Hussam Abquora

**Hussam Ab`Quora** is a lesser Babel noble and a scholar at the Babel Academy. Though a proud Babel native, he descends from a group of exiles from the Beylik of Karakol off the continent of Etera, long lost to a great calamity. He is known to practice many aspects of obscure Karakol culture.

He has been appointed as Grand Vizier of Karakol, and has served for the past two years as ruler and regent of the Beylik while the issue of succession is resolved.

## General Appearance

He stands at an average height, just slightly ahead of the halfway mark to six feet, though he does so with an air of great dignity. A dark red Karkolan fez adorns his balding head. His mustache is very stiff and very military, another feature of his character. His choice of clothing, a dark but well-cared suit, once fastidious, has long since fallen out of style though not out of favor with the middle-aged scholar. He can also be seen with an ornately styled cane, though more for the style than actual need.

## Personal Life

His only surviving direct relative would be his nephew, Shamus Victodd, the son of a sister long deceased and came to the Karakol's care after the tragedy. The two continue to maintain a close relationship as a result. though the growing savageness of the younger alchemist concerns the Karakol.

Domestically, he relies on the services of a longtime valet who goes by the name of George Curtis. The two have formed a familiar and cordial rapport.

Other than that, he keeps some contact with the handful Karakol contacts and relations that are scattered throughout Etera, though it would not be described as anything too close.

He is a patron of the arts, being a realist painter himself as well as a strings musician, though this was more of a pass-time and there is little recognition, if any, for his works.

## Grand Vizier of Karakol

When the Inevitability began sponsoring new Kingdoms in Siacros, Hussam was elected in a conference of Karakol delegates to act as interim leader of the newly re-established Beylik.

He personally oversaw efforts to recruit leaders for the new Kingdom and set out to establish the first settlement of Khantabr near Lake Humayun in Western Siacros.

## Fihlah Yahne

As is common in the creative world, Hussam would adopt "Fihlah Yahne" as an artistic alias, mostly out of the desire to separate his artistic worth from his political office. At times, he'd ask his trusted valet, Curtiss, to pose as the artist when accepting and handling commissions, though he would fill in himself when needed.

Recently though, he taken to adopting the persona when needed to blend into society, providing a small measure escapism when the duties of governorship prove too cumbersome.

## Adventures

After half a lifetime of scholarly work at the Babel Academy, the middle-aged scholar decides to have a go at a life of adventuring, partly inspired by the example of his nephew and partly because of a growing feeling of general discontent. So far, he has settled for acting as a consultant in a number of criminal and monstrous problems.

### The Painted Dungeon

The Painted Dungeon was known to Hussam as something of a local legend, but his decision to enter it stemmed primarily from an artistic curiosity with its charming host, the painted Huldra who guides those who venture the dungeon's depths. He was not particularly thrilled in fighting the purported rodents of unusual size, but adventuring is not without its labors.

At the entrance, Hussam would engage in delightful conversation with the painted Huldra, sketching impressions of both the host and impressions of the entrance for inspiration later. Eventually, he'd have to push with the dungeon, armed with nothing beyond his respectable wit and a blade drawn from its concealed housing within the walking cane he used.

It is said that no two sojourns into the Painted Dungeon are alike, thus it was both unexpected and unsurprising for Hussam to find that a cat, just a regular house cat, was the first thing he'd come across. The lethargic creature had seemingly already dispatched much of the rodent threat but was strangely willing to follow him along the path to the next chamber.

After dispatching a few shadowy creatures along the way, the scholar was dismayed to find that when entering the room, his sword would instantly fly from his hand, sticking itself flat to the chamber's walls. After a few almost comical attempts at prying the weapon off, a lever was luckily found to disable this strange phenomenon, the painted Huldra offered cheer and encouragement but was clearly amused. Almost equally so, was the feline following still.

In the final stretch of the dungeon, Hussam would come across a strange construct that stood in the path to the exit. Studying his foe, the fezzed man was formulating a plan of attack only to have the construct wander off into a shallow tunnel and stand confused staring into a wall. An equally confused Hussam was assured not to worry by the painted Huldra and proceeded forth to the end of the dungeon.

The end was an ancient storehouse, as promised. Containing items from ancient Verk. To his delight, his reward includes a masterwork artistry brush, a fine tool for his future works, along with a masterwork buckler. He also is well set to claim a 1 silver piece bounty for the return of a cat.

With these prizes in hand, he departs the Painted Dungeon with a satisfactory outcome.

### The Sunken Island Country

Long after the trek into the Painted Dungeon, Hussam would settle into the daily routine that comes with administering the desert realm of Karakol. As a scholar of some noteworthy intellect, he would find his days preoccupied managing the city-state's affairs. The new realm would have its share of growing pains: the small but growing population needed more and more food each cycle, the Inevitability sponsors were constantly prodding the Siacros nations towards one goal or another, and the Beylik Assembly still could not agree on a candidate for the throne.

Still, these were not overly difficult tasks, though they would breed a desire for a reprieve from the monotonous daily regimen. Fortunately, that would come in the form of a mishap occurring in a mine belonging to the Dollyrush Company. On Rova 11, a personal acquaintance from Dollyrush would write to Hussam for an academic consultation, informing of the encroachment of the Plane of Shadow on the mine's operations. On a personal whim, Hussam would decide to investigate it in person. Meeting up with three other capable individuals, they would delve into the ancient structure unearthed by the miners.

