The Ophidian Magus

When Chadley Smythe-Livingston was “shovel-bumming” as an undergraduate in archaeology, he discovered a scroll that would change his life. It included a handful of simple incantations and clues to stores of other magical knowledge throughout Southeast Asia, India, and some Pacific islands. This began his obsession with finding these places, which saw him through a Ph.D. and professorial career while spending his off time seeking and mastering arcane knowledge as the Ophidian Magus.
Ophidian Magus wears Shalithars’ Mantle, a magical cape and cowl he found in his travels made from an enormous serpent. He is absolutely immoral and cares only about his quest for magical knowledge. He knows no loyalty to those who can’t directly assist his efforts, and it’s possible for him to be an ally one week and an adversary the next.