Vizier Ovelis

South of the Krokhan Desert lies Ireth, a city steeped in wealth and history, a shining jewel of civilization. Or, rather, it was, before the rise of Bad-el-Kazar and the darkening of Ireth in the Age of Treachery. The mage academies that once produced the finest wizards, sorcerers, and spellcasters the world had ever seen are now reduced to squabbling fiefdoms, ruled by madmen. What was once a storehouse of knowledge has become a repository of nightmares. And first among their number is Vizier Ovelis. Though Ireth is still nominally ruled by Bad-el-Kazar, the mage city's necromantic Grandmaster, in reality he does so in name only, as for many years he has been absent, doing whatever he or Siroth whims. And so the onerous task of governance falls to his many viziers, who have portioned out Ireth to best suit themselves even as they make covert war upon one another in an effort to take complete control of the city. Ovelis is among the most powerful of their number, as well as one of the most corrupt. But it was not always so. In the years following Bad-el-Kazar’s return from his expedition to the Winterlands, Ireth fell into chaos. It became rife with factionalism and fanaticism in equal measure, leading to blood on the streets and a complete disruption in the city’s studies. Something had to be done, and Ovelis knew that he was the only one with the foresight to see it done properly. He had survived the brutal politics of the academies, surely running a city could be no worse than that. Ovelis spent his days rooting out sedition and ensuring that the Grandmaster’s control of the city remained intact and the selfish desires of the grand scholars and mages did not win out. But it was a thankless task, and Ovelis grew fearful that his hard work was unappreciated by his fellow viziers. Worse, that their resentment of his heavy-handed approach outweighed their fear. He suspected that his own spies were secretly in the employ of his rivals, and that his orders were not being carried out, or worse, compromised. Surrounded by enemies both overt and hidden, imagined or otherwise, Ovelis realized he could only count on himself. Ovelis concluded that the only way to survive was to be both the hand that wields the dagger, and the dagger itself. Thus, he delved into those magics which had been forbidden before Bad-el-Kazar’s reign and performed eldritch rituals, seeking some way of being in two or more places at once. It was a mad quest, a fool’s errand, and a sign of the degradation of Ovelis’ once-keen mind, awash in fear and frustration… and yet, it was successful. After many nights of study, he conjured a duplicate of himself; a semi-sentient entity that resembled him in every way, save that it was formed of shadow substance. Overjoyed, and perhaps a trifle relieved, Ovelis unleashed his creation on his enemies that very evening. The Shadow-Ovelis stalked the streets of Ireth, hunting for those who dared pit themselves against the vizier as well as those whom Ovelis merely suspected of doing so. What followed was a night of slaughter unlike any Ireth has ever endured before or since. Dozens of Ovelis’ fellow viziers were murdered in their private quarters or in the laboratories; seditious mages were butchered in the streets and alleyways; recalcitrant officials were found in their bedchambers, bloated with poison. But when morning dawned, and the umbral assassin returned to its master… something happened. What that something was is unknown to all save Ovelis himself, though servants reported the sounds of the vizier arguing 'with himself', followed by a blood-curdling scream. Afterwards, Ovelis took to wearing an intricately wrought mask and all-concealing robes, as if trying to hide some disfigurement. Nor did he deign to speak with his fellow viziers face to face again, despite their best efforts. No longer could he be drawn into the plots and schemes of his peers. Strangest of all, he made no effort to rebuild his spy networks. Despite this, Ovelis suffered no lack of information on the doings of the city’s inhabitants. Indeed, some said it was as if he now had an ear in every chamber and a knife in every shadow. Yet he made no attempt to increase his power. Rather, he is seemingly content to leave such squabbling to the other viziers. So long as they keep such matters contained to themselves, Ovelis pays them little heed. For their part, the other viziers make sure to do so, and keep any thought of treachery to themselves. For anyone who threatens the relative peace of Ireth vanishes, leaving only empty rooms and the echo of fading screams…