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Tembek Kett

NPCs
Dwarf, fiend-touched by an infernal pact · Warlock 20, Fiend patron · Level 20

Tembek Kett

Infernal contract broker and discreet advocate for indebted workers
“Would you prefer the honest price or the convenient one?”
AC19
HP285/285
Init
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
ConditionsNone

At the table

Voice

A dry, even voice produced low in the chest, with a faint rasp left by years breathing mine dust and furnace smoke. His words land cleanly, like a stamp on paper; when angered, his consonants sharpen and his pace quickens rather than softening or dropping in volume.

He speaks in carefully shaped sentences with the clipped precision of a clerk and the practiced courtesy of a negotiator. When discussing machinery or mines, his vocabulary turns blunt and tactile. He does not raise his voice to dominate a room; he chooses exact words and lets the silence after them do the work.

Speech patterns

He frames offers as questions: “Would you prefer the honest price or the convenient one?”
He repeats a person's exact wording when he suspects it will matter later.
He uses short, practical phrases when discussing danger and elaborate courtesy when discussing obligations.
He rarely threatens directly; he explains what a promise will require if broken.

How to play them

Meet courtesy with courtesy, but do not mistake his manners for softness. He listens for what a person wants and what they fear losing, then offers a bargain with its terms stated plainly. He respects people who ask difficult questions and dislikes being treated as a monster before he has acted like one.

Goal

Break his original infernal pact without sacrificing anyone else, then persuade Durgi to hear the truth from him directly.

Motivation

He wants to prove that a bargain can be binding without being cruel, even as his own infernal contract keeps forcing him to choose between duty and compassion.

Secret · GM only

Appearance

Tembek has the compact proportions of a dwarf, but an unnerving, almost courtly stillness that makes the space around him feel arranged. His skin is so pale it seems translucent, with faint blue veins showing at his temples and wrists. Long, upturned eyes give him a foxlike expression; their red glow burns around narrow vertical pupils, rimmed by naturally dark skin that looks like precise eyeliner. His symmetrical face has a sharp jaw and straight nose. Chin-length, deeply wavy obsidian hair shines when it catches the light; its center-parted bangs fall toward his temples. He moves with economical, heel-first steps and never brushes against anyone by accident. His immaculate white suit is an unexpected choice for a demon broker, but its rose embroidery is stitched over tiny, careful repairs, and he repeatedly smooths one lapel as if it were a treasured keepsake. People tend to remember how cleanly he occupies a room, not how small he is.

Clothing

A sharp white suit with red roses embroidered across the lapels and cuffs, a high-collared shirt, and polished black boots. The suit fits beautifully but has minute hand-stitched repairs at the elbows. He takes meticulous care of a small silver clasp at his throat.

Body language

He stands close enough to make his attention feel personal, but never crowds a person who is upset. His chin stays level and his hands rest open on the table. During a negotiation he taps the edge of a document exactly once when he believes the other party has understood the cost.

Height
4 feet 7 inches
Build
Short, dense, and broad through the shoulders, with a compact strength that his fitted clothes conceal
Eyes
Glowing red with narrow vertical pupils, framed by naturally dark skin that resembles eyeliner
Hair
Obsidian black, glossy in bright light
Skin
Sickly pale, almost translucent, with faint blue veins visible at his temples and wrists
Age
187 years old, an adult by dwarf custom
Gender
Male
Size
Medium

Distinguishing features

Translucent-looking pale skin with visible blue veins at the temples and wrists
Long, upturned, foxlike eyes with a red glow, vertical pupils, and naturally dark skin around them like eyeliner
Chin-length, deeply wavy obsidian hair with center-parted bangs falling toward his temples
A precisely symmetrical face, sharp jawline, and straight nose
No horns or tail, despite his fiendish nature
White suit carefully maintained and subtly repaired, with red rose embroidery

Personality

14 traits and drives

Tembek is both warm in small acts and ruthlessly exact about obligations. With frightened people, he is patient and practical; with someone exploiting the vulnerable, he becomes incisive and merciless. He wants to be trusted, yet keeps testing whether others will betray him, and he resents anyone who notices the test.

Alignment
Lawful evil, though he keeps bargains more faithfully than many honest people

Quirks

He turns a teacup handle to point toward the nearest exit before taking a sip.
He counts the buttons on a stranger's coat while listening to an explanation.
He keeps rose petals pressed inside legal documents, each from a different place he has visited.
He taps a document once, never twice, when he considers a point settled.

Habits

He asks permission before taking a seat, then quietly chooses the one with the best view of every exit.
He tends to offer a useful piece of advice before naming his price, which makes his bargains feel almost generous.
When pleased, he rubs a thumb over a rose embroidered near his cuff.
When frightened, he becomes more exacting rather than more loud, correcting details that nobody else noticed.
He sends aid anonymously, then checks whether it arrived through a chain of unrelated questions.

Traits · 4

He offers genuine kindness, then insists that kindness should not be confused with permission.
He is meticulous about contracts but surprisingly impulsive when someone is in immediate danger.
He enjoys dry humor in private and avoids jokes when a person is grieving.
He wants people to choose freely, yet becomes controlling when he thinks their choice is unwise.

Flaws · 3

He treats trust as a liability and tries to reduce relationships to carefully worded terms.
His need to control every detail can make him slow to accept help.
He believes his own suffering gives him the right to decide what risks others should take.

Fears · 3

That his pact will claim another innocent person as payment
That Durgi will die believing he never tried to make amends
Being trapped underground again, unable to tell who is still alive

Wants and needs · 4

Needs to learn exactly how his original pact can be ended.
Wants Durgi to hear his confession without being pressured into forgiving him.
Needs reliable allies willing to protect the miners named in his contract.
Wants proof that fairness can survive contact with infernal power.

Combat

AC 19 · HP 285 · 25 ft.

Tembek opens with control spells such as hold monster or forcecage, then uses eldritch blast to pressure ranged opponents while keeping the most dangerous enemy at a distance. He uses wall of force to divide a battlefield and counterspell to interrupt major threats. If cornered, he fights with his rapier and fire magic, but his first instinct is to turn a fight into a negotiation. He saves legendary resistance for effects that could end his ability to act or escape.

Tembek Kett

Medium humanoid (dwarf, fiend-touched by an infernal pact), lawful evil, though he keeps bargains more faithfully than many honest people
Armor Class19
Hit Points285
Speed25 ft.
Level20
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
Saving ThrowsWisdomCharisma
SkillsDeceptionIntimidationInvestigationPersuasionInsightArcana
SensesDarkvision 120 ft.; passive Perception 12
Languages
Common,
Dwarvish,
Infernal
Dwarven Resilience. advantage on saving throws against poison, and resistance to poison damage.
Fiendish Resistance. resistance to fire damage.
Darkvision. sees in darkness out to 120 feet.
Custom feature, Court of the Unhorned. despite his fiendish nature, Tembek has no horns or tail. He can pass as an unusually pallid dwarf unless his eyes or magic give him away.
Custom feature, Rosebrand. once on each of his turns when he deals damage with a warlock spell, he can deal an additional 10 () fire damage to one creature damaged by that spell.
Custom feature, Warding Contract. while conscious, Tembek has advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

Spells

Eldritch blast (cantrip, evocation). A beam of crackling energy deals force damage on a hit. At 17th level it produces four beams, each with a separate attack roll; Tembek's Agonizing Blast adds his Charisma modifier to each beam's damage.
Cause fear (level 1, necromancy). One creature makes a Wisdom saving throw or becomes frightened of Tembek for up to 1 minute, repeating the save at the end of each of its turns.
Chill touch (level 1, necromancy). A spectral hand delivers a melee spell attack against a creature within range, dealing necrotic damage and preventing it from regaining hit points until the start of Tembek's next turn.
Hex (level 1, enchantment). Tembek makes one creature reroll an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw and use the lower result.
Counterspell (level 3, abjuration). Tembek counters a spell being cast. If the spell is 3rd level or lower, it fails automatically; otherwise he makes an ability check using Charisma against plus the spell's level.
Wall of force (level 5, evocation). Tembek creates a wall of force in a shape he chooses. It is invisible, immune to damage, and lasts up to 10 minutes with concentration.
Forcecage (level 7, evocation). Tembek confines a creature in an invisible prison. The target makes a Dexterity saving throw to avoid the cage or sphere; escape requires teleportation or other specified means.
Demiplane (level 8, conjuration). Tembek creates a magical prison around one creature. The target makes a Wisdom saving throw or is trapped for up to 1 minute, with repeated saves at the end of its turns.
True polymorph (level 9, transmutation). Tembek attempts to bind a celestial, elemental, fey, or fiend to a service. The target makes a Charisma saving throw; a bound creature must follow the spell's terms for the duration.

