Domagoth the Dominator

J.D. BRUCE

In the final years ofthe great war,while the victorious giants hunted down the dramojh,Talyn son ofMolen was taken. Servants ofthe dramojh stole him from his bed at the age of two—he was one ofmany children taken this way,to be raised by the dramojh as special weapons against their enemies.The children were instructed in the arts ofdominating others,through both magic and more mundane means,and were implanted with magical items that enhanced these powers.Their mission was to turn the enemies ofthe dramojh against each other and cause chaos in the opposing ranks. While some ofthem succeeded at times,obviously the effort made no difference in the eventual fate ofthe dramojh.

Talyn’s childhood was not pleasant.Even the allies ofthe dramojh were treated cruelly and without a spark ofkindness.By the time the dramojh were gone,Talyn had long since lost the last bit ofhumanity within him.He had become an adept magister,extremely skilled in dominating others,and nearly as cruel as his former masters.He was 19 years old.

Talyn spent the next 70 years keeping his magical abilities secret.He knew ifthe giants discovered him,his life would surely be forfeit.In secret,he used his powers ofdomination to gather resources for his driving obsession.He wanted to transform himselfinto a dramojh.He gained enormous wealth and a vast library ofmagical books and dramojh artifacts.

By the time he was 90,he had despaired ofever reaching his goal.He was dying and had found no magical or mundane means ofbecoming dramojh.Shortly before his 91st birthday,a hooded figure appeared on his doorstep with word ofa newly discovered ceremony that allowed a human to become akin to the dramojh.The creature was brought before Talyn and removed its hood.It was the first mojh Talyn had ever seen.

The mojh,Travathar,offered to sell Talyn the instructions for the technique.The price was steep—more than halfof Talyn’s considerable wealth.However,no price was too high. With no hesitation,Talyn accepted the offer and began preparations for the ceremony.Within a few months,the human known as Talyn was no more.He had taken a new name in his new form.Domagoth meant dominator in the language ofthe dramojh,so that was the name Talyn chose. Domagoth—now genderless,as are all mojh—soon became feared throughout the Lands ofthe Diamond Throne.

Eventually,tales ofthe Dominator became legend,ofthe kind told to children to make them behave.Domagoth lived on.The mojh continued to build its magical and monetary resources to protect itselffrom discovery.Memories ofthe war were still fresh in its mind,and the mojh still worried that groups ofgiants would hunt him down for the crimes of Talyn.Domagoth focused all its energy on hiding its identity and location.The mojh scried on veterans ofthe dramojh war to watch them die,one by one.This behavior continued until finally,one day,it believed itselfthe only one left. Domagoth could find no other humanoid creature that had been alive during the war.

At this point,Domagoth became less afraid.The mojh remained vigilant against discovery,but it no longer feared being punished for wartime offenses.In time it renewed its attempts to discover a way to transform into a dramojh.The mojh shape had satisfied Domagoth for more than two centuries,but the magister was now starting to feel its age.The creature desired the virtual immortality ofthe dramojh— wanted it with every fiber ofits being.But,in the many years that have passed since then,Domagoth has not found even a hint ofsuch a transformation.

Bitterness filled the mojh.It eventually gained enough power and knowledge to magically reduce the effects ofits great age,but its body is ancient and weak.Its mind is keener and more powerful than ever,though.Domagoth spends its waking hours tormenting and dominating prisoners the servants bring to it.The practice gives it small pleasure.

Combat

Domagoth avoids direct confrontation at all costs.Ifaccosted,the mojh uses its dominated minions and defensive spells as shields while retreating to one ofits many safe houses.

When dominating its victims,it first uses spells to learn as much about a target as possible,including its truename,if possible.Domagoth records this information in a great book that contains the truenames ofmany powerful living and dead creatures.

The mojh then boosts itsspell save Difficulty Class as high as necessary,depending on the dominated creature’s strength ofwill.Domagoth then reduces the creature’s resistance and dominates it for as long as possible,sometimes permanently.

Using Domagoth

Domagoth is an ancient and shriveled version ofitsformer self.Hunched and weak,the mojh is frequently troubled by a wracking cough.It still retains some ofits mojh height, standing slightly over 6 feet,but is quite thin.Domagoth wears fine robes and jewelry ofconsiderable value.It always wears two magical rings and carries a pair ofmagical lenses. The mojh also has a magical green gem imbedded in the center ofits chest by its dramojh masters.It glows when the mojh uses its spells to dominate other minds.

