Sarissa Duncastle is an afflicted werebat and a former member of both the High Forest and the Moonwood tribes of the People of the Black Blood. She is thin and muscular with long appendages and digits, auburn hair and vibrant blue eyes. Her demeanor is one of longing and sadness, whether for a lost friend, mentor, and lover, or perhaps for her own humanity. Unlike most of her brood, Sarissa views her condition as a curse, not as a gift granted by the Beastlord, and rejects most of the tenets of her people. Though she's not as traditional as Kuldus Droum, neither is she a radical as Jarthon Drael, believing in the isolationist policy of the former and desiring the abolition of the various ritae practiced by the priesthood of the latter. Sarissa Duncastle is a wonderful way to reach out to the outcasts of the People, and her information on the Black Bloods would be invaluable to anyone who seeks to oppose that organization.
After the Silver Company pledged their support to her cause, Sarissa responded in kind and reorganized the shape-shifting rabble that looked to her for leadership. Following their victory at the Battle for the Moonwood, Sarissa took up the position of consul alongside Kuldus Droum. She soon gave birth to a son, who is thought to be the heir of Bloodmaster Varek and the last hope of the tribe.
History
Sarissa was a merchant's daughter and spent most of her life traveling the Western Heartlands, the Sword Coast, and the Silver Marches. Because of her nomadic lifestyle, she longed for two seemingly-conflicting ideals: freedom and a sense of belonging. When her father's caravan was attacked by a band of lycanthropes, she was taken captive, intended to be the quarry in a high hunt. Her desire to live was strong, and this caught the attention of that tribe's Bloodmaster, Heskret, who bestowed upon the girl the curse of lycanthropy when they became lovers. In the People of the Black Blood, Sarissa had finally found her kinship and freedom.
In time, Sarissa realized that she hadn't freedom at all. By virtue of her curse, she could never dwell among civilized folk, and she too came to realize that the only kinship she had gained was with monsters. Eventually, her displeasure reached a head and she departed north following rumors of the Moonwood. Here the pitiable creatures known as shifters were much more common, born into their curse rather than inheriting it as she had. Her compassion for these creatures proved to be a trait attractive to another Bloodmaster, and Sarissa and Bloodmaster Varek of the Moonwood became lovers. All the while, she provided clandestine aid to shifters struggling to escape and begin new lives, hopeful they would be accepted into human society.
One fateful winter evening while Sarissa was with child, Jarthon and Varek went alone out hunting, and only Jarthon, bloodied and beaten, returned alive, dragging the corpse of Varek by the ankle. Sarissa was shocked, and in this moment of weakness allowed Jarthon to rally the People without a voice of dissent. In the next few days, Jarthon, who paraded himself as an ever-faithful son seeking to avenge a father, ascended to Bloodmaster and began to act on his grand scheme. Since Varek was the last natural werewolf in Claw Hollow, it would also mean that Sarissa's unborn child was the only one fit to lead the People. Fearing Jarthon's wrath, she fled west toward Moonvines and then south toward Quaervarr.
Game Statistics
| Sarissa Duncastle |
Level 11 Elite Skirmisher |
| Medium natural humanoid (shapechanger) |
XP 600 |
| Initiative +11 |
Senses Perception +11; low-light vision |
| Regeneration 5 (unless hit with a silver weapon) |
| AC 25; Fortitude 23, Reflex 24, Will 21 |
| Immune filth fever (see below) |
| Speed 6, fly 8 (not in human form) |
| Spear (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon |
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+16 vs. AC; 1d8 + 8 damage. |
| Bite (standard; at-will) ✦ Disease |
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+16 vs. AC; 1d4 + 6 damage, and the target takes ongoing 5 damage (save ends) and contracts filth fever. |
| Change Shape (minor; at-will) ✦ Polymorph |
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A werebat can alter its physical form to appear as a dire bat or a unique human. It loses its bite attack in human form. |
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The werebat deals an extra 1d6 damage on melee attacks against any target it has combat advantage against. |
| Alignment Evil |
Languages Common |
| Skills Bluff +10, Stealth +14, Streetwise +10, Thievery +14 |
| Str 10 (+5) |
Dex 18 (+9) |
Wis 12 (+6) |
| Con 16 (+8) |
Int 10 (+5) |
Cha 11 (+5) |
| Equipment cloak, short sword |
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