Vandran

Vandran is a human captain and mentor of Fjord who had some connection to Uk'otoa, Fjord's patron. As an NPC, he is played by Matthew Mercer.

Appearance
Vandran is a human male, in his early 50's at the time Fjord knew him. He has battered skin tanned from years at sea under the beating sun, an ashen blond beard that goes down to about the clavicle, a receding hairline but long hair down to the shoulders, deep blue-green eyes, and one of his ears looks slightly cauliflowered on one side. It would not be considered a handsome face classically, but definitely a face of someone who’s seen much of the world, a kind but hard face.

Vandran speaks with the same Texan accent that Fjord once used.

Personality
Fjord described Vandran as a stoic leader with a voice that could carry to the rest of the crew. While what Vandran showed Fjord was "not necessarily kindness", he treated him well and showed him attention and care when no one else did.

Background
Originally from Stilben, he eventually developed a relationship with his bosun, Avantika.

Vandran apparently had made a pact with Uk'otoa. He absorbed a Cloven Crystal after killing its previous owner.

Vandran recruited Avantika as an ally to help him release Uk'otoa, showing her a ritual after which Uk'otoa began to communicate with her through dreams. Avantika's journal describes them traveling together for a few years with Vandran guiding her to signs from Uk'otoa. While Vandran was the only one to have a Cloven Crystal, he and Avantika planned to go to Urukayxl, but they never made it. Vandran eventually decided to abandon the quest. Avantika wrote of him getting cold feet and beginning to mistrust the dreams. She attempted to sacrifice Vandran to Uk'otoa, but he got away, taking a Cloven Crystal with him. Vandran successfully hid from her for a number of months before she gave up the search.

Vandran had a Cloven Crystal in his possession auctioned off in Port Damali; unbeknownst to him, Avantika stalked the collector who bought it to an unknown island, killed him, and took the crystal. Using the money from the sale, he bought the Tide's Breath. Vandran captained it as a merchant ship for a number of years, during which time he met and grew close to Fjord. If Fjord's vision of Vandran absorbing a Cloven Crystal was accurate, it means Vandran found a way to get the Cloven Crystal out of his body.

Vandran was presumed dead after Sabian sabotaged the Tide's Breath and it exploded.

When Fjord pushed the yellow eyelike orb into his chest, he was transported into a vision where he was Vandran. In the vision, Vandran pushed the same orb into his chest while standing over the body of its previous owner. He summoned the same falchion Fjord wields.

When questioned afterwards, Fjord described the vision and mentioned Vandran as his mentor who he had not seen since sabotage sank the ship they were on. Fjord had never seen Vandran with an orb like this or his falchion, yet Vandran had both in the vision. Fjord realized Vandran in the vision looked younger than Fjord remembers him, implying his vision may have been of the past.

Captain Avantika told Fjord that the one who introduced her to Uk'otoa was Vandran, and that he had wielded a sword that was just like Fjord's. She also said Vandran had an amber stone just like the one she and Fjord carried within them. Vandran referred to his falchion as the "Sword of Fathoms".

Fjord attempted to lie to Avantika, claiming he did not have a connection to Vandran. She was able to see right through his deception, leading Fjord to point her to the location where Vandran's ship sank.

Caleb Widogast used Comprehend Languages to read Avantika's coded journal describing traveling with Vandran and his leaving her.

During the trial held by the Plank King, Avantika invoked Vandran's name, which many of the surrounding pirates recognized. She attempted to claim that Fjord had blown up the Tide's Breath to murder Vandran, though Fjord had not told her of the explosion on the ship.

Fjord hoped for a vision of Vandran when he inserted a Cloven Crystal, but only saw Uk'otoa and expressed his disappointment afterwards.

Caduceus Clay asked The Wildmother what Vandran was doing using the spell Divination. The Wildmother responded that he was laying low and trying to make amends.

Fjord, using Minor Illusion, showed Jester an image of Vandran so she could send a message to him. Jester cast Sending, telling Vandran Fjord was looking for him. Vandran responded that he was was glad to hear that Fjord was okay. He is retired on an island with good people.

Jester used a Scrying spell to see what Vandran was up to. She saw him sitting in a makeshift driftwood hut in a jungle, reading Tusk Love, and when she used Sending to contact him and ask if he wanted to tell Fjord anything, Vandran replied to tell him to take care of himself. Later, through another Sending spell, Vandran revealed he was somewhere near Bisaft.

Fjord, with Jester's support, visited Vandran on Bisaft. Vandran promptly recognized Fjord, and the two discussed their relationship, Vandran's personal history, and his relationships with Uk'otoa and Avantika. Though he told Fjord that he is content living quietly and slowly on the island and that he no longer has it in him for long trips at sea, he agreed to sail with Fjord aboard the Nein Heroez for a time so that they have opportunity to catch up with one another.

Avantika
Avantika wrote in her journal of Vandran guiding her towards being closer to Uk'otoa, giving her the ritual that started her dreams of a great eye. It is unclear if their relationship was romantic or platonic. Avantika considered him leaving the quest cowardly and a betrayal.

Fjord
Fjord has described Vandran at various times as a "mentor" and "father figure". Fjord thought he had known Vandran very well during the years working for him. The revelations that Avantika and other pirates on Darktow Isle knew Vandran seemed to take him by surprise. Seeing that someone looted Vandran's quarters after the Tide's Breath wrecked seemed to make Fjord angry. Vandran seemed happy to hear that Fjord was ok when Jester spoke to him via a Sending spell.

Sabian
Vandran hired Sabian along with Fjord as crew of the Tide's Breath. It is unknown if Sabian intended to hurt or kill Vandran specifically by sabotaging the ship or if he had other reasons. Vandran is unsurprised to learn that Sabian survived the sinking of the ship, and he contemptuously described Sabian as "a coward and a survivor", remarking that such people are difficult to kill.

Uk'otoa
It is unknown how Vandran first came into contact with Uk'otoa. At one point, he was very committed to releasing it. He changed his mind for unknown reasons, but still kept a Cloven Crystal and the Sword of Fathoms.

Wyatt Maranoss
Avantika accused Fjord of using the memory of Vandran against her during her trial, implying Wyatt should recognize his name. Several of the crowd watching the trial recognized Vandran's name as well, implying he is a former member of The Revelry.

Warlock Abilities

 * Pact Boon (Pact of the Blade)
 * Whether Vandran still has warlock abilities is unknown, since the vision of him summoning a pact weapon seemed to take place in the past and Fjord wielded the Sword of Fathoms for many months after that time.

Notable Items

 * Cloven Crystal (acquired from the body of an unknown man, kept in captain's quarters of the Tide's Breath, taken by Dashilla from the Tide's Breath wreck)
 * Sword of Fathoms (lost when the Tide's Breath sank, recovered by Fjord)

Quotations

 * Vandran: My sailing days are over, Fjord. I ain't a captain of any ship anymore, don't want to be. Life here is nice and slow. I take it in my own pace. I don't want to swab a deck. I don't want to hoist a sail. But maybe I could go on a trip or two. In case you need repairs or some fine cooking. Fjord: We do have a pretty lax stowaway policy. Vandran: For a time. I'm not a man for long lengths at sea anymore, but it wouldn't hurt to catch up proper. Fjord: I would really like that.
 * (to Fjord) "You know, that power, it'll eat you in time. Uk'otoa's a hungry beast."

Trivia

 * If Fjord's vision in is accurate, Vandran had at least three warlock levels at the time he absorbed a Cloven Crystal.