Valshoon

Valshoon is a tiefling merchant and nobleman currently residing in the city of Rydoon.

## Description

Hailing from new money, as opposed to the storied old money families of Rydoon that typically occupy the towers in the Radiant District known as the Saltstacks, Valshoon is well-known throughout the higher circles in the city as a shrewd and capable businessman, having interests in many fields across the city and beyond. He maintains close relationships with many of the businesses in the Radiant Heart, owning stakes in many - including the Altar, said to the be the grandest tavern in the entirety of Ahlus, and the Velvet Kiss, from which he has purchased numerous sets of clothes shaped from glamerweave.

Nonetheless, this meteoric rise into prominence has garnered the ire of some, amongst them several of the Archons of Rydoon, and the Lord of Howell Town, Fonteyne Howell. As such, Valshoon is never seen without the presence of his Honour Guard, resolute in their role as his sentinels and protectors.

## Personality

Valshoon wields his power with an effortless confidence, content in the belief that he is the most prepared and powerful individual in the room, regardless of its contents. Despite being ever coy with his choice of words, he seems to find great amusement in listening to the words of others, and thus actively engages in conversation - until it serves to be no longer in his interests or particular desires.

## History

Valshoon seems to possess some link to the tiefling adventurer Ba’alakor, though did not deign to explain further when meeting with Rover Custard Augustine at the Hall of the Virtuous in Rydoon. Providing Rover with a pendant that he reported Ba'al accidently left in his possession, he bid the bard return it to Ba'al. Rover's attempts to *Identify* the object found it to be made from obsidian, and enchanted with the spell *Symbol*. Upon delivering it to Ba'al, the warlock was subsequently visited by what was presumed to be an illusionary or dreamed version of Valshoon, prying into where Ba'al had hid "it". Owing to Ba'al's seemed amnesia, he was unable to answer, much to Valshoon's simultaneous irritation and curiosity.

Valshoon has met with Rover Custard Augustine on a number of occasions, having sponsored him as a patron since shortly after his graduation from the Academy of Rydoon in Jubilare, in exchange for Rover helping him as an ambassador, courier as well as performing at events held by him, usually with an audience of guild members, including a masked ball. It was to Rover's surprise, therefore, when Valshoon was announced as a competitor during the Archon election of 134WD, using his fame as a shrewd businessmen to build a steady approval basis. Furthering his support, he campaigned for the cracking down on criminal activity within the city, utilising the currency liberated from such gang operations to offset reducing trade tariffs into and out of the city, thus encouraging the establishment of new trade routes, diversifying investments across the Concord, namely prospecting for new mines, quarries and other sources of natural wealth and investing further in the arts to encourage artisanal productivity, including further funding for the Academy of Rydoon. Over the election he clashed with a number of his rivals, particularly so Zorylre paa Zilmunta and Bior the Boulder, as he aided Rover to climb through the approval ranks.

Valshoon was amongst the final election candidates, winning 25% of the Praised Caste vote, 26% of the Virtued Caste and 17% of the overall vote, placing his comfortably in the final four set before the Archonos, Archons and Hierarch to select between. While waiting for the results, he travelled to the Hippodros, meeting with Rover in the seats for the Virtued families on the southwestern part of the stadium. Noticing the ripple of energy on the other side of the stadium and the approaching destruction, he acted quickly to activate a ring upon his right hand, though in deciding to transport both Faustus Howell and Felix Sorbet Augustine in addition to himself and Rover, overcharged the magic item, causing it to detonate and take his arm off just below the elbow. Nonetheless, the act saved all four of their lives, *teleporting* them instantaneously to a cellar somewhere within Estaemarl - from where the group watched on to the scale of destruction with horror.

Since then, Valshoon has found himself going from strength to strength, his popularity within the Hollow Concord greater than ever having invested significant amounts of his personal wealth to facilitate rebuilding efforts across Cyrillai, but particularly so in the Garters, Clayrose, Estaemarl and Drakestower. Operating mines and quarries throughout the western stretches of the Bristlebacks and the southern Savage Creek Hills, his portfolio has also expanded to include much of the settlement of Silt's Bounty. To replace his lost arm, Valshoon has had a number of replacements commissioned - a gilded one for formal events, one of mithral for everyday lightweight usage, as well as one seemingly wrought of adamantine and covered in ornate runes.