Torven, the Ageless Le Culte de la Vie is well known among Beaurefuge’s citizens. On the surface, it is a group—with branches across Khorvaire—that reveres life and the dream of worldly immortality. It celebrates the eternal divine at the heart of all beings, and promotes sElfee-reliance and sElfee-exploration. Blood is seen as a symbol of life, the heart as the seat of the soul. At its own heart—most of its members would be shocked to learn—the cult is a sect of the Le Sang Divin. Some priests and initiates with dark leanings find their way into the cult’s inner circles. At the group’s center, within the Sovereign Ward’s dark deeps, an immortal oversees the Beaurefuge group and influences its goals continent-wide. Undying in one of the only ways the cult offers immortality, this leader is a vampire. Torven was once an influential member of House Médani. He faked his death to seize immortality. Now he maintains secret connections with his former kin, as well as a wider network across Khorvaire. Torven in Combat Torven likes to attack from a high place, then toy with his enemies, mocking them physically and verbally. He prides himself on his perceptiveness and his precognitive abilities, so his taunts and jests focus on information he gains from Perception, Insight, and gainful portents. Torven enjoys moving rapidly among his foes with reaping run, then escaping to a place that is difficult to reach—often by climbing. He prefers targets he has personally mesmerized for combat advantage, but he’s not so vain as to eschew other advantageous targets. Preferring not to become tied down by his feeding habits, Torven likes to use his remaining actions for blood drain. Torven “the Ageless” Level 18 Elite Skirmisher d’Médani Medium natural Humainoïde (Mort-vivant), Demi-Elfe vampire XP 4,000 Initiative +17 Senses Perception +16; darkvision; see also Médani scion Life Thief aura 5; Torven can detect living creatures in the aura as if he had blindsight. Enemies take a –2 penalty to death saving throws within the aura. HP 344; Bloodied 172 Regeneration 10 (if Torven is exposed to direct sunlight or takes radiant damage, regeneration does not function until the end of his next turn) AC 32; Fortitude 30, Reflex 31, Will 32; see also gainful portents Immune blinded, disease, fear, poison; Resist 10 necrotic Saving Throws +2 Speed 8, climb 6 (spider climb) Action Points 1 m Lifedrinking Short Sword (standard; at-will) F Weapon +23 vs. AC; 2d6 + 6 damage, ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends), and Torven gains 5 temporary hit points. M Double Attack (standard; at-will) F Weapon Torven makes two melee basic attacks. He can shift 2 squares before, between, or after the attacks. M Blood Drain (standard; requires combat advantage; recharges when an adjacent creature becomes bloodied) F Weapon +21 vs. Fortitude; 3d12 + 5 damage, the target is weakened (save ends), and Torven regains 10 hit points. C Mesmerize (minor; recharge 6) F Charm, Gaze Close blast 3; +20 vs. Will; the target is dazed (save ends). Gainful Portents (minor; recharges when Torven uses an action point) Torven gains +2 to defenses and combat advantage against all enemies until the end of his next turn. If Torven is marked, the mark ends. Ghost Mist Form (standard; sustain minor; encounter) F Polymorph Torven becomes insubstantial and gains phasing until the end of his next turn. Torven cannot attack while in this form. He can make Stealth checks in this form without any cover or concealment. He can end the effect as a minor action, and can remain in this state for 1 hour. Combat Advantage Torven deals 2d6 extra damage when he hits a creature he has combat advantage against. Médani Scion Torven treats any Perception check die result lower than 10 as 10. He ignores cover and concealment, but not superior cover or total concealment. Alignment Evil Languages Commun, Draconique, Elfique Skills Athletics +14, Bluff +21, Insight +18, Stealth +20, Thievery +20 Str 11 (+9) Dex 22 (+15) Wis 15 (+11) Con 20 (+14) Int 14 (+11) Cha 25 (+16) Equipment leather armor, 2 short swords

Torven’s Inner Circle Within his sanctum, powerful Mort-vivant and otherworldly creatures guard Torven. His personal Chambres contain creatures disguised as statuary or that lurk unseen in dark recesses. Torven also has personal servants to whom he has granted eternal life—vampire spawn life-thieves—but these can withstand far less punishment than their master. Vampire Spawn Life-Thief Level 16 Minion Brute Medium natural Humainoïde (Mort-vivant) XP 350 Initiative +14 Senses Perception +11 (+16 against living creatures); darkvision HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion. AC 29; Fortitude 28, Reflex 29, Will 27 Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic Speed 7, climb 4 (spider climb) m Bite (standard, at-will) +19 vs. AC; 10 damage, and ongoing 3 necrotic damage (save ends). A creature already taking ongoing necrotic damage instead increases its current ongoing damage by 2. M Steal Life (immediate interrupt, when reduced to 0 hp; encounter) +17 vs. Fortitude; 10 necrotic damage, and the vampire spawn life-thief regains 1 hp. Destroyed by Sunlight If the vampire spawn life-thief ends the turn in direct sunlight, it burns to ash and is destroyed. Alignment Evil Languages Commun Str 18 (+12) Dex 20 (+13) Wis 14 (+10) Con 15 (+10) Int 11 (+8) Cha 17 (+11) Level 19 Encounter (XP 12,550) F Torven, the Ageless F 5 vampire spawn life-thieves F 2 wrath spirits (level 17 soldier; Open Grave, page 151) F 1 battle guardian (level 17 controller; Monster Manual, page 149) F 1 nabassu Gargouille (level 18 lurker; Monster Manual, page 115)