🔐 Phidippus¶
Spoilers Ahead!
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Phidippus
During "Dauriel's Mansion"¶
Name comes from Phidippus, the genus of jumping spiders.
He's a wizard who lives in a tower east of Cauldin's Point, deep in the wilderness.
See 🔐 The Hanlar and Phidippus Incident for details.
He has a real gripe against the Ironstone family and has caused Hanlar Ironstone's death. One day at Jonah's Denn, they got into a fight about steel vs sworcery and Hanlar humiliated him in front of all of Cauldin's Point by cutting off his robes. He retreated to his tower in the woods and only visited town to sacrifice in the 🔐 Cult of Amalchi. Besides raising 🔐 Amalchi, he wants to see the Ironstone family name extinguished. All of it.
He's an old acquaintance of Dauriel Aldarion, going back decades. He was also invited to Dauriel's party, but his invitation was stolen. He's heard of the party and is quite peeved that he wasn't invited.
He owns an abandoned forge north of Cauldin's Point that originally belonged to the Ironstone family, the 🔐 Ironstone Forge. After he killed the heirless Hanlar Ironstone, the business stopped and its assets were sold off by the state to the highest bidder. Here, Phidippus has constructed the glass tubes and machinations necessary to feed blood to Moreus from a collection system.
He often bosses the goblins who live nearby to do dangerous tasks for little pay. He hasn't used violence against them, but he implies that he will use magic against them if they don't do his bidding. Currently, he has asked them to catch a Macoyii, which is tied up behind the cabin. He wants to have one so he can investigate how they can mimic any sound. He has given them a potion that will put the creature to sleep, but hasn't instructed them on how to administer it.
Phidippus uses the Macoyii during a sacrifice ritual in order to raise 🔐 Amalchi. He's a member of the 🔐 Cult of Amalchi and becomes the main antagonist at the end of the adventure.
During "Blue Skies"¶
Phidippus as Agorius
Amalchi has split from him, and left him severely scarred. Mentally, as well as physically. He's covered in obsidian. Phidippus feels abandoned by his deity and has lost contact. Though he's resentful, he still worships him, especially now that he's seen Amalchi's power firsthand.
He's given up the 🔐 Ironstone Forge since he's done with it, and since he's presumed dead, the Medeids have bought it back. However, he's pretending to be someone else (named Agorius) and works at the forge to create time keeping devices with 🔐 Sophia Medeid.
He's using Disguise Self to change his face. He's never around for more than an hour since that's how long the spell lasts. He will burn up his spell slots trying to maintain his disguise.
He's getting real close to Sophia now that everyone else close to her is gone or has left. Sophia is feeling lonely, and Phidippus being the Ironstone hating man that he is, is taking advantage of this.
Personality¶
He's pretty much Aristotle, though less wise, and will argue everything. He's also very petty and takes everything personally.
Aliases:
- Agorius, in Cauldin's Point after its destruction
- Colonus, in Korban's Landing
- Sassacus, overseas
Tower¶
- Total height: 120 ft.
- A single cylinder shape made of sandstone capped by a copper dome
- A large shaft runs all the way through the center to the top of the building, providing the bottom floor with light.
- Outside walls are entirely smooth, no protrusions or windows until the very top
- Ground floor is an empty cylindrical shape with featureless walls.
- The floor is made of black and white marble, in the shape of a compass
- At the center of the compass is a 3 ft. tall protrusion used by Phiddipus to jump
- There's a single small platform dead center of the compass that Phidippus jumps on to with a mighty leap.
- Spider webs funnel along the walls, culminating around the hole in the ceiling
- DC 18 perception will reveal 12 (2d8) spiders
- First Floor
- 60 ft. to the entrance from the ground floor.
- Hole in the floor from which Phiddipus jumps in and out
- Main living area and study
- Leaning against a wall and Hanlar's face disfigured, is the missing portait from the 🔐 Ironstone Forge
- Second Floor
- Copper roof dome with some glass openings
- Light grows indoor herbs used for spells