Étienne de La Roche, le Serpent

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Étienne de La Roche, known as le Serpent (the Serpent), is a cunning and ruthless French noble born in 1815, whose charm masks a venomous heart honed by years of dueling and deceit in the salons of Paris. Exiled from his family’s estate after a scandal involving a forged inheritance, Étienne turned his noble upbringing into a weapon, becoming a fencing master whose skill with the foil is matched only by his penchant for betrayal, using his training sessions to manipulate and ruin his rivals.

Now in his late 40s, Étienne operates a prestigious fencing academy in Paris during the 1860s, where he trains the sons of the elite with this very Solingen Fencing Foil, its steel a testament to his discerning taste. Beneath his polished exterior—clad in a velvet waistcoat, with a neatly trimmed mustache and cold, calculating eyes—lies a man who thrives on control, using his expertise to orchestrate duels that eliminate threats to his influence, earning him the epithet le Serpent for his sly, deadly strikes both on and off the fencing strip.

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Étienne’s academy is a den of intrigue, where he grooms young noblemen not just in swordplay but in his own brand of treachery, often pitting students against each other to settle his personal scores. His disarming smile and eloquent speech draw in patrons, but those who cross him find themselves humiliated in rigged duels or worse, their secrets exposed by the very man they trusted as a mentor. The scars on his hands, hidden beneath silk gloves, tell of countless duels won through skill and subterfuge, while his enemies whisper of poisoned blades and sabotaged matches. In the gaslit streets of Paris, Étienne de La Roche remains a master of the foil and a predator in human form, his Solingen foil a symbol of both his mastery and his malice.

Fast-Facts

• Name: Étienne de La Roche, le Serpent (the Serpent)

• Classification: #Historical-Fiction

• Roles: Fencing Master, running a prestigious academy in 1860s Paris - Schemer/Manipulator, orchestrating duels and betrayals to maintain influence

• Background: Disgraced French noble, born ~1815; turned fencing master after exile from his family

• Age: Late 40s, active during the Second French Empire (1860s)

• Appearance: Polished and aristocratic, with a neatly trimmed mustache, cold blue eyes, and scars on his hands hidden by silk gloves

• Wearing: Velvet waistcoat, silk cravat, tailored breeches; always carries his Solingen Fencing Foil and a concealed dagger

• Personality: Charming but ruthless, manipulative, and vindictive; uses his charisma to mask a predatory nature
  Leadership Style: Commands respect through skill and fear, manipulating students and rivals alike; his academy is a web of intrigue where loyalty is a tool for betrayal

• Flaw: Obsessed with control and revenge, often overplaying his hand by underestimating his enemies’ cunning

• Social Skills: Highly charismatic in public, adept at winning trust, but his true nature alienates those who see through his facade

• Combat Skills: Expert duelist with a foil, specializing in precise, deceptive strikes; known for using underhanded tactics like sabotaging opponents’ weapons

• Epithet Origin: Le Serpent reflects his sly, deadly fencing style and his treacherous personality, striking with precision and venom

• Bond: His fencing academy, which he sees as an extension of his power and legacy

• Ideal: "Power is won through skill and deception, not honor."

[adavis]

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Weapon Info: More Details

Étienne was given this Solingen Fencing Foil in the 1830s as a young nobleman and used it for training in Paris, valuing its craftsmanship and balanced design for his dueling practice. Over the decades, it became his weapon of choice in his academy, a tool for teaching and manipulating his students, its worn leather grip and rusted blade bearing the marks of countless lessons and nefarious schemes.

Étienne's Solingen Fencing Foil is available as a JCastaway Legends NFT Relic #50 on OpenSea: HERE

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The Breaking of the Tip
Paris, 1863. The gaslit fencing hall of Étienne de La Roche’s prestigious academy crackled with tension. A dozen young noblemen practiced their lunges under Étienne’s icy gaze, the air sharp with the clink of steel. At 48, Étienne—known as le Serpent for his sly, deadly strikes—commanded the room with a gentleman’s elegance, his velvet waistcoat and trimmed mustache masking a venomous heart. The scars on his hands, hidden beneath silk gloves, spoke of a man who lived for treachery.

Étienne gripped his cherished Solingen fencing foil, a slender blade of fine craftsmanship he valued above all others. It wasn’t just its Solingen steel that made it special, but the memories it held—a gift from his parents that marked a turning point in his life.

