Keledek Tower
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Keledek Tower

Keledek’s Tower was raised upon the foundations of an old, ruined grain store. The new structure rose with uncanny speed, completed in less than a year, leading many to whisper that magic hastened its construction.

Beneath the tower lies a hidden tunnel that runs toward the ancient ruins of Zenopus’s tower. It emerges in a forgotten crypt within the graveyard near the ruin, allowing Keledek to move between his home and the dungeons unseen. The only other soul who knows of this passage is Gellan Primewater, who has walked it at Keledek’s side.

Keledek himself receives all visitors on the ground floor of the tower; the upper levels remain strictly private. Only one person has ever been admitted higher: Primewater, and even then only to collect potions, charms, or rare magical items meant to aid his smuggling operations.

Rumor Tables

Rumors about Keledek

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Keledek Rumors

1

“Speak his name and he’ll hear you.”
Everyone knows if you say Keledek’s name aloud, he can listen in on your words.
(False — but Zivmal the imp is eavesdropping.)

2

“A hooded figure visits, sometimes late at night.”
The hooded figure is Gellan Primewater, buys magical favors from Keledek.
(Half-true — Primewater relies on him for smuggling assistance.)

3

“The red turban hides his third eye.”
Children whisper that beneath his turban, Keledek has a third eye that never closes.
(False.)"Some folks claim the prisoner can do magic—though he’s kept in chains, I’m not so sure."

4

“The tower has its own spirit.”
They say the stones whisper when the wind blows, and sometimes a figure is seen pacing the ramparts when Keledek is away.
(False — though Zivmal sometimes prowls in imp form, feeding the rumor.)

5

“Sailors drink wizard’s potions to protect them from sea monsters.”
Gellan’s men dive fearlessly into black waters because of Keledek’s draughts.
(True — he does supply alchemical aids.)

6

“Blue lights dance in the tower at night.”
Fisherfolk say they’ve seen ghastly lanterns flickering in the upper windows.
(True — magical wards flare during Keledek’s experiments.)

7

“There are tunnels beneath the tower.”
Dockhands insist smugglers slip in and out through hidden shafts beneath the wizard’s tower.
(Half-true — passages do connect to the ruins of Zenopus.)

8

“Keledek walks the graveyard near the ruin tower outside of town.”
Seen at odd hours, he lingers among the tombs where Zenopus once trod.
(Half-true — he studies the area for traces of Zenopus’ work.)

9

“Keledek is interested in ancient magic.”
The boldest claim is that he hunts a single tome lost in the ruins, said to hold forbidden knowledge.
(True — this is his true goal.)

10

“Some adventurers did Keledek’s bidding and disappeared.”
He sent a few brave souls into the ruin of Zenopus… none returned.
(True — though none can prove it.)

11

“Something else lives in the tower.”
Some say Keledek hides a monster, others whisper his familiar is a devil in disguise.
(Half-true — Zivmal is an imp, and suspicions aren’t far off.)

12

“Keledek leads a secret cult.”
People seen slipping into his tower at night are assumed to be cultists.
(False — they’re merely townsfolk seeking discreet favors.)

Keledek the Unspoken

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Keledek the Unspoken (LE male human mage), arrived in Saltmarsh years ago from the distant kingdom of Ket, a land spoken of in fearful tones by sailors and merchants, but little understood by common folk. He claimed an abandoned stone grain tower on the town’s edge, a ruin that had stood empty for generations. Within months it was rebuilt and fortified, its walls gleaming as though it had always been waiting for him.

The truth is simple: Keledek came for one reason, the ruined tower of Zenopus and the legendary tome said to lie within its dungeons. His life in Saltmarsh, his dealings with smugglers, and his aloof presence in town are all but distractions from this singular obsession. He once scoured the ruins himself and even hired adventurers to seek the book, but they never returned. Still, he remains convinced the Book of Zenopus endures, hidden and waiting to be claimed.

Saltmarsh had never known a resident wizard before, and his arrival unsettled the townsfolk. Standing nearly seven feet tall, bald as an egg, and crowned with his bright crimson turban, Keledek seems ageless, guessed to be anywhere between sixty and a century. His hawk-like gaze makes even the boldest uneasy. Local superstition holds that speaking his name aloud lets him hear conversations; in truth, his imp familiar, Zivmal, spies invisibly through the town, whispering back its secrets.

Keledek’s role in local affairs is deliberately ambiguous. Though never openly opposing the council, his influence is undeniable. His closest tie is with Gellan Primewater, who profits from the wizard’s subtle magics in his smuggling ventures, paying Keledek in gold, rare components, and curiosities. Yet beneath this web of alliances, Keledek’s true purpose never wavers: the search for Zenopus’ lost grimoire, a prize that could grant power beyond imagining or doom Saltmarsh as it once doomed its master.

Zivmal, Keledek’s Familiar

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Zivmal is no ordinary imp. Bound to Keledek by an unspoken pact, his loyalty is absolute, more than magical compulsion, it feels like an unbreakable bond of shared will. Though mischievous at heart, Zivmal is precise, methodical, and utterly committed to his master’s designs.

Manifestations & Behavior

Trusted Appearances: Zivmal rarely reveals himself. He appears only to those he deems trustworthy or when doing so serves Keledek’s agenda. Even then, he presents as helpful, friendly, and strangely earnest, but only ever in pursuit of his master’s goals.

Preferred Form: In Saltmarsh, Zivmal almost always takes the form of a small, nondescript spider. Perched in corners, clinging to rafters, or weaving unnoticed webs in shadowy places, he listens and watches. Most townsfolk never suspect they’ve been under his gaze.

Within the Tower: When visitors enter Keledek’s Tower, Zivmal instantly shifts into spider form and lingers silently on a wall or ceiling beam, recording every detail of their words and demeanor.

Abilities & Role

  • Perfect Memory: Zivmal recalls conversations and details with flawless clarity, relaying them back to Keledek with uncanny accuracy. Nothing said in his presence is forgotten.

  • Information Broker: If he reveals himself to the party, it is always to advance Keledek’s agenda. He will share secrets, rumors, and “inside knowledge,” but everything he reveals is carefully curated to guide adventurers toward his master’s ends.

  • Code of Loyalty: Unlike many fiends, Zivmal is not openly treacherous. His sense of honor is bound to his bond with Keledek, betraying the wizard is unthinkable. This makes him dangerous, because unlike typical imps, he does not look for loopholes.

Personality

  • In imp form, Zivmal is sly, articulate, and uncomfortably insightful, seeming to know more about the characters than he should.

  • In spider form, he is silent, watchful, and disturbingly patient.

  • Though unfailingly loyal to Keledek, he enjoys subtle needling of mortals, offering half-smiles or unsettling truths to put them off balance.