Friar Whelm

A character from the short story Tales of Ravenloft: Undefiled, Friar Whelm is seemingly a harmless, comforting old man who leads the peaceful congregation of worshipers at the Temple of White Hope in the veneration of the God of White Hope. There he preaches messages of peace and community to the people of Estrangia in the face of the horrible vampire known as Crave. Friar Whelm preaches a message of pacifism and endurance in the face of this adversity, for to stand against Crave is folly. Friar Whelm is known for performing miracles. He apparently healed Lord Tenet and Lady Larom when they came upon the temple's doorstep after fighting Crave.

In reality, Friar Whelm is not at all what he seems. He is not the loving old priest he pretends to be, but rather a parasitic, possibly unique, undead creature called a coraltan. He feeds off of the "energy" of his congregation and can apparently channel some of this energy to perform acts of healing. The exact extent of what this "energy" means is not specifically spelled out, though the feast he received off of Lady Larom left her hair graying even though she was only 17. In addition, Crave is an ally, and even subservient to, Friar Whelm.
Friar Whelm is commonly thought by fans to be a darklord of Estrangia

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

		Tales of Ravenloft : Undefiled
		Tales of Ravenloft : Undefiled - pp70-83