That evening, tension simmered among his students. Étienne had stoked a rivalry between two of his best, Julien de Vaux and Philippe Montclair, whispering doubts and rumors to pit them against each other. It was a game he often played, but tonight, it spiraled out of control.

“En garde!” Étienne barked, pairing the two for a bout. Their eyes burned with hatred as they clashed, their movements growing wild. Étienne watched with a smirk—until Julien, in a reckless thrust, aimed for Philippe’s throat. Philippe parried, but the force sent Julien’s foil toward Étienne, who had stepped in to intervene.

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The blades collided with a sickening crack, snapping the protective tip off Étienne’s Solingen foil. The broken piece skittered across the floor, leaving the blade jagged and marred.

The hall fell silent, the students frozen as Étienne’s gaze darkened with rage. He raised the damaged foil, inspecting the broken tip. “You fools,” he hissed, his voice venomous. “Do you know what you’ve done?” Julien stammered an apology, but Étienne’s mind drifted back to a moment 30 years earlier, when this foil had first come into his hands.


A Flashback: The Foil’s Meaning
Bordeaux, 1833. At 18, Étienne de La Roche stood on his family’s estate, a young noble with a sharp mind and sharper ambition. His parents, the Marquis and Marquise de La Roche, summoned him to the garden, their faces a mix of pride and concern. Étienne was their favored son, but his hunger for power worried them.

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“Étienne,” his father said, “you leave for Paris tomorrow. The salons there will test your honor. We cannot shield you any longer.” His mother stepped forward, holding a velvet-lined box. “But we can arm you with this,” she said, revealing a gleaming Solingen fencing foil, its blade a perfect balance of elegance and strength.

Étienne traced the etched "SOLINGEN" stamp near the guard, its craftsmanship undeniable. “It’s a fine blade,” he said, a rare softness in his voice. His father nodded. “It’s a symbol of honor, Étienne. Let it remind you of who you must become.” His mother added, “We chose it for you because it mirrors your spirit: sharp and unyielding. Defend our name.”

But Étienne had other plans. That night, he forged documents to secure the family estate, betraying his siblings. When the scandal broke, he was exiled, the foil his only keepsake as he fled to Paris. It became his trusted companion, witnessing every duel and betrayal as he rose as le Serpent—a bittersweet reminder of the honor he’d forsaken.

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Back to the Present: Étienne’s Resolve
In the fencing hall, Étienne’s grip tightened on the broken foil, his students cowering before him. The snapped tip was a wound to his pride, a scar on the blade that had seen him through decades of treachery. But he would not discard it - not this foil, the last gift from his parents. It had been with him through every step of his rise, its Solingen steel never failing him.

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A Shattered Soul, A Shattered Blade
Paris, 1863. Étienne de La Roche stood alone in the dim fencing hall, the echoes of his students’ retreat still lingering in the air. The gaslit shadows danced across the wooden floor, mirroring the turmoil in his heart. In his hand, he clutched his broken Solingen foil, its once-protective tip snapped off during a chaotic bout between Julien de Vaux and Philippe Montclair in a rivalry he had orchestrated, only to lose control. The foil blade, a gift from his parents, the Marquis and Marquise de La Roche, was now a scar on his pride, a reflection of the fractured honor he had long abandoned.

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At 48, Étienne known as le Serpent for his sly, deadly strikes had built his life on treachery. His academy was a den of intrigue, where he manipulated young noblemen to settle his scores. But the broken foil shattered something deeper within him. It was the last tether to the boy he had been, the noble who might have lived up to his parents’ hopes before he forged their will and fled Bordeaux in disgrace. Now, staring at the ruined blade, Étienne felt a void a hunger for power that no mortal scheme could satisfy. He would not discard this foil, but he would remake it, just as he would remake himself.


A Dark Descent
Étienne’s nights grew restless, haunted by the memory of his parents’ faith and the weight of his betrayals. Whispers of forbidden knowledge reached him through the Parisian underworld with tales of a sorceress, a creature of shadow and frost, who dwelled in the depths of the Forêt de Fontainebleau. Known as Lysandra the Frostbound, she was said to be a Fey-touched being, a former courtier of the Winter Court who had fled to the mortal realm, her magic as cold as her heart. She granted boons to those bold enough to face her, but her price was steep, often paid in blood or soul.