Actions

Multiattack. Tembek makes two Rose-etched Rapier attacks. Melee Weapon Attack: to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 () piercing damage plus 7 () fire damage.
Rose-etched Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 () piercing damage plus 7 () fire damage.
Eldritch Blast. Tembek hurls a needle-bright bolt at a creature he can see within 120 feet. Ranged Spell Attack: to hit. Hit: 27 () force damage. The bolt splits into four beams, each requiring a separate attack roll, as with the eldritch blast cantrip; each beam deals force damage. This entry represents the cantrip at 17th level.
Spellcasting. Tembek casts a warlock spell of 5th level or lower, using Charisma as his spellcasting ability (spell save , to hit with spell attacks). His spell slots are restored after a short or long rest.
Mystic Arcanum. Once per day, Tembek casts one 6th-level spell and one 7th-level spell, choosing from his listed spells. He can also cast one 8th-level spell and one 9th-level spell, each once per day.

Reactions

Infernal Parry. When Tembek is hit by an attack he can see, he adds 5 to his AC against that attack, potentially causing it to miss. He can use this reaction before the damage is rolled.
Counterspell. When Tembek sees a creature within 60 feet cast a spell, he attempts to interrupt it with counterspell, using his warlock spellcasting ability.
Contractual Intercession. When a creature Tembek can see within 30 feet takes damage, he can reduce that damage by 20 (). The reduction is a custom feature; he can use it three times per day.

Legendary Actions

Measured Step. Tembek moves up to half his speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Rapier. Tembek makes one Rose-etched Rapier attack.
Clause of Regret (costs 2 actions). One creature Tembek can see within 60 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw or take 14 () psychic damage and have disadvantage on its next attack roll before the end of its next turn. This is a custom legendary action.

Services they sell

Drafts, interprets, or challenges supernatural contracts
Can arrange discreet passage through infernal or dwarf trade networks
Offers tactical counsel against fiends and other extraplanar threats

Rewards they can give

A carefully negotiated pact revision that can free a character from a binding supernatural agreement
A sealed record proving a mine owner concealed a deadly hazard
A rose-embroidered white waistcoat, offered as a sign of trust rather than payment

Equipment

  • Rose-etched Rapier (weapon)A finely balanced rapier etched with thornlike grooves; its blade glows faintly red when Tembek invokes his pact.
  • Court Suit (clothing)A white, rose-embroidered suit with hidden pockets and tiny, nearly invisible repairs.
  • Varka's Clasp (keepsake)A silver throat clasp that belonged to his mother; he guards it more carefully than his spell focus.
  • Contract Folio (tool)A leather folio containing contract forms, charcoal rubbings, and a few original mine records.

Possessions

Rose-etched rapier
White suit embroidered with red roses
Silver throat clasp inherited from his mother
Contract folio containing mine records and pact documents

Background

Tembek was born in the dwarf mining town of Kettlemere, where his mother, Varka, kept the furnace schedules and his father, Gromek, cut stone for memorials. As a young contract clerk, he discovered that a local mine owner had hidden a fatal gas leak from the workers. Tembek tried to expose him, but the owner forged his signature onto a debt contract and sent him below with the next shift. The collapse killed dozens; Tembek survived in a pocket of air beside a cracked shrine, bargaining with a fiend for enough strength to break out. He emerged with burning eyes and a pact he has spent decades trying to control. He later became a broker of supernatural contracts, claiming that clear terms can prevent the cruelties he saw in the mine. He funds a discreet relief kitchen and sends money to his estranged sister, Durgi, who refuses to speak to him. His former apprentice, Paku, now sells copies of Tembek's contracts to anyone who pays. Tembek is currently trying to void the original pact before its next renewal, while the fiend's agents pressure him to collect a debt from the very miners he once failed to save.

Role in the story

A powerful, unnervingly polished ally or antagonist whose contracts can solve a party's immediate problem while drawing them into the consequences of his own pact. He can serve as a patron, a source of infernal legal knowledge, or the person asking the party to help free the miners from a debt he can no longer collect.

“As a young contract clerk, he discovered that a local mine owner had hidden a fatal gas leak from the workers.”
From their background
Faction
Independent infernal contract broker; maintains loose ties with Kettlemere's miners and its relief kitchen

Known connections

Durgi, his younger sister, runs a stonecutting shop in Kettlemere and rejects his attempts at reconciliation.
Paku, his former apprentice, is selling stolen contract templates and knows part of the truth about Tembek's pact.
Varka, his mother, still believes his work is a respectable form of law, though she has not seen him in years.
The fiend called Khosh keeps the original contract and has begun demanding payment in other people's choices.
Major secret · GM only
Minor secrets · GM only

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