Archmagus Corvus Blackmantle
MystaransMathemagician and Reality Weaver
"Emotion is simply miscalculation. Given sufficient data, all choices become obvious.""
Identity
- Residence
- The Floating Observatory of Calculated Fates
- Civilization
- Mystarans
Appearance
• Voice: Precise and measured, with mathematical terminology sprinkled throughout normal speech
Relationships
- Family - He calculated that emotional attachments reduce efficiency by 23%, so he maintains none
- Allies - The Order of Perfect Probability, his followers who help maintain reality calculations
- Rivals - The Chaos Seers who believe his manipulations are causing more problems than they solve; his former apprentice who went rogue
Personality
- Traits: Coldly logical, genuinely believes he's helping everyone, dismissive of emotion, terrified of chaos
Backstory
Corvus was born during a mathematical convergence that made him see the universe as a giant equation to be solved. He rose through Mystaran society by predicting and preventing three major magical disasters. Now he leads a faction that believes reality itself can be perfected through careful calculation and manipulation of probability fields.
Daily Life
He spends his days in the Floating Observatory, monitoring probability streams across Mystara and adjusting reality in subtle ways to prevent disasters. He oversees a team of mathemagicians and maintains the complex wards that keep the observatory suspended between dimensions.
Story Hooks
- 1 Corvus offers the party a deal: help him capture his rogue apprentice in exchange for a probability adjustment that guarantees success on their next major quest
- 2 His calculations predict the party will cause a major disaster, and he's dispatched agents to eliminate them—unless they can prove the math wrong
Narrative Value
Corvus serves as a morally complex antagonist or reluctant ally—his goals are arguably good (preventing disasters) but his methods are cold and calculating. He creates ethical dilemmas about the cost of safety and who gets to decide what's "optimal." ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════