Ludinus Da'leth

Martinet Ludinus Da'leth is an elven mage and the current leader of the Cerberus Assembly, having been alive at the time of its founding. As an NPC, Ludinus Da'leth is played by Matthew Mercer.

Description
Ludinus Da'leth is a handsome, older elven man with pale skin and long white or silver hair. He is estimated to be at least half a millennium old in 843 PD.

He wears deep blue robes with pointed shoulder pauldrons, serving both as ceremonial cloth and armor, and uses a cane. He also owns a sleek, black capelet attached to a long cloak that he wears over his clothes as he walks around Rexxentrum, During the Apogee Solstice ritual, he had an extended staff with a fork-like upper end, similar to the design of the Exandrian Malleus Key.

Personality
A reserved, wise, and calculating individual, Da'leth maintains a generally stoic demeanor during the events of Campaign 2, though Jester Lavorre was able to pull genuine confusion from him during one of their exchanges.

Vess DeRogna believed his ultimate goal is to quietly maintain and grow his personal power above the reach of the Cerberus Assembly and King Dwendal himself. Yussa Errenis, a wizard in Nicodranas, felt Ludinus to be intelligent though opaque in his goals; Yussa, who was cautious of someone as politically and magically powerful as Ludinus, described him as someone who keeps balance with the king and keeps the peace "from an archmage's standpoint".

Da'leth holds a deep hatred for the Kryn Dynasty, though he hides the true depths of his animosity. He has expressed his suspicion and mistrust of their worship of the Luxon beacon and their escape from the cycle of death through it, as well as the various border skirmishes the Empire and Dynasty had engaged in leading up to the War of Ash and Light's outbreak in 835 PD. As Archmage of Domestic Protections, Da'leth is charged with restructuring the Dwendalian military, as well as construction and maintenance of the garrisons along the border with Xhorhas. He also is heavily involved in developing arcane weaponry, military expansion, and intelligence gathering. He strongly dislikes the king's military advisor, Crown Marshal Hayden Damurag, and often attempts to undermine their influence with the king.

Early life
According to a dossier collected by the Vellum Steeple, Ludinus Da'leth immigrated to Wildemount from Ivaadel, an elvish community in Issylra, as a young adult. He lived in Molaesmyr before its collapse in 585 PD,, where he was counselor, but a somewhat controversial one due to his dislike of the temples. King Imathan Talviel recalled him as somewhat reclusive, primarily keeping to his tower and focusing on his research. Notes left behind by Ludinus in Molaesmyr show he was interested in patterns of arcane and celestial events in Exandria, as well as interest in discovering the lost name of The Raven Queen.

Ludinus survived the fall of Molaesmyr, fleeing with other survivors to Bysaes Tyl. He later left the elven culture at Bysaes Tyl to pursue greatness and arcane practice in the Dwendalian Empire, where he was credited as the key figure in the intergration of the Julous Dominion into the Empire, being one of the peacemakers following the Eve of Crimson Midnight, and used that as a leverage on King Everard Dwendal to approve the creation of the Cerberus Assembly with Ludinus as the head. In his position as Archmage of Domestic Protection, he develops arcane weapons, strengthens the Empire's military power, and is tasked with improving the structure of the military. He ordered the building of garrisons on the border between the Empire and Xhorhas, and he oversees their maintenance. By 835 PD, he was the only remaining original member of the Assembly and was its oldest member.

In a conversation with Imogen Temult, Ludinus implied that he was alive during and witnessed the Calamity, and in his speech during the Apogee Solstice, he claimed to have waited a thousand years to enact his plan. Furthermore, his notes on celestial events found in Molaesmyr have Laerryn Coramar-Seelie listed among "historical specialists, people to reach out to in the world that might know this, people who in the past have kept on it", where "to reach out to" were possibly contemporaries; Matthew Mercer's exposition does not state which category she was listed under. However, erstwhile collaborator Ira Wendagoth said of Ludinus having lived during the Calamity: "It seems a bit stretched for the lifespan of an elf, unless he dabbles in necromancy."

Shortly before Campaign 2
Like a majority of the Cerberus Assembly, Da'leth has a vested interest in Aeor and Pre-Calamity artifacts. During his earlier years, his home, Molaesmyr, was destroyed and the surrounding Savalirwood corrupted from experiments on Aeorian artifacts gone awry. During his tenure as leader of the Assembly, excavations at Shattengrod began and the Balenpost outpost in Eiselcross was established to study the Aeor crash site. In 835 PD, he hired Dagen Underthorn as a guide to escort him on his trip through Eiselcross to oversee the initial discovery of one of the Aeorian crash sites, A2. The A2 site seemed largely to be an biological experimentation complex and notably contained an arboretum full of corrupted trees that mirrored the corruption of the Savalirwood surrounding Molaeysmr. In 836 PD, the Mighty Nein encountered the recent remains of his apprentice, Zana Deelio, within the ruins, suggesting Da'leth's continued interest in the site.

