Yussa Errenis

Yussa Errenis
Fan art of Yussa Errenis, by fl0werb0ys.
Type	NPC
Actor	Matthew Mercer
Character Information
Name	Yussa Errenis
Pronouns	he/him
Creature type	Humanoid
Race	Elf
Class	Wizard
Age	> 200 (as of 835 PD)
Languages	Common
Places	Nicodranas Tidepeak
Connections	Allura Vysoren (ally) Oremid Hass (former student) Planerider Ryn (friend)
Status
Status	Alive
Stats
Level	≥ 17[presumed]
Appearances
First seen	"Homeward Bound" (2x48)
Last seen	"The Mighty Nein Reunited Part 2" (Sx74)
Stream	Campaign Two (13 episodes) Specials (2 episodes)

“

Use who you need to; but know everyone can be useful if you mete out their skills.

”

– 

Yussa's parting advice to Caleb Widogast after their first meeting

[!h]

Yussa Errenis is a powerful elven mage who is the owner of the Open Quay district in Nicodranas. He resides in the Tidepeak, a magical tower in the Open Quay. As an NPC, Yussa Errenis is played by Matthew Mercer.

Fan art of Yussa Errenis, by Vicious Mongrel.

Description

Appearance

Yussa is an aged male elf with light brown skin. He has chiseled features, though there are some crow's feet wrinkles that are creeping in to show his age. He has short, stark white hair that curls up into a wave swipe. Yussa is shorter than an average elf, standing roughly at 5 feet or a little under. He wears a long robe woven of threads that mimic the shimmer of gold.

Personality

Yussa is incredibly shy and secretive, rarely venturing outside of his tower in the Open Quay. He primarily relies on his personal assistant, Wensforth, to take care of his business, and very rarely grants audiences to ordinary people. He has a great love for drinking tea.

Yussa appears not to care about the morality of his actions, and believes that the means are always justified if the end is to preserve balance and peace. He assured Caleb that he should have no qualms about using other people to achieve his goals, a statement which made Caleb clearly uncomfortable.

Biography

Background

Fan art of Yussa, by Eleonora Nascimbeni.

Fan art of Yussa Errenis, by TrashSyndicate.

Of Gwardan descent, Yussa told the Mighty Nein that he has been practicing the arcane arts in seclusion for over two hundred years. According to Marion Lavorre, he is at odds with the Clovis Concord.

Yussa is a transgender man.

"Homeward Bound" (2x48)

The Mighty Nein visited Tidepeak in the evening and attempted to make an appointment with Yussa by way of his assistant, Wensforth. Wensforth suggested that if there truly was an emergency as they claimed, they should return in the morning and try again to meet with Yussa.

The following morning, the Mighty Nein returned to the tower. At first, only Caduceus Clay and Beauregard were granted admission to Tidepeak to talk with Yussa. After showing him both the Happy Fun Ball of Tricks and the dodecahedron, and a tense discussion about their loyalties, Beauregard indicated that they "all know that corruption runs rampant in both the Empire and the Clovis Concord," and that she wanted nothing to do with that. This seemed to resonate enough with Yussa to allow the rest of the Mighty Nein entrance to Tidepeak.

Yussa told the party that the Happy Fun Ball of Tricks was dangerous, and that he would keep it to study, allowing them to come look at it in his presence. In return, he allowed Caleb to memorize a teleportation circle on one of the the upper floors of his tower, giving the party an anchor on the Menagerie Coast. Yussa was concerned by the dodecahedron, which he identified as blending elements of arcane and divine magic in a way totally unknown to him. He warned them to remove it from Jester's haversack only when absolutely necessary and for short periods of time.

