Zemdath Romuth
Zemdath Romuth (a.k.a. Zemdath the Terrible)
Zemdath Romuth aka Zemdath the Terrible was one of the most infamous mages to have ever lived on Magicians' End, perhaps only surpassed in later years by the mad mage Ixthamon. He was single handedly responsible for bringing down the Moderators' Council at the beginning of the 4th millenium APC. A timeline of the important events in his life is available at the bottom of this article.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Zemdath Romuth was born in the Werdown district of Vrandakan, into the turbulent legacy of the Romuth extended family as the only son of Gioregit Romuth and his first wife, Daliska (née Potraqua). He earned his infamous nickname through a series of dark and ruthless actions that he carried out in his early years. As a child born and raised in a poor, overcrowded suburb centered on a great stone quarry, Zemdath was exposed to the harsh realities of life from a young age. His family's connections to a shady criminal syndicate hardened his character and his obvious aptitude for magic helped him rise quickly within the junior ranks of the Turaino clan.
In the spring of 2978 APC, the Turaino clan were thwarted in an attempt to gain full control over all the betting tents that came and went during the illicit night races held irregularly in the quarry bottom. The fearsome union boss, Ilguld Gan declared that he would not be intimdated by the Turaino and a group of his inner circle of hard men, chased the intruding bookmakers away and left two of them broken, bleeding and humiliated.
The next day, the adolescent Zemdath found a way to open a critical crack in the stone wall overlooking Ilguld's headquarters, causing a massive landslide that killed the union leader and resulted in a significant loss of life and livelihood for the quarry workers. From that moment he was known as Zemdath the Terrible. Word of Zemdath's actions quickly spread throughout Vrandakan. His reputation for cruelty and mercilessness grew, as did his ambition. He began to see himself as a dark force, wielding magic as a weapon to further his own goals. In the short term his actions intimidated the enemies of the Turaino clan but in the long term it did them no good, as it alienated them in their own community heartland. But by then Zemdath had moved on.
Zemdath was known for exploiting the weaknesses of others, both magical and personal. He wasn't above blackmail, intimidation, or even physical harm to get what he wanted. His actions became increasingly sinister and horrifying but just when the authorities were closing in on him, he vanished. He is known to have spent sometime in Ralsimoor between 2992 and 2996 and this is when he first travelled to Noctaliya and made contacts that would be important to him in later life.
He was seen in Tarris during 2998 and seems to have established himself in Quarowl by 2999. During these years he was building up a network of criminal associates with one specific goal in mind, the illicit procurement and smuggling of SUP from Tinturbean to Myruthea.
In 3302, he was arrested by the Examination Board when the Moderators' Council identified him as the source of illegal SUP on Myruthea, undermining their attempts to restrict its distribution. He escaped from his trial in murky circumstances that may have involved the bribing of certain officers of the law and was immediately put at the top of the list of wanted criminals by the Final Examiners.
Returning to Quarowl in secret on the 1st of Tivith, 3004 APC, and fueled by a prodigious and dangerous quantity of Synaptic Unbinding Potion, Zemdath perpetrated his most infamous atrocity, when he imposed an arcane cage around the Examination Board and drowned its members in a deluge of acid raid. Famously declaring that the board was dissolved, he revealed a cruel propensity for puns, enjoying the aptness of the literal and metaphorical meaning of his words.
This act was the beginning of that long period of instability and fear which we now call the Time of Terrors.
After the collapse of the Moderators' Council, which his actions had precipitated, Zemdath took charge of Quarowl and the Institute of Magical Analytics acting as the Arch Baron. He was unable to impose his will over the Free Union of Magical Scholars, however. Elsewhere, individual city states suffered from a variety of fates, described more fully in the article about the Time of Terrors.
In 3011 APC, seeking to reinforce his shaky powerbase, Zemdath created a portal to Noctaliya called the Noctaliyan Gate. He allied himself with a group from Moonside and established a personal protection force known as the Quarowl High Guard, staffed exclusively with Owlblood warriors.
Zemdath the Terrible was assassinated on his 70th birthday, by Greld Ikri the Strongest Talon of the Quarowl High Guard who were sworn to protect him. Greld had plotted with Orvith Highcroft, the banker who replaced Zemdath as the Arch Baron of Quarowl after his death.
Previously Held Ranks & Titles
Date of Birth
7th Tuzlle, 2957 APC
Date of Death
7th Tuzzle, 3027 APC
Circumstances of Death
Assassinated on his 70th birthday
Birthplace
Place of Death
Children
Sex
Male
Hair
Bald
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale verging on albino
Quotes & Catchphrases
The examination board is dissolved!This chilling proclamation, amplified over the rooftops of Quarowl on the 1st of Tivith, 3004 APC was figuratively and literally true and heralded the end of the Moderators' Council and the beginning the Time of Terrors.
Who put the "owl" into Quarowl? I did!This possibly apocryphal boast is said to have been cackled out by Zemdath after he had established the Quarowl High Guard using crack mercenary guards brought over from Moonside via the Noctaliyan Gate.
Aligned Organization
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