Malger Sutt:

Full Name: Malger Sutt, a/k/a Dream Serpent
Species: Theriomorph (pine marten) and Immortal

Allegiance: Nocturna, the Sensualist Guild, and the Empire of Metamor
Religion: Unspecified, probably Universalist
Social Status: 5 (vast personal wealth, drawn on as needed)

Age: ~1320 as of 1999
Eyes: Dark Brown
Fur: Typical markings for pine marten (reddish brown, with creme-colored patch on chest and throat)
Height: 165 cm (5'5")

Physical Notes: Wiry and slender; moves with a dancer's grace, in spite of his short legs

Behavioral Notes: Has much of the attitude of the legendary musketeer -- fearless, jovial, refined, lecherous but devoted to his true love (i.e., Nocturna). Also highly talented in music.

Supernatural Abilities: Dream-walking (can pass in and out of the Dreamlands at will, including the dreams of mortals); immortality (as the consort of Nocturna). Has also displayed some talent for healing in the past, and his music may or may not carry the essence of true bardic magic.

Malger Sutt was once the scion of Sutthavaise, a powerful feudal state in the southwestern arm of the Pyralian Confederation. His father was a murderous and cruel man, however, and Malger renounced his heritage and went into exile rather than be associated with his father or follow in his footsteps. This was partly driven by self-preservation, for Malger was not a follower of the Ecclesia, as his father claimed to be; rather, he was a secret disciple of Nocturna, the Mistress of Dreams and the most benevolent of the nine Daedra Lords. He wandered for some time under the name of Dream Serpent, learning from a female dream-walker named Mosha who appeared to him in his own dreams. In the due course of time he came to Metamor Valley, settled down at the Keep, became a pine marten, helped several people recover from severe psychological trauma, founded a small band of wealthy hedonists, and fought in the defense of Metamor on several crucial occasions. He also discovered that Mosha, the woman he had fallen in love with, was no mere subordinate of Nocturna, but the goddess herself -- and she in turn had fallen for Malger. When the Great Fall occurred and Nocturna was cast down from the First Hell, she quickly took on Malger as her endlessly faithful and devoted consort. And so he has remained, through all the centuries since.

Malger exists in an odd state of limbo between being a part of the Imperial government and part of the private upper class. Certainly, centuries of careful investment of the already-considerable Sutt fortune have left him fabulously wealthy, and he also shares in the wealth that comes from the private-sector work performed by Nocturna's dream-walkers. Being a part of Kyia's circle of Immortal advisors, of course, means that Malger would never really lack for anything in any event -- he and Nocturna live in a richly-appointed suite in one of the Citadel's minarets, which Kyia lets them use free of charge. Still, his private resources help Malger to continue to partake of life with the particular style to which he has become accustomed.

Malger's resources and experience came in particularly useful when Kyia asked him to develop a means of organizing and protecting the Empire's sex workers. By the early 1700s Kyia had become aware of the ways that prostitutes were often exploited by their handlers, due in large part to the fact that the illegality of the business kept them from reporting abuse to the authorities. Kyia wanted a way to put the control of the "oldest profession" back in the hands of the women who did the work. Malger, a shameless sybarite himself, had some experience with organizing people and no qualms whatsoever about the sex industry, so he quickly set to work crafting what was eventually called the Sensualists' Guild. With funds drawn from the Sutt fortune, Malger founded the first training college for sex workers, the Sutt Institute of the Sensual Arts. Rather than focusing solely on sex, however, Malger set out to redefine the sex worker's role in society, bringing in experts from all over the world to teach his students such diverse skills as therapeutic massage, dance, chiropractic and marriage counseling. Licensed Sensualists could attend the Institute and leave with the training to minister not just to the fleeting desires of the libido, but to a person's entire body, mind and spirit. The idea was revolutionary, but it came at a time when people were open to revolutionary concepts, and both the Guild and the Institute soon gained a level of prestige and respect that could hardly have been imagined a hundred years prior.

Today the Guild and the Institute generally take care of themselves. Most of Malger's time is focused on helping Nocturna in her work, particularly in keeping the Dreamlands War from spilling over into the waking world. Thus far they have generally been successful, but the barriers between the planes are wearing thin in some places, and the invention of new technomagical software designed to penetrate the dream realm isn't doing anything to help the matter. Malger privately longs for the days when his life involved more adventure and less administration, but he never complains to Nocturna about it -- he loves her dearly, even after all these centuries, and would remain behind a desk for the rest of his life if it meant being closer to her. He also recognizes the importance of the Immortals' Creed -- generally stated as "Don't exert your power to do anything that you can get the mortals to do for themselves." Still, if the opportunity comes for him to ride into danger again, in service to the Empire and for the honor of his lady, it's a safe bet that this old musketeer would jump at the chance.

Author's Note: Malger Sutt is one of Ryx's characters, so questions about using him should be directed to him.