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Albrecht von Scherbach is a scion of minor German nobility. A warrior, he is actively seeking out power in the Slavic Lands, and has tied himself to the Iron Triad, specifically Arakel the Mighty. He currently carries a blade of supplication¹.

He was introduced to the Triad by his great great uncle Johann.

He has a cohort, Juliane.

Background

The von Scherbach family? have long been the barons of a small but fertile valley in south-western Germany?, just south the burgeoning city of Köln. A warrior house, their most notable scion was Reinhold, who fought in the Third Crusade, and brought home a sword he won at the Battle of Arsuf. This sword has been passed from son to son ever since. The family also has a secret; most of the male line have at least a slight magical talent.

As supporters of King Rudolph?, who is not favored of the Catholic Church?, the von Scherbachs most especially keep secret their ties to Albrecht's great great uncle Johann, who is an aged sorcerer of some power. Johann lives in hiding from his enemies, plotting his eventual and bloody vengeance. When Albrecht began to show signs of magical power, Johann tutored him in controlling what turned out to be a fairly weak talent. During this tutelage, Albrecht also learned a great deal of philosophy from Johann, and both developed and explored a fascination with the lower planes, fueled by the demons Johann bound to guard his tower, going so far as to learn the Infernal tongue.

Johann also introduced Albrecht to his patrons, the Iron Triad, and specifically to Arakel the Mighty, who promised Albrecht power and guidance in return for service. Eager for strength and a mighty patron, Albrecht pledged his loyalty almost immediately.

In the last two years, the von Scherbach lands have suffered increasingly from bandit raids. Baron Henrik?, Albrecht's grandfather, and his advisers believe that these attacks are being encouraged and funded by one or more of the rival barons, in the hopes of forcing the family to give up the barony. While the family's warband is able to drive off the bandits, every raid takes its toll. The family has not the political or military power to make a decisive end to the attacks, even if they knew which rival baron to strike back at. Without conclusive evidence, they cannot seek King Rudolph's intervention. Even if Johann's magic and contacts could tell them who the enemy is, they could not use his knowledge as proof. The von Scherbachs need some new source of power; be it an ally, a way to find proof, or a way to crush the bandits for good.

Reinhold's sword has passed to Albrecht from his father, Oswald?, who stands to inherit the barony when Henrik? dies. The family cannot find any new power in their own lands, and dare not search elsewhere in Germany, due to the threat of their rivals. So instead they send Albrecht, with a half-dozen retainers, to search in the Slavic Lands. Their hope is that he will find some relic of the Mongol Invasion?, or of Ragnarok, or a powerful new ally. And so Albrecht rode south, and took ship down the Danube, then across the Black Sea?, and up the Dnieper?, planning to begin his search in Kiev.

However, the small vessel was attacked by a monstrous hydra? as it traveled upriver, and sank. Albrecht barely made it to shore, and lost a great deal of his equipment, as well as those retainers who had survived the trip so far. Stranded and nearly broke, Albrecht staggered into Krivograd.

Development

Bereft of all assistance and much of the equipment and wealth he had intended to use investigating, excavating, and greasing palms in his search for power, Albrecht despaired briefly. He decided that he would need to hire himself out as a mercenary, or perhaps a guard of some sort, to replenish his funds... but not before he spent a night or two wallowing in a drunken, self-indulgent rage. Though it seemed these Russians had no idea what proper ale was, and preferred to drink a harsh liquor named vodka instead.

Luck was with him, however; Albrecht managed to attach himself to a party of adventurers already on the trail of a find of immense value; the hoard of the mighty dragon Zmei Gromovoi, the Demon of Fire and Storm. Various interruptions plagued the quest, especially involving the local goblins and one of their leaders, a woman named Siran. Both Siran and a slimy merchant in Kiev named Yegor Dolgorukiy are high-ranking followers of The Iron Triad. So, too, is Nikolai, one of Albrecht's companions in the quest.

It was with some regret that Albrecht sheathed the family sword and took instead a Seljuk shamsir the party found in the lair of a manticore. But sentimentality could not be allowed to get in the way of effectiveness, and this sword was a far finer weapon than any he had seen before.

Albrecht had not expected to hear much, if anything, from his family until he returned to them. An ally was a surprise. Frankly, after seeing her and reading the letters she brought with her, Albrecht was surprised old uncle Johann had let her out of his sight. Her oath of personal service to him went a long way to establishing his trust in her, and so far she's lived up to that trust.

There was no regret in intimidating the young druid near Oleshie? into handing her soul to Volos. In fact, Albrecht took some small pleasure in her obvious distress and fear. But the woman, a stranger, was nothing to him.

Nor was there any regret in betraying the Mongols to get at Zmei Gromovoi's journal. Little more than rage in dealing with the supercilious, judgmental celestials who showed so little gratitude in return for their freedom. A lesson there; never make contracts with those who believe themselves to be superior beings.

Killing Argyros of Antioch? was a pleasure, though the profusion of enemies appearing in Kiev and Novgorod, let alone back in Germany?. The family is still beset on all sides, and nothing Albrecht does is of immediate benefit.

