Faustus Howell

* 136WD
* 131WD

Faustus Howell is a half-elf rogue, the firstborn son of the Lord of Howell Town. He is the Headmaster and Founder of the Phrontistery, a guildhall that specializes in training, functioning as a school that provides aristocratic education at an affordable tuition. He is a member of the Doom Riders guild.

## Backstory

Faustus Wren Howell was born to Lady Jessabelle and Lord Fonteyne Howell on 9 WD, Halla-Highreign. He is the oldest of four children, next being his sister Fiona, followed by his younger brother Forsythe, and finally by his little sister Foebe. All of Fonteyne's children enjoyed an aristocratic lifestyle of warmth and comfort, growing up within the walls of Howell Hold.

Among his family, Faustus stood out as a bit of a rogue where personality and temperament were concerned. Where his siblings were cautious, Faustus was brave. Where his parents were diligent, Faustus often shrugged his responsibilities. On his tenth birthday, Fonteyne brought his son to the tallest tower of Howell Hold to overlook the city, and to announce the beginning of his lessons as a noble lord, and one day the Lord of Howell Town, with a gift: a ring of common magic known as the Drone Ring, from his father’s personal collection.

Faustus was much less interested in his history and rhetoric lessons, however, and instead spent his time exploring the city itself, playing with its people and going on adventures of his own. He would leap from the tallest tower of the Hold, catch himself on a pine tree’s branches, and explore the town for the whole night. It became common to find Faustus at the gates of the Hold with the day’s visitors, covered in scrapes, bruises, and city snows.

This talent for trouble may have kept him out of it, however, as during a white dragon assault on the city when Faustus was only 11, his mother was killed in a dragon’s attempt on the Hold itself while Faustus was busy exploring the city, and subsequently hiding in it. He returned to a much different family, with his father starting on a warpath he would never diverge from.

Faustus and Fiona began learning lessons of war from their father, specifically lessons about their enemy: dragons. How to protect yourself from them, how to hunt them, and how to kill them. Equally as important was the apprehension of the dragon’s hoard, ensuring the wealth was used correctly. Eventually they were ready for the field, and joined the efforts of Fonteyne and his men in hunting the white dragon populace of the Hoarfrost Expanse. Faustus did not revel in the violence as his sister did, but survived using what skills he had been taught by, and had inherited from, his father.

Though in his efforts to avenge his wife, Faustus realised his father was not paying attention to the needs of his citizens. They had suffered as well, but in the years since the dragon attack, taxes and demands had only been raised in an effort to supply his father’s war. Faustus realised the greed of his father then, and knew that this was no way to avenge his mother, or to spend his life. Taking one last leap from the tallest tower of Howell Hold, Faustus left in the night with a bundle of stolen platinum without a destination in mind.

He stumbled on a church many days southwest of his home. The attic gave him shelter from the cold, and a base for hunting game. On the fifth day, an owl kept him company, and spoke to him in the voice of a god, its pupils gleaming like that of the night sky. It told him to seek his father’s origins in Whittengrove; to understand the man that had come before, and to stop the man that had come to be. Faustus, eager to learn more, set off for the city of Whittengrove. This was his answer.

His travels held many destinations. One such destination was the city of Cal Araenora, a city that welcomed him with open arms and charmed him to stay for a duration. He would leave the city after a month of alluring celebration years later, realising only after arriving at the next town that Ahlus had experienced change; 31 years of it. Faustus decided, instead of dwelling on the time he’d lost, he’d embrace the change like the denizens of the city had taught him. And, remembering the owl’s quest, set off once again towards Whittengrove.

## Adventures

### Reunion on the Rails

Faustus arrived in Whittengrove shortly after a devestating flood destroyed a portion of the town, and joined a group of mercenaries on a bounty posted by the Galeriders to apprehend a group of bandits known as the Railraiders. He paid for sweets and tickets for his party, but was thrown off balance when he realized his sister Fiona was also on the train, a person he had not seen for many years, and hadn't expected to for some time. After a hasty and poorly executed attempt at listening to her covert conversation, the siblings parted ways before the Railraiders made their mark as the train careened through the Iron Fangs. Along with his companions, Faustus was successful in apprehending the criminals on Halterslate Islet and returning the stolen loot of the civilian passengers.

