"I am entrusted by the duke to maintain order in this realm, and the Lady Veronique will think me a poor minister if I cannot do something in this matter."
- —Estevan Sceberra to Orfeo the Minstrel[1a]
Orfeo the Minstrel (on the right) duelling against Estevan Sceberra.[2a]
Estevan Sceberra is both master of the secret police of the Estalian Duchy of Zaragoz, and a minister of the realm. A man of middle age, Estevan wears his years better than most. Even while plain of dress, he appears as a man of dignity and station, bearing the carriage of a warrior and the sharp eye of a predator. He is impatient with outsiders, and has little sense of humour.[1a]
Sceberra acts as a torturer when necessary, though when seeking answers Semjaza is brought in to interrogate suspects. Regardless, Sceberra handles his role within the bowels of Zaragoz Castle, his torture suite set within a damp, dank and windowless cellar. Here, a large stone slab is used as a table (though it seems more suited to being an altar). Often, iron instruments will be displayed atop it, including pincers, broad-headed irons, knives and crushing vices. An iron hook has been embedded in the ceiling as well.[1b]
Due to a lack of good carpenters in Zaragoz, instead of a rack, common ladders are improvised for stretching prisoners -- though to Sceberra, such a method is left for the "encouraging of women's tongues."[1b]
For prisoners, the minister is a man with all the necessary power and cruel inclination to turn his petulance into a slow and horrible death.[1b]
Personality[]
As a minister of Zaragoz and master of its duke's secret police, Sceberra has an immense amount of power. And as the saying goes, power corrupts. Sceberra is the epitome of a man possessed by his position: he is cruel, heartless, and totally indifferent to the feelings of others.[2a]
From his build and appearance, the dark-haired Sceberra is obviously an accomplished warrior, even though he is now in his early 40s. But while he can certainly handle a sword, he prefers more subtle means to defeat his enemies, such as hiring bandits to murder those who oppose him.[2a]
What sets Sceberra apart from any other well-educated, selfish noble of Zaragoz is his utter contempt for everything and everyone and his total lack of guilt for his deeds. His manner is brusque and off-hand, and he will condemn a man to death without a thought. He is, quite simply, a bully. What makes him dangerous is that he is a very powerful bully, and there are plenty of men willing to serve him and endure his taunts to achieve even a fraction of the political strength he wields.[2a]