In hunting live dragons for their aid in deciphering Zmei Gromovoi's journal, Albrecht found perhaps the first truly applicable bit of knowledge regarding his family's problems: to investigate links between the Order of the Iron Mask? and the Catholic Church?. He has passed this on to the family, who have begun to trace out covert financial links.

He grows frustrated with his supposed allies in the Cult of the Fallen Trickster, who seem happy whenever the party accomplishes something, and then forget that happiness in fury should there be any repercussions from that accomplishment. And who would seem to want the party to just sit around idle and ignore their own pressing interests.

Personality

Albrecht is a thoughtful, determined man. He is completely ruthless; the ends always justify the means, and neither mercy nor pity have any notable hold on his soul. He is a charismatic man who displays a nearly unshakable confidence.

Motivations

Albrecht is interested in power. Under the tutelage of his great great uncle Johann, he absorbed certain lessons. Strength is paramount. Only by increasing your own power, constantly searching for new knowledge and resources, and allying yourself with those more powerful than you, can you withstand the assaults of your enemies. These were Johann's beliefs, and they had a strong impact on the young Albrecht. He instinctively views strength first and foremost as physical might, but is quite capable of recognizing other forms of strength.

Albrecht believes in structure and rules. He works best with an established hierarchy of power, when he knows his place in it and the places of those he deals with. He takes great pleasure in taking full advantage of his privileges under the system, and in finding ways to take advantage of the system. He takes his responsibilities to both those above him and those below him in the hierarchy very seriously. He also believes strongly in keeping his word; however, he is not adverse by any means to phrasing his promise in such a way as to allow him to meet the letter of the promise while ignoring the spirit.

Albrecht enjoys causing others pain. He has found that he derives no pleasure from seeing people in pain, but that he does derive pleasure from being the source of the pain. He has developed great skill in inflicting controlled physical pain, but has not yet mastered the arts of emotional or psychological pain.

 Goals 

Albrecht's primary goal is to preserve his original power base; his family. He does love his family, but that is not the only reason he wants to preserve them and their position. His family defines his place in the hierarchy of German nobility; without the von Scherbach barony, he loses his place of power in the system.

In the short term, this means that he has two possible goals. One is to locate evidence that conclusively proves that one or more of his rivals is behind the problems the barony is experiencing. This would allow the family von Scherbach to seek imperial aid and sanction against the rivals. Given Albrecht's location, this goal is unlikely to be met. The second is to find some power that, simply put, would let the family defeat the attacks decisively enough to make the assailants abandon their plans. Albrecht's allies, and the hoard of Zmei Gromovoi may well accomplish this goal... should he be able to convince them to come to Germany.

Looking forward, Albrecht does not want the barony for himself yet. He definitely has no desires to hasten his ascension to the family seat, because he has seen how the responsibilities inherent in that position in the power structure limit opportunities. Albrecht believes that he is too young, and there is too much for him to do, for him to be tied down in administration. While he does not want to move up in that particular power structure at this time, he would not be adverse to acquiring a higher position in other structures.

Albrecht is actively curious about the lower planes and demonic entities, but this is more of an idle exploration than a serious goal. However, it did lead to his allegiance to Arakel, which has started to pay off, and the hierarchy of The Iron Triad is one he definitely seeks to move up in.

In the general sense, Albrecht is happy to acquire power of any type for himself. Strength is paramount, and Albrecht does not truly discriminate against any form of strength, despite his instinctive preference for physical and martial strength.

Custom Items

Iron Visage

This item is canceled. The faceless, implacable inquisitor / judge archetype is not appropriate to Albrecht. Some of the features are moved to a replacement item; others are dropped.

This plain mask is forged out of black iron, unadorned, and featureless except for two narrow eyeslits. The face of a person wearing it is completely obscured and replaced with a flat black visage. Even the eyeslits are filled with smoky, translucent crystal. This crystal does not obscure the wearer's vision in any way, in fact enhancing it magically. The wearer's voice is distorted slightly, a metallic booming from behind the mask.

The Iron Visage has the following effects:

• The wearer gains a +5 competence bonus to Intimidate checks. (2,500 gp)
• All attempts to use Sense Motive against the wearer incur a -5 penalty. (2,500 gp)
• The wearer can see invisible and ethereal creatures, and can see in darkness, even magical darkness, as though affected by the spells see invisibility and devil's eye. (6,000 gp and 9,000 gp, respectively)
• The wearer has a 25% chance to be unaffected by any gaze attacks against him. (3,000 gp)
• As a free action at the end of his turn, the wearer may attempt to demoralize each opponent he has damaged during his turn, via the normal Intimidate mechanics. (4,000 gp)
• Twice per day as an immediate action, the wearer may attempt to intimidate a creature into inaction. Make an Intimidate check opposed by the target's modified level check. If the Intimidate check succeeds, then the target may take no action other than a move action on that turn. The target suffers no further ill effects, and this ability must be used at the start of the target's turn. This is a mind-affecting, supernatural fear effect, and is otherwise similar to the spell hesitate. When the wearer uses this ability, the crystal within the eyeslits flares with a smoky gray radiance. (10,000 gp)

Moderate enchantment & transmutation; CL 8th; Craft Wondrous Item, devil's eye, eagle's splendor, hesitate, scare, see invisibility; Price 38,000 gp.

