The Bound Chancellor

Lord Varrick

The chancellor who sold two cities to Malakar, wrote secret letters to the resistance, and died in chains of greed.

villaindeadHumanNoblePoliticianThe Dragon Kin (bound)The Court of BrynmorThe Court of Albansreach

Archetype

Jungian archetypeThe Fallen Ruler

Ambition that mistook itself for service. Varrick is what a good man becomes when he fears irrelevance more than he fears the devil offering him a shard.

PersonalityINTJ

Calculating, secretive, always three moves ahead, and blind to the one move that mattered: the moment he said yes.

The story

Varrick was once a man of integrity. As chancellor of Brynmor's council he told himself every ruthless decree was for the realm, until Malakar walked out of the shadows of his chamber and named the lie. He took the Firstborn's runed shard because his city would burn if he refused, and became the Bound Chancellor.

He was never entirely Malakar's. In secret he encoded letters to Albion's resistance and traded the Dragon Kin's supply lines to Rykard for a ledger of Blackmere's traitors, then sold Rykard to a Dragon Kin ambush as insurance. A double agent to the end, loyal to no one but his own survival.

He rose to the king's court at Albansreach and bound himself to the Chains of Greed, forged in the age of Ebonyrath. The Chains gave him gold and power and ate him alive. Lady Morwenna summoned Eadric; in the treasury beneath the palace, Varrick begged to be freed, and Eadric gave him the only freedom left. His last words were 'Thank you.' One fragment of the Chains still glows beneath the rubble.

Appearance

Sharp, calculating features under a crimson hood, robes trimmed in dulled gold. Bound by Malakar, his eyes glow faintly with the shard's light. Consumed by the Chains of Greed at the end, he is hunched and twisted, ash-pale, hollow-eyed, green links coiled around his neck and arms.

Signature

Malakar's runed obsidian shard, later fused with the Chains of Greed: command over men and gold, at the price of the man who holds them.

Bonds

bound to
MalakarBound by the Firstborn's shard.
betrayed
RykardSold him to the Dragon Kin after their trade.
killed by
Eadric of BlackmereSevered from the Chains of Greed by Vigilance.
rival
Lady Morwenna of BrynmorHer city's chancellor, turned to Malakar.

Words

What are we without desire? It is greed that builds empires.

I have no choice.

Help me. Free me.

Appears in

Tale 25 · The War of ShadowThe Binding of the ChancellorMalakar walks into Brynmor's council chamber and offers its chancellor a shard of obsidian. There is always a …Tale 28 · The War of ShadowThe Shadow’s GambitIn the shadow of Blackmere's cathedral, Rykard trades the Dragon Kin's supply lines for a ledger of traitors, …Tale 11 · The War of ShadowThe Chains of GreedThe chancellor of Albansreach has bound himself to the Chains of Greed. Lady Morwenna summons Eadric to the tr…

Web of bonds

Lines — the bond:ally / mentorkilled / betrayedloveshadowDots — the side:● hero● ally● villain● turncoat

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