Brother Thomas von Mandelbrot's page

About Brother Thomas von Mandelbrot

Archivist 4 (Heroes of Horror, page 82)

BAB +2
Melee Attack/Grapple +3
Ranged Attack +3

Saving Throws: Fort +6, Reflex +2, Will +7

Weapon/Armour Proficiencies: All Simple weapons, Light & Medium Armour.
Masterwork Heavy Mace: +4(d8+1)
Masterwork Sickle: +4(d6+1)
Medium Crossbow: +3(d8)

Armour Class: 16 (+5 armour, +1 Dex)
Hit Points: 30

Dark Knowledge: (4/day)
Tactics: Knowledge check DC15/25, provides +1/+2 attack bonus to allies.

Lore Mastery: +2 Decipher Script & Knowledge (religion)

Still Mind: +2 saves vs enchantment effects.

Spells/day: (5 0th, 5 1st, 4 2nd)

Libris Arcanum:
Level 0

Create Water
Cure Minor Wounds (x2)
Detect Magic
Detect Poison
Guidance
Inflict Minor Wounds
Light
Mending
Purify Food & Drink
Read Magic
Resistance
Virtue

Level 1

Bless
Bless Weapon
Burning Hands
Calm Animals
Cure Light Wounds
Deathwatch
Delay Poison
Detect (Alignment)
Detect Undead
Entropic Shield
Hide From Undead
Magic Weapon
Protection from (Alignment)
Remove Fear
Resist Energy
Restoration, Lesser
Sanctuary
Shield of Faith

Level 2

Aid
Animal Messenger
Consecrate
Cure Moderate Wounds
Detect Thoughts
Flame Blade
Gentle Repose
Hold Animal
Hold Person
Invisibility
Protection from Energy
Remove Paralysis
Shield Other
Spiritual Weapon
Status

Class Skills: Conc, Craft, Dec Script, Diplomacy, Gather Info, Heal, All Knowledges, Profession, Search, Spellcraft.

Skill Points/level: 7*[4+1+(Int bonus)], total 56.

Skills: Concentration+6, Craft(painting)+7, Decipher Script+9, Diplomacy+1, Forgery+4, Gather Info+2, Heal+5, Knowledge(arcana)+7, Knowledge(dungeoneering)+7, Knowledge(history)+4, Knowledge(local)+4, Knowledge(nobility)+4, Knowledge(religion)+12, Knowledge(the planes)+7, Search+7, Sense Motive+4, Sleight of Hand+2, Spellcraft+10.

Equipment: Masterwork Breastplate, Masterwork Heavy Mace, Masterwork Hand Axe, Medium Crossbow

At the top of the city of Refuge sit the Quality (or so they name themselves)- those of such stultifying wealth that they can own all they see, and yet want more. The downtrodden inhabitants of the city lack any real power- the only members of the Parliament are also members of the Quality, with all that that entails. Vicious landlords, cruel enforcers, block gangs, and crime lords squeeze what they can from those in reach.

The Mandelbrot family would have liked to imagine themselves as Persons of Quality, though few of the Establishment would agree. Having made their wealth within recent memory through trade, they were viewed as nothing better than grubby-handed tinkers, and there were plenty who would happily say as such to their face. As the third son, Thomas had no prospects of inheriting the estate, or the family business, and so was inducted into the Church as a young boy, in hopes of providing legitimacy and standing to their precarious position.

This proved to be to his advantage, but not in the way his family had hoped. Within ten years, they were destitute, their line rocked with scandal, their goods boycotted, their assets seized, and his eldest brother imprisoned. As a member of the clergy, only recently come of age, and with little contact with his kin, Thomas escaped all repercussions, and was guaranteed a roof over his head and a life of sanctuary within his order. However, with no rich patron, he was destined to never rise in the heirachy, as he had been repeatedly told was his due, which came as a bitter blow.

These events caused a long depression, during which he experienced a crisis of faith. Although he had witnessed first-hand proof of divine magic, this was not enough for him to embrace the dogma of his order, who he saw as partially responsible for his family's fate. Much of the evidence against them had been hearsay, but was supported by members of the Inquisition, with blood ties to rival houses. This obvious conflict of interest had been brushed aside by the courts, yet Thomas could not fail to notice that when the time came to liquidate the assets, it was the bishops and cardinals, who he would observe travelling around the city in his family's coaches, attended by his old servants, and residing in his childhood home. He became acutely and painfully aware of the worldliness of so many of his superiors, who preached charity, selflessness, and rising above material desires, yet who were living lives of excess, funded by the selling of favours, atonements and indulgences.

Unable to perform his cantrips, he hid the fact, fearing he would be ejected onto the streets. Feigning illness, he asked for, and to his surprise, was granted, permission to work in the scriptorium, where he hoped he would not be called upon to work magic. Much of the work was dull and boring, but while his peers were eager to leave, and be granted a parish, Thomas applied himself diligently to his craft. His precise and detailed work drew praise, and he was asked to take up a permanent post as illustrator to the Assistant Chief Librarian, Brother Matthias.

After several months of adding scrollwork to margins, he was taken aside, and offered a new opportunity; to work in the restricted section, on Matthias' own bestiary. This work proved far more challenging, and Thomas appreciated the opportunity to re-imagine their dry and often confusing creature descriptions into his own vision. This creative work freed his mind from the stultifying boredom of the rituals and prayer. Many of the creatures, he believed were impossible to actually exist, mere fairy-tales to impress the gullible, extract tithes, and frighten small children, so he allowed his imagination free reign, inserting humorous flourishes, and satirical figures into the backgrounds. This approach eventually came to light, to the amusement of some of the junior brothers, and reprimands from some of his seniors. After a particularly scathing rebuke left him red-faced and angry, he was calmed by Brother Matthias, who reassured him that, despite his indiscretion, he was still willing to keep him as a student, if he made efforts to take the work more seriously, since it was, in fact, based in truth, and there was much more truth out there, that was not revealed to the masses...

He was ushered into the Librarian's tower, behind a iron-banded door with many bolts, where he was shown a collection of grisly trophies; a skull that would have been human, but for a pair of curved ram's horns, an unborn foetus in brine, with scaled, clawed hands, a two-headed calf.

Rumours have begun to circulate of the Mayor calling for the Hell Squad to be re-instated, and this offers a chance to leave the confines of the scriptorium, and demand some answers.