### Meals, Mirth, and Mines

Travelling from Whittengrove across the Galerider Rail, Faustus set off with a seperate group of mercenaries to Oxresh, a 30 hour ride by train. Arriving in the city, they dined on drink, milk, meals, and cakes as they got to know each other, sharing in flyghts and games of dragonchess. The next morning they set off to a mine in the Wylth's Wood, where they thought to try for the bounty placed on clearing out the excavation by the Academy of Erudition. Though they were successful in their vanquish of the remorhaz that haunted its depths, they did lose a companion in Ódóvir to its fangs. Afterwards, they uncovered a plot to do with planting such a creature in the Blisterpool Mines to kill the miners and recover a lockbox, which Faustus gave freely to the mine warden. The mercenaries were quick to bury their companion, but Ódóvir, incredibly, returned to life in a bolt of lightning amidst a magical storm.

### Beneath Black Scar Redoubt

Setting out from the new settlement of Amber Run, Faustus joins his companions on the Galerider Rail as they answer a call to arms against a mysterious group of bandits in the Bristlebacks, attacking northeast of Thornwatch. After receiving information from local Rydooni forces, the adventurers ventured further into the mountains and eventually found themselves at the base of Black Scar Redoubt, a fortress of gnolls and various cultists. Faustus provided essential recon, climbing the fortress like he had done at Howell Hold in his childhood to help his allies get the upper hand, noting the weak points of the fortress' walls to attack. The attack itself, save a few close calls, was successful, the adventurers succeeding in vanquishing the Flails of Nargus at this fortress by day's end. The investigations that followed sent the group deep into the fortress, where aberrations lay dead in sunken stone halls and a wizard seemed to dwell in her studies. After admitting to knowing who Faustus was, she disappeared with her research.

### The Beast of Breakstone

It was an adventure of two fates as the group left from Amber Run, venturing first to Chalimar to inquire about a potion that could restore the goblin Moxzi to maturity from her infantile infliction. Inquries led the group to believe that half of the cure awaited them in Breakstone, where an alchemist would be there to greet them, and after acquiring a bundle of purchased potions, as well as new studded leather for Faustus in honour of Courrakey in design, the adventurers took the three day's journey to Breakstone to meet their twinned fates. Though the alchemist's shop was destroyed, and the alchemist in question missing, the group managed to assemble the necessary potion for the young goblin, as well as discover clues to the the nature of this mysterious beast, following their clues to a nearby quarry where a nest of ghouls lay in wait. After their defeat, a plan was hatched using a shard of Nihlertrium discovered in the alchemist's destroyed shop, and the beast, which in truth was some sort of avian automaton, found the adventurers as they laid a trap for the monster. After a harrowing battle, the beast was defeated, and a detonation followed, destroying not only the machine, but the remains of a halfling alchemist inside its stomach.

### Signet Rings and Whispered Things

Setting out from Amber Run, Faustus and a group of adventurers took the Galerider Rail to Rydoon to investigate a series of mysterious murders, staying at the Augustine Abode during their time in the city. The group visited the matron house to see to the victims and hunt for clues, finding that each victim was missing a hand and was pierced straight through the centre of their head by some type of powerful shot. Their hunt led them to Scales the tabaxi, a friend of one of the victims, but a series of questions and further investigations revealed the tabaxi to be in cahoots with an undefined entity of fiendish vengeance responsible for the murders. The adventurers met this threat in a chapel's garden, with Faustus vanquishing it, and the group taking Scales to the city guard for his ignorant but nonetheless malicious crimes.

### Jungle Cruise

Faustus joined a group of adventurers to answer an advertisement located in Viridell and the group set out to the jungle city to buy supplies for their journey and meet their companion in question, an otterfolk named Gills of the Plumblossom Monks. Their journey through the Tviatini Jungle was a curious one, encountering exotic beasts such as the parrogriff and kittingriff, natural enemies, and an abundance of talkative psychadelic mushrooms. Pranks were pulled and jokes were told but before the group could settle down for the evening Gills managed to fall into a mysterious ruin, jade totems, riddles, and spirit warriors. After a victory was achieved, Gills revealed himself to be a copper dragon, offering each of the adventurers a magic item in place of the coin they had been promised, and hoped the six of them had had, like, you know, just a good time.

### The Kroan Games of 132 WD

In an effort to appease his friend Rover, Faustus decided to join in the annual games of Rydoon. There, unexpectedly so, he met his sister Foebe, where the two represented the House of Howell in a playful, squabbling fashion. Faustus did pitifully in almost every event, save wrestling, strangley, and archery, where he managed to place second and earn himself a medal. Afterwards, the siblings caught up over some drinks in the city, Faustus himself happy to be reunited with a family member he had dearly missed.

