Dean Hector Estrada

DM-facing NPC writeup. The kids love him; you know better.

Role

Title: Dean of Student Life & Activities
Age: late 30s to early 40s
Public Image: The fun one. Organizes pep rallies, oversees clubs and Mageball, gives big “Welcome, Adventurers!” speeches on day one.
Real Job: Pressure valve between students and admin, and the guy who has to sell Larkvale’s restrictions in a way kids will actually swallow.

He’s everywhere:
- On the Mageball field,
- At club fairs,
- On the stage hyping up events.
He:
- Knows names,
- Remembers siblings,
- Shows up to performances and games.
He’s quick with a joke and a “You got this, kid,” even when he’s exhausted.
Rumors:
- He used to adventure before “settling down in education.”
- He and another staff member had a messy thing years ago.
- He once nearly punched an Oversight projection off the wall.

A campus that feels alive:
- Strong sports teams, good shows, active clubs.
Students who bond with the school instead of just surviving it.
Enough win-stories to:
- Keep donors happy,
- Justify his budgets,
- Balance out Larkvale’s constant doom-and-gloom.

To protect “his kids” from:
- Admin overreach,
- Oversight paranoia,
- Their own worst impulses.
To prove (to himself and others) that:
- He’s more than a glorified cheerleader.
- He can keep a community together under serious magical strain.

Charm first:
- “Hey, champ, how about we redirect that energy into something less expulsion-y?”
Deals second:
- “You want the Mageball field? I need you passing Arcane Theory.”
- “You want club funds? You’re volunteering at the safety seminar.”
Selective blindness:
- Looks the other way on minor stuff if it keeps the bigger picture stable.
- Cracks down hard when someone endangers others or the school’s future.
In staff meetings:
- Translates Larkvale/D’serris-speak into “student language.”
- Fights for leniency where he can, picks his battles where he can’t.

Larkvale:
- Old colleague, frequent adversary.
- Resents Larkvale’s tone and priorities, but knows he needs him to keep the lights on.
D’serris:
- Thinks he’s a necessary evil at best, sociopath at worst.
- Loathes being told to sacrifice student experience “for the graph.”
Frequently stuck between:
- “Keep kids safe and happy”
- “Keep the node stable and the board off our backs.”

Initial view:
- They’re a mess, but they’re his kind of mess:
  - Big personalities,
  - Taking risks,
  - Clearly going to shape the campus whether he likes it or not.
He likes them but won’t say so directly in front of staff.

As spark plugs:
- Putting them on committees, giving them “student voice” roles.
- Knowing damn well they’ll cause drama but hoping it’s the right kind.
As canaries in the coal mine:
- If they start complaining about “weird vibes,” he pays attention.
As poster kids:
- If/when they do something heroic, he will absolutely slap their faces on every flyer and fundraiser.

He’s hiding how scared he is of another Korrin situation:
- He’s read enough Oversight briefings to know the stakes.
- He’s clinging to “normal school vibes” harder than is healthy.
He has real dirt:
- Past relationship with another staff member that would look bad if dragged into the Oversight spotlight.
- A minor but technically illegal stunt from his own adventuring youth that Oversight could use against him.
He will break rules to protect:
- Students he thinks have been failed by the system,
- Staff he believes in.

Voice: Warm, a little tired, lots of “kid,” “champ,” “bud,” but sharper and more articulate when admin is present.
Body language: Hands-on shoulders, animated when talking about sports/clubs, rubs his face when dealing with Oversight.
Key Lines:
- “You screwed up. We’re going to fix it. Together. And you’re going to hate me for how boring that process is.”
- “Larkvale wants your head. I want your homework turned in and nobody dead. Help me out here.”
- “If you’re going to blow something up, at least have the decency to win a championship first.”
Pivot: When pushed, the dad voice comes out:
- No jokes, no soft edges, “I need you to listen to me, because this is not a drill.”