Domagoth surrounds itselfwith a constantly changing group ofdominated servants.Servants who break free of

domination (by making a successful saving throw,for example) or those whom Domagoth has tired of,are either killed or given to the mojh’s chieflieutenant.

This lieutenant—Fenorial,a twisted 10th-level champion oflife—has devoted himselfto protecting the oldest living humanoid he has ever heard ofand helping to extend that life as much as possible.Not cruel like his master,he hopes to mitigate the evil his master does.Rather than kill the victims he receives,he uses one ofhis master’s artifacts to wipe their recent memory,then returns them to their families.

Domagoth,mojh Mgr15/Mojh1: CR 16;Medium humanoid;

HD 15d6–60 + 1d8–4;hp 16;Dying/Dead 0/–3;Init +0;

Speed 30 feet;AC 11 (+0 Dex,+1 natural armor),touch 10, flat-footed 11;BAB +7/+2;Grapple +4;Attack +4 melee (1d6–3,critical 20/×2, staff);Full Attack +4/–1 melee (1d6–3,critical 20/×2, staff);SA Spells;SQ Darkvision 60 feet, detect magic at will,distinct voice,mind over matter;

Hero Points 0;SV Fort +3,Ref+5,Will +13;Str 5,Dex 11,

Con 3,Int 24,Wis 10,Cha 22

Part Two: Characters of the Diamond Throne 141 Languages: Common,Draconic,Faen,Giant,Litorian,

Sibeccai,Verrik Skills and Feats: Alchemy +26,Balance +2,Concentration +15,

Craft (drawing) +10,Decipher Script +17,Diplomacy +15,

Disguise +10,Forgery +13,Intimidate +25,Knowledge (ceremony) +8,Knowledge (cosmology) +8,Knowledge (dangerous beasts) +8,Knowledge (engineering) +8,Knowledge (geography) +8,Knowledge (history) +8,Knowledge (magic) +18,Knowledge (nature) +8,Knowledge (nobility and courtesy) +8,Knowledge (religion) +8,Knowledge (runes) +10,Knowledge (sailing and navigation) +8,

Knowledge (science) +8,Spellcraft +27;Brandish Magical

Might,Craft Charged Item,Creator Mage,Eldritch

Training, Iron Will,Mirror Sight,Modify Spell,Power of the Name,Resistant Spell,Sense the Unseen,Signature Spell (lesser dominate),Title (The Dominator) Familiarity With Magic (Ex): Domagoth gains a +2 competence bonus to all saving throws against spells and spell-like and supernatural abilities (including magic items).Further,it gains a +2 competence bonus to

Armor Class against spells requiring attack rolls. Distinct Voice (Su): Domagoth can be heard by anyone within 100 feet,regardless ofsurrounding noise,even when whispering,ifdesired. Mind Over Matter (Ex): In situations requiring a Strength check,Domagoth can make an Intelligence check instead. Possessions: Loresight lenses, ring ofspellcasting, ring ofmagical might (6th), manacles ofinterrogation, magister’s staff, imbedded gem ofdominate (constant 1/day item casts heightened lesser dominate as a 12th-level caster) Spell Slots: 8/8/8/7/5/6/4/3/1 Spells Readied:11/11/10/9/7/6/5/4/2; 0—canny effort, contact, detect creature, disorient, enchanting flavor, hygiene, lesser telekinesis, read magic, saving grace, sense thoughts, touch of nausea; 1st—charm, creature loresight, directed charm, distraction, lesser compelling question, mind stab, resistance, tears of pain, touch offear, touch ofpain, veil ofdarkness; 2nd—cloak ofdarkness, eldritch web, lesser ability boost, lesser enhance magical flow, magnetism, protective charm, read mind, scream, see invisibility, silent sheath;3rd—clairaudience/clairvoyance, dispel magic, greater compelling question, invisibility, locate object, steal health, suggestion, tracer, unknown; 4th—detect scrying, dimensional door, greater enhance magical flow, locate creature, modify memory, telepathy, tongues; 5th—defensive field, enfeebled mind, lesser dominate, scrying, spell resistance, teleport; 6th—greater ability boost, learn truename, protect soul, security, stimulate; 7th—curse ofthe chaotic mind, incorporeal form, phase door, song ofparalysis; 8th—greater dominate, spell magnet