Malkoth

## Synopsis

Malkoth is a tiefling, born to a single mother in the small farming town of Hillenbrook. He was trained in the arcane arts by the town wizard, Immanuel Belder, after showing a natural aptitude for magic. When he was a teenager, Malkoth's town was attacked by bandits, who killed his mother and mocked his heritage. Malkoth, exhibiting magic far more powerful than his normal capabilities, summoned a fire elemental which destroyed the bandits. After it killed the bandits, Malkoth lost control of the fire elemental, and it went on the kill the son of the town's mayor. The mayor wanted Malkoth punished for murder, but before he could be apprehended, Malkoth fled Hillenbrook. Malkoth is now on a mission to learn how to harness his innate power, and find the truth of his heritage.

## Adventuring Origin

Malkoth was born to a single mother, Miriam Arkin, in the small farming town of Hillenbrook. They lived a quiet and peaceful life, and despite Malkoth's infernal heritage, he was generally accepted in the town. His mother never told him much of anything about his father, only revealing that he was some sort of devil. The only memento Malkoth has of his father is an infernal amulet that he carries (unbeknownst to him, the Imlaq Amulet).

From a young age, Malkoth showed a natural aptitude for magic. The town wizard, Immanuel Belder, took Malkoth in as his apprentice, and helped him learn the basics of the arcane arts.

About a month ago, a group of bandits attacked Hillenbrook. Immanuel Belder was away at the time, gathering arcane reagents from the local wilderness. During the attack, the bandits murdered Miriam Arkin, mocking Malkoth's infernal heritage as they did so. In a fit of rage, Malkoth summoned a fire elemental from the forge of the local blacksmith, Thordral Heskin - an arcane feat far beyond his normal magical capabilities. The fire elemental killed the bandits, thereby saving the town. However, Malkoth lost control of the elemental while grieving for his mother, and the elemental proceeded to kill a young boy - Levi Sarlin, the son of Hillenbrook's mayor, Deena Sarlin. Before the elemental could wreak any more havoc, Immanuel Belder arrived and banished it.

Most of the town regarded Malkoth as a hero, but Deena Sarlin wanted him punished for the death of her son, and sent for the authorities from Hartwell. Thordral Heskin, who had seen the whole scenario unfold, urged Malkoth to flee Hillenbrook and travel to Mimrinoth. He told Malkoth to look for his relatives - the Heskin family - in Mimrinoth, and that they may be able to help him. Before Malkoth left Hillenbrook, Immanuel Belder gave him a map and some basic travel equipment, as well as his own license to practice spellcasting in the Alviren Empire.

Eventually, Malkoth reached Mimrinoth, where he met with Odell Heskin, the nephew of Thordral Heskin. Together, Odell and Malkoth set out on a journey to the southeast, where Odell had business in the city of Karaad.

## Nature of Abilities

Malkoth, on a few occasions, has demonstrated the ability to cast powerful conjuration magic, beyond the scope of his normal abilities. These abilities tend to manifest when he is in situations of intense emotional duress. When he has produced these conjuration effects, he has been unable to reliably maintain his control over them.

Malkoth’s infernal heritage is the cause for this strange ability. As the grandson of a very powerful devil, he has an innate connection to the Nine Hells. His soul serves as an anchor point for infernal energy within the Material Plane - a connection which manifests itself on occasions when Malkoth is closest to his fiendish nature - moments of rage, hate, vengeance, etc. When in this state of heightened connection to his infernal nature, Malkoth’s attempts to use arcane magic to manipulate the Weave become unintentionally distorted, and result in magical effects that are pulled not from Primordial Chaos, but rather from the Hells themselves. Essentially, his infernal connection “hijacks” his arcane casting, producing effects that are not entirely under his control.

Malkoth's nature as an infernal anchor makes him a critical piece to the prophecy regarding the Psalm of Assimilation (see Louche). Malkoth is the "son of two worlds" referenced in the prophecy, and in order for Asmodeus' plot to succeed, he must absorb Malkoth's soul into his own by way of the Psalm of Assimilation.

## Party Connections

### Odell

At the advice of Thordral Heskin, Malkoth sought out the Heskin family upon arriving in Mimrinoth. He was introduced to Odell, and joined him for a journey to Karaad.

### Gragnok

En route to Karaad with Odell, Malkoth met Gragnok, another traveler on the same road. The three decided to journey together, for safety in the harsh deserts of Chwaka.

## Planned Story Arcs

### The Imlaq Colossus

One way or another, Malkoth will learn the identity of his father - a man by the name of Lane Coronato in the city of Karaad. Lane Coronato needs the Imlaq Amulet in order to enter the Imlaq Colossus, and will eventually contact Malkoth to retrieve it.

When he goes to Karaad to investigate, he will find that Lane Coronato has gone off into the desert to the Imlaq Colossus, with a mysterious stranger. Traveling to the Imlaq Colossus, Malkoth will find that Lane is working with a celestial named Israphel. The Imlaq Colossus can only be accessed with the Imlaq Amulet, and Lane was willing to assist Israphel in luring Malkoth for the promise of riches.