Beginning in about 833 PD, Da'leth was Shadowhand Essek Thelyss's primary contact in the clandestine Luxon beacon exchange that ultimately kick started the War of Ash and Light. Thelyss stole two of the Dynasty's holy beacons and surrendered them to Da'leth for experimentation in exchange for a copy of their findings. Vess Derogna's notes on her experiments revealed that, at minimum, DeRogna and Da'leth aimed to imbue a selection of the Empire's military with the extracted dunamis to heighten their combat capabilities.

Campaign 2: The Mighty Nein
When the Mighty Nein went to Felderwin following the Kryn attack there, they saw Ludinus Da'leth teleport into town and meet Vess DeRogna there, presumably to discuss the attack and and kidnapping of Yeza Brenatto, who was working for them in creating Potions of Possibility from one of the beacons.

Later in Xhorhas, in the Mighty Nein's new quest to find the second stolen beacon, the head of the Cerberus Assembly was one of many people they theorized would know more about its whereabouts. Dairon identified Ludinus' annex, Vence Nuthaleus, as the individual the Nein were investigating in connection to the Abyssal anchors in the Kryn Dynasty. Dairon advised the Nein against a confrontation with Ludinus as he was "quite capable".

Da'leth was in the throne room along with when the Mighty Nein revealed the details of Vence Nuthaleus's treachery and collaboration with the Angel of Irons cult to King Bertrand Dwendal. Dwendal put the Mighty Nein in Da'leth's care while they were in Rexxentrum, and he in turn arranged their lodging. Da'leth also orchestrated a thorough cover-up about the presence of the beacons in the Empire, claiming the Dynasty had mistaken the stolen beacon for the one the Empire recently unearthed from Shattengrod. After breakfast, Da'leth brought the Mighty Nein to his tower in The Shimmer Ward to further discuss both the Angel of Irons cult and the upcoming peace talks with the Dynasty and Luxon beacon exchange. After the Mighty Nein wished to inspect the beacon, Da'leth escorted them to the Vergesson Sanatorium where they were joined by Trent Ikithon for the inspection. After teleporting the Nein back to the Shimmer Ward, Da'leth parted ways with them.

During preparations for the peace talks at sea, The Martinet was meeting with Lord Dezran Thain and Lord Athesias Uludan aboard the Cerberus Assembly ship Wind of Aeons when the Mighty Nein arrived in Nicodranas prior to the peace negotiations with the Kryn Dynasty. Frumpkin later eavesdropped on him having a secret conversation with Lord Thain, who was revealed to be Essek Thelyss. When confronted by the Mighty Nein, Essek confessed to stealing the Luxon beacons and handing them over to Ludinus and Trent Ikithon for research, with Vess DeRogna helming a period of this research. Caleb and Beau encountered Da'leth aboard the Wind of Aeons during the voyage to the peace negotiations when they flew there to inspect the Luxon beacon. Da'leth seemed surprised that Vess DeRogna had been to their ship and that she had offered them work in the north once the negotiations were completed.

Dagen told the Mighty Nein that he had worked with Ludinus in Eiselcross about a year prior. Additionally, while the party was in Eiselcross, Ludinus had Astrid Becke and Eadwulf Grieve follow Vess and Mighty Nein while in Eiselcross, and was aware of Vess's demise.

After the Mighty Nein returned from their mission in Eiselcross and had Trent Ikithon exposed for his crimes and imprisoned, Da'leth offered Caleb the vacant seat of Archmage of Civil Influence. Caleb promptly rejected him with a veiled threat, and Da'leth left to later appoint former-Volstrucker Astrid Becke to the seat.

Campaign 3: Bells Hells
Bells Hells learned that in 836 PD, seven years before Campaign 3, Ludinus was collaborating with Otohan Thull of the Gray Assassins and the Unseelie Court of the Feywild in order to build a device to study the moon Ruidus. He was later confirmed to be the leader of the Ruby Vanguard, a faction with the goal of freeing Predathos so that it could eat the gods.

