Allustan

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Greyhawk Character
Allustan
Allustan depicted by Chad Dulac in "Backdrop: Diamond Lake." Dungeon #124, 2005.
General info
Occupation:Sage
Home:Diamond Lake
Alignment:Neutral
Gender:Male
Species:Human
Class:Wizard 8

Allustan, the Patient Patron, is the local mage in residence at Diamond Lake. He is called by many the “Smartest Man in Diamond Lake.”

Description

Allustan is middle-aged, with only a few lines around his kind, piercing green eyes. His skin is light without being fair, and is only lightly tanned from tending his meditation garden. His full head of short-cropped dark brown hair has only a slight widow's peak. He wears a very full, long beard which lays to the bottom of his chest. It is kept well-brushed and braided, often with silver adornments and bands, in an almost dwarven fashion.

He dwells within a charming red and deep blue house on one of the rare stretches of healthy grass in all of Diamond Lake. A small meditation garden abuts the face of the house, incorporating vertical stones and small pools of concentric circles. The fresh paint and well-tended yard contrasts sharply with the rest of the seedy town, a testament to the locals' respect for (or fear of) a main whose prowess is known as far as the Free City.

Abilities

Str 8, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 20, Wis 14, Cha 10[1]

Allustan knows how to brew magic potions and scribe magic scrolls.[1]

Possessions

Allustan has carried various magic items related to combat, but amongst his notable items are a headband of intellect+2.[1]

As a sage who is sometimes called upon to identify magical items, Allustan owns 14 pearls worth 100gp each[1] (the material component of the spell).[2][3]

Allustan keeps a large, standing silver mirror worth 1,000gp (the material component for scrying).[4]

He also owns 500gp worth of diamond dust.[1]

In third edition (v3.0, 2000), a single 500gp diamond is precisely the amount required for raise dead to be cast.[5] However, the material components changed in v3.5 (2003) and required a total of 5,000gp of diamond(s).[6] It is unclear if this was an editorial oversight in the AoWO (2005), or if Allustan's owning this amount of diamonds is unrelated to the spell, despite being listed with the other spell components he owns.

Activities

Allustan offers his library and considerable intelligence to the citizens of Diamond Lake as a sage, although few miners have reason to seek his services. Allustan charges a standard rate of 20 gp per question. He does this more to sate his curiosity than for the money; gains from his adventuring days easily cover his modest lifestyle.

The old tombs in the hills fascinate Allustan, and were a primary factor in his decision to relocate to his childhood home. He hopes to make a long-term study of the cairns, and plans eventually to publish his findings in a small encyclopedia.

Relationships

Brother to Governor-mayor Lanod Neff. However, Allustan does not use the surname "Neff", as it is custom in the Flanaess for wizards to typically use only one name.[7]

History

"Allustan grew up in Diamond Lake with his brother, Lanod Neff. The sons of the town’s powerful and efficient governor-mayor, they abused their influence and shamed the mine managers with social indiscretions. When finally they went too far, their father sent them both to Free City of Greyhawk, urging Allustan to seek an education and placing Lanod in a plum assignment with the city watch."

Allustan soon found himself in the prestigious University of Magical Arts, where his apt scholarship and bravado caught the attention of a powerful master wizard named Tenser, a dynamic figure who traveled with some of the most renowned heroes of the day. Tenser offered to take on Allustan as his apprentice, assuring him a life of thrills and discovery. What Allustan got was a window into a world of manipulative chessmasters willing to backstab trusted friends to honor abstract principles of balance and neutrality.

Though he thrived in the company of Tenser and his ilk, the politics proved too much to handle, and he split with the group [before 585 CY] after a bitter ethical dispute. He retired to Diamond Lake only to find his inept brother in charge and facing challenges from all sides. So he remains, knowing that his presence supports a corrupt leader but unwilling to leave his family to the wolves. The same political disinterest that got him into trouble with Tenser keeps him from seeing the worst of his brother’s offenses.[8]"

Allustan in the Age of Worms

After his home was destroyed by the black dragon, Ilthane, Allustan "remain[ed] behind in Diamond Lake to spearhead the rebuilding of those parts of village that were destroyed."[9] He "retreated into his studies ... and began to strengthen his home with wardings and magical fortifications."[10]

References

Citations

  1. a b c d e Age of Worms Overload (2005), p.10.
  2. Player's Handbook (2000), p.216.
  3. Player's Handbook v3.5 (2003), p.243.
  4. Player's Handbook v3.5 (2003), p.274-275.
  5. Player's Handbook (2000), p.242.
  6. Player's Handbook v3.5 (2003), p.268.
  7. Player's Guide (1998), p.48.
  8. Dungeon #124 (Jul 2005), p.59-60
  9. "Spire of Long Shadows". Dungeon #130 (Jan 2006), p.60
  10. "A Gathering of Winds". Dungeon #129 (Dec 2005), p.61

Bibliography

———. "Backdrop: Diamond Lake." Dungeon #124. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2005.
———. "The Whispering Cairn." Dungeon #124. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2005.
———. "A Gathering of Winds." Dungeon #129. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2005.

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The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

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