Ull: Land of a Thousand Villains - Aluk the Lucky

Heya Greyhawk fans! It's time for another installment of Ull: Land of a Thousand Villains. One of the fun things about doing this project is that Ull is populated by all sorts of morally "gray" people. While most would rather kill outsiders, even a helpful NPC that the PCs meet may turn out to be a bigger problem down the road. Long time readers of Greyhawkery will remember the illicit substances found in this post come from an older article I did for the Gryehawk fansite Canonfire! Follow this link for more information on them and shadowy organization who makes them. Enjoy!

“When a desperate or depraved person looks for an escape from the realities of Ull, those who profit off this misery always seem to find them first”.

 Aluk the Lucky (human, male, rogue 5)

  Aluk is a rakish, charismatic guide to the culture of Ull. A natural polyglot, he claims to know almost thirty languages and has been to every part of the land, making him an invaluable service to foreigners who find Ull’s dialect of Baklunish too harsh to understand. Aluk does not have a family or a permanent home, instead living out his life attached to caravans and adventuring bands travelling back and forth from Ulakand to Kester. Nicknamed “the Lucky”, he has many friends and contacts everywhere he goes in Ull. He is well-liked among the venal populace of southern Ull who can put up with his freeloading demeanor, but he is not respected by the practical tribesmen of the north. Aluk the Lucky is generally considered a coward and a double-crosser by those who have been wronged or taken advantage of by the fast-talking guide. Whatever the reasons, Aluk is always ready to move on, self-assured that he will find a new friend or employer.

DM’s Campaign Notes: Aluk the Lucky is a mid-level agent for the Yellow Cartel, a secret power group that cultivates rare drugs in Ull and trades them as far as the City of Greyhawk. Aluk has a contact in Najul Khanate between Ulakand and Kester who regularly supplies him on his journeys. When the time is right, he is always ready to sell contraband to those he befriends such as Zharkat (Pleasure Herb) and the highly addictive Kadzur-Ruz (also called Blackstones). He also occasionally deals in various sleep powders, poison draughts, and purported aphrodisiacs. Individual DMs will need to use their own rules systems for these illicit substances.

   Aluk the Lucky makes a decent low-level threat, information source, and a fun instigator for trouble in taverns or encampments. As befits his nickname, Aluk has supernatural luck (Istus favors him?) when it comes to situational encounters. Use whatever game rules you prefer (feats, rerolls, etc) to reflect this benefit.