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Driven by a mix of desperation and ambition, Étienne set out under a moonless sky, the broken foil wrapped in velvet at his side. The forest was a labyrinth of gnarled trees and icy mist, the air biting at his skin despite his velvet waistcoat. His Dexterity (18) and Acrobatics (+7) served him well as he navigated the treacherous terrain, his movements as fluid as in a duel. But Lysandra’s lair was no ordinary place—it shimmered with an otherworldly chill, the ground beneath his feet crackling with frost.

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Lysandra emerged from the shadows, her eyes glowing like twin glaciers, her voice a whisper of winter. “You seek power, mortal,” she said, her gaze piercing through Étienne’s Charisma (16) and Deception (+6). “But what do you offer?” Étienne, ever the manipulator, tried to charm her with Persuasion (+6), but Lysandra saw through him with her own ancient Insight. “I see your heart, le Serpent,” she hissed. “It is as cold as my own. Speak your desire, and name your price.”

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The Pact and the Enchantment
Étienne unwrapped the broken foil, its Solingen steel glinting in the faint moonlight. “This blade is my past,” he said, his voice steady despite the chill. “Make it my future. Enchant it with power to match my cunning a strike that deceives as I do, that strikes as I strike.” Lysandra’s lips curled into a cruel smile. “A serpent’s strike,” she mused. “Fitting. But such magic demands a piece of your soul a shard of your warmth, your humanity. You will become colder, more ruthless, a true predator. Do you accept?”

Étienne’s Wisdom (13) warned him of the cost, but his Neutral Evil alignment and thirst for power overruled caution. “I accept,” he said, his voice a low hiss. Lysandra extended a clawed hand, and a shard of ice-blue light tore from Étienne’s chest, leaving him gasping as a void settled in his heart. She channeled the light into the foil, her magic weaving through the steel. The blade glowed with a faint blue luminescence, its jagged tip now sharp and pulsing with Fey energy. “This is your Serpent’s Strike,” Lysandra declared. “It will deceive as you deceive, strike as you strike. But beware its power will bind you to the shadows, and one day, I will claim what remains of you.”

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Étienne felt the blade hum in his hand, its enchantment granting it a +1 Attack bonus and +2 to Deception, transforming it into a rapier that dealt 1d8 piercing damage with an average of 26 damage per strike. The blue glow reflected his new, colder nature—a Swashbuckler (Level 8) whose Rakish Audacity and Fancy Footwork now carried a Fey-touched edge. His Sneak Attack (4d6) and Panache, bolstered by his Charisma (16), made him deadlier than ever, a predator who could charm and strike in the same breath.

Étienne de La Roche, le Serpent – D&D 5e Player Card Summary

• Class/Level: Rogue (Swashbuckler) 8

• Race: Human

• Alignment: Neutral Evil

• Background: Noble

Ability Scores

• STR: 12 (+1)

• DEX: 18 (+4)

• CON: 14 (+2)

• INT: 15 (+2)

• WIS: 13 (+1)

• CHA: 16 (+3)

Derived Stats

• Hit Points: 56 (8d8 + 16; 8 at 1st level + 7d8 [average 4.5] + CON modifier [2] × 8)

• Armor Class (AC): 16 (leather armor equivalent: 11 + DEX +4 + 1 fencing gear; NFT notes 16–17, variant +1 possible)

• Initiative: +7 (DEX +4 + CHA +3 from Rakish Audacity)

• Speed: 30 ft.

• Proficiency Bonus: +3 (Level 8)

Saving Throws

• STR: +1

• DEX: +7 (DEX +4 + Proficiency +3)

• CON: +2

• INT: +5 (INT +2 + Proficiency +3)

• WIS: +1

• CHA: +3

Skills

• Acrobatics: +7 (DEX +4 + Proficiency +3)

• Stealth: +7 (DEX +4 + Proficiency +3)

• Deception: +7 (CHA +3 + Proficiency +3; no Expertise applied)

• Persuasion: +7 (CHA +3 + Proficiency +3; no Expertise applied)

• Insight: +5 (WIS +1 + Proficiency +3 + 1 bonus)

• Perception: +5 (WIS +1 + Proficiency +3 + 1 bonus)

• Passive Perception: 15 (10 + Perception +5)

Features and Traits

• Sneak Attack: +5d6 damage once per turn (per NFT; normally 4d6 at Level 8, adjusted to match). Applies when Étienne has advantage, an ally within 5 ft., or via Rakish Audacity in one-on-one combat.

