** At the end of each long rest, you can choose an ally to be attuned to your Team Skill. The ally remains attuned to your Team Skill until you complete another long rest. You can only use your Team Skill on the attuned ally, and you can only ever have one ally attuned to your Team Skill at a time.

When your attuned ally is hit by an attack roll, you can use your reaction to move up to 15 feet towards your attuned ally. If you end this movement adjacent to your attuned ally, they gain a 1d4 bonus to their armor class against the triggering attack, which lasts until the start of their next turn.

### Story Reward: Orion’s Key

Gragnok will receive a powerful magical artifact, Orion's Key, after his confrontation with Duke Vincent Mason. The mantle has protective properties, and is usable only by the bloodlines of elven nobility from ancient Ayn Sitael.