Mallum Vatis

Mallum Vatis (formerly known as Norrin Rosewater) was a Halfling man from Won in the Kingdom of Wolfsbrunn. Mallum was known a foolhardy person, who was definitely not afraid to take risks. Sometimes these risks would pay off, but other times his actions left him (and sometimes those close to him) in dangerous or life threatening situations. He was part of the group of heroes known as Semper Solari and played a pivotal role in the defeat of the The Red Queen and The Blood in 6738 AV.

Early Life

Norrin's family had always been his anchor. His father, an influential archivist, was deeply dedicated to his work, often leaving home for extended periods. His mother, a source of kindness and curiosity, hailed from a place unknown, yet she was the core of their small, contented family A lot of responsibility fell on him when his mother fell ill. Despite his young age, Norrin took charge, looking after his beloved younger sisters, Marin and Maeve.   Tragedy struck when Norrin stumbled upon the elusive sheet music of the Lament of Life during his teenage years. Unaware of its malevolent power, he played it for his friend Fabian, who shared an affection for the same girl as he did: Primrose Brightleaf. This seemingly innocent act led to his friend's untimely death, leaving Norrin haunted by guilt and horror. He tried to destroy the sheet music, but extremely powerful Abjuration magic prevented it from any damage. His desperate attempt to hide or dispose of the cursed sheet music only resulted in it being taken by an unknown individual only a few days before he was banished from Stratos for the murder he committed.   Determined to mend his broken soul, Norrin embarked on a quest to find a way to locate and destroy the sinister Lament of Life and redeem the soul of Fabian, a quest fueled by his desire to prevent the lament from causing further harm. His lingering disdain for the liberal practices of the Amaranthine Archivists grew, as Mallum came to understand that their knowledge preservation efforts could be the catalyst for numerous innocent lives lost to the Lament of Life.   Along his journey, he found solace in music, eventually embracing the path of a bard. As he roamed the world, he also honed his skills in deception, sleight of hand, and parlor tricks. To escape the shadow of his past, he abandoned his birth name, and adopted the alias Mallum Vatis, but before doing so he got a tattoo of a crimson red rose on his neck, as a reminder of his family and his own true identity.   Interactions with strangers stirred Mallum's natural distrust, but he remained open to those who exhibited genuine kindness and interest. His strong commitment to his ideals often led him to bear his burdens alone, valuing his independence above all. It was not until he met Flin Brett and Erin Nelwin in the town of Wadfeld that he had made any long lasting connections with other people.

Semper Solari

After meeting Erin and Flin, the three traveled south, Erin serving as a protector for the two as he himself went on his quest to find the Gauntlets of the Ascended Protector. On their way to Altenport, they were abducted and confined within a cave, where they were to be subjected by some form of necromantic magic. It was revealed later that these acts were orchestrated by Eldrisa Dur'mel, the twin sister of Ilyana Dur'mel. It was in this cave where Mallum first met with the Half-Orc Kavu Bisonhorn and the Half-Giant Illikan Thuliaga. Who were also abducted during their travels into Wolfsbrunn from Kordaasi and the Thelian Mountains respectively. The group managed to break free and escape the cave, but were not able not catch their captor at that point in time. Mallum and the others decided that they would find that person, and bring them to justice, which is how Semper Solari was founded. This eventually led the group to discover a threat that was far greater than what they could have imagined concerning the cult of The Blood and their efforts to bring back the The Red Queen from her banishment.   During his time in Semper Solari, Mallum became very rapidly adept at the arcane arts by making a pact with The Black Rose, a fiend of great power that had been betrayed by Varoda herself hundreds of years ago. The Black Rose promised to destroy the Lament of Life for Mallum and release Fabian's soul to him in exchange for Mallum's Soul. It was not until later that Mallum found out that the Black Rose had a similar interest as himself, when he revealed that he used to be the ruler of the seven hells and had gifted Varoda the Lament of Life, soon after this gift she had betrayed him and he had lost his crown and power to her.   It seemed that Mallum's already reckless temperament became even stronger after he made his pact with the Black Rose. When storming into the lair of a white dragon, this led to the death of Illikan Thuliaga. This tragic event changed Mallum, and caused him to become slightly more careful in potentially dangerous situations, especially when it could threaten the wellbeing of his companions. Over time, Mallum was able to skilfully combine his own magical talents with the powers of the Black Rose, which became instrumental in the survival and successes of Semper Solari not only on the battlefield but also in various negotiations and deals the group had to make in order to attain their goal of stopping the return of The Red Queen.

Death

Despite the banishment and estrangement that followed the murder of Fabian, Mallum's heart still ached for Primrose. In the final confrontation with Eldrisa Dur'mel and The Blood Queen Varoda in the the Abandoned Underworld, Mallum found out Prim was also in service of The Black Rose and had joined The Blood in an effort to reclaim the soul of Fabian herself. It turned out it was Prim who had taken the Lament of Life before Mallum was banished, but she was betrayed by Eldrisa Dur'mel and was magically forced to perform the Lament of Life in a ritual that would transfer the power of the Red Queen to Eldrisa. In that moment, Mallum pleaded with the Black Rose to switch their positions so that Prim would not be harmed. The Black Rose was able to grant him this wish and thus also prevented Eldrisa's ritual from being completed fully and successfully. This selfless act saved Prim from certain death, but sadly caused Mallum's own demise.   After Mallum's death, The Black Rose released Fabian's soul to Prim, but Mallum's soul was claimed by him despite the other members of Semper Solari requesting to spare his soul. Mallum's soul is thought to remain in the depths of hell for eternity but researchers and religious scholars theorize that his soul would most likely not be tortured because of his service to the Black Rose. Instead, it is thought his soul serves as a trophy of sorts and a reminder to the Black Rose that he himself is not as invulnerable or mighty as he thought he was before he was betrayed by the Red Queen. Mallum's body was buried by the remaining members of Semper Solari, his family and Prim in a forest near his home on Stratos.

Notable Acts

Stole the Lament of Life out of the Grand Archive of Stor and performed it, leading to the death of his friend Fabian.

 

Uncovered the Stone of Sacrifice hidden within the temple of Sylvanis within the Calfert Marsh.

 

Made a pact with The Black Rose, the ruler of the seven hells. Traded his own soul to prevent further harm being done by the Lament of Life and free the soul of his friend.

 

Wrote and composed 'The Blackvald Ballad', which described Semper Solari's victory over the black dragon Xorvul.

 

Aided in the liberation of Hartloch during The Hell of Hartloch for which he earned the Platinum Heart.

 

Wrote and and illustrated the first chapters of 'Famous Fiends and their Following', which was later finished by his father and his associates at the Amaranthine Archivists.

 

Wrote notes and made illustrations of various events, rituals, creatures and objects he encountered during his time in Semper Solari that have been used by historians to piece together the events that led up to the Night without Stars.

 

Performed a ritual sacrifice of blood by himself in order to open the door to the throne room within the Blood Queen's palace on Exileus.

 

Defeated Varoda together with Semper Solari in the winter of 6738 AV, during which he sacrificed himself to save the life and soul of Primrose Brightleaf.