"Family Gathering" (2x71)

Caleb used Teleportation Circle to return the Mighty Nein to Tidepeak unannounced. Wensforth escorted them to the sitting room where Yussa met with them and requested information on their activities. They told him about the Laughing Hand, and although he didn't recognize the name, he agreed to research it. Yussa told them the war was not going well for the Empire, and although he pressed to know where they had come from, Caleb avoided answering. Yussa asked to see the dodecahedron, and the party said they were keeping it in a hidden spot, as it was too dangerous to carry around. When the party told him about finding devices opening up portals to the Abyss, Yussa shared that there had recently been at least two demonic incursions in the Empire, at Zadash and Pride's Call.

"A Tangled Web" (2x77)

The Mighty Nein teleported to Yussa's tower in Nicodranas, and after the fact remembered to use Sending to tell him they were coming. He replies that he was busy, but sent Wensforth to get them.

"The Folding Halls" (2x80)

When the Mighty Nein teleported back to Tidepeak after their failed attempt to stop Obann, Yasha and The Laughing Hand at the Wraithroot Tree, they were informed by Wensforth that Yussa had been in the Heirloom Sphere for about three weeks. The Mighty Nein decided to go after Yussa and try to find him.

"Dark Bargains" (2x83)

The Mighty Nein found and retrieved Yussa from the Prison of Soot in the Folding Halls of Halas and returned to Tidepeak, bringing Halas's body and soul gem. Allura Vysoren performed a ritual and they learned that the Angel of Irons was actually Tharizdun.

"Titles and Tattoos" (2x84)

Yussa suggested that they enlist the aid of Oremid Hass, whom he believed to be one of the least corrupt members of the Cerberus Assembly. He gave them a letter of introduction, their share of the gold he had recovered from the Archmage's Bane, and a Revivify diamond. Yussa challenged Caleb to complete the body transformation spell that Halas was working on, and Caleb promised Nott he would try. Yussa then locked the soul gem in a pocket dimension. The Nein left Willi with him for repairs when they departed.

"The Fancy and the Fooled" (2x97)

Yussa allowed Caleb to copy the spell Globe of Invulnerability from him in exchange for giving him Willi permanently.

"Traveler Con" (2x108)

After teleporting from Rumblecusp, the Mighty Nein spoke briefly with Yussa about the Eyes of Nine. Yussa couldn't recall anything but said that he would do some research for them.

"New Homes and Old Friends" (2x111)

Via Sending, Yussa gave the Mighty Nein permission to teleport into his tower to reach Nicodranas, but requested that they not turn his living space into a travel nexus.

"The Neverending Day" (2x125)

The Mighty Nein spoke further to Yussa about the Somnovem. He retrieved the gem containing the soul of Halas Lutagran from its pocket dimension and Caleb had a conversation with him; he also allowed Jester to use his secret amplification chamber so she could magically locate a missing threshold crest. Yussa gave them two healing potions and loaned them a Blast Scepter, then used Teleportation Circle to transport the party to Allura's Ivory Tower in Emon.

"Cat and Mouse" (2x128)

Pursued by Scourgers, the Mighty Nein rushed to Yussa's tower to seek aid. On arrival, they were informed by Wensforth that Yussa was currently unconscious, as he was using Astral Projection to investigate the Astral Sea and gather information on Cognouza.

"The Calm Before the Storm" (2x130)

Jester attempted to contact Yussa via Sending to ask if he was all right. The response was a cacophony of screaming, revealing that Yussa had become trapped within Cognouza.

Fan art of Yussa Banished from Cognouza, by Madeline.

"Where There Is a Will..." (2x138)

Beau was able to locate Yussa within Cognouza by communing with the city’s hive mind. When the party found Yussa, his face had been replaced by a vacuous hole and he was unable to speak. Caleb cast Banishment on Yussa, ejecting his spirit back to the Material Plane. Yussa whispered "thank you" before his Astral Projection was pulled back to Exandria.

"Fond Farewells" (2x141)

The party, including Kingsley, Teleported to Nicodranas where they visited Yussa. He thanked them for rescuing him and assured them that their deeds had not gone unnoticed by those who matter. Caleb asked him for the Heirloom Sphere, and Yussa proposed they study it together.

