I'm definitely running him as "friendly, but evil still". Once the party restores his memories, they'll get the library book loot.
SIDENOTE: Besides the Oni reforming the Amber Golems, maybe some skeletons will help clean up the place and repair it.
Good ideas here:
Truce between Strahd and Exethanter. Strahd knows that Exethanter is powerful (technically more powerful than he is), but he is also aware of the fact that the lich essentially fights alone (more or less) while Strahd can produce any number of vampire spawn to serve him and fight on his behalf. On the other hand Exethanter wants the temple (and the knowledge hidden therein) to remain intact. He knows that going up against Strahd would risk that. And while the lich might be able to annihilate Strahd, the temple (or at least parts of it) would likely be destroyed. So, Strahd basically tolerates Exethanter as long as he gets to use the knowledge in the temple (and the lich doesn't venture outside of it) and Exethanter allows the vampire to enter "his domain" unharmed as long as he leaves the temple intact.
Endgame. Exethanter knows that there is no way to lift the mists that surround Barovia. Going up against Strahd would do him no good in that regard. So he bides his time. As the lich is essentially immortal, he is in no rush to facilitate his escape. Rather he guides adventurers to the knowledge hidden in the temple in the hope that they "get lucky" and manage to remove Strahd from the picture. Once that happens, Exethanter would be free and might become the next BBEG after CoS has concluded. I also like that this narrative somehow mirrors Madam Eva's attitude. She doesn't openly go up against Strahd (also because he is her half-brother) and remains a neutral party, but does nudge the adventurers in the right direction that would see the vampire destroyed. Exethanter might be the same. He uses the adventurers as pawns in his own scheme without having to "defy" Strahd and therefore remains neutral.
No comments:
Post a Comment