Hozad bet-Nozarrat - Blackguard of Tiamat

[Deathgrowl]

Profile Full name Hozad bet-Nozarrat Age 34 Race Human (Mulan) Sex Male Date of birth 18th of Eleasis, 1327 DR Place of birth Messemprar, Unther Alignment Neutral Evil Patron deity Tiamat Profession Blackguard, champion and warrior of Tiamat Classes Warlock 27 / Blackguard 3 Primary language Untheric Secondary languages Draconic, Common, Infernal, Mulhorandi

Physical description As a mulani human, Hozad has brown eyes, dark hair and a somewhat tan complexion. He has a healthy, fit build, though he is rarely seen without his armour. Without his helmet, he can be seen as a relatively handsome man with well-kept hair and beard. His armour is very clearly styled after a red dragon, with spikes, scales and horns, though it doesn't take an expert armourer to see that it is made of metal - not dragon scales.

Psychological description Given his history, Hozad has become a rebel at heart. While he certainly values order, he despises tyranny, especially that of mortals. Mortal rulers are always unworthy. His fanaticism defines his psychology, so much of it will be religious perspectives. And related to those religious perspectives, he sees great value in both the cold, calculating nature of a blue dragon, and the savage, destructive wrath of a red dragon. And while the goal of his religion is order, getting there may require some active chaos.

Religious views Hozad is a blackguard of Tiamat, and an extremely fanatical one at that. He believes every word of Tiamat's teachings: The human gods of the Faerûnian and Mulhorandi pantheons are mortal god-kings: False tyrannical gods who only seek power by abusing their followers. Tiamat, being the first and greatest creation of Asgorath, the World Shaper, makes her the only god truly worthy of worship. He maintains some respect for the other gods of the draconic pantheon, recognising them as immortal gods; as well as the elemental lords, as they are embodiments of reality, simply existing because reality does. He is a bit uneasy about Corellon Larethian, Moradin and Garl Glittergold, as he's not entirely sure whether they are mortal or immortal gods. He suspects the former, however, and they are enemies of Tiamat either way. He is convinced that Baldur's Gate is a holy city to Tiamat, as Tiamat exploded out of the Upper City in early 1348, released from her imprisonment in Baator. And though it isn't a religious organisation, Hozad sees the Cult of the Dragon as one of the worst enemies of Tiamat's faith. They seek to usurp Tiamat's rightful rule by perverting her children with undeath.

Pact Lore from Monsters of Faerûn, page 13-14: After the defeat of Gilgeam, Tiamat left thirteen abishai in Unthalass, the old capital of Unther. These abishai very much prefer living in and terrorising Unther over returning to Tiamat's realm in Baator, and are afraid Tiamat will eventually notice their absense. The High Priest of Tiamat in Unthalass, is blackmailing them to do his bidding, threatening to turn them over to Tiamat if they don't. Through this Hozad has established a pact with the most powerful of these abishai, the singular red one. He isn't mentioned by name in the lore, so that may be something the DM team has to decide on, if important. But he is at least identified in this way. Because of the blackmailing, the pact is not quite as disfavourable as it would be for other warlocks. Since these abishai are servants of Tiamat, Hozad's soul ultimately belongs to Tiamat through both this pact and his faith. That may not be the most ideal place for a soul to belong, but Hozad is a fanatic. The pact is however contingent on this red abishai getting to stay on the prime material plane. If the High Priest breaks his silence and turns the abishai over to Tiamat, Hozad will perish and immediately go to Tiamat's afterlife himself.

Biography

Family Relation Name Year of birth Alignment Occupation Notes Father Nozarrat bet-Ahled 1298 DR True neutral, later Neutral Evil Quarry worker, later warrior-rebel Nozarrat was True Neutral before the death of his wife and his own turn to the cult of Tiamat. He died in the early days of the rebellion that began when Tiamat appeared in Unther during the Time of Troubles Mother Jasma bar-Serhet 1301 DR True Neutral Servant to a noble-priest of Gilgeam Killed at the whim of a High Lord, priest of the god-king Gilgeam, in 1351 DR. She had taken the blame for her daughter's accidental breaking of an ornamental vase. Brother Metzar bet-Nozarrat 1324 DR Formerly True Neutral Now Lawful Good Previously fisherman. Now Divine Champion of Ilmater, in service to King Gareth Dragonsbane True Neutral until his father and brother turned to Tiamat in rage. Left the country to look for his sister. Eventually ended up in Damara, finding the faith of Ilmater and heeding a call. Hozad presumes him dead. Sister Xarune bar-Nozarrat 1331 DR True Neutral Former servant to a noble-priest of Gilgeam Currently working in a tavern in Velprintalar, Aglarond Fled the country after her mother's death, leaving only a note about what happened. Hozad presumes her dead.

