Obedient

The Obedient are normal people mesmerized into permanent servitude by the domain's mesmerist ruler. They spy for him, help with his schemes against neighboring lands, and keep curious outsiders from learning too much. Many are wealthy, influential townsfolk whose positions suit his intricate plots, but most are fishermen, shopkeepers and staff at inns, taverns and stables, exactly where travelers stop. All speak the domain's elegant native language, and the educated or well traveled know others.

Their master often supplies them with poisons to kill or knock out suspected troublemakers. In open fights they use whatever weapons they have, from daggers to long swords. Characters who know the Obedient are controlled yet kill them anyway must make a dark powers check.

Breaking the hypnotic hold is hard without outside help, but spells such as command or emotion can shatter it. The mesmerist knows the instant a servant is freed, and the freed servant usually loathes him and will help a party against him if possible.

Their main job is reporting what happens in the domain's villages. Among the most important is the lord-governor himself: publicly the mesmerist poses as his adviser, but the governor is his puppet. The constables of the chief port and the capital, most rich merchants and the port's fishing captains are his as well.

Strangers never go unnoticed, and their master hears of any arrival within hours. Powerful warriors and wizards may draw his personal attention as he tries to add them to his circle of guards. Female characters with Charisma 14 or higher almost certainly catch his eye and may be invited to dine at his chateau. Parties who know of this weakness can use it to reach him, but plans discussed in the capital or port are likely to be overheard and passed on, and he has turned more than one dinner into a lethal trap.

If outsiders loudly criticize him or the lord-governor, he sends stronger servants to eliminate them: typically two warriors, a wizard and a priest of the party's average level, plus extra warriors 1-2 levels lower if needed. The game master builds them as an NPC party, magic items included.

Most Obedient, though, lead normal lives, behaving exactly as if nothing were wrong except when carrying messages. A servant's alignment stays normal until it must report or protect the master, when it becomes lawful evil until the task is done.

They eat, sleep and live like anyone else. Their master prefers humans to elves, dwarves and other races, since the latter are not usually trusted anyway, and the illusion of normal, trustworthy neighbors is essential to the deception.