1. Characters

Alais ir'Lantar

Aundairian Ambassador
NPC (Villain)

During the Last War, the battles between Aundair and Breland left deep scars on both lands. But while fierce, these conflicts were brief, and by the close of the war the two nations were strong allies. Today, Alais and Helais ir’Lantar, sons of one of the noble families of Aundair, serve the interests of their nation in Sharn. Alais and Helais are identical twin brothers, and both are remarkably handsome and urbane; they are quite popular at galas and other social events. While both brothers are officially ambassadors, each performs different duties. Alais ir’Lantar (LE male half-elf aristocrat 7) deals with the administrative drudgery, while Helais handles the deeper diplomacy and intrigue. Why? Because Helais is not simply an ambassador—he is one of the Royal Eyes of Aundair, a trusted agent who serves as Queen Aurala’s eyes and ears in Sharn. But Queen Aurala has been betrayed, and her misplaced trust may spell disaster in the future. His role as master of spies is the least of Helais’s secrets. The dark truth is that there is only one ir’Lantar brother. The ir’Lantar family has served the Lords of Dust for many generations, and Helais ir’Lantar is actually a guise used by the two rakshasas of Sharn, Zathara and Nethatar.

Alais is well aware of his brother’s true nature. He is a cruel, conniving man who enjoys assisting the Lords of Dust with their schemes. In addition to the power he gains from the alliance, Alais feels that his connection to the rakshasas puts him above mere mortals; he suffers from the delusion that if he serves the Lords faithfully, he may one day be transformed into a rakshasa himself.

Usually, one of the two rakshasa poses as Helais, while the other is disguised in a different form elsewhere in the city. However, as Alais and Helais are identical twins, this allows for a host of possibilities. If necessary, the two rakshasa can appear as Alais and Helais; at other times, Alais poses as his brother. Alais wears a ring of mind shielding and the Lords of Dust possess masks of the misplaced aura, so it is extremely difficult to pierce these deceptions.