### Beneath Threehorn

After the bombing in Whittengrove that resulted in the death of his brother-in-law Jiro Stask, Faustus penned a letter to his father, offering any aid he could to the family's mission in avenging their loss, a mission Faustus knew his sister would surely be helming. Perhaps in an effort to feel useful to his family, but also to keep an eye on his sister's arcane interests, Faustus left Amber Run with an expedition party on a mission to Threehorn, one of five locations found marked on the map of one Makaria Urilius, to research into the nature of the sight. Travelling by boat bartered in Howell Hithe the crew eventually made it to the island - passing along the way a rather gargantuan spoil of war - and delved into the icy surface in search of civilization. They discovered a ruin of massive proportions inhabited by a drow inventor named Vorn Helvlani, who spoke of the Elder Elemental Eye as their god. Decidedly against such religions, Faustus and the rest of the expedition party moved to engage the foe, and though Faustus ultimately fell to necrotic spells, Coel lost their life, and Timbermitt seemed to succumb to a strange infection of lycan properties, the group managed to escape the ruined icy lair and made their way back to Amber Run. Luckily, those that had lost their lives were returned thanks to the great magics of their allies.

### Otto's Opulent Observatorium

Answering a missing person's call to adventure, Faustus mustered his courage in the face of an unknown magical dimension to attempt to rescue his friend Arnica, who he'd met in Cal Araenora. Faustus' fear of magic on this journey was only hightened, and the goings on within this floating tower in the astral sea were too numerous and strange to explain. What matters is this: he was with the most chaotic party he has ever travelled with, in a place he most fears, and barely made it out alive. Needless to say he was traumatized beyond belief, and would very much like to never return.

### Beneath Last Gasp Isle

Faustus and a group of adventurers set off from Amber Run in Howell Town, having only the briefest of stops in the city before the prodigal son set off towards Ironbreach. Once there, the group boarded a ship captained by Silas, a friendly sailor who told them tales of the nearby wilderness and Lord Fonteyne Howell's exploits before dropping them off on Last Gasp Isle. After rowing past a dead dragon turtle, helping a father and daughter reunite after death, and vanquishing an army of oozes in a nearby ruins, the group found themselves upon an altar of sorts, hiding beneath it a temple of Venari. Faustus and the adventurers battled the denizens of the blood soaked dungeon before finding the missing dragon turtle heart beneath a spectral tree in the centre of a vampiric ritual chamber that held within it iconography of the Onyx Shroud. After defeating the heart and the willowhaunt tree, as well as an assembly of vampiric mists, the group destroyed the remainder of the temple, taking with them the ichorfeast candle to examine back at Amber Run.

### Ancestral Details and Arctic Depths

No letters having been sent from his family's seat in Howell Town was certainly a bit concerning, but nevertheless Faustus set off with his companions to Deepclaw Keep to rescue his friends from the icy depths of the Tremorthresh Crevasse. After revealing himself as the firstborn son of Lord Fonteyne Howell, Faustus managed to secure two White Coats, Jarod and Glynice, to accompany him and his companions down into the depths, as well as the Alderman's assistance in providing extra supplies and a healer on retainer that would attend to their rescued comrades. They ventured into the otherworldly plane of ice, and managed to do battle against from frostlings before rescueing their friends from their glacial tombs. With no man left behind, Faustus and company returned to the surface, got what payment they were owed, and returned to Amber Run.

### Family Dinner

After receiving an invitation to Howell Hold for a dinner party, Faustus assembled a team of adventurers he imagined could assist in avenging Jiro's death and set off to his family castle to make a good impression after his significant time away. Faustus was greeted with a rather rude homecoming, being scolded by his father in front of his companions and the Lord of Howell Town's guests. Though Faustus was keen to reunite with some of his family members he was not pleased to see his father, nor was he pleased with the marriage proposal that was not offered but rather commanded of Faustus. After spending the evening deliberating with his sisters and his companions, Faustus decided to ignore his father's request, denying the proposal, and telling off Fonteyne for his cruelty as a father. He left the castle with his companions unopposed, however upon returning to Amber Run Faustus was quick to leave the city in an effort to keep the citizens of Amber Run free of his father's inevitable revenge.

### The Kroan Games of 133 WD

After a year of hiding, Sigmund reveals his true identity of Faustus Howell to the group of adventurers travelling to Rydoon for the various ceremonies. A plan was hatched with Euora and Ashewan to rescue Foebe from her marriage to the Archon, a plan that seemed to be going smoothly, but was otherwise bungled by a serious of unplanned obstacles. Fiona seemed capable of thwarting their plans, but while Faustus remained in the stadium where the marriage was supposed to happen in an effort to draw the attention of his family, a terrible event errupted on the masses. Rydoon's island and most of its political elite were eviscerated, and Valshoon, a political ally of Rover's, managed to save Faustus' life as the four, including Rover's father Felix, were teleported in time from the explosion.