• Expertise: Applied to Stealth and Acrobatics (doubles proficiency bonus to +6).

• Evasion: Takes half damage on failed DEX saves, no damage on successful ones.

• Uncanny Dodge: Use reaction to halve damage from an attack Étienne can see.

• Rakish Audacity: Adds CHA (+3) to initiative (+7 total), allows Sneak Attack without advantage if no other creatures are within 5 ft. of Étienne.

• Fancy Footwork: No opportunity attacks from creatures Étienne attacks in melee.

• Panache: Use CHA (Persuasion) to charm or taunt in combat (DC 15 to resist).

Equipment

• Serpent’s Strike: +1 Rapier (JC Mark links to physical foil), +2 to Deception (for feint-like actions, DM discretion), 1d8 + 5 piercing (1d8 + DEX +4 + 1), Attack +8 (+3 Proficiency, +4 DEX, +1 magic), finesse.

• Average Damage with Sneak Attack: 1d8 (4.5) + 5 + 5d6 (17.5) + 1 (bonus to match NFT) = 28, adjusted to 26 per NFT (likely rounded for simplicity).

• Dagger: 1d4 + 4 piercing, finesse, thrown (20/60 ft.), Attack +7 (+3 Proficiency, +4 DEX).

• Leather Armor Equivalent: AC 11 + DEX modifier (4) + 1 (fencing gear) = 16.

Actions

• Serpent’s Strike (+1 Rapier): Melee Weapon Attack, +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 5 piercing damage (finesse). Add Sneak Attack (+5d6) if conditions met (average total 26 damage per NFT).

• Dagger: Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack, +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + 4 piercing damage (finesse).

• Notes: Étienne excels in one-on-one combat due to Rakish Audacity and Fancy Footwork, making him a formidable duelist in D&D campaigns.

Étienne's Solingen Fencing Foil is available as a JCastaway Legends NFT Relic #50 on OpenSea: HERE

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The Hunt and the Darker Turn
With the enchanted foil, Étienne returned to Paris, but he was no longer the man he had been. The shard Lysandra took had stripped him of what little warmth remained, cementing his Neutral Evil alignment. His academy became a darker place, a crucible where he hunted for power, using his students as pawns in increasingly dangerous schemes. But Lysandra’s words haunted him—she would one day return to claim him. Étienne resolved to outwit her, to grow powerful enough to defy even a Fey sorceress. He began hunting magical beings, seeking their secrets to bolster his own.

One such target was a Gloom Stalker, a ranger of the Underdark who had surfaced in Paris, trafficking in shadow magic. Étienne tracked the Gloom Stalker through the city’s sewers, his Dexterity (18) and Stealth (+7) allowing him to move unseen. The battle was fierce—the Gloom Stalker’s darkness spells countered Étienne’s Insight (+4) and Perception (+5), but the Serpent’s Strike glowed blue, cutting through the shadows with its enchanted precision. Étienne’s Swashbuckler abilities—Rakish Audacity adding his Charisma (+3) to initiative (+7 total) and Fancy Footwork letting him dance out of reach—gave him the edge. With a final, deceptive thrust, he felled the Gloom Stalker, claiming a shard of shadow essence that further darkened his soul.

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Cementing the Serpent’s Legacy
Étienne’s deal with Lysandra and his hunts for magical beings solidified his D&D theme as a Rogue (Swashbuckler) with a Fey-touched edge. The Serpent’s Strike, glowing blue with its +1 Attack and +2 Deception, became a symbol of his transformation—a blade that embodied his cunning, his ruthlessness, and his pact with the shadows. His academy, now a place of fear and power, trained students not just in fencing but in the art of betrayal, each duel a step toward Étienne’s ultimate goal: to defy Lysandra and claim immortality.

But the blue glow of the foil was a constant reminder of the price he had paid. Étienne de La Roche, le Serpent, had become a predator in every sense a Neutral Evil Swashbuckler whose every strike carried the chill of winter and the weight of his shattered humanity. The Solingen foil, once a symbol of his parents’ hope, was now a weapon of darkness, its enchantment a testament to the path he had chosen.