Niearma is a conjuror from the city of Juinden-Muilly on the world of Wregin. Unlike most other people from that city, he travels widely.
Juinden-Muilly will not be detailed in phase one (it might appear in phase two if I ever get that far); for the moment, all that is relevant is that (a) it is a fishing port on the edge of an empire which also will not be detailed in phase one and (b) it is also the home of Wullen.
Niearma and Wullen will cooperate with one another should their paths cross outside their home city, and have done so several times in the past. They get on well together, but they are not friends. In their home city, their social circles do not overlap.
At the moment, the only way player characters are likely to meet anyone else from the city is if they are foolish enough to pick on Niearma. If they do, they are in big trouble. Niearma is very popular in his home city.
Niearma, alias Wadhxitholloan Alhamyana, is from the upper class. His cousin, known as the Earl-Duke, is head of the Alhamyana family, holds both Imperial and Juindenean aristocratic rank, and owns a palace near the centre of the city. Wadhxitholloan Alhamyana lives there when he is not travelling. As the younger son of a younger son, Wadhxitholloan has no chance of inheriting either title.
Niearma is an adjectival noun in the Juindenean language. It means "the studious", and refers to the fact that Wadhxitholloan Alhamyana is nowhere near as lazy as a typical noble. It is, obviously, also more easily pronounced than his true name (try pronouncing "dhx" as a single consonant cluster and you'll understand why), and that is one reason why it is the one he uses when travelling.
Wadhxitholloan is roughly 52 years old, but looks to be about 33. He has the advantages, but not the disadvantages, of reaching middle age. He is the most eligible bachelor in the Juinden-Muilly, and as his primary interest is conjuration research he seems likely to remain so despite the attentions of several extremely sexy women. Although he is attracted to all of them, he knows that any relationship would commit him to more time than he can afford to spend.
Wadhxitholloan occasionally accompanies parties visiting the standing stones at Vlydyga. He tries to ensure that his visits overlap those of Bibijnylern Debezha, an attractive female NPC from Bianzie.
[AD&D-Specific:] Wadhxitholloan Alhamyana, known as Niearma, human male, Str 18/88 Dex 16 Con 18 Int 19 Wis 18 Cha 20 Align NG Hp 137. Height: 6'1". Fighter, level 9; Psionicist, level 6; Conjuror, level 16.
Wadhxitholloan does not quite meet the stereotypical noble warrior profile (he is not as lazy as his peers). He has Hit Point Bonus (already allowed for in the total), 1d12 for HP (already allowed for in the total), Defence Bonus (-2 to AC when unarmoured and unencumbered), Weapon specialisation (Longsword), and Leadership. Wadhxitholloan never wears armour (not even magical armour) and is restricted to thief weapons.
Wadhxitholloan is a standard conjuror. He has three signature spells: glitterdust, prismatic spray and prismatic wall.
Traits: Allure, Artistic Ability, Glibness, Music/Instrument, Music/Singing.
Disadvantage: Powerful Enemy. The powerful enemy is the Emperor himself. The Emperor fears the Alhamyana family, and would like to see them done away with.
As a native-born Wregniard of a part-neutral alignment, Wadhxitholloan receives two 1st-level, two 2nd-level, one 3rd-level and one 4th-level clerical spell from the Creator, a druidic deity. Since Wadhxitholloan does not need them, the Creator will make a point of granting the most useless spells imaginable. Wadhxitholloan will nevertheless cast them from time to time, to demonstrate that the Creator's pact with the world of Wregin is maintained.
Wadhxitholloan has the ability to impersonate at will, adopting any humanoid form and maintaining it for up to one turn per level (currently 16 turns). (For the record, that's the wild surge result ability to cast one spell of level 4d3-3 at will, the spell being the 6th-level spell impersonation.)
Wadhxitholloan owns and uses many magical items, a few of them exceptionally powerful. The one which everyone who is anyone knows about is a +6 longbow which does triple damage when used against lycanthropes and shapechangers. Whoever holds the bow may adopt gaseous form at will, and has a +1 bonus to intelligence; use of these powers leaves at most one hand free, so (for example) it is not possible to use the intelligence bonus while memorising spells. Several shape-changing dragons know that he owns this longbow, and would rather he had it than anyone else did.
Wadhxitholloan also has a mirror of mental prowess in his laboratory, which is not one of the locations I have detailed. Strictly speaking, it is not his, but a family heirloom. He knows how to use it to travel between worlds, and also how to use all of the other powers it possesses. Using it, he could potentially turn up anywhere in the Fifty Worlds.
Wadhxitholloan is invariably friendly to others, and somewhat unworldly. He understands the seven deadly sins as theoretical concepts, but does not interpret the actions of his acquaintances in these contexts. This apart, he is perceptive about others.
Wadhxitholloan wears colourful, high-quality clothing imported at considerable expense from the capital (so do most other nobles).
Wadhxitholloan does not show his face often. Either his face will be covered by a mask or hood, or he will use impersonation to hide his features. Even some of his close acquaintances may find it hard to recall exactly what he looks like. In his home city, Wadhxitholloan is a frequent target for assassins, and if questioned he will admit as much.
Wadhxitholloan is a light eater, preferring well-presented cuisine to substantial meals.
Wadhxitholloan is a music-lover. In his youth, he wanted to be a bard. However, he started his adventuring career as warrior as, like most nobles, he had been trained almost from birth in the use of the sword. By the time he had mastered this to his own satisfaction, he had become more intrigued by the possibilities of properly-studied psychic powers than by acquiring spells haphazardly in the manner of a bard. Nevertheless, his traits are those one would expect of a noble troubadour, and he remains a talented and skilled singer and musician. He is also a confident public performer, he often performs party tricks at noble festivities, and his spell selection will normally be chosen as much for spectacular appearance as for damage potential.
Wadhxitholloan's friends are aware that he collects small wooden objects. Many of these objects are not especially valuable in any way except to him; they are merely utensils from past ages, and their value is that they are part of the history of Juinden-Muilly.
Wadhxitholloan is a member of the Teleport Society.
Note for DMs:
Wadhxitholloan Alhamyana is here because he is here. I may, at some point, write a story set in Juinden-Muilly, and if I do, he will obviously be one of the major characters in it. To stop player characters pre-empting this, he should be unkillable. If played properly, he is.
Obviously, he can be used for emergency rescues if the player characters get themselves in serious trouble.
He can also be used as an adventure hook. He will pay musically-inclined adventurers good money to visit obscure corners of the Fifty Worlds and collect folk songs and dances.
His occasional presence does make the otherwise female-dominated Teleport Society more interesting.