Capricius

Lord Capricius is a character first formally introduced in the article Secrets of Privilege in Quoth the Raven Issue 29, although his background had already been discussed in a thread on the Fraternity of Shadows forum. He is a Satyr and the Darklord of a domain named Anaides.

Fall by Desire

Capricius was born in an ancient forest, and initially served as one of its guardians; whenever humans ventured too close with their axes, Capricius would use his magical pan pipes to force them to dance unto exhaustion - or even unto death. On the other hand, he preyed on any comely youth to venture near the edge of the forest, sating his lusts on them before sending them hence. If these youths shepherded cattle, Capricius would steal the tastiest-looking specimens, then roast and devour them. None of his crimes concerned the ancient Dryads who ruled the Fey of the forest, so long as he continued to serve as a guardian.

Alas, Capricius was moved more by his own desires than by any genuine loyalty. When humans came again - men bearing axes - they managed to seduce the Satyr, promising to share the wealth they would earn by selling lumber from the ancient forest. With his share of the money, Capricius could buy a house, feast and drink every night, and buy or rent any lovers he might wish. The selfish Fey assisted the woodcutters, using his magic to drive away lesser Fey who tried to protest the destruction of their homes. The woodcutters promised to return once they had sold all the lumber, but the Fey from the deeper forest seized Capricius as soon as the humans were gone. Although Capricius complained loudly that he had done no wrong, and all claims to the contrary were lies, the elder Dryads were not deceived; they sentenced Capricius to exile from his forest home until such time as he could redeem himself, and bound his native magic.

Capricius was furious, but still believed that a fortune and endless luxury and debauchery awaited him among the humans. He followed the woodcutters to their home village, where he received his just reward - for countless cases of rape and theft. The Fey was stoned to unconsciousness, then awoke to find himself in a cage in the middle of town. His food consisted of kitchen trash and hog slops, and the humans mocked him when he screamed about what he was owed.

Fall by Wrath

Even with his magic bound, Capricius was still physically powerful. He managed to break free from the cage, and stole into human houses while they slept. Here, he could have slain all the woodcutters who had lied to him, but that seemed to him too easy a way out. Instead, the Satyr stole an axe and some human clothes.

The Satyr returned to the ancient forest, easily dodged the patrols by his former kinsmen, and stole into the place of the elder Dryads. By the time the arm-cry went up, it was too late; all the elder Dryads were dead, their heart-roots severed by an axe. Capricius made sure that the guards saw him running away, a human at first glance, whooping his triumph and carrying a bow and quiver full of elfshot arrows as a trophy.

These arrows, Capricius used the very next day, as he spied young children leave their homes to tend the herds. With his youthful victims paralyzed, incapable of so much as crying out for help, Capricius vented his many frustrations on them - and he finished the sick congress with his new axe. When worried parents came seeking their young, they found them butchered, clearly the victims of Fey...

War erupted, as old hatred came boiling to the surface thanks to Capricius' crimes. The wily Satyr watched from the shadows and cackled with glee as Fey and humans butchered each other. When the human warriors finally charged into the ancient forest, Capricius could have decided that this sufficed; he could have gone his own way, sought a new place to hunt and dance and feast. But he decided that still, this was not enough redress for what he had suffered.

The ancient forest was lush and dry in the depths of summer, and Capricius still had a bow and arrows. Arrows that could be set on fire.

Fall into Evil

Capricius watched the forest that had birthed him burn, and he laughed. When he spotted people trying to flee the inferno, be they human or Fey, he shot them on the spot - and laughed. Only when the heat became so great that it threatened to singe the fur from his lower body did he retreat. Still, he did not feel that he had avenged himself enough. There were villages that contained frightened wives and children, awaiting the return of their menfolk - men who had burned or choked to death in the forest. In other words, there was prey in plentitude for a lustful Satyr, and Capricius went to them with a song in his heart.

The song died when the smoke caught him up. No matter how fast he ran, it first dogged his trail, then overtook him. Choking, blinded and agonized, Capricius stumbled through the clouds until they suddenly turned cold and clammy. The Mists had come for Capricius, and when they parted he was in Anaides, its lord and prisoner.

Cursed Thrice

In Anaides, 'Lord' Capricius is a powerful and well-respected man. He is wealthy, the domain's prime timber merchant. As the domain's forests are under the control of hostile Fey, only Capricius' timber farms can provide the human population's need for wood. But Capricius must walk a tightrope; his lungs were damaged by the smoke that brought him to his domain, and he can only breathe the rarified air of a forest without feeling discomfort verging on pain. As the Fey of the forests despise him and would happily kill him if he came within reach, only the timber farms give Capricius any comfort. He resents having to prune his trees and sell them, but he must to maintain his opulent lifestyle and masquerade as a benevolent timber merchant. In order to reduce the need for timber, Capricius has taken to acts of occasional murder, for instance by poisoning wells. While his crimes are unlikely to truly reduce the need for lumber, he believes they will, and perseveres.

In Anaides, 'Lord' Capricius lives a life of luxury and hedonism. Only the finest dishes and wines grace his table. He has a private menagerie of slaves and prostitutes in the cellars of his lair, Bilis Manor, their tongues cut out so they can not spread tales. From time to time guests who will not be missed are added to this collection of unfortunate souls. But when in public, he must take pains to disguise himself as a human, and he must truly act the part of an aristocrat of Anaides; if anyone found out that he is a Fey, every hand would be turned against him. Although it stings his pride and causes him great discomfort, Capricius must wear wigs and specially adjusted trousers and footwear when he goes out in public, which is frequent. Some days the pain is so great that the Satyr can barely move once he has managed to limp home.

In conclusion, Capricius still cannot use the magic that was his birthright. The only way he could satisfy his longing for the sensation of true magic was to join the Cornerstone Fourndation and become a foundationist. While the ability to once again cast spells pleased him greatly and he is still hooked on it as though on a drug, Capricius detests the stuffy, rule-bound atmosphere of the Foundation, which prevents him from advancing as quickly as he would like. He likewise dislikes the style of magic he is 'reduced' to, having to study crumbling parchments and moldy old books to feel a shadow of the joy of power that should be his by right.

Closing the Border

When Capricius wishes to close the borders of Anaides, dread treants and undead treants rise from the earth at the border. For every treant that is cut down, two more rise until those who wish to escape are slain or flee back into Anaides. Once the borders re-open, any surviving treants sink back into the earth, but any slain treants rot away, making their carcasses useless for the timber trade that keeps Capricius in wealth.

Statistics

Chaotic Evil male satyr ranger 3 / rogue 2 / foundationist 5