Mortimer

Mortimer in Cast

> Dig deep, search far, only then will you find it.
>
> - Mortimer speaking to Festus Greybraid through the Blood Gem

Mortimer was the exiled prince of Fear and son of Crone, and the patron of Festus Greybraid's warlock pact. Mortimer began to work for Dromis Khar for a time, but supposedly plotted to kill him and take the Gems of Power he'd been collecting for himself. Mortimer was ultimately killed by the Sanguine Saviors, the killing blow struck by his own warlock, forever freeing Festus of Mortimer's hold over him, as well as the powers granted by the accord.

## Description

### Appearance

Mortimer was a tall, composed, and well-groomed devil lord. His skin was orange-red, he wore boots that rode up his calves, and dressed in expensive clothes of green, tan, and red, accented in typical Fearan custom and tailorship.

### Personality

Mortimer was condescending, egotistical, and seemed to revel in the pain of others. Vengeful to a fault, he treated those he'd perceived as having wronged him (or in the case of Festus, someone in his stead) as means to ends. Mortimer was initially presented as greedy and power-hungry, and while that may very much have been the case, it was clear that he had a bigger chip on his shoulder and ambitions beyond being physically powerful.

## Biography

### Before the Final Days of the Fifth Age

Little is known about Mortimer before his appearance in the campaign, though it is likely that he is very old by standard mortal comparison, that he once lived in Fear, and that he was subsequently banished from his birthplace, most likely by his father, Crone, the current ruler of the plane as of the latter days of the Age of Growth, when Final Days of the Fifth Age takes place.

### The Final Days of the Fifth Age

Mortimer continually prodded the party throughout Act I of the campaign as one of its primary antagonists, and later on as an uneasy ally of circumstance, before ultimately rolling back into an antagonistic role as he was forced to defend himself against the Saviors, who ultimately killed him.

## Relationships

### Festus Greybraid

Throughout their time knowing one another, Mortimer's relationship to Festus was largely antagonistic, the devil having used the dwarf as a tool to gather Gems of Power for him. Mortimer took on a progressively more involved role in Festus' life over time, however, and eventually came to regard him with much more humanity, especially after showing the party who he worked for and why he did it. Despite this, Mortimer was not seemingly very surprised when he was cast into the forest where he fought and was killed by the Saviors, responding to Festus' question of "Are you ready to die?" by saying "As long as you are." Mortimer was ultimately killed by Festus crushing his head with the Blood Gem, but not before whispering his last words to Festus: "You have his eyes."

### Nero Arctis (Original Timeline)

Throughout the interactions that Nero Arctis and Mortimer shared, it was apparent that they hated one another. Nero viewed Mortimer as someone who bullied and used his friends as if they were tools, and Mortimer viewed Nero as a bleeding heart with a slim perception of the world. When the two came to blows, Mortimer beat down the drow and even went so far as to stab him in the stomach after he'd collapse for good measure, though he ultimately survived the incident with the help of his party members. Mortimer's later words expressed that he wasn't proud of how he treated Nero, but still felt justified in his actions.

### Nero Arctis (Blood Crusade Timeline)

Mortimer and Nero from the future hardly worked with one another, though it was revealed by Nero that he defeated Mortimer in single combat and forced him to meet Dromis, for whom he ultimately began to work for in collecting more Gems of Power. It's unknown if Mortimer was allowed to keep the Blood Gem and Callous Gem for himself or if he kept them hidden from Dromis. Nero from the future and Mortimer interacted very little after their fight, and it was heavily implied that there was a seasoned hate between them based on 'past' interactions and that Mortimer was ashamed of his defeat and the reception of the subsequent mercy at Nero's hands.

### Hiccup

Mortimer showed a repeated displeasure in Hiccup, and preferred to avoid him in most situations, however he tried to kill him in combat directly.