Ulrich deWolfe von Steinbech is a famed occultist, historian, and Dragonmarked companion serving the Aegis Order. Brilliant, eccentric, and unapologetically bombastic, Ulrich possesses extensive knowledge of forbidden magic, cursed relics, planar threats, and the ancient Celestial Prison.

Despite his fascination with dangerous magic, Ulrich is remarkably cautious about actually using it. He believes that forbidden knowledge should be studied, classified, and contained—but rarely trusted.

The Keeper of the Light directed the founding Aegis Knights to locate Ulrich at the Ember Library. His knowledge of the Celestial Prison and its weakening wards was considered essential to understanding the corruption spreading through the Winterlands.

The mission became considerably more complicated when the party uncovered corruption within the Library's leadership. Ulrich subsequently worked alongside the Aegis Knights and Dr. Oren to investigate the theft of the Liber Sanguinis, a sacred blood-magic grimoire stolen by the excommunicated Marrow worshiper Mirelle Vey.

Mirelle had used the grimoire and corrupted sap from Belatu-Cadros to contaminate a hidden Warforged Creation Engine. After she was defeated, the party purified the engine and created the Warforged now known as Scorch.

Ulrich received a mysterious Dragonmark during the purification, alongside Dr. Oren, Scorch, and six captive farmers and tradesfolk who had survived the corruption.

Ulrich occasionally accompanies the Aegis Knights when a mission requires an occult scholar, relic specialist, or someone capable of recognizing an obscure supernatural danger before another party member touches it.

Like the other Dragonmarked companions, he appears capable of enduring certain corrupted thresholds and ancient warded locations that may incapacitate or destroy the unmarked. The complete purpose of his Dragonmark remains unknown, although Ulrich has devoted considerable effort to studying the marks and their apparent connection to purification rituals.

His principal field contributions include:

Identifying cursed, infernal, and Far Realm-tainted objects Interpreting ancient wards, contracts, and ritual inscriptions Recognizing the provenance and intended function of occult relics Advising against experiments that even he considers unwise Providing lengthy explanations after someone ignores that advice

Ulrich oversees the Occult Library and Reliquary at Aegis Fortress. Under his direction, the facility has become a working center for arcane research, relic classification, controlled experimentation, and supernatural containment.

Its collections include recovered texts, restricted histories, ritual fragments, black sap samples, sealed relics, experimental notes, and objects considered too dangerous for ordinary storage. Warded chambers allow Ulrich and approved researchers to examine such materials without unnecessarily exposing the rest of the fortress.

The Library assists the Order by:

Researching newly encountered supernatural threats Classifying recovered artifacts and magical substances Developing countermeasures against curses and corruption Preserving restricted knowledge for future investigations Containing dangerous objects until they can be purified or destroyed Maintaining records concerning the Celestial Prison and its failing wards

For all his theatrical enthusiasm, Ulrich treats containment seriously. He draws a firm distinction between understanding dangerous magic and granting it an opportunity to escape.

Ulrich has repeatedly received invitations to the Candleblack Auction, an exclusive occult market whose attendees include respectable collectors, secretive scholars, infernal agents, and representatives of dangerous cults.

His invitation allowed the Aegis Knights to attend the auction while searching for information about a celestial trapped within the ancient prison. The Order acquired the Celestial Roster of the Seventh Ward and the Contract of the Bound Choir, providing the first reliable path toward contacting Seraphel Aundren.

Ulrich's familiarity with occult collectors and black-market scholarship makes him a valuable guide in such environments. It also means that he possesses an unsettling number of professional acquaintances whom sensible people would prefer never to meet.

Seraphine Vael is a Wintershield mage, arcane investigator, and Ulrich's ex-wife. She is associated with Valkenbane Academy and serves as one of the Aegis Order's principal arcane contacts in Wintershield.

The Aegis Knights encountered Seraphine at the Candleblack Auction, where she purchased the Warforged Memory Cog. She later became a lead representative of the Wintershield-Thronstadt Pact, helping arrange the exchange of arcane and divine expertise between Valkenbane Academy and Aegis Fortress.

The details of Ulrich and Seraphine's marriage and separation are not widely discussed. Whatever their personal history, they continue to operate within overlapping academic and occult circles. Seraphine's disciplined and methodical manner provides a noticeable contrast to Ulrich's theatrical enthusiasm.

Ulrich is intelligent, verbose, eccentric, and deeply confident in his own expertise. He has a habit of delivering even routine findings with the gravity of a final warning before the end of the world.

His dramatic manner can make him appear reckless, but the opposite is generally true. Ulrich is fascinated by forbidden magic precisely because he understands how dangerous it can be. He may eagerly spend several hours explaining the history of a cursed object while remaining adamant that nobody should activate it.

Although capable of great academic pride, Ulrich has proven loyal to the Aegis Order and willing to place his knowledge at its disposal. He regards the Order's struggle against Far Realm corruption as both a vital duty and the most important research opportunity of his career.