During this encounter, Malkoth will learn of Israphel's plot to revive the Titan of Sapphrius Bay. Within the Imlaq Colossus, Israphel will learn a magical Psalm of Awakening needed to revive the Titan of Sapphrius Bay.

Depending on how the encounter goes, Malkoth may learn more about his heritage, including his grandmother Natalie Shaw, and the fact that Louche is his grandfather.

Investigating the Imlaq Colossus further, Malkoth will have the opportunity to learn that it would be possible for him to use powerful infernal conjuration magic to awaken the Imlaq Colossus and use it to do battle against the Titan of Sapphrius Bay. In order to do so, he will need a powerful infernal conjuration anchor, which can be obtained in the city of Sigil.

### Obtaining His Inheritance

Once Malkoth learns the identity of his grandmother, Natalie Shaw, he will need to travel to Avallon to investigate her estate. There, he will be confronted by Elrah Saevel, who will explain that he is in possession of Natalie Shaw's inheritance, which she has bequeathed to him and Lane Coronato, and which he is storing within his *magnificent mansion*.

In truth, Elrah seeks to entrap Malkoth and Lane Coronato and kill them, out of a grudge he bears for Natalie Shaw. Within the *magnificent mansion,* Malkoth can recover his inheritance, which includes a tuning fork to the Outlands for *plane shift*, and the Material Resonator.

### Sigil

In Sigil, Malkoth must obtain the conjuration anchor needed to power the Imlaq Colossus.

### The Titan of Sapphrius Bay

Working together with Louche, Malkoth must use the Imlaq Colossus to do battle against Israphel and the Titan of Sapphrius Bay.

## Story Rewards

### Team Skill

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

***Malkoth Cocktail.*** 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 deals damage to a creature with a spell, the next time you deal damage to the same creature with a spell, you can roll the damage dice twice and use either total.

### Material Resonator

Once Malkoth recovers Natalie Shaw's Material Resonator, he will be able to use it to perform new feats of conjuration.

### Blood of the Nine Hells

Malkoth will be able to learn to control his chaotic infernal magic by undergoing a trial, which Lane Coronato could lead him through. In this trial, he will face physical manifestations of his own infernal aspects ("Malkoth's Rage," "Malkoth's Ambition," etc.). At the end of this trial, Malkoth will have a choice: either to embrace his infernal nature and learn to unleash it at will, or to bind his infernal nature and learn arcane methods to master it. His choice will grant him one of the following abilities:

### Infernal Arcanum

* When you deal damage with a spell, you can choose to change the damage type to fire. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Charisma score, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
* Any creature that you summon or create with a conjuration spell gains the following benefits:
	+ The creature is resistant to fire damage. If the creature would normally be resistant to fire damage, it is instead immune to fire damage.
	+ Fire damage dealt by the creature ignores resistance to fire damage.
	+ Any time the creature deals damage of a type other than fire, you can choose to change the damage type to fire.
	+ When the creature deals fire damage, you can use your reaction to allow it to reroll any roll of 1 on the fire damage dice. It must use the new roll, even if it is another 1. As part of the same reaction, you can cause the creature to be wreathed in flame until the end of its next turn. The flames don't harm you or the creature, and they shed bright light out to 30 feet and dim light for an additional 30 feet. While the flames are present, any other creature within 5 feet of it that hits it with a melee attack takes 1d4 fire damage.
* As part of mastering your infernal nature, you must use this ability at least once per long rest in order to prevent your chaotic magic from becoming uncontrollable. When you complete a long rest, if you have not used this ability since your previous long rest, you lose this ability. You regain this ability when you complete another long rest. In the meantime, your infernal magic might manifest itself chaotically without your control until you regain this ability, at the DM's discretion.

### Infernal Efflux

* Immediately after you cast a conjuration spell or a spell that deals fire damage, you can choose to unleash the infernal magic within yourself. When you do so, roll on the Infernal Efflux table to determine the effect. Any effect that requires a saving throw uses the DC of your *infernal legacy* trait. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier, and you regain all expended uses when you complete a long rest.

Infernal Efflux

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At the end of each of your turns, not including the turn when you unleash this effect, you must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failure, you lose control of the chains. At the end of each of your turns once you lose control of the chains, including the turn when you lost control of them, they ram a randomly-determined creature within 30 feet of them. If there are no creatures within 30 feet of the chains, they move 30 feet toward a randomly-determined creature.

* As part of embracing your infernal nature, you must use this ability at least once per long rest in order to prevent your chaotic magic from becoming uncontrollable. When you complete a long rest,if you have not used this ability since your previous long rest, you lose this ability. You regain this ability when you complete another long rest. In the meantime, your infernal magic might manifest itself chaotically without your control until you regain this ability, at the DM's discretion.