While Imogen and Fearne were meeting with Kadija Sumal, Ludinus interrupted them. He attempted but failed to charm Fearne, and did enchant Kadija to hand over the papers of the Omen Archive. He recognized Imogen as the daughter of Liliana Temult, and told the two members of Bells Hells that he was aware of their past interactions with Thull and with both the Grim Verity and Ruby Vanguard. He then told them of his motivations. He believed that the Divergence was made to protect the gods, not the people, and he harbored considerable resentment over the Calamity as a result. In this conversation, when Imogen asked him if he himself was Ruidusborn, he responded with "I have my connections to the red moon, yes." However, Fearne was able to intuit from his caginess that he is not Ruidusborn, and is jealous of those who are.

After he left Imogen, Fearne, and Kadija, Orym saw him exit the Aydinlan Seminary and teleport away with several members of the Vanguard.

When Bells Hells met Beau and Caleb at the Tishtan excavation site, Beau and Caleb told them that Ludinus had given the command to shoot down the skyship from Vasselheim that was investigating the area, and Beau remarked that he was growing "sloppy". Caleb additionally stated that Ludinus was completing this work without other members of the Assembly; an unnamed ally within the Assembly was wholly unaware and had to pull back after accidentally pushing too deep into Ludinus's work, and other members that they investigated are also unaware or choose to remain uninvolved in his activities out of fear. Beau also may have indicated that Ludinus had recently been imprisoned but had somehow been released or had escaped.

On the eve of the apogee solstice, as Bells Hells made their efforts to sabotage the Malleus Key, they saw Ludinus. After Beau and Caleb were captured, he gathered the followers to address them, and powered the key with his own arcane abilities and apparently engaged a Luxon beacon within the machine to accelerate time, which withered his hand. He appeared nervous due to the considerable sabotage and damage done to the machine, though he still activated it.

Vence Nuthaleus
Vence Nuthaleus was Da'leth's annex and assistant until he was revealed as a collaborator with the Angel of Irons cult, sewing discord among both the Dwendalian Empire and Kryn Dynasty. Da'leth expressed surprise and embarrassment when the Mighty Nein revealed Nuthaleus as a traitor and a cultist before the King's Council and his fellow Assembly members. Da'leth moved quickly to have the fleeing Nuthaleus intercepted, and was willing to surrender him to the Dynasty as part of the peace negotiations, though he intended to interrogate him before the exchange.

Vess DeRogna
Despite a mutual interest in Aeor, Da'leth deeply disliked Vess DeRogna, and the two shared a mutual distrust. He put a notable amount of pressure on her and her work with Yeza Brenatto during the experiments with the stolen Luxon beacon, and they were witnessed arguing in Felderwin.

Their tension persisted regarding the research and excavation of Aeor. DeRogna strove to keep the details of her last expedition secret from him, and he was displeased when he learned of her planned trip.

Trent Ikithon
Though Da'leth found Trent Ikithon useful, as evidenced with their collaboration with the stolen Luxon beacon, Da'leth found him challenging, off-putting, and, ultimately, a disappointment. He had some awareness of Ikithon's method of training Volstrucker, though he claimed never to have witnessed it personally.

Essek Thelyss
Da'leth was Essek Thelyss's primary contact in the illicit Luxon beacon exchange,, though he also interacted with Trent Ikithon and Da'leth's annex, Vence Nuthaleus. While the two were able to work together, they were mutually happy to sever all ties upon the beacon's return to the Dynasty. Da'leth found Thelyss to be a cold individual, but noticed a gradual thaw as he began to interact with the Mighty Nein. Thelyss, for his part, thought Da'leth lacked friends.

Appearances

 * Campaign 2: The Mighty Nein
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells

Mentions

 * Campaign 2: The Mighty Nein
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells
 * Campaign 3: Bells Hells

Quotations
Ludinus: Your teacher's a disappointment to many others. He has his uses, but... Ah. People are complicated, are they not? Essek: Well, I am surprised myself. Maybe you should try friends sometime.
 * To Jester: It's entirely off-putting how disarmingly charming you are. I genuinely do not know how to react. Take that as a compliment.
 * Caleb: Well, I am a disappointment to my teacher, I am sure. As well as many of my peers.
 * To Essek: I'm surprised to see such affection from such a previously cold individual.

Trivia

 * The term martinet both refers to a multi-tail whip used as a punitive device, and a person who is a strict disciplinarian.
 * In The Mighty Nein Origins: Caleb Widogast, an elf with long light blonde hair is depicted in a portrait at the Soltryce Academy, next to a portrait of Trent Ikithon. This elf may be Ludinus at a younger age, though it is unconfirmed.