History Hozad was born to a meagre middle class family on the outskirts of Messemprar in Unther. As with most middle class families in Unther under the rule of Gilgeam and his priest nobility, life was a constant struggle where food was scarce and the threat of arbitrary punishment at the whims of the nobility and their cruel enforcers was ever-present. His father, Nozarrat, was a miner and spent much of Hozad's childhood away from home, in a quarry in the hills of the Riders of the Sky near Messemprar. But as a quite loving father, he spent as much of his free time as he could with his children, forming a tight, but unfortunately quite fragile familial bond. Hozad's mother, Jasma, was worked hard and dilligently for the priest noility of Messemprar. While she despised Gilgeam like most of Unther's common folk, she was pragmatic enough to think that placating the priesthood was the best way to stay alive both for herself and her family. As he grew of age, Hozad began working alongside his father in the quarry, though he never took to the profession. Mostly, he was set to do the simplest of manual labour, or guard the other quarry workers from Chessentan bandits in the hills. Indeed, professional violence appealed to the young man, and he relished when some fool bandit chose to assault them. Not long after his sister, Xarune, had began working alongside their mother, the poor young girl had an accident when she was carrying breakfast from the kitchens to the noble priests. She had stumbled on a carpet, and a valuable (certainly more valuable than the life of a commoner), ancient, ornamental vase had been toppled and crashed to pieces on the floor. Immediately, before anyone could see, Jasma urged her daughter to run. And by sheer luck, Xarune rounded a corner before the temple guards and enforcers came to investigate the noise. Jasma took the blame. And as soon as the priest showed up, she was executed on the spot. Xarune, knowing what her mother had done for her, decided she could no longer stay in Unther for fear that the priesthood would find out Jasma had lied about who caused the vase to. She left a note about what had happened and snuck on board a trade ship. Not many days later, Nozarrat and his two sons came home from their respective work, to find the note. Despair gripped the three of them, especially Nozarrat. Hozad reacted with rage, urging that they should seek vengeance somehow. Metzar, on the other hand, was more concerned with preserving what remained of their family and instead search for their sister. Nozarrat eventually found he agreed with Hozad: Justice and peace could only come through vengeance against the tyrants. And so he told his sons that he had once been approached by the Cult of Tiamat, who promised to free Unther from the god-king and his inbred nobles. Metzar protested, remarking that Tiamat was the Nemesis of the Gods and to blame for every setback in Unther's history. Hozad, fed up with the tyrannical rule of their god-king remarked that a "Nemesis of the Gods" is exactly what they need. But Metzar was not convinced, and the tight, fragile bond of their family - already strained now by the arbitrary execution of Jasma - shattered. Metzar wasted no further time on Hozad and their father. As a fisherman, he was comfortable on the sea, and in the night, he managed to gather some friends who were likewise fed up with Unther's rule and set sail, never to return. He spent over a year looking for Xarune, but eventually gave up, being drawn towards Damara and the situation there. Hozad and Nozarrat, however, spent the next several years secretly helping to grow the cult of Tiamat. The more Hozad learned of the Undying Queen, the more fanatical he became. At one point, he was given the great honour to serve an old white dragon named Earenksventmaekrixnurh, who would later perish in during the Time of Troubles when Tiamat first returned to fight Gilgeam. Most who serve a white dragon, do so against their own will, out of sheer fear that the dragon might just randomly eat them if they displease it. Hozad on the other hand, served Earenksventmaekrixnurh faithfully and made active efforts to ensure the white dragon's comfort and satisfaction. It was not fear, but devotion to one of Tiamat's children that drove him. While white dragons are among the less intelligent and more beastly of dragons, as they grow older, they also increase in wisdom and intelligence. And this white had grown old and wise enough to recognise a true servant. While he had never been a trained soldier, Hozad had an inspiring presence and with his zeal managed to help rally many more followers to Tiamat and the coming uprising against Gilgeam. Slave labour camps were a common target for the cult, for the slave guards were easily bribed. Most guards in Unther beside the priesthood's enforcers were of the same oppressed middleclass as anyone else, so they had no love for Gilgeam either. Indeed some guards even were receptive to the cult of Tiamat and actively helped. Once in such a slave labour camp, Hozad met a slave a few years younger than himself named Samar who was one of those the cult managed to smuggle out of the camp. Samar had grown up in a family of carpenters, whose family had all but been wiped out by similar arbitrary punishment as Hozad's own mother, and the two quickly found much in common, forming a close, brotherly bond over their hatred of Gilgeam and his nobility. Hozad's fanaticism also soon found an equal in Samar's devotion and zeal as both grew greater and greater in their faith in Tiamat They participated in liberating more and more slaves, turning them to Tiamat's faith and offering a chance to rise up against the god-king. And soon enough, the uprising would truly begin and the two aspiring champions of Tiamat would get their chance to free their people and country from what they now had begun calling the false, mortal gods. Some time before the Godswar of 1358 - the Time of Troubles - the powerful priests of the Cult of Tiamat had managed to call upon their Dragon Queen's avatar. And so a great rebellion began to overthrow the divine tyrant of Unther. They marched upon Unthalass and assaulted the city, only to see that in the first great battle between Gilgeam and Tiamat, the god-king destroyed the three-headed avatar of Tiamat. Forced to retreat and in some despair, the cultists returned to hiding. Nozarrat - Hozad's father - died as part of the group covering their retreat. But Hozad and Samar knew: Tiamat was the Undying Queen. The greatest creation of the World Shaper himself: An immortal goddess. A false mortal god could not truly destroy Her! And so they preached to the cult, alongside the priests, and thus the cult persisted. During the Time of Troubles, the cult continued to build their forces - their rebellion, and drew the attention of several great dragons seeking power and wealth, including the legendary Tchazzar. But soon Tiamat returned, biding her time until the Godswar ended. Then, when the cult's spies had learned Gilgeam was weakened, the time had come. This time the god-king stood no chance. This time, the rebellion was successful. And Hozad and Samar were witness to the great second battle in Unthalass between the god-king and their Undying Queen. The city of Unthalass was almost utterly destroyed. But the god-king's body lay dead in the ruins of his palace. Tiamat had disappeared as well, but now they knew: She was their saviour; their liberator; their Undying Queen. Their immortal goddess! And Hozad had his vengeance for both his mother and father. Unther was free from the tyranny of a false god-king, but Tiamat still had many enemies to contend with. Many mortal gods still abused and oppressed their followers, all over Faerûn. Tiamat's cult remained strong in Unther, but some of her numbers now looked to spread her influence beyond Unther's borders. Hozad and Samar were among those still with a passion for overthrowing the false god-kings of the world. And where better than the city where Tiamat had just a decade earlier exploded out of, liberated from her imprisonment in the Hells: Baldur's Gate. The Holy City. A pilgrimage was begun.

