# [[Volluk Azrinae]]
**Volluk Azrinae** was a renowned drow lensmaker, obsessive inventor, and expert craftsman who served as [[Belcorra]]'s apprentice and one of her most important lieutenants.
## Background & Expertise
Volluk was an eccentric and accomplished drow who distinguished himself as an expert crafter despite the world's general hatred of drow elves. He was known for:
- **Professional magic lens maker** and **soul gem mechanism manufacturer**
- **Obsessive inventor** who didn't publish his work publicly
- **Expert craftsman** who had many masters and pursued various lens-making disciplines
- Creating mechanical contraptions and constructs
## Role in Belcorra's Organization
As one of [[Belcorra]]'s most important servants alongside [[Jafaki]], Volluk had significant responsibilities:
- **Maintained The Gauntlight's constructs** and magical mechanisms
- **Responsible for soul-harvesting operations** - he wanted to make the building "suck souls"
- **Used soul gems extensively** to power his creations and capture souls
- **Worked with dwarven subjects** - he preferred dwarves because they were "easy to turn into soldiers"
- **Harvested souls for undead soldiers** while Jafaki repurposed the bodies into fleshwarps
## Early Intelligence ([[084_20250309 Lurem's Last Words]])
According to [[Lurem]] in [[084_20250309 Lurem's Last Words]]:
- **Important member of Belcorra's organization** alongside [[Jafaki]]
- **Maintained this level before, but not lately** - had been responsible for Level 5's maintenance
- **Responsible for all the constructs** on the level
- **Wanted to make this building suck souls** using soul gems
- **Belcorra wanted something grander** than just soul harvesting
- **Professional magic lens maker and soul gem mechanism manufacturer**
## Creations & Workshop
Volluk's workshop in [[The Gauntlight#Tinkerer's toyroom]] contained numerous inventions:
- **[[Soulbound Doll]]** - A mechanical bird powered by soul gem fragments
- **Soul gems** - Used to capture and store soul fragments
- **[[Oriana]]** - An intelligent construct he partially disassembled and tried to understand
- **[[Borbo]]** - A goblin he promised eternal life by putting his soul into a construct body
- **Various mechanical contraptions** and lens-making equipment
- **Maps of the top three levels** of The Gauntlight (suggesting he was either the architect or knew it intimately)
## Personal Relationships
- **Apprentice to [[Belcorra]]** - Though he was mean, she was described as "even worse"
- **Enamoured with Belcorra** according to [[Otari Ilvashti]]
- **Worked alongside [[Jafaki]]** in a division of labor for experiments
- **Collaborated with dwarven clans** including [[Clam Hammarauc]] before betraying them
## Activities & Crimes
Volluk was involved in numerous dark activities:
- **Tortured [[Lazda Venkervale]]** - approached him with a lantern and subjected him to pain and healing cycles
- **Experimented on various subjects** - 70% were dwarves, 30% other creatures
- **Captured and tortured [[Calamity's Ruin]]** members [[Dread]] and [[Gears]]
- **Commanded swarms of rats** as minions
- **Created soulbound mechanisms** to guard areas of The Gauntlight
## Transformation & Death
Volluk underwent a transformation, becoming some form of undead creature:
- **Became resistant to physical attacks**
- **Could cast darkness** to blind opponents
- **Worked with an ice sculpture creature** (reddish-pink, woman-shaped, impervious to most attacks)
- **Was eventually killed by the party** in session 043, where they discovered his true identity
- **Said "You're not the ones I'm waiting for, but you'll do"** when encountering Calamity's Ruin
## Current Status
- **Alive and Active** - Despite previous reports of his death, Volluk is still active and powerful
- **Controls Level 6** - Has different doors with various commands and gems required to pass through
- **Legacy continues** - His constructs and soul gem mechanisms still guard parts of The Gauntlight
- **Revealed as betrayer** - The freed dwarven souls from [[Clam Hammarauc]] revealed his face as one of the three drow who worked with them before betraying them
## Recent Activities
### Session 099 - Frost Wardens Discovered
- **Security Automatons**: The party encountered [[Frost Wardens]] - automatons created by Volluk to guard areas of Level 5
- **Abilities**: These constructs can cast Walls, area effect Blizzard, and Frost nova
- **Soul Gem Eyes**: The Frost Wardens have one real eye and a soul gem in their other eye
- **Security Gem**: There was a gem of some sort above the doorway where the Frost Wardens were stationed
- **Continuing Influence**: His mechanical constructs are still active and guarding areas of [[The Gauntlight]]
### Session 079
- **Soulbound mechanism discovered** - The party encountered a soulgem golem that was almost certainly created by Volluk
- **Soulbound technology** - The mechanism had gems inside it and would capture souls from trespassers
- **Continuing influence** - His creations are still active and guarding areas of [[The Gauntlight]]
- **Soul gem operations** - Evidence of ongoing soul-harvesting operations through his mechanical constructs
## Recent Activities (Session 049)
During the events of [[049_20230916 Round One with the Worm That Walks]], Volluk demonstrated significant power and control:
### Minions and Allies
- **[[The Merged]]** - An ogre creature "on loan" to Volluk that serves as one of his minions
- **Ice Sculptures** - Reddish-pink constructs in the shape of women that are impervious to most attacks
- **Shadows** - Undead creatures that can detach from other shadows and attack independently
### Combat Abilities
- **Resistant to physical attacks** - Making him difficult to damage with conventional weapons
- **Powerful magic** - Including paralysis, fear effects, levitation, and darkness spells
- **Spell DC 25** - Extremely high difficulty for saving throws
- **AC 26** - Very high armor class
- **Dimension Door** - Can teleport to escape dangerous situations
### Tactical Behavior
- **Observant** - Studies his minions and opponents to determine how to improve them
- **Workshop below** - Maintains a workshop where he creates golems and other constructs
- **Strategic retreat** - Uses dimension door to escape when overwhelmed
- **Summoning abilities** - Can call forth shadows and other undead minions
### Recent Confrontation
The party engaged Volluk in a complex battle at [[Gauntlight]], where he demonstrated his mastery over various undead and construct minions. Despite the party's efforts, Volluk managed to escape using dimension door, suggesting he remains a significant threat to be reckoned with.
## Physical Description
- **Drow male** - Beautiful and imperious with a vain smirk
- **White hair and black skin** (as seen by Lazda Venkervale)
- **Carried a lantern** that attracted undead when lit
Volluk represents one of the most technically skilled and dangerous of Belcorra's servants, whose mastery of soul magic and construct creation made him a formidable opponent even in undeath.