Wort

Wort is one of the major protagonists from the Ravneloft product line novel Tower of Doom. Although was he was secrelty the half-brother of Baron Caidin, Wort's deformities marked him as an outcast, until he became owner of the Bell of Doom, which ultimately sealed his fate plus that of his half-brother.

Wort resided in the old bell tower of Nartok Keep.

Biography

Early Life

Wort's real name is Worren. He was born to the Old Baron and the Old Baroness of Nartok on the same night as his half-brother Caidin, whom the Old Baron sired with a mistress named Kylene. The Old Baron despised his legitimate son's deformed nature and switched notes of their mothers to make Caidin his proper heir. Furthermore, he poisoned the Old Baroness and Kylene to cover up this secret. On his death bed years later, the Old Baron told Caidin, but Wort never never grow up to know he was the legitimate son.

Caidin's antagonism, even abuse, towards Wort was apparent early on, but Wort seemed to return only love and goo to Caidin. Outright hatred did not manifest in Caidin's heart until later later in childhood. At Morrged's Leap, Caidin hoped to lure Wort into falling on the jagged rocks below,but instead Caidin went off balance and needed Wort's help. The public echoed Caidin's disdain and contempt, for they treated him just as much a monster, a freak, or other menace. Thus Wort became all but confined in the old bell tower of Nartok Keep upon Caidin's instructions. Beyond acting as the bell ringer for executions, the fact that Caidin even had a brother fell out of public memory, to the point that even Caidin's most trusted men didn't know about Wort's existence.

Wort discovers the Bell=

Previously an idealistic, helpful soul, Wort's attitude changed after a mob of angry villagers nearly killed him after he saved a peasant girl. Wort became determined to become the monster they thought he was to make them truly fear. To find a way of revenge, he sneaked into the dungeons of Nartok Keep to speak with Brinn, a darkling seer held captive by Caidin. Brinn told Wort he would find what he'd need in the [[cathedral] ruins to the east of Nartok. Venturing there and facing the horrors of the night, Wort by chance survived and returned with the Bell of Doom.

Once he learned the Bell's function from the Spirits of the Bell, Wort began operating as a murder-by-proxy serial killer. Wort stole trinkets owned by his victims, and he ranged the bell to summon the ghosts to kill , The ghosts descended down upon their target and murdered them, returning the bloodied tokens to Wort once the dirty deeds were complete. Wort's first victim was Castellan Domeck, and he pinned the crime on Sir Logris. Wort also caused the death of Caidin's closest mistress, and then he pinned the blame (ironically enough) on Lord Inquisitor Sirraun. Wort stole personal posessions from those he saw showing notable vice or sin, acting as a vigilante serial killer.

At the same time Wort became involved with the Bell, he came to the attention of Mika, a traveling healer he saved from an angry mob whom thought she was a witch. Mike saw in him a gentle, misunderstood soul, and she wished to heal his hunchback.

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

		Tower of Doom
		Tower of Doom - Cover
		Tower of Doom - pp 6-11,Throughout
		Worren