Loquatius Seelie

 is a changeling bard/warlock and is a news media personality for the Herald's Tome. He is played by Sam Riegel.

Appearance
As a changeling, Loquatius can alter his appearance at will, but his "default" form has dark-rimmed white eyes, and a shock of white hair that stands up. His skin is pale, and dark veins are visible through it, giving it an appearance almost like marble. The veins beneath the skin constantly move. In his broadcasts, as himself, he wears a purple-lined gold jacket, and appears with a golden face and purple hair. He also shifts his appearance during his ad reads.

Personality
Loquatius appears confident and self-important, and enjoys being a celebrity.

Background
Loquatius is originally from the Feywild and was a member of the Seelie Court prior to living in Avalir. It is likely that his warlock patron, an archfey, is the matriarch of his court, Lady Elmenore.

He married Laerryn Coramar-Seelie seven years before to the events of Exandria Unlimited: Calamity, at the last Replenishment. The two have since divorced.

Loquatius gave his morning broadcast at the Herald's Tome. He expressed concern to his assistant, Aria, about some broken crystal columns in Evenloft, which were preventing his broadcasts from going out to some, and went to see his ex-wife Laerryn to get them fixed. He and Laerryn had a somewhat argumentative conversation in her quarters, but both of them expressed some wistfulness about their upcoming anniversary.

Later that evening, Loquatius arrived at the party at the Palazzo Por'co with a date, Bolo. He spoke briefly to Purvan Suul.

Loquatius realized, while looking at the body of the unidentified cleric of a Betrayer God, that the person had intended to complete a task at the party but had been killed by Cerrit before they finished.

Afterwards, he and Cerrit went to the Herald's Tome to look for more information on Vespin Chloras. Cerrit found crucial information on the Tree of Names, and that the files on Evandrin were missing. He asked Loquatius about the reporter, Elena Tuvaris, and Loquatius told him that she'd been let go, but did not reveal more.

Loquatius attempted to distract Milus Phren before the fight in Dawnsledge, but did not succeed. He provided considerable support during the fight before Laerryn used Dimension Door to take him with her to the helm. At the helm, after he and Laerryn defended the eldritch battery, they spoke: Loquatius said that she should ask permission of the city before using the Astral Leywright. Laerryn told him that he could go back to the Feywild, and that history would remember her, but Loquatius pointed out that history is fickle and written by people like him. He also agreed with her that this was her life's focus, but that on focusing only on her work she had neglected him and their marriage.

After Laerryn directed Calum Staffwright to short the tithe, Loquatius warned her against it but also sent out a message to his contacts providing a general overview of the attacks on the city but keeping out much of the information. He also recorded a crystal to be used in the case of his death in which he credited Laerryn for pointing out the threat to the city and said that he had stood in her way.

Loquatius, along with Laerryn, successfully resisted Zerxus's Zone of Truth when the party reconvened, though he did not speak much during that conversation. When the Ring of Brass went to the Arboreal Calix, Loquatius was the first to notice the Ley-rudder stuck in the branches of the tree, and pointed it out. When Nydas attempted to stop Laerryn from casting Blight, Loquatius used Fey Presence to attempt to frighten him, though it was canceled out by Zerxus's aura. He then tried to pull Patia away from the tree, but instead began to also receive information from it. He saw Elmenore, who warned him to not let Patia find the names and who told him: "Something moves upon the face of your world."

The tree then lanced a branch through Loquatius, and he looked at Laerryn, scared of what she was doing, just before she cast Blight.

All of Loquatius's magic items other than the ether Laerryn had given him were destroyed when the Tree of Names exploded, and he bled out from his injuries. He was resurrected by Zerxus shortly after, and Laerryn apologized to him. After hearing the prophecy, he headed to the Herald's Tome station to broadcast and warn the city.

