Cortland Barris, the Skeleton Lord

Cortland Barris, the Skeleton Lord, looms as a harbinger of death. Clad in regal black plate armor, his form betrays neither flesh nor warmth, embodying the essence of eternal silence. Cortland is cursed with the unyielding thirst for quietude, a legacy from Cato, the God of Magic, elevating him to a notorious figure among magic practitioners and clerics alike. The crown of silence he dons amplifies his powers, allowing him to conjure the Silent Dead—roaming specters bound to his will, forever whispering the agony of their eternal rest. Cortland seeks to spread his dominion over the realms, determined to drain the world of its vibrancy, leaving only stillness.

Ruthless and cunning, Cortland prefers cunning strategies to head-on confrontations. He commands the Silent Dead to overwhelm adversaries while keeping himself concealed. Utilizing his aura of silence, he disrupts magical communications and ambushes opponents with a combination of melee combat and devastating spells. Each encounter sees him evaluating the strengths of his enemies, retreating or adapting tactics as necessary. His silence speaks volumes as he aims to instill fear within the hearts of those who dare oppose him. Should driven into a corner, Cortland displays an insatiable hunger for vengeance, unleashing his full might without reservation.

In the ecosystem of the undead, Cortland serves as a dark influence, warping the natural order. By erasing the cries of the living, he siphons life and magic from the lands, allowing decay to thrive in his wake. His exploits lead to the birth of twisted lands—where spectral legions linger, and the aura of despair clogs the air. As he raises the Silent Dead from graveyards and battlefields, he shatters the barriers separating life from death, creating realms of torment where once vibrant communities stood. This ecological imbalance births stronger foes, as living creatures seek to reclaim what was lost.

Historically, Cortland entered the lore of the living as a noble who forsook his humanity for unholy power. Through rituals that summoned forbidden magic, he sealed his fate as an immortal puppet of death. The allure of eternal silence drove him insane, culminating in a gruesome incident where he silenced an entire village. The blood curse he enacted would become the cornerstone of his legacy. Rumors buzz among those who fear the dead and echo into recluses of society—stories of tainted lands, retelling the horrors Cortland unleashed. Decades have seen him descend deeper into darkness, compelled by visions of a world devoid of sound, a realm solely dominated by the whispers of the Silent Dead.