Corvain

Few living souls know the name Corvain. Fewer still know it belongs to a real being.

Most who even have heard tale of him dismiss him as a collection of old stories, half-remembered warnings, and contradictory legends passed down by trappers, hunters, and isolated villages near the Issveld Forest. Across centuries he has accumulated dozens of names, each reflecting only a fragment of the truth. To some he is the Pale King. To others, the Sleepless One. Among certain forbidden texts, he is called Corvain the Undying. Within the deepest reaches of the Issveld, however, there is only one title that matters:

Master.

Origins

The one who would become known as Corvain was born under a different, long forgotten name, thousands of years ago, long before the modern civilizations of Jovin existed. He predates the Genetian kingdoms, the Iskjin clans, or even the Draktharan Empire. Few surviving records of human history date back to the time of his birth. The people from whom he originated would be scantly recognizable as distant ancestors of the modern Iskjin people, but their culture, language, customs, and religion have long since vanished.

Corvain is a tyrant if there ever was one, but unlike many tyrants who rise from noble blood, a sense of destiny, or a strong sense of self-superiority, Corvain began life as none of these things. He was not a king or chieftain, warlord or warrior. He was not even a commoner, peasant, or lowly beggar. He was not even a free man. Corvain was a thrall. A slave. A possession. Property.

Throughout his youth, Corvain belonged to countless others. He was bought, sold, traded, and loaned as one would a shovel or a sturdy piece of rope. At the best of times, he was treated as a status symbol - a prized possession one would use to prove their worth or wealth, much like an expensive vase. More often, however, he was nothing but a semi-useful tool. A possession lower in value than the stool he sat on to milk the goats. Over time he learned a lesson that would define the remainder of his existence - the world was divided between those who owned and those who were owned. He despised being among the latter. The humiliation festered, and his hatred grew.

At some point during his enslavement, the one who came to be known as Corvain learned of an ancient path to immortality. Whether the knowledge came from another slave, a forgotten wanderer, a hedge witch, or some darker source has long since been lost. What matters is Corvain was intrigued. As his humiliation and hatred grew, so too did his desire for vengeance. And here was a way to pursue that vengeance. A source of power greater than that of his masters. How could he not be seduced by the thought? He desired freedom, power, and most of all, he set his will to ensure that no living thing would ever possess an ounce of authority or control over him ever again.

He performed the dark ritual. It transformed him into something far worse than the masters he once hated. He turned the power upon them, gaining the upper hand and enslaving and enthralling those who once lorded their power over him. The feeling was exhilarating, intoxicating, and necessary. Once he got a taste of this power - of this control over others - he understood. This is who he was. This is who he should be. All dominion belongs to him. He is the one who is to be the owner - everyone else the owned.

Over time, the intoxicating nature of exerting power and possession consumed him. He found the euphoria of enacting his will, bending others to his control, to obey his whims, to follow his commands, was a drug he could never get enough of. He understood his masters. And enjoyed enacting greater authority and abuse upon others. His motivations may have originated with vengeance, but they soon grew far beyond that. Not content to see his former masters suffer, he turned his eye to all those around him, wishing to collect all others as his property.

The Philosophy of Ownership

Corvain does not view the world as most people do. To him, all things fall into one of four categories:

• Property
• Future Property
• Tools
• Obstacles

Nothing else exists. All should and will become his property. That which is not, is merely future property. Tools are property he utilizes in order to overcome obstacles and transform future property into property. Obstacles are minor annoyances between him and what is rightfully his. Some obstacles are turned into property. Others are crushed and discarded.

Ownership is the natural order of existence. The strong possess. The weak are possessed. There is only one strong enough to truly be the possessor.

The Issveld Forest

Thousands of years ago, Corvain entered the Issveld Forest. Legends conflict, some stating he was seeking refuge or concealment from vampire hunters. Others say his first master had a small camp inside. Another legend claims the forest gives him supernatural strength. Whatever the reason, the forest became his home. And he survived - patiently enduring decades which turned to centuries. Then, he began to expand.

At first, Corvain took a small corner of the forest for his possession - declaring it in his mind to be his very own domain - a land where he and all he possessed would reside, with him reigning as ultimate authority. He enjoyed this. And none bothered him. Though it was not enough. He became bored with his possessions and wished to possess more - expanding outward throughout the forest, he would enthrall many who came into his domain unawares.

Century after century his influence spread, until Corvain began to see the entirety of the Issveld Forest as his domain. The forest ceased being a refuge or a hiding place and became a kingdom, resulting in Corvain taking on many titles referring to his ownership of the forest and all that is in it. Yet the forest itself is not enough. Nothing ever is, resulting in his now favorite title, The Great Lord Corvain, Ruler of the Issveld and All That Lies Beyond, implying his continued desire to possess all.

Most who enter the Issveld Forest never realize how closely they are being watched. Corvain's domain is not marked by walls or banners. There is no citadel, regalia, or heraldry proclaiming his status and authority. But the forest itself is his eyes. In every corner are thralls, charmed servants, lesser vampires, mortal cultists, hidden settlements, even wildlife and supernatural creatures of the Faerie Realm who have succumbed to his control. Many of his possessions are those who at one point entered the forest willingly, unaware of the immense danger within.

Goals

Corvain's ambitions are vast, but patient. He is not driven by panic or urgency. To a creature who measures time in millennia, a century is little more than a season. He seeks to expand his domain, acquire new possessions, grow his hidden kingdom, and exert more influence, until ultimately bringing everything under his perfect control. Ultimately, everything will belong to him.

Among those who traverse through the Issveld Forest, Corvain takes those who intrigue him - especially drawn to those who exert power and authority - while patiently ignoring others for now. If everyone who entered the forest never exited, it could ruin his long-term plans. He is aware of his power. While he is incredibly strong in his own right and commands a vast army of tools and possessions, he cannot afford to make his presence too obvious and risk the combined strength of the entire mortal world. Not yet, anyway.

Personality

The traits that best mark Corvain are:

• Patient
• Calculating
• Observant
• Possessive
• Manipulative
• Confident

Unlike many other villains and tyrants, Corvain does not rage and rant and throw tantrums. While he is ultimately ruled by his infatuation with the intoxicating taste of control and domination, he is in utter control over his emotions, and is incredibly patient and calculated in his decisions. His slow and methodical expansion of control and lack of any true competitors to his domain have given him a sense of confidence and certainty. He genuinely believes he is destined to own whatever he desires. It is not a matter of if, but when. As such, it is easy for him to patiently expand and only slowly reveal his presence. Every victory reinforces his belief. With each passing century, his confidence and assurance grows.

Corvain views mortals much as a wealthy owner may view livestock - interesting, useful, and occasionally beautiful, but ultimately owned - mere possessions.

Names and Titles

Across the ages, Corvain has accumulated countless names. Some are self-appointed. Others were given by frightened survivors, priests, scholars, and enemies. Known titles include the following:

• Corvain
• Corvain the Undying
• The Great Lord Corvain
• The Pale King
• The Sleepless One
• The Collector
• The Ancient Hunger
• The White Tyrant
• Master
• Ruler of the Issveld
• Sovereign of the Deep Forest

Among all his names, his favorite and the one he most often uses to refer to himself is Corvain, or, more formally, The Great Lord Corvain, Ruler of the Issveld and All That Lies Beyond.

The rest are merely descriptors.