Edgar Beaumarys-Moorkroft

Son of Archduke John Beaumarys-Moorkroft of Westheath

Alchemist of the First Circle

Member of the Scholars' Fraternity

Member of the Sages' League

AC 1016

"Leave me be! I am accursed, can you not see? Bother me nevermore!"

Appearance

Edgar Beaumarys-Moorkroft is said to resemble his father, Lord John Beaumarys-Moorkroft, in his younger days: slim, debonair, nobleman, and very Fenswick. The more observant notice how his jet-black hair is much smoother, silkier, and always slicked back and how his piercing black eyes usually have dark rings around them, due to lack of sleep. His nose is also sharper and more aquiline, giving him a probing, inquisitive look. All in all, Edgar's features would be handsome, if they weren't so sad and haggard.

Edgar is customarily seen in loose wizard robes or cloaks. If he wears his austere Fenswick suits, he covers it an overcoat, or cape, mostly thick, heavy, oversized in somber tones of grays, blacks and purples. This is to conceal one peculiar feature than Edgar painfully tries to hide. Instead of a right arm, he has a giant raven's wing. This was a remnant from a childhood curse which transformed him into a raven, and which has left him the ability to take the form of a giant raven, as well as a half-avian humanoid with wings and black feathers.

Personality & Quirks

Edgar is the consummate scholar. He is serious, methodical, inquisitive, and has a great passion for learning. Like many scholars, Edgar is reclusive and shy by nature. He is a bit of an insomniac, preferring to work in the wee hours of night rather than during the day, as the darkness and silence help him concentrate.

Edgar feels very much ashamed of his raven's wing, although most Glantrians do not actually think any ill in this. Still, Edgar has become reclusive and withdrawn, and rarely shows himself outside his tower in Fenswick or his chambers in the Great School. Even then, he takes care not to draw attention to his carefully concealed wing.

Those who can see beyond his shyness and his physical deformity find that he is kind-hearted, friendly and loyal, although he is still not one to engage in frivolity and cheerfulness.

Background

Edgar Beaumarys-Moorkroft was born in AC 990, the third son of Lord John Beaumarys-Moorkroft and Lady Winifred Merryweather. His mother died when he was 2 and his father was too busy in politics, first as the Marquis of Satolas, then later as the Duke of Hightower, so Edgar was raised in their family estate in Fenswick, under the care of his ageless grandmother, Lady Anne. His childhood was rather hermetic but otherwise quite unremarkable.

In AC 997, on a visit to Hightower, Edgar and his two elder brothers were cursed by Doña Carmina de Belcadiz into ravens, as vengeance for her humiliation by Lord John's hand. Edgar and his brothers spent their days as wild ravens in the Glantrian countryside for three years, until their sister, Judith, lifted the curse, though incompletely. Though Edgar was too young to regard the episode as something more than a fantastic adventure (unlike the eldest, Robert, who developed a phobia of ravens, crows and other blackbirds), Edgar has borne the painful reminder of the curse to this day: a giant raven's wing instead of his right arm. And with this deformity, Edgar discovered he has the power to transform into a giant raven and a humanoid raven-man.

In AC 1000, Edgar began study at the Great School of Magic, but was often teased or shunned for his disfigurement. He was soon approached by the kindly Master Harald Haaskinz, himself with a crippled arm, who was sympathetic to the boy's handicap and recognized his magical talent (a stark contrast to his mediocre second brother Jonathan—or worse, the elder brother Robert Beaumarys-Moorkroft, who was expelled by Lady Tereis Haaskinz, Master Harald's own sister.) Harald taught Edgar the techniques of one-handed casting, and Edgar server under Master Harald as an apprentice for a time. Even after finishing his academic requirements, Edgar stayed on at the Great School, taking up various research positions, mostly about shapechanging magic and lycanthropy, and always away from human contact.

Recently, Edgar has been approached by envoys from Prince Malachie du Marais, who is commonly believed to be a lycanthrope himself. Although Edgar has not formally met with the White Wolf of Morlay, he has unwittingly accepted his secret sponsorship into the Secret Craft of Alchemy, hoping that it might hold the cure for his lycanthropy.

Web of Intrigue

Edgar is a very private person with a very small circle of personal relationships. He only has family, colleagues, patrons, and one sworn enemy.

Edgar wants nothing to do with his vile father, Lord John, and his corrupt politics. He detests his eldest brother, Robert, the troublemaker expelled from the Great School, who later became the lover of the very woman who cursed the three brothers! Besides, Robert only approaches Edgar if he needs some magical favor, and Edgar has made it a point to make himself as unapproachable as possible. Edgar thinks little of his mediocre second brother, Jonathan, but he worships Jonathan's children, Audrey (0-level, CG) and Alice (0-level, CE), who in turn adore him. Whenever the two nieces visit, Edgar secretly takes them out flying at night in his raven form, which the girls love. Jonathan's Krondaharan wife, Sempura Borteis (M9/Dream Master 2, LN), is afraid of him, on account of some Ethengar superstition about ravens.

The only family member whom Jonathan has close ties with is his mute sister, Judith. Both of them bear painful reminders of Doña Carmina's curse, and Edgar feels deeply for Judith's great sacrifice of her voice to break the curse. They have constantly supported each other in their hardships. For her, Edgar fashioned Judith's onyx choker of unspeaking, a magical choker which allows her to cast spells without having to speak.