### Clouds and Clumsy

Pursuing the cloud giant Histrove, Faustus and an adventuring party headed out from Amber Run to Khonoldhur to secure flying mounts to reach the top of the mountain, where the supposed giant's keep was stationed. After some lessons to learn to fly the beasts, the adventurers ventured forth to the top of the mountain in question in the Ironfangs and found the cloud giant's keep. Faustus and his compatriots cleared out the keep and rid the world of Histrove, helped by a mysterious cloud giant claiming to be Histrove's sibling, but more concerning was the red dragon found imprisoned next to the keep's dying arcane engine of flight, the schematics of which were covertly requested to be recovered by patrons of the mission. The party squabbled over the fate of the Brightember, with Faustus insisting on its death, though ultimately it was released by Arnica and Rover, shattering the trust Faustus had in each individual irrepairebly. Fleeing the falling keep with what wealth and schematics they could find, a shattered party escaped with their lives.

### The Sandoval Gambit

Clio, Alwin's betrothed, was kidnapped by unknown bandits and taken to the Sandoval ravine, hidden somewhere in the Shifting Dunes. Faustus and a group of those around Amber Run, truly a collection of people just milling about, joined Alwin in a successful rescue of his fiance from brigands that ended up being none other than mercenaries looking for an easy win, who promptly disappeared once they were thwarted. The party remained upon hearing of those collecting the taken ransom, the Auvryth Den, the party decided to stay to deliver the ransom, where Alwin played for the ransom in a game of cards. After losing that terribly, the party decided to simply cut their losses and venture home, exploring a sultan ash tree on their way back and experiencing the wild enhancements of its fruit. On the galeride home, Alwin and his betrothed held a secret ceremony and got married the same place they fell in love, as the adventurers enjoyed a very doomrider wedding.

### Volcanoes and Vengeance

Intent on fixing the mistake he could not stop in the cloud giant castle some months ago, Faustus joins a group of adventurers in heading towards Mount Durnach, following the best lead they have on the possible location of Brightember. The party, after leaping from the roof of the Galerider and into the wilderness of crags below, stumble upon a village stripped of its denizens and wealth. A farbounder ranger named Cahmir hiding in the village inside a magical tent, after an amicable conversation with the party, agrees to assist them on their journey and creates a magical path for Faustus and the adventurers to follow into the volcano. The party delved deep within the volcano's unnatural cavern, navigating pools of lave and bats made of flame. Moving further into the network of tunnels, the party begins to find infernal runes on cavern spikes and war banners, and after navigating magical bouncing stalagmites and freeing a fire giant, the party finally find their prey. Brightember, revealing himself to be Khalthoth, had perhaps once been a dragon of well repute, but has since been influenced by a voice booming in the depths of the mountain. The red dragon has given in to its true nature, as Faustus feared, and the adventurers begin the fight. With the help of the fire giant Trikton, Faustus and the adventurers managed to defeat Brightember, with Faustus and Odovir driving a sword through the neck of the beast to eviscerate the fiend and finish the job. Of course, there's always a bigger fish, and Pyrkvothon the Blisterer erupted from the magma as Brightember lay dying. Trikton engaged the new red dragon to buy the party some time to escape, and though Lazarus lost his life in the perilous escape, the rest of the party did manage to leave with their lives. Mission accomplished, but not without its great losses.

### The Toknan Tumble

Faustus went to a ruin and then ran away from some scary dudes.

### Beneath Lilac Isle

Faustus and a group of adventurers decide to investigate the fourth of the five map locations, their journey leading them towards Saltwharf to embark by boat. After a brief full day stop at the Hall of the Virtuous in Rydoon, the party met Jilik - a goblin sailor who seemed to know Moxzi's uncle - who graciously offered the party a trip to the island free of charge on his ship *The Nimble*. Once on the island, the party get the lay of the land and eventually discover a standing stone with cryptic writing in multiple languages, something similar to what Odivir and Gwyneth had discovered before in another part of the world. Realizing that the stone reassembled seemed to be missing a key, the group decided to head off in a different direction, choosing instead to explore a mysterious flooded ruin. Facing the spectres and shadows within, the party investigate the ruin to discover its origins as a mage's guild. In the rooftop observatory, the party found an undead mage and did battle, narrowly avoiding death on nearly every front. Having discovered the missing key to the rock, the adventurers returned to the odd stone and discovered that even with the missing piece restored, the stone had long since been destroyed, or perhaps opened, by others before them.

