Cain

Overview

Cain is the first vampire ever created and one of the oldest surviving antagonists in the campaign's history. His existence spans multiple campaigns and eras, beginning during the Age of Wonders and continuing into Under the Bus and the later Steve campaign.

Cain originally served as the cohort of Riatin, the first lich. After Riatin's destruction, Cain disappeared for a time but eventually returned as a powerful vampire and major undead antagonist.

His history is not yet completely reconstructed. This entry records the information currently established from the surviving campaign material and is intended to be expanded as additional material from the other campaigns is recovered.

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Age of Wonders

Servant of Riatin

Cain served as the cohort of Riatin, the first lich. Campaign records from Under the Bus identify him as the first vampire ever created, with his transformation occurring during the period surrounding the Fall of the Age of Wonders.

Riatin was a powerful wizard who became the first lich and was associated with the creation or discovery of undead. Cain remained loyal to him and continued to regard Riatin as his master long after Riatin's destruction.

Riatin's Destruction

Riatin was destroyed during a major battle over Menasta. Cain survived the destruction of his master and subsequently disappeared.

Cain later claimed that Riatin had been denied the recognition he deserved. According to Cain, Correries received credit for the creation or discovery of undead and betrayed Riatin, preventing him from becoming one of the beings who ascended to godhood.

These statements were Cain's own account of history and his motivations; the extent to which they accurately represent the events of the Age of Wonders is not yet fully established.

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Between Campaigns

The surviving material does not currently provide a complete account of Cain's activities between the Age of Wonders and his reappearance in Under the Bus.

His disappearance after Riatin's destruction lasted long enough that the party initially knew him only as a historical figure. His survival across this period is one of the reasons he possessed firsthand knowledge of the Age of Wonders when he eventually encountered the party.

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Under the Bus

Return of the First Vampire

Cain eventually reappeared as a powerful vampire commanding substantial undead forces.

When the party first encountered him, he deliberately introduced himself as "Cain…and I am The First!" His identity was then recognized through the party's historical knowledge and Demetrius' bardic knowledge.

Cain's long existence explained his unusually extensive knowledge of the distant past. He had personally lived during the Age of Wonders rather than merely possessing historical records about it.

The Aegisstaff

Cain became interested in The Aegisstaff after learning that the party had recovered it. He wanted the staff for his own plans, which were connected to his desire to restore Riatin and eventually pursue vengeance against Correries.

Cain's interest in the staff also brought him into conflict with Filtiarn. Cain was not allied with Filtiarn and recognized that they would probably eventually have to fight each other. For this reason, when he temporarily obtained leverage over the party, he actually wanted them to use the Aegisstaff against Filtiarn before surrendering it to him.

Hostage and Deal

Cain captured Toreon and used him as a hostage to force the party to agree to surrender the Aegisstaff.

The agreement was made under duress. Cain promised to return Toreon unharmed after giving the party time to use the Aegisstaff against Filtiarn. Cain nevertheless anticipated that the party might attempt to break the agreement and prepared a second layer of protection.

Manipulation of Jack

While the party leader was isolated with Jack, Cain and two spellcasting allies ambushed Jack and magically compelled him.

Cain used his vampire's dominate ability together with Charm Monster and Misdirection, then gave Jack a paired magical ring allowing communication through Rary's Telepathic Bond. Jack was ordered to behave normally while secretly reporting the party's activities to Cain.

This allowed Cain to discover that the party intended to betray the agreement and recover Toreon without surrendering the Aegisstaff.

Undead Army

Cain commanded a large force of undead, including vampires, vampire spawn, wights, ghouls, and skeletons. During one early confrontation, the party encountered more than one hundred vampire spawn emerging from the ground around his stronghold.

Cain generally preferred to command and manipulate his forces rather than immediately expose himself to danger. During one battle he remained outside the main fighting while directing his undead and watching the party's response.

His forces eventually established their headquarters in Menasta, which became a necropolis under his control. Cain's dominion covered much of the western portion of the known world during the later Dark Times.

Conflict with Filtiarn

Cain and Filtiarn were independent hostile powers rather than allies.

Their forces occasionally came into direct conflict. During one battle against the party, Cain's forces abruptly redirected their attention when they learned that werewolves were attacking elsewhere. Cain personally left with his vampires to respond to the threat.

The party eventually found itself fighting simultaneous campaigns against both Cain's undead and Filtiarn's forces.

The Dark Times

During the later Dark Times, Cain devoted substantial resources to eliminating the party and recovering the Aegisstaff.

Cain and his allies eventually destroyed the party's Red Dragon Effigy, which was carrying the Aegisstaff. Cain then returned to gloat over the victory, allowing the party to exploit his overconfidence and recover the staff.

The resulting conflict left the party fighting repeated engagements against both Cain's undead and Filtiarn's forces. Cain's allies employed powerful tactics against the party's equipment, including repeated Mordenkainen's Disjunctions and attacks designed to destroy weapons and armor.

Cain's campaign eventually suffered from attrition. His forces could operate primarily at night, the sanctification of territory by the Church of Demmazon hindered his expansion, and the prolonged fighting consumed enormous quantities of resources needed to create additional undead.

Defeat

Cain was ultimately defeated, but he was not destroyed.

This distinction is important to his later history. The surviving Under the Bus material establishes that Cain survived the campaign and subsequently appeared again in the much later Steve campaign.

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Steve

Cain reappeared in the distant future during the Steve campaign.

His return coincided with the accidental release of Filtiarn from his imprisonment. The details of Cain's activities during this campaign have not yet been incorporated into this entry and should be added when the surviving Steve material is reviewed.

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Character and Historical Significance

Cain occupies an unusual position in the campaign's history:

• First vampire ever created.

• Cohort of Riatin, the first lich.

• Survivor of the Age of Wonders.

• Long-lived antagonist whose activities span multiple campaign eras.

• Major undead power during Under the Bus.

• Rival of Filtiarn, rather than an ally.

• Pursuer of The Aegisstaff.

• Sought to restore Riatin and pursue vengeance against Correries.

• Survived his defeat at the end of Under the Bus.

• Returned in the distant future during Steve.

Because Cain persists across such a large span of history, his biography should eventually be treated as a continuous chronology rather than as separate campaign-specific NPC entries.

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Uncertain / To Be Expanded

Age of Wonders

• Cain's original mortal identity and history.

• The exact circumstances of his transformation into the first vampire.

• His activities alongside Riatin.

• His role in the events surrounding Riatin's rise and destruction.

• His activities immediately before and after the Battle of Menasta.

Between Campaigns

• How Cain survived and what he did during the intervening centuries.

• How he rebuilt his power and undead forces.

• His relationship to other surviving figures from the Age of Wonders.

Under the Bus

• The complete history of Cain's plans for restoring Riatin.

• The exact circumstances of his final defeat.

• How he escaped or otherwise survived that defeat.

Steve

• Cain's role after his return.

• His relationship with the newly released Filtiarn.

• His ultimate fate.

These sections should be expanded rather than replaced as additional campaign records become available.