The Skipper

Pobar Panpabar

high level arcane trickster that has a highly trapped setup in a spire in the storm horns (500m up).
metal sylinder encased in the mountain (visible in moonlight).
3 layers of metal, separating sideways. service level elevator hatch to see.
divination magic outside.

(inspired by the conductor from the grisha triology)

Looks

White tufts around ears. Bald svirfneblin.

Magic

https://dnd-wiki.org/wiki/Arcane_Trickster_(5e)/Spell_List
Bag of Devouring.
Bag of Tricks.

Living

He eats from a mechanical arm using food in a pipette.
Retractable marble kitchen table for cooking.

Setup

gears, trapdoors, waterslide into a shark pit below

The Black Doctor

Steam powered 10m long metal boat. Has a steering room, and an engine room.
Engine missing. He has it.
Rotor, axle into engine, connects to metal sylinder.

Engine needs steam, but also a bit of magic (phantom steed) in a pocket plane drives it.
Steam is to keep the creature on the run.

Shadowfell Travel

Pirates of the caribbean style.
Certain point in the lake, Arcanist's Magic Aura. Turn the rotor 90deg down, reverse phantom steed.

Boat begins to rotate (keel over backwards). It's being pulled under by the engine.
When it's under, you need to prestidigitation the water away.
You then see the green acid lake below.

Last Travel

Vampire 70 years ago. Captured by helix and interrogated, then killed. They've kept an eye on him ever since. He's been pretty suspicious and content with his life, and has not travelled since.