As mystery-shrouded Someone asked me to. Ask and you shall receive!

Castle Xyntillan, by Gabor Lux. https://emdt.bigcartel.com/products

Now, what follows will be my personal take on how to use the Malévols. I think it could be meant as less of a funhouse and more of a haunted castle approach perhaps? Broadly speaking I’m putting the named characters from the Rogues’ Gallery into three categories with the last one, the True Malévols, subdivided into three more. The term Malévol by default in this module refers to any of the castle’s inhabitants but « True Malévols », in my attempt at classification at least, are exclusively members by birth or wedding of the noble family to whom the castle and surrounding lands (still) belong.

(Note: For my own use and in my play reports I’m often frenchifying the names (i.e James Honoré >> Jean-Honoré) as the Malévols are supposed to be French, but for simplicity’ sake I’ll use the original names here.)

Specters

Specters, ghosts, poltergheists, whatever, things that haunt the castle and don’t have ulterior motives. Some were the accomplices of the Malévols in their nefarious activities and others were simply their victims, discarded lovers, unlucky serfs, etc. All have been denied eternal rest, are bound to the castle and hate the living.

(Note: They all have a draining effect on their attacks. Also, in my game Specters are always, all of them preceded by a telltale sign (i.e ominous children singing, blood dripping from ceiling, etc.).)

List:

• 12 Maximillian (his shadow manifest before he does)
• 20 Sébastian (wet footprints)
• 21 Eustace (blood smears)
• 22 Giselle (plaintive crying)
• 27 Claudette (cold)
• 32 Marcel, only in portraits
• 34 Hugo, (rattling of chains)
• 35 Priscilla (undulating shadows)
• 42 Guillemette (melodious singing)
• 48 Merlerik (whispers)

Castle Staff

Some key members of the castle staff who’ve been around in the tumultous times of the downfall of the castle are cursed to be employees for eternity (that must be the worst fate of all wouldn’t it?). Not part of the Malévol family, they’re nonetheless not to be trifled with. They still try to accomplish their duties, albeit in a twisted parody of their former existence.

(Note: I’m not sure about that one, but I’m thinking that a special condition must be met in order to kill any castle staffer permanently (their bonds to the castle being so strong after all) otherwise they just come back a few days later…)

List:

• 09 Girolamo, Seneschal
• 14 Mandrake, Alchemist
• 16 Hubert, Huntsman
• 18 James Honoré, Butler
• 28 Guy, Jester
• 37 Mortagu, Executioner
• 49 Sybille, Witch
• 50 Bartholomew, Artist
• 55 Frédéric, Playwright

True Malévols

The Malévols are members of a noble french family dating back from the time of Charlemagne, and possibly even earlier as there’s rumors they have ties with the druids worshipping the Old Ones. Some unspeakable ritual (or maybe its just the incommensurate sum of their vices) has cursed their castle and them with it.

Living members

The Malévol family is nigh extinct as far as living members are concerned. The few living ones live mostly outside of its walls but are attracted to the castle like moths to light.

List:

• 01 Gilbert the Fox, bandit, illegitimate son of Reynard
• 06 Claude, official heir, knows enough to dread the moment his inheritance come in effect
• 08 Gregor the Sentient Bug, has pestered one too many time Aristide as a kid
• 15 Olivier the Oleaginous, apprentice to Mandrake the Mixer
• 17 Hortensia the Lovely, younger sibling to Claude and Olivier, innocent
• 19 Reynard the Relapse, alcoholic monk, father of Gilbert

The Blasé Undead

The dead Malévols with a particularly strong personality, tragic destinies or both, are known to linger long after their death and go on with their (mostly wicked) activities. They know joy no more though. Furthermore, decades or centuries of cohabitation have frequently soured their relationships with their siblings to the point that they don’t care much what should happens to them.

(Note: the lair of each of the Blasé Undead should bear obvious signs of their particular decadence.)

List:

• 03 Adelaide the Splendid
• 04 Merton the Encyclopedian
• 10 Beatrice the Jilted
• 33 Gillz the Gothic
• 36 Philomène the Quick
• 39 Lydia the Luckless
• 40 Odile the Odious
• 45 Roberto the Arbiter
• 46 Serpentina the Sweet
• 56 Morella the Mournful
• 58 Agenor the Antique

Leaders of the family council

Some more active Malévols, maybe from a twisted sense of loyalty to their family’s legacy or more immediate desires (i.e bloodlust), still have a vested interest towards the castle’ security.

(Note: They are those who will organize actions against bothersome interlopers.)

List:

• 07 Runcius the Dark Man of the Woods, leader of the druids
• 11 Aristide the Patrician, Aristide is absorded by his thirst for knowledge and will take part on the council only if that’s absolutely necessary (i.e very high Infractions rating)
• 13 Médard the Mighty, a companion to Roland centuries ago, opposes Runcius in almost everything
• 30 Count Giscard, married into the family, from Malinbois
• 31 Countess Maltricia, bored by her vampire husband
• 43 Montfort the Bygone, linked somehow to the lake monster

(Not classified above, some won’t feature in my game: 23 Jean-Luc, 24 Léopold, 25 Patrice, 26 Vincent, 29 Samuel, 38 Rodento, 41 Jerôme, 44 Jaumon, 47 Meandering, 51 Jean-Jacques, 52 Kent, 53 Ambrosius, 54 Charles, 57 Mummified, 59 The Bearer of Sins, 60 The Beast)

So now you can see (in this version) we’ve got 6 living Malévols and 6 leaders. Those are the ones I personally will focus on to add some layers of complexity, plots and whatnot, to the adventure.

I’m also adding my own characters (not featuring on this post) to replace those that I’m discarding and that’s something I very much enjoy to do.

Feel free to tell me if you’re doing something similar or what you’re doing or would do differently.

That’s it for today!