Deep in the ruins, the group would find sarcophagi with remains of a civilization long since passed, unrecognizable to current lore. Further still, an eroded mural would depict a ritual that hinted at the secrets of the ruin. Eager to unlock its mysteries, the group would perform the ascribed tenet only to result in the reanimation of the dead guardians and three elemental drakes. Bathed in shadow, the creatures gave fierce battle and would go so far as to knock Hussam unconscious and nearly shuffling him off the mortal coil.

Somehow, the adventurers prevailed, and the way would open further still to reveal more murals. Chancing their luck, they would activate these as well. The result was terrifying to behold, as a Hydra-like creature would emerge from a seal in the ground and set off, bursting through the mountain into destinations unknown. Though unsure of what had occured, the group were successful in that the Shadow Plane no longer encroached upon the mine and the issue was left at that.

Nearly two and a half years later, sightings of a mysterious island that rose from the seas off the north of Etera would intrigue scholars and explorers alike. Not particularly confident in his own survival abilities, along with being preoccupied with gearing up the desert kingdom for War, Hussam would opt to assist in purely an academic capacity. Examining scout reports and recovered evidence gave rise to an interesting notion: the origins of the island are older than anything in current recorded history, almost as old as Karakol itself. He would trace the few leads to records kept in a place known as The Great Library.

Together with other scholars and adventurers, particularly those who had ventured to The Great Library, it would be determined that the appearance of the island and his earlier expedition to Dollyrush mine were undoubtedly linked by the Hydra-like creature that was unwittingly unleashed. The findings would reveal that it was the ancient Servant of Death that had been sealed in the ruins. The murals in the Dollyrush Mine would also be deciphered to reveal more of the island's civilization which had been purged and sealed by the Servant of Death whose power and influence grew even in captivity.

Dismayed by the role he has unwittingly played in the affair, Hussam would dedicate as much effort as he can towards undoing his mistake.

### A Scholar’s Guilt

As the saga of the Horsemen of Abaddon unfolded across Etera, the urgency of dealing with the Sunken Island weighed heavily on the Karakolan. A sense of guilt crept steadily into his thoughts in spite of his efforts to uncover the secrets of the island. As a reserved and stoic man by nature, however, he managed to keep these feelings in check and used his creative work as an outlet and the paintings and musical tunes started taking on a darker and more somber tone. Nonetheless, he channeled this discontent into his work with other adventurers under the sponsorship of Varan Nokk-Durn, the famous inter-planar salesman to delve deep in learning more of the Horsemen.

His anxiety almost reached a breaking point when it became the Horseman of Death’s turn to accost Babel following the rout of the Horseman of War. Hussam grew increasingly distraught when Death ravaged Babel’s citizenry with the maladies of fading mortality. Much worse still was when the ranks of the Horseman’s cohorts swelled with reptilian minions that were all too familiar to the fezz-wearing scholar. He wielded this dismay with a dignified manner, though he began to favor a measure of isolation and solitude.

He was grateful that no one had sought to implicate him so far for his obscure but major role in the genesis of the Sunken Island. In the light of this crisis, he strove to redouble his efforts and even go so far to personally take part in a raid led by the minstrel Mariko Sawii against a lair of Death’s followers attempting to complete preparations for a nefarious ritual to shape Etera in the image of Abaddon.

The success of the raid was a small comforting victory, despite the perils he faced. The issue of the island and the Hydra-like monstrosity it held within still loomed precariously in his thoughts.

### Crushing Depths

When the window of opportunity finally opened to allow tackling the Sunken Island directly, Hussam resolved to journey there personally, relieved to be able to do so.

To prepare, the Scholar would peer extensively over the research gathered so far. From them, he realized that the horrific dragon Servant of Death was still bound to the island and that the Death cultists active there sought primarily to release their master’s creation.

For his part, the scholar sought to narrow down the positions of the anchors that played a role in keeping the island surfaced after it had been previously submerged. To him, there was a sense of urgency to sink the Island before the Servant was released. However, despite making some headway in the topic, the option did not appear to be taken up yet by the expedition planners, who sought instead to raid a series of outposts that have cropped out throughout the coral forests and the various deep-sea lakes.

Accepting of the decision, he joined the ranks organized by the Lizardfolk, Sra Rilovo, the renowned Paladin of Apsu, boarding the flagship she commissioned for the endeavor under the guise of his artistic alias, Fihlah Yahne. His identity would be known to Rilovo and other leaders, but preferred to maintain the low-key mantle for the trip. Throughout the journey, he would make several sketches of the ship and its crew, coming to befriend a number of them. He’d also take the chance to learn several shanties along the way, lifting his spirits immensely.

His morale would rally further still when the demise of the Horseman of Death reached him. His time on the ship and his newfound relations allowed the opportunity to reflect upon his self and sort out the growing dread within, or at least reconcile with it. He resolved to re-dedicate himself to the expedition with renewed vigor.

Arming himself with his wit and guile, along with the Deathless spell engine and Water Breathing concoction generously provided by Paladin Rilovo, he would join the others on the Sunken Island. Hussam would perform to his full capacity in a supporting role, using his talents in scouting enemies, coordinating allies, and medical training to keep the group in efficient fighting shape.

The scholar would not hesitate in joining each outing by the group, seeking a measure of redemption though without being reckless while doing so. He would make sure to keep a look out for any signs of the Island’s anchors that he sought earlier with his previous research.