The Mighty Nein Reunited

Yussa allowed the party to teleport into Tidepeak Tower when they were in pursuit of the minions of Uk'otoa who had seized the final Cloven Crystal to unlock the leviathan. The next day, at Caleb's request, he supplied multiple healing potions to the party for the battle.

Character Information

Abilities

Spells

Cantrips

• Mage Hand

1st-level

• Identify

4th-level

• Leomund's Secret Chest

5th-level

• Immolation
• Teleportation Circle

6th-level

• Globe of Invulnerability

9th-level

• Astral Projection^[presumed]

Notable Items

• Heirloom Sphere (given to him by the Mighty Nein)
• A ruby containing the soul of Halas (given to him by the Mighty Nein and currently locked in a pocket dimension)

Appearances and mentions

• Campaign Two
  • "Encroaching Waters" (2x34), mentioned only (first mentioned)
  • "Homeward Bound" (2x48) (first appearance)
  • "A Game of Names" (2x49), mentioned only
  • "The Endless Burrows" (2x50), via Sending
  • "Family Gathering" (2x71)
  • "A Tangled Web" (2x77), via Sending
  • "The Folding Halls" (2x80), mentioned only
  • "Dark Bargains" (2x83)
  • "Titles and Tattoos" (2x84)
  • "The Fancy and the Fooled" (2x97)
  • "Traveler Con" (2x108)
  • "Frigid Propositions" (2x109), mentioned only
  • "New Homes and Old Friends" (2x111), via Sending
  • "Ice and Fire" (2x121), mentioned only
  • "A Walk to Warmer Welcomes" (2x124), mentioned only
  • "The Neverending Day" (2x125)
  • "Cat and Mouse" (2x128), unconscious
  • "The Calm Before the Storm" (2x130), mentioned only
  • "Where There Is a Will..." (2x138), astral projection
  • "Fond Farewells" (2x141)
• Specials
  • "The Mighty Nein Reunited Part 1" (Sx73), via Sending
  • "The Mighty Nein Reunited Part 2" (Sx74)

Quotations

• "At a certain level of arcane practitioning, morality becomes a bit ambiguous."
• Yussa: "I am willing to share knowledge based on the development of our friendship and proven loyalty."
  Nott: "How do we prove our loyalty?"
  Yussa: "By not fucking me over."
• "I am generally uncomfortable making deals regarding passing glances at world shattering artifacts, if that be the case; but you have blessed me with fine tea this day."(to Caduceus)
• Caduceus: "Obviously you are so much more powerful than we are that it would behoove us to be a little careful."
  Jester: "Yeah, he could probably kill us all right now if he wanted to or something."
  Caduceus: "I mean really, he probably could."
  Yussa: "You are not incorrect."
• "I do not say I am on the side of good and right. I am on the side of maintaining a balance in which society can exist."
• "I followed them...into sometimes...stupid and unnecessary circumstances. Many of them died helping me. Many of them I outlived. But I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't at least trust in the power of others."(advice to Caleb, based on Yussa's past companions)
• "Use who you need to; but know everyone can be useful if you mete out their skills."(Yussa's parting advice to Caleb)
• "We have similar but different paths. We both wish to avoid choosing. The difference is you wade in the flames while I prefer to stay far away."

Trivia

Yussa in Crit Recap Animated.

• Jester Lavorre giving him a hand made figure of and pamphlet about The Traveler was one of the only moments that visibly confused Yussa during his meeting with the Mighty Nein in "Homeward Bound" (2x48).
• It is theorized Yussa may not be who he appears to be; he states that he cannot go to the Hall of Erudition, as their ability to dispel glamours would prevent him from "free entry and wandering", though he does not clarify what this means.
  • A portion of the fanbase has theorized that Yussa might be a gold dragon in disguise based on his color scheme, eye color, and love for formal magical training. He also kept a scroll of Plane Shift in a small chamber in his tower written in Draconic.
  • It is possible that he uses some kind of spell to alter his appearance because he is transgender.

References

Art: