Domain: Nocturnal Sea Domain Formation: 635 BC Power Level:💀💀💀💀⚫ Sources: Domains of Dread (2e), Ship of Horrors (2e), Nocturnal Sea Gazetteer (non-canon), Sir not appearing in 5e
Meredoth is the Darklord of Nebligotode, which became the Nocturnal Sea during the Grand Conjunction in 750 BC. There were a lot of retcons and changes between his rule of Nebligotode and the Nocturnal Sea, so I will be utilizing the story after the Grand Conjunction as well as some “non-canon” material provided by the Fraternity of Shadows. There is no mention of Meredoth in 5e, but the Nocturnal Sea is briefly referenced in the write up on Darkon. Does that make me your ruler, Meredoth? That would be amusing and perhaps a reason for me to return to my dreaded prison.
Meredoth is confined to the island of Todstein, an island that is as cold and uninviting as Meredoth himself. He constantly attempts to defy the “no man is an island” saying. How exactly did he come to this realm? Let’s take a brief look at his life. Meredoth was born in the Alphatain Empire in Mystara and raised by golems. This isn’t your classic “raised by wolves because their parents died and something took pity on the child” story. This was because his parents didn’t want to bother raising him themselves. I’ve witnessed many of his little temper tantrums, so I can understand where they’re coming from. Still, one should not neglect one’s children. It never ends well.
His father’s parenting skills ended at creating a few golems to look after him and his mother preferred using Enchantments to keep him well-behaved and disciplined. In addition to his rather love-deprived upbringing, he witnessed his mother become addicted to a magical drug known as tsongha which had a relaxing, yet withering effect on the user’s mind.
The Alphatain Empire was a Magocracy, which essentially equates to those with talent in the arcane are granted high ranks in society. Though something I can respect, a dangerous prospect when one considers the effects magical experimentation can have on the mind. Meredoth met those requirements and discovered his extraordinary skills in Necromancy while studying at university. He even found himself making friends and perhaps he would have been more sympathetic to the living if one of his so called friends hadn’t just used Meredoth to steal his research and claim it for themselves. This resulted in Meredoth using tsongha on the betrayer and claiming their research in turn. A practice he repeated on many occasions.
Meredoth continued his research, conducting experiments on living animals and people he believed would not be missed. His ultimate goal was to create an intelligent servant devoid of troublesome emotions and personal ambitions. Of course, Enchantment would have been a better form of magic to achieve such things, but Meredoth’s skill in that school is wholly inadequate. Ultimately, he failed.
As his own flesh began to age, Meredoth sought out means to become immortal. He believed lichdom beneath him. I would argue that he likely does not have the talent to perform the necessary rituals seeing as some of it requires the use of Enchantment magic, which, as we know, he sorely lacks skill in, but he remains adamant that true immortality is not a state of undeath. The path to “ascension” was also dismissed as taking up too much of his time. A rather lame excuse considering if one becomes immortal through such efforts, then the time to reach one’s goal is irrelevant. In the end, he cheated and used elixirs created by someone else to maintain an age of about 60.
Meredoth became a rather formidable wizard and as such would be given a high rank within the Alphatain Empire. However, he was also not well liked and his disregard for all things living made him a very dangerous figure to be given any political power. So, they made him a Baron of a land where they hoped he could do little damage. This suited Meredoth and he established himself on a remote island and let whatever retainers he had actually run things. To say he was a neglectful ruler would be an understatement.
The first winter in his Barony was cruel and resulted in the death of many of his retainers. Meredoth thought the best solution was to raise all of these retainers as mindless undead, something his main retainer objected to. Meredoth then killed that retainer, which gave him one more zombie but also left him to deal with the day-to-day problems from his people.
Meredoth wanted nothing more than to be left alone with his research instead of tiring things such as the defense of his realm or food shortages, yet still he found himself bothered by an increasing number of retainers and immigrants. Annoyed, he came up with a solution to the food shortage and these interruptions to his research. He poisoned all of his people and made them into zombies that retained their intelligence, yet were solely loyal to their creator. Now, food wasn’t an issue and they would leave him alone.
That same evening, a storm descended upon his island and transported it and Meredoth to the Demplanes of Dread. It is always winter on Meredoth’s little island. Though living, Meredoth has the purplish complexion and icy touch of a corpse. The Dark Powers granted him a small boon and delayed his aging. Yet not a true form of immortality, age slowly creeps into his bones year after year. Just as his parents, even the Dark Powers were reluctant to accept him and it took a century of his time in the Mists before they decided to make him an official Darklord.
Meredoth still excels at Necromancy and prefers life among his zombies over the living. He has also created a number of unique spells to suit his new, wintery Domain, including snow golems and a snow to stone spell. He looks like your standard Halloween costume shop wizard, wearing tattered robes accompanied by long white hair and beard. Our tormentors granted him a number of boons, allowing him to control the waters around his island, sensing when someone visits his island, and granting him immunity to the lesser undead.
Meredoth is an accomplished Necromancer, likely one of the most powerful in the Domains of Dread. He’s also skilled in Evocation and if he had applied himself to other schools of magic, he could have been one of the most powerful Wizards to roam the Mists, but he settled on his one trick skeletal pony routine. He views the living as nothing more than experiments, not worth his time or attention unless they’re on a slab in his laboratory.
Personality wise, Meredoth is like a small child always craving attention, yet loathing it whenever he receives it (which is rare). Still, I must admit he is quite powerful and though he will never find a path to the immortality he seeks, his skills in Necromancy and to a lesser extent, Evocation, cannot be denied.
“what are you a cop” is bookaziraphale’s entire mindset btw. “is it very angelic to hoard books and be mean to customers” what are you a cop? “should you really be married to your adversary” what are you a cop? “should your husband be parking his car there” ah you ARE a cop. explodes your ticket notebook with his mind. like in his mind if the lord herself doesn’t come down to tell him off he’s doing just fine. because he’s doing it. and if she DOES come down (where is the flaming sword I gave to thee) well then. what is she a cop