## Arsenal

* **Drone Ring:** A magic ring, gifted to him by his father when he was very young. The amber gem on the ring's surface can spring to life in the form of a hornet at Faustus' command, mostly used for harrasment or distraction.
* **Hassk's Gift:** A mechanical globe of illusions, given to him by Hassk during the yuan-ti's visit to Howell Hold in celebration of Hadar's vanquishing. A button on the base of this children's toy springs illusions of Atralran knights to life, dictating simple stories of ambition, fealty, mettle, pride, prosperity, vigilance, and wisdom.
	+ The story of **Mettle** tells the tale of a bronze dragon fighting bravely against a seemingly endless horde of enemies in defense of his people.
	+ The story of **Vigilance** tells the tale of a knight standing watch, day and night, on Atral borders without fail.
	+ The story of **Prosperity** tells the tale of a farmer who exchanges his harvested crops for copper, which he then gives out to children freely.
	+ The story of **Ambition** tells a trio of stories, of a hiker, of a woodsman, of a soldier on a vanguard, each slowly achieving their goal despite their failings.
	+ The story of **Fealty** tells the tale of a small minority of loyal citizens, helping their city through fair and furious trials and tribulations.
	+ The story of **Wisdom** tells the tale of a man balancing stones on a set of scales after long and careful deliberation.
* **Efficient Quiver:** A quiver found on Halterslate Islet hovering in the Iron Fangs. The interior space can hold up to 60 arrows and bolts and 18 javelins all at once.
* **Cavecarver Crystal:** A mining rock found in the Blisterpool Mines of the Wylth's Wood. This simple arcane tool allows one to carve away at stone with incredible range and ease.
* **Logibíta:** A shortsword made from a remorhaz fang, retrieved from a felled remorhaz in the Blisterpool Mines. The bone of its blade rends a target with scorching heat in addition to its normal damage.
* **Gloves of Thievery:** Fingerless gloves of simple design that become invisible as soon as they are put on. They allow Faustus to more deftly pick locks.
* **Boots of Elvenkind:** A pair of boots gifted to him by Gills, a copper dragon. Coloured copper in place of the usual green and gold, they allow Faustus to move even quieter than he already achieves.
* **Laurel of Kroai:** A trophy won in the Kroan Games of 132 WD. It allows Faustus to bolster his athletic and acrobatic abilities.
* **Howell Holdings Dagger:** A dagger taken from a dead ship captain from a Howell Holdings crew found dead on Threehorn. It is better made than the usual dagger, and comes with a well decorated hilt.
* **Buccaneer's Bulwark:** A crossbow retrieved among the ruins of Last Grasp Isle. This crossbow magically bolsters Faustus' shots and can protect him with a storm of rampant arrows encircling his form when called upon.
* **Obsidian Studded Leather:** Found in the icy depths of the Tremorthresh Crevasse. The obsidian studs along the armour's surface allow Faustus to better resist non-magical damage at certain lucky intervals.
* **Augustine Rapier:** A rapier of fine make gifted to him by his good friend Rover. It is of incredible make, much more efficient at poking and prodding than any other he's wielded; and he does so with pride.
* **Eyes of the Eagle:** A pair of goggles with an avian design and crystal lenses. They allow Faustus to see great distances and heighten his perception.
* **Axe of Climbing:** A handaxe that was discovered in the ruins of Toknan's Keep. It doubles as a climbing pick, and assists Faustus in his freerunning extracurriculars.
* **Ring of Arcane Assessment:** A gemstone ring found in the mage's guild on Lilac Isle. It glows a faint light to let Faustus know who in his immediate vicinity has a proclivity for magic and spellcasting.

## Trivia

* Faustus has an inordinate sweet tooth.
* Faustus is afraid of unexpected, sudden magical effects.
* Faustus was a member of the since discontinued Galerider Rail's Junior Conductors program in his forties.
* Faustus learned to play dragonchess from his father, and specializes in the metallic pieces.
* His shortsword Logibíta is one of two blades made from the felled remorhaz of the Blisterpool Mines, the other belonging to Ódóvir named Svigatönn.
* Faustus' least favourite colour is orange.
* Like the majority of his family Faustus has comparably weak knees.
* Upon joining the Doom Riders guild Faustus was named Mærrgríma, meaning 'Noble Shadow of the Night.'
* Faustus once spent a year in hiding as a mute and masked adventurer named Sigmund.
* Faustus doesn't enjoy bugs.