Arundel Shay

Arundel was a gold elf bard, major political influencer in the fourth and fifth ages, and founder of the Shay noble house. Early in his youth he was framed for the death of his betrothed and was subject to the Shayri curse, striping him of his name and banishing him from the Silver reach. He was a member of the Sublime Chord circle along with Arco Vonovich being taken captive by the Vipers thieves gang while travelling to the college in Houndsheim. He was rescued in part by the efforts of Reluse, a half gold dragon paladin. He traveled for a time with this group, including Jodando Legault and Fey King Quixote. The group eventually became known as "the Four."

He was well known for his speaking abilities and commonly wove mind altering enchantments into his words. People who met him often told accounts of his ability to talk anyone into anything. This lead him being given the nickname "Trickster King." Arundel's magical abilities allow him to enter a "deep cover" state, taking on an alternate identity so flawlessly that it can create genuine alternate personalities.

Arundel Shay is believed to be one of the four greatest heroes of his age and was made lord steward of Findle after King Alpert mysteriously disappeared. As steward, he dissolved the theocratic rule of the kingdom and in protest of an exile's rule over humans, elves largely abandoned the country. Spiteful to his own kin, he opened the borders of Findle, allowing dark elves and goblinoids to enter as citizens and fill in the gap.

Arundel is a surprisingly short gold elf, standing at 5 foot 9 inches. He commonly dressed in battle ready mail, often leaving the castle on matters of private business on a whim. At some point during such a trip, he lost his left eye and denied offers of restoration. He "retired" to his land holdings in Morat Ras at the end of the fourth age, his last action as steward being assisting Yggritte in restoring the monarchy.

This character was seen briefly in the catacombs below Shra. Bearing witness to Terron's use of the Shadowpool. He stood by while Terron's ritual failed, withdrawing into the shadows when the portal to the Umbrial plane opened and the ritual to gain access without alerting the guards of Tartarus failed.

He has been refereed to as the "Old Spymaster" and "Godslayer."

Arundel was once a servant and spymaster of Vis. He was the wielder of the Hand of Vis and the Eye of Vis, artifacts that required the removal of the users hand and eye and replacement with the mummified relics. He eventually turned on his patron, slaying his lich form with tonguesever, which freed the Spark of Envy, but destroyed the Hand and Eye. Unfortunately he never discovered the location of his phylactery. He sided with the titan Parun, and was instrumental in the titan's release from Tartarus. He came out of "retirement in the countryside" to assist in negotiating for the Monarchy in Illden during the Illden Succession. He joined up with a group of adventuers who knew the location of Vis's phylactery but was killed in combat against Funiku Dorobo, the lich formerly known as Vis.

Arundel's signature weapons included an elven oathbow, Mythender, Platepiercer, and Tonguesever.