![[Valthrax Leerstrom.png]] # Valthrax Leerstrom _Human Military Advisor | [[Dragon's Bane]] | [[Mintarn]]_ ## Summary A former Cormyrian War Wizard whose addiction to orchestrating battlefield carnage caught the [[Sewn Sisters]]' attention. They transformed him into a [[Soulmonger]], allowing him to literally feed on the death he creates. He engineered [[Malakar Darkblade]]'s rise to leadership of [[Dragon's Bane]], corrupting the once-noble dragon hunters into ruthless mercenaries. He serves [[Evendor Starbane]] while secretly advancing [[Acererak]]'s agenda, and recruited [[Kaela Voortham]] as his most promising student. %% ## At a Glance Immaculate [[Dragon's Bane]] uniform with purple and gold accents reminiscent of his War Wizard days. Perfectly groomed salt-and-pepper beard, sharp military bearing. The only unsettling feature: completely black pupils that seem to absorb light. ## Personality Coldly pragmatic. Addicted to orchestrating carnage. Views casualties as personal achievements. Speaks with crisp military precision; habitually references battlefield doctrine and strategic principles. ## Quote _"The weak mistake brutality for cruelty. I simply recognize that death is the most honest form of communication between armies."_ ## Background Rose through Cormyr's War Wizards due to tactical brilliance, but his methods grew ruthless as he developed an addiction to large-scale carnage. Political disgrace forced him into freelance work, where he sold services to conflicting sides of the same conflicts. The [[Sewn Sisters]] recognized his addiction as an asset and transformed him into a [[Soulmonger]]. [[Evendor Starbane]] recruited him for tactical value and moral flexibility. His corruption of [[Dragon's Bane]] has been his greatest success—transforming noble dragon hunters into efficient instruments of mass death while providing endless souls to harvest. ## Stats **Archmage** (MM 342) with +3 Initiative, can summon spectral warriors using trapped souls, regains spell slots when harvesting souls from battlefield deaths. %%