There is but one certainty in life: to live is to die. And in a mining town like Diamond Lake, where lives are claimed on an almost daily basis to cave-ins, poison gas, vicious creatures, shady dealings and street crime, this fact of life is not lost on the locals. Thus, it should come as no surprise that a cult dedicated to Wee Jas, guardian of the afterlife, and to one of her servants—the Green Lady—should flourish in Diamond Lake. The Cuthbertines may want to impart the value of wisdom, dedication and good sense to their converts… but those things are of little value in a place like Diamond Lake, lest they should be applied in preparation for the Great Hereafter. Those who honour the Green Lady and her patron may find that their passing may be delayed and less painful, perhaps even pleasant, and that their souls will find their way to a peaceful resting place in Tintibulus, the realm of the Dark-Eyed Lady on Acheron. Those who are lax in paying their respects to the Green Lady have much to lose: their lives may come to a very painful end, far sooner than expected, and may find their departing souls snatched away to some infernal plane where they shall suffer torment for all eternity.
Andolphas Hecker was an easy and natural recruitment target for Amariss and the Cult of the Green Lady. Born and raised in Dimaond Lake and the middle child of a large family, Andolphas’s mother was all too happy to entrust her then-eldest son to Amariss when he was on the verge of reaching manhood, in order to spare him the fate of his father and older brothers, all of whom had perished in mining-related “accidents.” Yes, the family had been derelict in its devotion to the Green Lady and her patron, but things changed from that day on. Andolphas took his responsibilities to both cult and family (which he now saw but rarely, during his occasional visits for supplies or religious purposes such as conversions and funerals) very seriously. It was an honour to have been chosen by the adherents of the Green Lady, and he knew that the souls of his relatives—those already gone and those still among the living— depended on the strength of his devotion.
Andolphas has seen 22 summers, and has been a servant of the Green Lady for a whole decade now. In the past year, the Green Lady has confirmed the young man’s dedication by bestowing upon him mystical powers through prayer, a gift only the most devout and charismatic of her worshippers have been granted. And thus far, none of Andolphas’s younger brothers have come to harm in the mines, or in the town itself.
Andolphas regards the rival Cuthbertines with a mixture of respect and contempt. He admires the structure and order they attempt to bring to Diamond Lake’s chaotic community, and the emphasis they place on imparting wisdom, dedication and common sense among the populace likewise is praiseworthy… but they do not do enough to prepare their followers for the Great Hereafter, and are too quick to paint things simplistically in black and white (despite their claims to upholding higher wisdom and common sense) and to blind their followers to some of the greatest lessons in life (and death). And while the members of both the Bronzewood Lodge and Church of St. Cuthbert frequently view the Cult of the Green Lady with suspicion (especially given the latter’s secretive explorations of the region’s cairns), Andolphas views the druids and rangers of the former organization with some admiration… for death is a part of the natural cycle, and all things that live on this Oerth must one day die… and the adherents of all three organizations agree that those things that refuse to stay dead when their time comes are abominations and offences to their respective spiritual patrons, which must be dispatched without hesitation in order to free their souls. While Andolphas’s time with the cult has definitely increased his interest in arcane knowledge, his priorities (consistent with his family history) remain on ensuring the safe passage of migrating souls to the Great Hereafter, and on mastering the rules that will ensure this safe passage (hence his focus on the Death and Law domains).
As a result of his flamboyant dress and manners, and also due to the prevalence of fatalities/funerals in Diamond Lake and the conviction the young cleric displays through his fiery (and carnival-like) Godsday sermons, Andolphas has become a relatively well-known figure in town. Most would consider him a very handsome, but almost effeminate and definitely unsettling youth. He has the frame of a scarecrow, but is surprisingly strong. His long (mid-back), straight, jet black hair and piercing eyes contrast sharply with his thin lips and perfect alabaster skin. He always wears a long necklace of canary skulls (a reminder to all that even canaries cannot detect all mining hazards in a timely manner, and that relying on the birds without having the favour of the Dark-Eyed Lady remains a gamble) and silvered symbol of Wee Jas over his green robes and chainmail shirt, and carries a black-feathered short spear in hand. Although he has yet to experience combat first hand, he has trained in the use of short spear and shield (and other weapons) with the Cult for years (if only for the purpose of self-defence), and reserves the use of the Dark-Eyed Lady’s favoured weapon, the dagger, for the death stroke and rituals.
Andolphas has a feeling that soon, the Green Lady will send him on a quest of great importance…
