Niall

## First Enchanter Niall

> *"I'll pay for that later I'm sure, but I feared she was about to act rashly"* - **after ordering the Knight-Commander to leave.**
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**First Enchanter Niall** is the young leader of the Ostwick Circle of Magi, who possesses a tenuous albeit respectful relationship with his colleague, Knight-Commander Maeve.

## Background

Though little is known about him, it can be surmised that he possesses impressive magical abilities to have reached the position he has.

It is also assumed that he is a recent arrival to the position of First Enchanter, as it is very rare for one so young to be in such a high position, let alone having held it for a few years.

## Involvement

He was first encountered after Balbus, Caspar and Kynedrin had decided to pay a visit to the Circle following the events in the Timber Drum. Caspar had decided to announce himself and his group by stating he had found a significant amount of raw lyrium in the forest. Perhaps not the best tactic, but it was effective enough. He agreed to see them almost immediately, though whether this interrupted a conversation he was having with Maeve or simply caused the argument that the Party overheard is unknown.

When the party members arrived he waved them in, and asked them to explain what they had so boldly stated at the gates. Caspar then explained all they had witnessed, from the attempted do-gooders gone mad to the abomination adorned in Templar armour that laid waste to an entire encampment.

Upon mention of that last point, Knight-Commander Maeve immediately began to question the group, demanding that they prove such a serious accusation, presumably riled by the accusation that one of her charges had become possessed or 'gone rogue'. However, as she grew more combative and demanding, Niall appeared to simply get annoyed at the whole situation instead. When she continued to question them, he interrupted and demanded that she leave, wanting to discuss the matter privately.

Apologising for her attitude and discerning that the people in front of him were trustworthy enough, Niall explained that the last few months had seen increasing numbers of Templar going missing or simply abandoning their duties. He explained that there were several risks inherent in serving within the Order. It was a harsh life to dedicate yourself to, one that demanded your full commitment, anything less risking the lives of those you were sworn to protect. The things they witness, and are sometimes forced to do, would be enough to drive a regular person insane, so when one goes missing it is rarely newsworthy. However, the rising numbers drew the attention of the senior members in the Circle, with Ser Willas and Ser Dana the most recent, presumed lost to their addictions. He said that the reason the Knight-Commander was so defensive was that she had tried her best to keep this out of the public eye, not wishing to draw the attention of the White Spire before she could finish her own investigation. He didn't go much further with this point, though he did state that what she feared most was who they would send to investigate.

He continued on, saying that some Templars would disappear, only to re-appear some time later and simply resume their duties, as if nothing had changed. This seemed strange to some, but due to nothing else out of the ordinary they just presumed they had taken an impromptu sabbatical, or 'broken' and decided to enjoy the seedier elements of the City one last time. Mages were unaffected it seemed, though some had grown emotional when Templars they knew had gone missing. He said this was natural though, for when Templars acted weirdly, Mages fear the worst, himself included.

He thus bade the Party members present to assist in whatever ways they could, as it was unlikely to be solved overnight. From his point of view, people would be more likely to talk to the Party than to a Templar, and if a Mage asked they would likely fear punishment from the Templars for talking. Thus, any reliable help was welcome.