Exemplars of Evil

CHAPTER 5
CALAIS
ARCHWINTER
82
Illus. by M. Phillippi
USING THIS
VILLAIN
Calais is an extremely resourceful
villain. She can
cast an eclectic variety
of offensive and defensive
spells, as well
as divinations and
counter magic, so
she is rarely caught
unprepared. Furthermore,
her extreme
paranoia drives her to
consider many eventualities
and make plans far
in advance.
Still, Calais acknowledges
her limits. She keeps plenty of
minions and lackeys on hand,
prizing versatility and rewarding
success. Unlike many villains,
she is relatively kind to her underlings,
though she sometimes
punishes them unfairly during
her delusional fits. Though she
never apologizes for her explosions,
she always makes it up to
the servants she wrongs.
Calais tries to be a faceless
villain, hiding under her hat of
disguise and subtly spreading gossip
and rumors. She might pose
as a mysterious benefactor and
hire the PCs for missions; alternatively,
she could give the party
tips about drow activities and evil
nobles, acting as a source of information.
Her true nature could
remain hidden for quite some
time, but when Calais is caught
up in one of her fits, she is less
able to spin a convincing story. If
the PCs manage to capture or corner
her, she might crumble under
interrogation. If truly pressed,
she tearfully explains how she
was forced into the body of a
drow and how she is doing
the best she can to poison the
dark elves from within.
She leaves out the
most reprehensible
details of her behavior
since then,
but she sticks to
the truth about the
rest of her history.
Because of her misfortune,
the PCs might
find it easy to view Calais
Calais Archwinter
as a sympathetic villain. Many characters,
especially those of chaotic alignment,
might find her actions to
be fairly reasonable. Some
will not fault her for manipulating
and harming
drow. Calais tries hard
to encourage these perceptions
while playing
down her role in the
raids on nobles and
their families. If she
succeeds, some of the
PCs might be moved
to help her escape from
the Underdark, while others
might go so far as to
assist in her scheme to weaken
the dark elves.
Regardless of whether Calais
wins any of the PCs to her side, it
eventually becomes clear that she
does not deserve their aid. When
the characters learn that she has
ordered the murders of innocents,
including children, they will turn
against her. Calais does everything
in her power to keep tabs on the
PCs, however, and if she thinks
that they are becoming suspicious
of her, she tries to distract or eliminate
them before they can act.
CALAIS ARCH-
WINTER IN
EBERRON
Calais and the rest of Freedom’s
Lance were returning to Stormreach
when they caught the scent
of corruption. Rumors circulated
about a high-end slave ring operating
off the coast. The adventurers
fell into a trap, and Calais now operates
Tamesik’s organization in and
under a warehouse near the docks.
She sees the growing drow settlements
as a cancer in the heart
of Stormreach.
Tamesik had forged alliances
with corrupt trade organizations
and unsavory mercenaries,
including Thrush Xivdrad,
a rogue thunder
guide. She assassinated
officials from many major
merchant groups,
though they do not suspect
her.
Most members of the
Chelicerata are drow from
splintered Xen’drik, but the