Helm of the Dread Warrior

This helm is forged of dark gray metal, with long cheekguards but leaving most of the wearer's face exposed. Two arms rise, one from each temple, to hold a faceted gem-like object six inches above the top of the head in a setting shaped to look like dragon claws grasping the gem. This object is an eye of the kokrachon, which bestows enhanced perception upon the wearer. The appearance is something like [], but darker, and smoother instead of the snake motif. The forehead emblem is triangular, reminiscent of an Iron Triad Medallion, but not conclusively so.

The Helm of the Dread Warrior has the following effects:

• * The wearer can see invisible and ethereal creatures, and can see in darkness, even magical darkness, as though affected by the spells see invisibility and devil's eye. (6,000 gp and 9,000 gp, respectively)
• * Twice per day as an immediate action, the wearer may attempt to intimidate a creature into inaction. Make an Intimidate check opposed by the target's modified level check. If the Intimidate check succeeds, then the target may take no action other than a move action on that turn. The target suffers no further ill effects, and this ability must be used at the start of the target's turn. This is a mind-affecting, supernatural fear effect, and is otherwise similar to the spell hesitate. When the wearer uses this ability, the crystal within the eyeslits flares with a smoky gray radiance. (10,000 gp)
• The wearer gains a +5 competence bonus to Intimidate checks. (2,500 gp)
• As a free action at the end of his turn, the wearer may attempt to demoralize each opponent he has damaged during his turn, via the normal Intimidate mechanics. (4,000 gp)

Moderate enchantment & transmutation; CL 8th; Craft Wondrous Item, devil's eye, eagle's splendor, hesitate, scare, see invisibility; Price 31,500 gp.

At the current time, the Helm of the Dread Warrior has only the first two effects created.

Gauntlets of the Spellreaver

These heavy gauntlets, made out of dull gray cold-hammered cold iron, are deeply incised with arcane runes, the carvings packed with crushed ruby.

Twice per day as a standard action, the wearer may make a touch attack. If this attack hits, the wearer may then make a series of special dispel checks, 1d20+BAB, attempting to dispel each magical effect on his target, as per a targeted Dispel Magic. The gauntlets drink the magical energy of the dispelled effects, storing spell levels equal to the spell levels dispelled, up to a maximum of 10 (the target suffers 2 points of damage for each spell level which is dispelled but not absorbed by the gauntlets, as per Slashing Dispel).

The wearer may expend the stored magical energy in any of the following ways:

• As a free action, the wearer may channel the stored magical energy into a weapon, gaining a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls per spell level expended, with the next attack made using that weapon. This ability may be used multiple times per round.
• As a swift action, the wearer may suffuse his body, or that of a creature he touches (as a standard action) with the stored magical energy, providing a surge of vitality. The wearer or the creature he touches gains 2 temporary hit points per spell level expended. These temporary hit points last for one minute.
• As a standard action, the wearer may discharge the energy as a ray with a range of 60 ft. Make a ranged touch attack. If you hit, the target makes a Fortitude save (DC 15 + number of spell levels expended). Upon a failed save, the target loses his highest level prepared spell (or un-expended spell slot, in the case of a spontaneous caster, or one usage of his highest level spell-like-ability), up to a maximum level of the number of spell levels expended.

Whenever the gauntlets absorb or expend spell energy, the crushed ruby inlaid in the carved runes glows.

Girdle of Living Stone

This belt is made of plates of dark granite, half an inch thick, an inch wide, and two inches tall, attached to a backing of dire bear hide, with a steel clasp in the shape of a clenched fist.

The Girdle of Living Stone confers the following benefits on the wearer:

• +4 (or +6) Enhancement bonus to Strength. (16,000 gp or 36,000 gp)
• +4 (or +6) Enhancement bonus to Constitution. (16,000 gp or 36,000 gp)
• As a free action, the wearer can twist the belt clasp, activating a Stoneskin effect on himself. The Stoneskin effect lasts for up to 15 rounds (which need not be consecutive), or until it has absorbed 150 points of damage, at which point it becomes inert for the rest of the day. Twisting the clasp again disables the effect. While the Stoneskin effect is active, the wearer's skin appears to be marble rather than flesh.

Moderate abjuration; CL 15th; Craft Wondrous Item, bear's endurance, bull's strength, stoneskin; Price 77,000 gp (for +4) or 137,000 gp (for +6); cost to create 44,750 gp + 2,580 XP (for +4) or 74,750 gp + 4,980 XP (for +6).

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¹ The sword was found in the cave of a manticore? in Crimea, encountered and slain by the party on their way to see the Mongol Khan. The blade beares this inscription: "This weapon, bane of infidels, has been forged in the flame of jihad, consecrated by the Imam of Anatolia. Akhmet, the Blade of Allah, is its chosen bearer. May it serve him in faith and in truth even as he serves the Almighty."