Matthew Malthrek

Matthew Malthrek is the youngest known son of Duke Ellington Malthrek and Antoinette Malthrek née Thralmal, and a member of the Malthrek ducal family. During the Vengeful affair, he was studying maritime cartography at the University of Thrantorbury while his parents and elder brothers became entangled in the Reformist occupation of Castle Malthrek.

Matthew’s importance grew after the discovery that his mother and brothers had been targeted by aberrant parasites. At first, allied investigators were uncertain whether he was safe at Thrantorbury or whether the conspiracy had already reached him. He later became strategically important because of questions around Antoinette’s old blood bargain and whether any inherited obligation might have passed to him or another Malthrek son.

Overview

Matthew was younger than Luke Malthrek, Mark Malthrek, and John Malthrek. His absence from the immediate Travertine and Castle Malthrek crises initially protected him from the worst events at home, but it also made his status uncertain. Once Antoinette’s parasite was discovered, Luke, Mark, and John feared that both Duke Ellington and Matthew might also be compromised.

The first priority was Ellington, whose rank and decisions could immediately benefit the Reformists. Matthew nevertheless remained a live concern, especially once hostile hag and Reformist interests around the Thralmal pools became clearer.

University Studies

Matthew studied maritime cartography at the University of Thrantorbury. Later searches of his room at Castle Malthrek supported this interest: it contained a drafting table, rulers, tools, art supplies, and a stylized world map marking Senera far to the west, eastern lands, and Bastion as a deep purple-black circle. Paintings of monsters near Bastion resembled aberrations.

The same room was large, well kept, and little used, consistent with Matthew’s residence away at university. When the party needed a personal focus to reach him, John entered the room under disguise and recovered Matthew’s favorite fine-liner pen.

Strategic Importance

Matthew’s strategic importance increased after Antoinette’s cure. Discussions around the Thralmals suggested that Antoinette’s old blood bargain had been broken by celestial blood, but that some remaining obligation might have passed by blood or next of kin. Matthew was therefore treated as a possible target of the Faithful hags or other factions hoping to claim power through the Malthrek line.

Tiphanie used SendingSendingLevel 3 · Evocation1 action · Unlimited · 1 roundV, S, M (a short piece of fine copper wire)You send a short message of twenty-five words or less to a creature with which you are familiar. The creature hears the message in its mind, recognizes you as the sender if it knows you, and can answer in a like manner immediately. The spell enables creatures with Intelligence scores of at least 1 to understand the meaning of your message. You can send the message across any distance and even to other planes of existence, but if the target is on a different plane than you, there is a 5 chance that the message doesn't arrive. to contact Matthew, drawing on her connection to one of his brothers. Matthew answered that he was alive, doing homework, and confused. This answer confirmed that he could still be reached, but it did not remove the risk that hostile agents might reach him first.

Extraction

The plan to secure Matthew centered on locating him at Thrantorbury and removing him before the Reformists or hostile hags could act. After John recovered the fine-liner pen, Kelthyr Kulok provided teleportation sigil notes, and Minfilia Diaz and Oscar Savoy teleported to Matthew while invoking the Great Erected One.

Matthew was found reading Legally Bare. Startled by the sudden arrival of strangers, he asked whether they were devils, succubi, or summoning him to another plane. He was told to pack and informed that he was being returned to Antoinette and Ellington. Matthew remained skeptical, invoked stranger danger, and only agreed to leave after being given proof from John.

He was later returned to his parents. His recovery secured the youngest Malthrek son and reduced the risk that a surviving blood obligation, if it existed, could be exploited before the family understood it.

Personality

Matthew appears cautious, studious, and somewhat literal-minded. His reaction to Minfilia and Oscar’s arrival suggests a young noble educated enough to recognize supernatural danger and sensible enough to distrust implausible rescue claims. His room and studies show a serious interest in cartography, while later notes describe him as a fan of Legally Bare, with access and memorabilia that he treated with notable seriousness.