ALIGNMENT: Chaotic neutral
(good tendencies)
HIT POINTS: 62
ARMOR CLASS: 4
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: By weapon type
HIT BONUS: Nil
MOVE: 12”
PSIONIC ABILITY: 198
Attack/Defense Modes: B/F,G,I
STRENGTH: 15
INTELLIGENCE: 18(31)
WISDOM: 13 (See below)
DEXTERITY: 18(82)
CONSTITUTION: 13
CHARISMA: 17
CHARM %: 62% (See below)
LEGEND LORE %: 30%
THIEF ABILITIES:
Pickpocket: 75%
Open Locks: 72%
Find/Remove Traps: 60%
Move Silently: 72%
Hide In Shadows: 59%
Hear Noise: 25%
Climb Walls: 96%
Read Languages: 40%
Myal Lemyal is a wandering minstrel
and pickpocket, a musical genius who
manages to maintain himself precariously
through his thieving talents. Myal was
once employed at an earl’s castle, but
was forced to flee abruptly when the
Earl’s daughter became pregnant and
the Earl sought to slay him.
In his travels afterward, he encountered
a man named Parl Dro, who was
seeking a legendary city of undead in
an
attempt to destroy it. As their adventures
progressed, it became apparent that the
two men were linked psychically in many
ways; one seemed to require the presence
of the other, or was able to locate
the other without difficulty, in some
unknown
manner. Eventually it was learned
that Parl Dro was the manifested spirit
of
Myal Lemyal’s true father, who could be
summoned by Myal’s psionic powers.
Extraordinarily handsome by nature,
Myal Lemyal has dark golden hair, pale
skin, a thin, light build, and facial
features
best described as “princely.” He
dresses in red and green clothing, and
at
best may wear leather armor. He rarely
carries a weapon, but it is always possible
he may have a dagger or two on his
person, and may know a little swordwork
as well. He dislikes violence intensely,
however, and avoids personal combat
except in extreme circumstances.
Myal is a gambler, and a good one; he
may add a +20% bonus to his odds to win
in most games of chance involving cards
or dice. He prefers to pickpocket only
those he feels can afford the loss.
By nature, Myal is subject to great
changes in mood that seem to come and
go in a flash; he can be either sad and
depressed, trying to draw sympathy from
all around him, or joyful and radiant,
or
princely and arrogant. He is unpredictable,
somewhat irresponsible and emotional,
but has considerable sensitivity
for human feelings and sufferings. He
has been known to be swayed by sympathy
for someone into performing irrational
and rash actions that get him into
considerable trouble later.
Myal’s stepfather, whom Myal had long
supposed to be his real father, was a
brutal and abusive man who drank a lot;
he was conned into buying a strange
musical instrument shortly before Myal
was born. The instrument was never
supposed to be played, having been
created as an elaborate joke to fool the
man. Rather than admit he had made a
mistake, Myal’s stepfather forced Myal
to learn to play it. Myal did learn to
use it,
and turned it from a joke into one of
the
most complex and beautiful instruments
devised. Though the original instrument
was destroyed at the city of the undead,
Myal has since built another. The instrument
appears to be a double-necked
lute with a reed projecting from one side,
so it may be played simultaneously as
a
wind and stringed instrument; only Myal
is able to play it, and he does it so
well as
to add 20% to his charm percentage.
Those persons listening to Myal play
(even those who saved vs. charm) will
take no offensive action and will listen
entranced for 2-5 rounds. Long practice
with this device has made Myal ambidextrous
in its use.
Myal Lemyal has no objection to joining
an adventuring party and will generally
work for the good of the group. He
will, however, be prone to pickpocket,
avoid combat, and be a bit irresponsible
though likable. Myal cannot learn any
druidic spells due to his substandard
wisdom score. The party may have trouble
dealing with Myal’s changes in mood,
though for the most part he will be very
enjoyable as a companion.
Should the party or Myal encounter
any undead during an adventure, Myal
may immediately try to summon Parl Dro
(75% chance per round of appearing if
summoned). Parl Dro (AC 1, HP 65, MV
12” or special) appears to be a completely
human character, though of foreboding
aspect. He has deep black hair and
dark eyes, and wears (or appears to be
wearing) black clothing and no armor.
He is lawful good.
In his former life, Parl Dro was a ghostkiller,
a travelling exorcist, and was extremely
good at it. Even after his death,
his soul managed to continue its existence
on the Prime Material plane, though
he almost became an evil ghost himself
in doing so.
In his present form, Parl Dro can only
be struck by weapons of +1 enchantment
or greater, and may go ethereal at will
(as
in the psionic power). He has a psionic
ability of 300 and all attack and defense
modes; should he run out of ability
points, he will go ethereal until fully
recovered.
If Parl Dro is able to get his
hands upon an item that formerly belonged
to a now-undead creature while it
was still living, whether part of its
body
or some personal belonging, he has a
chance of destroying that undead being.
Parl Dro will attempt to break, damage,
or otherwise change the item, destroying
the undead being’s links with the
Prime Material world, and sending the
soul or spirit on to the outer planes.
His
chance of succeeding each round he
works on the item may be taken to be the
same chances a Mace of Disruption
would have to destroy the undead being.
The undead creature need not be present
in order for the process to work, but
the being will instantly realize what
is
going on regardless of its location, and
will do everything possible to stop him
from completing the task. Not all former
possessions of an undead being may be
treated in this manner; usually there
is
only one item linking the being to this
plane, and Parl Dro is able to tell exactly
what item is the key one.
It should be noted that though Parl
Dro is a spirit (sort of an “anti-ghost”
or
good ghost) he will at all times appear,
sound, and feel exactly human. His personality
is serious and reserved; he has a
dry and somewhat sarcastic sense of
humor. He is, like his son Myal, extremely
handsome and intelligent, though
more mature and dedicated than his
offspring. He will never attack any living
being physically.
Myal Lemyal has the minor psionic devotions
of Detect Magic and Sensitivity
to Psionic Impressions, though he uses
them unconsciously. He also possesses
two major sciences, Ethereal Projection
and Spirit Summoning. The first of these
functions like the power Astral Projection,
only differing in that the Ethereal
Plane may be entered. Spirit Summoning
has a strength point cost of 20 per
attempted summoning. Each attempt
takes one round and has a 75% chance of
succeeding. As described earlier, Parl
Dro is the only spirit Myal may call upon.
Just as other forms of undead have
something that helps tie them to the
Prime Material plane, so does Myal Lemyal
serve as a “tie” for Parl Dro; should
Myal ever be slain, Parl Dro will be released
and the spirits of both will go into
the outer planes. Spirit Summoning may
be attempted at any time, but Myal Lemyal
cannot perform Ethereal Projection
unless he is placed in a trance-like state
first, either through drugs, hypnosis,
or
some other medium.
There is only a 1% chance that Myal
Lemyal will first be encountered in the
presence of Parl Dro. The two of them
genuinely like one another, despite their
differences in views on life (which lead
to
arguments full of sarcastic remarks and
insults).
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Kill the Dead (paperback,
DAW Books), by Tanith Lee.
Written by Roger E. Moore
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