ER:Wilbur Hamael

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Wilbur Hamael is a non-player character in the Errant Road free-form role-playing game. Needless to say, he doesn't exist in the Poe-verse.

Mr. Hamael is the brother-in-law of the important NPC Father Egbert, whose mysterious disappearance following an upsetting crystal-ball call set all manner of events in motion. He lives with his wife Mildred and two children in the town of Heamish, a wide spot in the road between Saus and Emerylon. Unlike Mildred and Father Egbert, he's originally from somewhere in the general area of Heamish and Saus, although not from Heamish itself -- one thing (of several) that brands him something of an "outsider" in town.

His time on stage, although brief (so far), is highly significant because of a certain incident involving his son Jason. Mildred receives a visit from player character Argus Cleiviein and NPC Brother Miguel as they try to sort out just what happened to Father Egbert, and Wilbur, who's been working at a mine up on the rock formation known as the Sleeping Sexton, comes home for dinner just as things are breaking up. This comes just as a giant swamp beaver has tried to break into the house (and, presumably, eat the humans therein), only to be killed by a single word from young Jason -- who then proceeds to explain that he learned this noteworthy skill from his old man. This, it's fair to say, causes his house guests to treat him with some deference when he shows up. How he acquired this particular ability is a matter of some speculation at the moment.

He then heads off on the road for points unknown, after a clumsy attempt at misdirection. However, a small episode at the ruins of Centoriel leads to him being whisked off to the compound of the heretical (not to mention thoroughly nasty) Malletarians in the mountains of Farrel. He manages to escape becoming the kind of human sacrifice that has gained the Malletarians their bad reputation, but was at risk of being incinerated by an erupting volcano. He seems to have escaped this, by way of a balloon found (improbably enough) among the trolls, but the balloon careens off into the boonies, bound for parts unknown. This fellow leads a hard life.

He makes the unfortunate (for him, anyway, although not necessarily for those who deal with him) transition from "Living" to "Living Impaired" when the balloon crash-lands on a mountain outside the carefully hidden half-elf village of Snamish. He survives the landing, although just barely, as he's badly starved and dehydrated from his long aerial voyage. However, when he slays a sheep to satisfy his hunger (and, more consequentially, also wipes out the shepherd who was watching the flock), he falls afoul of the band of travelers (and PCs) who have just arrived in Snamish -- one of whom, unfortunately for him, is Drusia, founder and protectress of Snamish, who doesn't take well to seeing one of her townspeople slain by Mr. Hamael. A brief but violent exchange leads to him having his death word reflected back at him by a Barrier spell cast by Sister Rose; getting scorched by a Fireball cast by town guard (and new PC) Eli Haverum; and being cut practically in half by a Durus Flamma stroke by the lurking Drusia. It isn't clear which one of these lethal events actually does him in, but it probably doesn't matter. As he expires, enough of his killing energy leaks through the Barrier to give Rose a glimpse of the Great Beyond that is considerably less ... reassuring than a believer in Luminosita might want to see. However, she does survive the experience.

So, rest in peace, Mr. H.; we may or may not hear from him again, death in Errant Road not necessarily being as final as it is in other places.

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