At the Herald's Tome, Aria helped him prepare for the broadcast, which he planned to send to both Avalir and Cathmoíra. They were interrupted by Loras, who teleported into the station and demanded he tell the people that all spell energy be used to preserve the city and Septarion. Loquatius told Loras he would do just that, then cast Wall of Force to cordon him off and silence him. Elmenore also at this time opened a portal for Loquatius, along with all members of the Seelie Court, so that they could escape back to the safety of the Feywild, per an ancient pact with the Nine Hells, but Loquatius declined, telling her he had to stay with Laerryn. Elmenore sadly agreed.

He addressed his broadcast to Toramunda, and told the people of the cities to evacuate, while urging the administrators to stay with the city as it fell, and used his changeling abilities to shift into the appearance of Eldamir the Wise to repeat the message. He also recognized all of his colleagues in the Ring of Brass for their knowledge and bravery.

Loquatius returned to the Astral Leywright along with the rest of the party to protect Laerryn as she worked, and prevented her from falling unconscious with a held Healing Word. He also proposed to her during the fight. As the city was destroyed after Laerryn successfully diverted the primordials, he and Laerryn stood in the room and confessed their love shortly before their deaths.

Relationships
Loquatius was formerly married to Laerryn. The two have since divorced, and are on speaking terms but still have some unresolved feelings and resentment.

Notable items

 * +1 Ring of protection
 * Shiftweave outfit
 * Pneumatic tubes
 * Wand of Smiles, shaped like Bob Barker's microphone

Abilities

 * Skill proficiencies: Perception

Changeling abilities

 * Changeling Instincts
 * Shapechanger

Bard abilities

 * Spellcasting
 * Inspiration (d10)
 * Jack of All Trades
 * Song of Rest
 * Bard College: College of Eloquence
 * Silver Tongue
 * Unsettling Words
 * Unfailing Inspiration
 * Universal Speech
 * Expertise
 * Font of Inspiration
 * Countercharm
 * Magical Secrets

Warlock abilities

 * Otherworldly Patron: The Archfey
 * Fey Presence
 * Pact Magic
 * Eldritch Invocations
 * Pact Boon: Pact of the Talisman

Behind the scenes
The idea for Loquatius and Laerryn being ex-spouses was proposed by Sam. While the cast was discussing their characters, Sam mentioned that he always wanted to play a character who was divorced from another member of the party, and Aabria Iyengar immediately volunteered to play his ex-wife. By the finale of Exandria Unlimited: Calamity, they had not worked out anything about how Laerryn and Loquatius met beyond having met through work.

Appearances and mentions

 * Exandria Unlimited: Calamity

Quotations

 * "I am Loquatius Seelie saying: Seelie you later."
 * (to Laerryn, about the Astral Leywright) "I've covered stories and stories about wizards who took one step in the wrong direction and were ostracized or worse. I've done everything I can to make sure that none of us ever get caught in that sort of crossfire."

Trivia

 * Loquatius's given name is homophonous with "loquacious", which describes someone who talks excessively or who talks easily and smoothly.
 * His surname "Seelie" is one of two courts of faeries in the Feywild; the more benevolent Seelie Court, to which Loquatius belonged, is in contrast to the more malicious Unseelie Court. These courts are also in Scottish folkore.
 * Brennan Lee Mulligan, Dungeon Master for Calamity, said that if Loquatius was a cheese he would be camembert.
 * Aabria and Sam did not work out anything about how Laerryn and Loquatius met beyond having met through work. However, Aabria made two out-of-game comments on her own personal thoughts about how they met:
 * They met in a terrestrial city during one of Avalir's stops. She went into the city with Evandrin and Nydas to research leylines and there met Loquatius, who was working for a journal that pre-dated the Herald's Tome. He was so charming that she fell in love immediately, and they hooked up in a closet at a party. Their relationship ended during yet-another fight about her dedication to her work. She told him that if he wanted to leave, he should go, and she did not walk it back.
 * "Soft Dom meets a Brat and the rest is history."