Jereader Zomawyn

Jereader Zomawyn is the high priest and coinlord of the Gilded Shackle, a rotting chapel of Zilchus nestled in the fetid heart of Nulb. With the weathered look of a scholar and the calculating eyes of a fence-master, Zomawyn is the spiritual heart of corruption disguised as devotion. In a village where death sells as easily as eel, he’s one of the only men trusted with counting the blood money.

His prayers are just another form of bookkeeping. His tithes are weighed in bodies and bribes.

Physical Description

Zomawyn is lean and hawk-nosed, dressed in once-fine priestly robes now faded and patched. His bald head gleams with sweat and scented oil. One eye is clouded with cataract, and the other misses nothing. A silver holy symbol of Zilchus hangs from his neck—he never touches it during prayer.

He walks with a slight limp from a failed assassination attempt years ago—one that cost a novice priest his life and two fingers. Zomawyn ordered the novice’s family to repay the medical costs.

Personality and Demeanor

• Cautious, always two steps ahead.
• Calculating, refuses to act unless profit or leverage is involved.
• Discreet, speaks in riddles and legalisms.
• Greedy, but never foolishly so—his ambition is slow-burning and long-game.

He will never side with any faction in the open. Instead, he sells information to all sides, including Hedrack’s agents, Lucius Graeme, pirates like Tolub, and the Church of Zilchus in Dyvers.

Current Role in Nulb

Zomawyn functions as the Temple’s shadow banker, laundering wealth stolen by pirates, bandits, and cultists. His chapel is the node through which slaver coin, black-market goods, and bribery tithes are processed and distributed.

• Holds funds for Canon Belsornig and Romag.
• Issues fake ledgers and donation parchments to justify illicit wealth.
• Works with Lucius Graeme as an information broker, feeding rumors to keep rival factions guessing.
• Keeps Madame Selentis (Nysera) at arm’s length but ensures she gets her cut.

He has no love for the Elder Elemental God, nor for Iuz. His god is gold.

Relationship Web

Political Agenda

• Preserve Neutrality: Never side openly with one faction. Always profit quietly from all.
• Control the Flow of Coin: Whoever owns the ledgers controls the Temple’s pulse.
• Expand Blackmail Portfolio: Every trade deal, slave shipment, or tithe is recorded.
• Replace Regional Overseers: Would replace the Dyvers bishop with a puppet if given the chance.
• Keep Lucius Close: Lucius is dangerous—so Zomawyn would rather keep him friendly.

Magic Items

1. Ledger of the Crooked Tithe (Wondrous Item, Uncommon)

• A large black book with silver bindings. Can track all coin that passes through the temple for the past 7 days.
• Benefit: Grants advantage on Insight or Investigation checks to detect fraud or deception related to trade or finance.
• Curse (unknown to others): If opened by anyone other than Zomawyn, the book triggers bestow curse (DC 15).

2. Ring of Binding Oaths (Rare)

• Can be used once per day to magically seal a trade deal or bribe. Both parties are bound to the contract or suffer 4d10 psychic damage and become frightened of Zomawyn for 24 hours (DC 16 Wis save to resist).
• The ring glows faintly when someone is about to break an agreement made in its presence.

3. Mask of the Merchant's Guise (Wondrous Item, Rare)

• When worn, this porcelain half-mask allows Zomawyn to cast disguise self at will, appearing as a merchant or temple priest of a different god.
• Also grants +2 to Deception checks related to trade, tithes, or contracts.

Notable Quotation

"Faith is a contract. Devotion is debt. And debt, my dear, is the oldest leash of them all."