Future Hozad and Samar's primary goal is to establish a proper temple of Tiamat in Baldur's Gate. They expect opposition from the rulers, but will not actively incite rebellion. Indeed, they'd rather work with the Grand Dukes if they prove amenable to their goals. To Hozad, any true temple of Tiamat also serves as the lair of a chromatic dragon. As such, a more long term goal is to ensure that a Child of Tiamat could live (and at length rule) there.

Heirloom item Horns of Tchazzar The helmet Hozad wears was given to him by one of Tiamat's priests (actually one who sought to help Tchazzar become a deity in Tiamat's place, but Hozad is unaware of this), after Tiamat's first battle with Gilgeam and the attention of Tchazzar to the Cult of Tiamat.

Plot hooks Hozad's borther still lives and is now diametrically opposed to him in every way, being a divine champion of Ilmater, and in the service of King Gareth Dragonsbane who himself was involved in the return of Bahamut to godhood. Anything involving the Cult of the Dragon as it pertains to Tiamat's interests will draw Hozad's attention. While he considers the Cult of the Dragon to be enemies of Tiamat, he recognises that it's an organisation that could potentially be turned to serve her. Hozad remains a passionate rebel. He will always strive for order above chaos, but if there are rebellions forming against mortal rulers who Hozad judges as oppressing their peoples, he will consider offering his - and Tiamat's - aid.