### **Valerius Crowne – The Master of Leverage** --- ![[DALL·E 2025-02-22 14.53.00 - A refined and distinguished man in his early 60s, dressed in an impeccably tailored black coat lined with crimson silk. His piercing emerald green eye.webp]] #### **Basic Information** - **Name:** Valerius Crowne *(a name, but likely not his first—or his last)* - **Race/Species:** Rakshasa-Touched Changeling *(A being of shifting masks and whispered secrets, who wears the flesh of mortals like a well-tailored suit.)* - **Class/Profession:** Power Broker, Manipulator, Shadow Diplomat - **Alignment/Morality:** True Neutral (A man of **calculated pragmatism**, valuing **control over morality**) - **Age:** Unknown (Appears late 30s to early 40s, though **his influence suggests he has been at work far longer**) - **Gender & Pronouns:** He/Him - **Appearance:** - **Impeccably dressed**, favoring tailored coats of deep black or midnight blue, always lined with **crimson silk**. - **Emerald eyes**—piercing, predatory, and **utterly unreadable**. - **Subtly inhuman features**—too symmetrical, too poised, a face that seems *almost* perfect but shifts in imperceptible ways. - **Always composed, always controlled**—his voice **smooth as aged whiskey**, his words weighted with **unspoken power**. - **His gloves are pristine**, a sign that he **rarely dirties his own hands**—but **the destruction he orchestrates is undeniable**. - **His scent?** Not of blood or steel, but of **expensive parchment, polished wood, and ink—his true weapons.** --- #### **Personality & Traits** - **Personality Summary:** Valerius Crowne is a **living paradox**—a man whose **mere presence shifts the balance of power** in any room. He speaks with **calm certainty**, as if he has already **read the script of every conversation before it begins**. He does **not threaten**—he simply **informs** you of the **inevitability** of the choices before you. He has never been seen holding a blade, yet **ruins lives and topples kingdoms with nothing but a whisper**. To some, he is **a benefactor**; to others, **a curse given form**. He does not **deal in violence**—he **deals in inevitability**. - **Strengths & Skills:** - **Master of Secrets:** He **knows things he shouldn’t**, often before his enemies **realize they matter**. - **The Art of Leverage:** Crowne does not make **requests**; he makes **offers one cannot refuse**. - **A Scholar of Humanity:** He **understands people**—not just what they say, but **what they hide, what they fear, and what they truly desire**. - **A Man of Many Faces:** A shapeshifter in both **body and intent**, he appears as **whoever best fits the situation**. - **Cold, Precise, and Utterly Ruthless:** He **never acts out of emotion**—only **calculation**. - **Weaknesses & Flaws:** - **No Allegiances:** He serves **only his own interests**, which makes him **a dangerous ally and an even more dangerous enemy**. - **Cannot Abide Chaos:** He **despises the unpredictable**, preferring **chessboard certainty**. Anything that **acts outside of logic unnerves him.** - **His True Form is Hidden:** If **someone ever forces him into his true rakshasa-touched form**, it could **undermine his influence entirely**. - **No Need for Violence... Until It’s Necessary:** He **avoids direct conflict**, but **if forced into a corner, he ensures he wins absolutely**. - **Mannerisms & Speech Patterns:** - **Speaks softly but deliberately**, like **every word is weighed and measured** before it is spoken. - **Rarely reacts emotionally**, instead responding with **mild amusement or calculated interest**. - **His emerald gaze never wavers**—a stare that **sees more than it should**. - **He never raises his voice.** He never needs to. --- #### **Background & Story Role** - **Backstory Summary:** To most, Valerius Crowne is **a rumor, a whisper in darkened halls**. His name **does not appear in ledgers**—yet **gold moves at his command**. His hands have **never been stained with blood**, yet **his enemies vanish without a trace**. - Some claim he was **once a disgraced noble of Galt, reborn as a puppeteer of chaos.** - Others say he was **a diplomat in Mendev, exiled for knowing too much.** - **Absalom's scholars** whisper that Crowne was **once a learned man, until he turned knowledge into a weapon.** All of them are **true**. And all of them are **lies**. Tybalt **once chased his shadow** through **Restov’s underbelly**, finding only **ruined men and empty names**. That was a year ago. Now, **Crowne stands before him**—not a phantom, but **a man in the flesh**. And if Crowne has come to Rivermarch, **it is because he has already decided it is worth his time.** - **Notable Items & Equipment:** - **Immaculate Gloves:** He never **dirties his hands**, but he **moves the world with them**. - **Ledgers of Secrets:** His **"weapons" are not swords, but knowledge**—ledgers containing **the sins and weaknesses of the powerful.** - **A Signet Ring of Unknown Origin:** A **symbol from a nation long gone**, but **whose weight carries unspoken authority.** - **Connections & Relationships:** - **[[Tybalt Rattigan]] (The Emissary Who Knows Too Much):** They have **crossed paths before**—and **Tybalt failed to catch him**. But that means **Tybalt is clever enough to be worth watching.** - **[[Maximus]] (The Implacable Warden):** A being of **pure order**, a **living construct of war**. Crowne finds him **intriguing—useful, even—but wonders: is Maximus a sword, or is he something greater?** - **[[Kressle Crowe]] (The Bandit Queen):** She, too, **controls territory, influence, and fear**. Crowne wonders—**does she see what she *could* become?** - **Factions or Allegiances:** - **None—Crowne belongs only to his own ambitions.** - **Has contacts in Pitax, Brevoy, and Restov—but he is loyal to none.** - **Likely has informants *everywhere*, including inside Rivermarch.** --- #### **Additional Notes** - **Recurring Themes:** - **"Violence is a tool for the unimaginative."** Crowne does not need to **kill his enemies**—he ensures they **destroy themselves.** - **"Power is not in the throne. It is in the man who decides who may sit upon it."** - **"Loyalty is a fiction. Influence is real."** - **"Every debt must be paid. The only question is—when?"** - **Player/GM Notes:** - **Crowne is not an enemy to be fought with swords, but with wits.** - **His arrival in Rivermarch is a warning—power has noticed them.** - **If he offers something, it will come at a price.** - **The question is not whether Crowne has leverage. It is only whether you realize it before it’s too late.** --- Valerius Crowne is **not a villain in the traditional sense**—he is **an inevitability**. He does **not need to be a king.** **He only needs to decide who wears the crown.**