by Darren Pearce
Fun Tyrant Games are soon to be releasing Nightfall, a third-party horror supplement which is compatible with 13th Age. It is an updated version of the old AD&D Ravenloft setting with some 13th Age-style touches thrown in. Here is the first taster, an Icon write-up of the sinister and life-sucking Turbodracula.
TURBODRACULA
Turbodracula is eternally famished, the very personification of gluttony and insatiable hunger. He rules over his machine and clockwork realm of Botrovia. He often draws unsuspecting mortals into his plans in an attempt to suck the life from them once they are of no further use to him.
Quote
“I have existed for so long, and require your blood as nourishment for my undying form. No I do not require it, I want it, I covet it…I NEED it!”
Usual Location
In Botrovia at his castle, or walking the clockwork villages looking for unsuspecting mortals.
Common Knowledge
It is hard to put a timescale onto the life of Turbodracula, the living construct that personifies everything about hunger that is inhumanly possible. He has existed for thousands of years, ruling different realms and kingdoms before he drains them of all life and moves on. He is a melancholy character that resides in his Realm of Botrovia, surrounded by the steady ticks and whirrs of his automaton villagers, soldiers, servants and companions.
He has consumed and wasted his entire kingdom, draining the life from every living thing – drawing their vital essence into him and using it to fuel his unnatural span. Yet more than this, he covets the blood, he needs it as a trophy. His eternal hunger never assuaged even if he drank his fill of crimson life force. He is the personification of excessive consumption, a cold unfeeling monster that sits on a forlorn clockwork throne attended by beings of cogs and brass.
He works to spin so many webs of intrigue that the other Realm Lords cannot help but send their agents to discover his plans, agents that are added to the ever growing pile of desiccated corpses that Turbodracula leaves in his wake. This is all part of his plan though and he plots to expand his influence into further realms, so as to find all new sources for his next meal.
Adventurers & the Icon
Adventurers who are wise will quickly realize that they’re on Turbodracula’s menu once they’ve done everything their patron has asked them to do. He rewards his servants greatly however and once in the employ of the lord they can expect to be given gold, gems, magical items and more as long as they please him. If they displease him then he sends his Clockwork Knight to capture them and bring them before him for punishment – usually involving the forfeiture of blood and the death of the adventurer. Adventurers can also be expected to line up potential blood donors for their lord, because after all, if there’s more bodies for Turbodracula to feast upon, they’re less likely to be on the list themselves.
Allies
The Lord of Botrovia has none, he does not ally himself with a single other lord of the realm. This is perhaps his greatest strength, and also his most poignant weakness.
Enemies
Van Halzinger, another Steelborn construct in the Realm of Solenset. Van Halzinger is directly opposed to Turbodracula for a number of reasons, chiefly; the construct radiates holy power, which literally burns him up from the inside unless he’s smiting evil. Van Halzinger sees Turbodracula as the epitome of darkness and strives to foil and destroy his plans wherever he can. He will not rest until Turbodracula and every other servant of evil is destroyed and purged with Holy Light.
The Lady of Shadows, since she cannot be consumed and her villages are devoid of life for Turbodracula to take.
History
Turbodracula’s true origins are shrouded in the veil of Solenset like many of its Realm Lords. He is a Steelborn construct, designed and built by a mad dwarf known as Kolche, who was obsessed with immortality and eternal life. The dwarf built Turbodracula as a shell for his soul, but something went wrong in the transfer process, Kolche was destroyed and a dark entity found a home in the ancient armor and form.
The True Danger
All will be well unless Turbodracula discovers a way to escape his prison of Botrovia. If he escapes from there then he will consume every living being around him until there’s nothing but dried husks for miles and miles. His unstoppable hunger will not be assuaged even then and he will seek to consume until nothing remains in this dimension, and the next…and the next…