In the Great School of Magic, Edgar is well respected by his colleagues as a gifted mage and a capable scholar. His most important supporter is Prince Harald Haaskinz, the Grand Master of the Great School, who like him, prefers to avoid politics altogether. The fact that House Beaumarys-Moorkroft and House Haaskinz are politically at odds does not affect their personal and academic dealings. Edgar is a member of the Scholars' Fraternity and the Sages' League, but only works with them indirectly through correspondence.

Edgar has only one true sworn enemy, and that is Doña Carmina de Belcadiz. He has vowed to take a terrible vengeance upon her, using his magic and his wereraven abilities, to unleash all his pent up anger, frustration, shame, resentment and rage in a wrathful fury that will make the Great Meteor seem like a pebble in a shoe. As Edgar hardly attends social affairs, and Doña Carmina rarely makes appearances at the Great School, the two have not crossed paths... yet.

Unknown to Edgar, he has two powerful nobles who are closely watching out for him, although for very different reasons. The first noble is Prince Malachie du Marais, whose has a keen interest in this new kind of lycanthrope. Prince Malachie has sent his envoys, but Edgar has not yet made contact. The White Wolf has also sent spies to study the Edgar, and if necessary, to help him control his lycanthropic nature, but has the wereraven, has proven to be less dangerous than other werebeasts.

The other noble is Lady Szasza Markovitch, Baroness of Vladimirov, whose interest in Edgar is less altruistic than the White Wolf's. The Baroness is intrigued by Edgar's raven wing and the rumors that he takes the form of a giant raven. And with the recent demise of her latest familiar (a raven, which she killed in a frenzied tantrum with her last lover), Lady Szasza is looking for a new pet...

Style of Magic & Combat

Statistics: 12th-level wereraven mage, Alchemist of the 1st Circle; Str 12(18), Dex 13(17), Con 14, Int 18, Wis 17, Cha 9; AL N (D&D), NG (AD&D). (Scores in parentheses for his wereraven form)

Wereraven Form*: AC 6; #AT 1 peck; Dmg 2d6.

Wereraven Powers*: animal summoning (ravens, crows, blackbirds), communication (ravens, crows, blackbirds), sharpened senses.

Wereraven Penalties*: animal repulsion (felines), bloodlust, dietary requirement, chemical vulnerability (nettle), mark of the beast, weapon vulnerability (silver).

Languages: Alphatian (Blackhill dialect and Common Alphatian), Thyatian (Glantrian dialect), Fenswick, Elvish (Belcadizan dialect).

Weapon Proficiencies: dagger, knife.

Skills: ancient history (Alphatians in the Highlands), ancient languages (ancient Alphatian), meditation, monster lore, one-armed casting, poetry, reading/writing, sage knowledge (lycanthropy), spellcraft, storytelling.

The primary focus of Edgar's scholarship is to find a cure for his lycanthropy. His research has led him to study the ancient Alphatians, whom Edgar believes first introduced lycanthropy to Mystara. With the destruction of the Alphatian Principality of Blackhill, Edgar has become one of the few remaining authorities on Alphatian history and their ancient magic. Edgar also has discovered a few hitherto forgotten ancient Alphatian spells of weremagic!**

Edgar joined the Secret Craft of Alchemy (secretly sponsored by Prince Malachie du Marais) believing it may contain a cure for his lycanthropy. He has learned both first circle powers find components and alchemical preparation, and although they do not particularly address his need, he finds them very helpful for magic in general. With the help of Alchemy, he was able to produce Judith's onyx choker of unspeaking and other useful magical items quite easily.

Edgar is also studying his lycanthropic condition through personal experimentation under controlled conditions. He has learned his peculiar weaknesses as a wereraven (such as an aversion to silver and an allergy to nettle), as well as his strengths. He has also learned to control his transformations to either giant raven or raven-man form, and can now do so without the help of the full moon. Edgar has learned to cast magic in raven-man form. One thing he cannot do is to restore his right wing into a human arm, even in human form.

Recently, Edgar has also learned to hunt in his wereraven form, mostly for small prey. He has found that he has a particular knack of pecking the target's eyes, even coming from a distance or a great height. He intends to use this skill to peck Doña Carmina's eyes out in the future...

Edgar is in the possession of a unique relic, the Pallid Bust of Palson. The relic is a powerful scrying device traditionally used for military and reconnaissance purposes, and once belonged to Edgar's grandfather, Robert Moorkroft. When Robert disappeared decades ago, he left the bust to Lady Anne, who secretly gave it to Edgar, taking care not to let her other grandson, Robert, who has ambitious dreams of becoming a military wizard, know of its existence.

"The lad has his demons; that is true. But being disturbed is not a crime in Glantri. He is a capable wizard. And in Glantri, that is all that matters!"

(words of praise from a colleague at the Great School, Bartolomeo di Malapietra)

Notes:

*Wereraven stats, powers & hindrances for AD&D 2e conform to those given in "Beasts at Heart," by John W. Mangrum, appeared in The Book of Souls, edited by the Kargatane.

**"Weremagic" Dragon Magazine, Issue 266, p.66-71.

References:

History of House Beaumarys-Moorkroft

A Fenswick Tale, a fairy tale story about the Beaumarys-Moorkrofts