Five background and concept elements important to Vyshaan.
1)A once powerful wizard, Vyshaan fell into obsession when introduced to the concept of firearms by the tinkerer Banley in Talingarde. He was convinced that he could combine the two into the ultimate weapon, and in his zeal, reached too far and caused the project to fail catastrophically, seemingly killing his partner in the process. In the resulting chaos, his mind fractured, causing him to lose most of his arcane might. Due mostly to fragmented memories of that night and some bad timing on the part of the guards, he now blames the kingdom of Talingarde for the disaster that night and for the loss of his power.
Trait: Arson
2)Despite his zeal to move the project forward, Vyshaan desperately keeps all aspects of his knowledge about the art of Spellslinging jealously guarded. In his distorted view of the events with Banley, he has become absolutely certain that his is the only mind that can bring the great work together, and sharing it with others will only lead to another disaster.
3)In years gone past, Vyshaan was a student of the Thassilonian ways of magic, and a devout believer in the power of runes. He combined a Varisian discipline, that of the magic tattoo, with his own knowledge of runecraft, and decorated his skin with all manner of designs. While inert after the explosion, they remain disturbing to they eye, seeming to move at the corner of your vision. Planned Feat: Inscribe Magical Tattoo
4)Formerly a devout worshiper of Nethys, God of Magic and Knowledge, Vyshaan was thrown into disfavor within the faith for his questionable experiments. Very little is taboo within the church of the All-Seeing Eye, but Vyshaan had sought to instill greater magical ability within one of his fellow apprentices. The experiment, to grant the woman a measure of dragon blood, had disfiguring side effects and almost no gain, and was deemed to be a cruel and frivolous attempt. Vyshaan protested, claiming that one could not make progress without risks, but his protests were ignored. Since then, Vyshaan has been distrustful of religion in general, since they clearly cannot follow their own precepts.
5)Over Vyshaan's long life, his interest in acquiring knowledge of all kinds has led him to expand his studies away from only the arcane. One never knows what might come in handy in the next project. Feat: Breadth of Experience
Two goals important to Vyshaan.
1)Vyshaan seeks, above anything else, to perfect the arcane science of the Spellslinger. Correct or not, he's convinced it is the ultimate expression of power and a symbol of all progress. He isn't willing to let anyone or anything interfere with the work and will gladly put an end to whatever he sees as an obstacle.
2)At this point, seen through the lens of his madness, he believes Talingarde as a whole to be a backwards country that will obstruct his continued progress, and therefore, he will gladly work with anyone willing to help him bring them down.
Two secrets about Vyshaan, one that he knows, and one that he is not yet aware of.
1)He would never admit it, but this most recent disaster is not Vyshaan's first. In his travels, there have been several incidents where someone would not part with a trinket or element that Vyshaan thought necessary for his current project, and if they would not negotiate, the wizard brought his power to bear. In the few years he has spent in Talingarde working on the arcane guns, there has been more than one alchemist or merchant that needed to disappear, or have their mind altered, all unknown to his tinkerer partner. With his power faded, it is more than possible that the enchantments laid on one of these individuals has also begun to waver.
2)Banley, the tinkerer and alchemist that worked on the concept of the arcane guns with Vyshaan, also survived the explosion that night. Horribly scarred, he would plot revenge if not for Vyshaan already being thrown into Branderscar. If he heard of the tattooed wizard going free, he would surely seek his revenge with all the tools at his disposal.
Three people that are tied to Vyshaan, two that are friends and one that is an enemy.
1)Vyshaan was incensed to hear of the destruction of the former library of Asmodeus. The casual waste of such knowledge was a travesty to the wizard, who had dedicated himself to the pursuit of it. He shared this disgust with a nearby bookshop owner by the name of Tarnyr, who had been in Talingarde at the time. Forced to throw much of his own collection on the pyre, Tarnyr would often commiserate with Vyshaan about scholarly pursuits, and Vyshaan could often find the obscure texts he required in the man's shop. Somewhat removed from the workshop's location, Tarnyr knows nothing of the wizard's incarceration, and would be more than pleased to hear from his odd friend.
2)The tinkerer Banley would gladly take his revenge on Vyshaan, given the chance. A seemingly simple townsperson with a calm disposition, he could easily be underestimated as a threat, particularly as he now lives in seclusion to hide his terrible scars. He has many friends in his community, and considerable alchemical knowledge at his disposal, and could only be dismissed at great peril to oneself.
3)Away from the workshop on that fateful night, Banley and Vyshaan had an assistant, a waifish girl by the name of Larana. She was not especially skilled in alchemy or magic (though had a small talent in both), but did the necessary cleanup and fetching that the two focused creators could rarely be bothered to do themselves. She was devastated to hear of her eccentric employer's deaths, and would be thrilled to hear that either one of them lives. The question is which of them she hears from first, for either would be glad to turn her against the other (if Vyshaan should learn of his partner's survival, that is).
Three memories, mannerisms or quirks Vyshaan possesses.
1)Much of the time, Vyshaan can be friendly - bubbly, even. Glad to discuss minutiae of almost any topic, he possesses a wealth of knowledge that he is more than glad to show off. He is also easily distracted by insignificant details, which can often make him seem absent-minded. This would be an endearing trait, except that, seemingly at random, he can grow snappish and withdrawn, even paranoid, as if you were attempting to pry out his deepest secrets.
2)Vyshaan is nearly always fiddling with some tiny device or other. He is not quite the craftsman that his former partner was, and he is continually concerned that his clockwork creations will be insufficient to keep his devices running smoothly. Even when not actively working on his research, he usually has some little trinket with him that he can examine the workings of, or disassemble. Trait: Nimble Fingers, Keen Mind
3)As part of keeping his crafting secrets safe, Vyshaan has a tendency to set traps on nearly all his belongings, at great risk to life and limb of those who might investigate. Given his choice, nearly everything he owns would be under triple lock and key with nasty traps, magical and otherwise, all along the way.
