Count Marvelo Heartfire

Count Marvelo Heartfire is the ruler of the [[County of Verstrad]]. He uses the Bandit Captain statblock, but he replaces his Deception+4 with Persuasion+4, has an Insight+4, and wears a Breastplate, bringing his AC to 16. Finally, he wields a +1 Rapier (+6; 1d8+4). He answers to [[Duke Cedric Blackwood]]. He rules his rural and large territory from a hill-fortified [[Heartfire Keep|manor]]. By not ruling from the regional capital, he keeps himself independent of the city’s merchants, guilds, and the Duke’s shadow. He also avoids being trapped by Tollgate’s constant paperwork, factional pressure, and the symbolic problem of appearing to serve the city rather than the county.