Malik Lenkherr

Malik Lenkherr is an inhabitant of the Domain of Conquista in the Wartorn Cluster, who is first introduced in the Conquista Gazetteer in Quoth the Raven Issue 30.

Origins

Malik is one of the most recent scions of a cousin branch of the noble Lenkherr family of Lilliend, to the west of Conquista. Although he claims to be directly in line to become King of that Domain, his claim is nonexistent as inheritence in Lilliend runs exclusively through the female line.

Malik's family fled Lilliend as soon as the Wartorn Cluster formed in 740 BC, seeking a place where their sons would not be murdered at Darklady Camille Churnstone's command as soon as they had conceived daughters. The family suffered some setbacks in the new land due to the local antipathy towards outsiders, but still managed to have a castle in the Lelender style built near the city of Hughsrest, oldest city and capitol of Conquista's northern cantón. After this castle was burned and razed by locals 'to show the foreigners who was boss', the family relocated and built its current home -- Schloss Lenkherr -- near the northern cantón's second greatest city, Meyersville. By this point, the family had become a shadow of an impoverished remnant, but Malik's father and grandfather still managed to catch the attention of - and presumably membership in - los Viejos Sagrados.

Reversed Fortunes

Young Malik studied at la Torre, the University of Meyersville, where he specialized in diplomacy and politics, ostensibly preparing himself for a life in government service.

In truth, Malik joined la officía del recuerdo directly out of college, having caught the eye of Grabador 'talent scouts' embedded in the Domain's centers of education. Although he is officially a government diplomat, who is frequently sent abroad, he actually specializes in worming his way into the confidence of foreign nobility. Here he seduces bored or simply incautious women to acts of debauchery, then blackmails them with the evidence to force them to cooperate with his mission. Malik has made a career out of sabotaging and influencing the rich and powerful, not by approaching them directly, but by cuckolding them and manipulating their wives and female relatives.

Sinister Allegiances

Although he is well-rewarded for his services to la officía del recuerdo and now rich beyond dreams of avarice, Malik is aware that he has zero chance of being further promoted as a Grabador; la officía del recuerdo is well aware of how selfish he truly is, and ultimately sees him as a foreign agent due to his Lelender blood, rather than one of its own people.

When Malik was approached by an even more secretive qabal that identified itself as the CCD, he was receptive for several reasons:

• First, the CCD had been observing him without his knowledge, knew everything he had done and could kill him as easily as make him an offer.
• Two, the CCD offered him even greater riches and freedom from the Grabador oath that bound him to put Conquista's interests above all others, and bade him obey la officía del recuerdo.
• Third, Malik has an unending hunger for more: more wealth, more women, more excitement. The thought of betraying la officía del recuerdo, betraying Conquista, and having an even greater role in the Land of Mists, excited him like nothing else could.

Current Sketch

Since accepting the CCD's offer of membership, Malik has effectively been a double agent. He subverts the interests of foreign nations on behalf of Conquista as a spy and an assassin, but he subverts Conquista's interests on behalf of the shadowy qabal that is his true master -- apparently on behalf of the Wartorn Cluster as a whole. While he lacks sufficient oversight over the CCD's operations to confirm or deny this claim, Malik does not truly care so long as the money keeps rolling in and he is free of his oath to an organization that considers him an ultimately expendable asset. If he has a true goal, it would be to be instrumental in overthrowing the CCD's mysterious "great enemy", and riding the wave of prestige all the way to the throne of Lilliend.

When at home at the family castle, Malik lives in opulent luxury, attended to by a small army of maids. Many of these are women whose lives he has ruined during his work as a Grabador, but who have nowhere else to go and are now hopelessly addicted to his touch thanks to special powers he has received as an agent of the CCD. His tastes are increasingly depraved, and his maids suffer the brunt of his lusts.

Malik's endless hunger for more has caused him to reestablish the connection to los Viejos Sagrados that was first forged by his father and grandfather before him. The dungeon complex beneath Schloss Lenkherr is now a meeting-place and research facility for the Chaotic Evil upper echelons of Conquista's branch of los Viejos Sagrados, who generously compensate him for his hospitality and cooperation.

Combat

Malik prefers to fight as member of a group, but is reasonably fearless. He vastly prefers firing a gun at enemies from a distance; if forced into melée, he utilizes unarmed strikes and grappling techniques, where he can use his supernatural power to bring pleasure to bear and weaken an enemy's resolve to fight back.

Powers

As an agent of the CCD, Malik has gained two powers:

• A touch that brings pleasure to anyone he touches or strikes with an unarmed attack or a whip. This pleasure can erode the target's Willpower and cause addiction, leaving the target dependent on Malik's good graces - such as they are.
• A superior ability to use magic devices, which negates restrictions of alignment, species, nationality or other such considerations.

Failed Powers Checks in the course of his duties as a spy have placed Malik's feet on the Path of the Incubus Path of Corruption, granting him additional abilities.

Path of Corruption

Path of the Incubus

Statistics

Neutral Evil Male human Aristocrat 2 / Rogue 3 / Grabador 3 / CCD 2