Rearguard Actions of the 8th Crusade

Game Master Understandably Bland

3’6” tall and 44 lbs. Mud brown skin and red bronze hair. Clean shaven, with bushy eyebrows. An almost anime-ish face, with large, bright blue eyes and small nose and mouth. The only clear clue to his aasimar heritage is that when he cries, his tears are multicoloured.

He is quiet and studious. Devout, in his tribal terms, he looks to the spirits for guidance. He is lonely, his aasimar lifespan (and lesser age resistance SLA) have resulted in him being isolated from the shattered remains of his tribe … His state education has made him a bit of a scholar, he is quick to pull out a good bottle of wine, his pipe, and to lose himself in a book of any kind. Still, he will focus on a project, especially those involving scholarship or magic.

Somewhere in the heritage of the gnomes of the Black Rock clan, there’s a celestial in the woodpile… When Gheran got Annandra with child, a legacy resurfaced; their son Fierlos was an aasimar. That was 103 years ago, when the gnomes still ruled Transtaadt Vale…

It was 94 years ago when the Crown of Eyes broke the armies of the Northern Confederation1 and with them, the hinge of Kherson pass. This opened the Tallinn plains of the north to the Crown’s ravening armies. The surviving gnomes of the Transtaadt vale fled as refugees. Annandra (and the other clan survivors) ended up in Dawn Star Protectorate, where she raised her son...Gheran didn’t make it out of Kherson.

Fierlos was raised in typical tribal fashion, although the protectorate insisted on a formal education as well (State Education trait). His divine heritage leading him into a shamanic path, as apprentice to Foradan (the eldest and only surviving shaman of the Black Rock). He learned leadership (Flagbearer feat) dispute settling, ancient healing techniques (Healer’s Hands feat), and the history and magic of the tribes.

The spirits, in their wisdom, sent him a spirit guide that could match his longevity – an Ioun Wyrd. Otherwise, with his divine heritage and strange magical path (the Protectorate is very much a land of arcane prowess; the divine is mostly limited to organized churches), he would be very lonely indeed. As it is, he longs for company (lonely drawback). He keeps pets, but does not become too attached.

Although now middle aged, his aasimar longevity (and his lesser age resistance SLA) have kept him fit enough to fight. He has seen the horrors of the Crown of Eyes and has blood reason to fight; thus he left the Protectorate joined the 8th Crusade…

“Include in your application where your character was transferred from (see the section on the 8th Crusade for details on the various attachments). Was it a voluntary transfer?” – going to need more details on the 8th crusade to make this fit, so it has to wait for now.

1 The Northern Confederation was an alliance of survival made up the various powers of the northern plains (the halfling clans, the human/skinwalker tribal nomads: the Buffalo, Mastodon, Tiger and Wolf tribes, the gnomes of Transtaadt Vale). After the fall of Kherson pass, the alliance’s members were crushed by the Crown of Eyes.

Fierlos
N Male Aasimar (Scion of Humanity, gnome descended, Favored Class: Shaman)
Shaman 3 (Unsworn)
Init +4 = +2 (Dex) +2 (trait)
Speed 30 ft
Darkvision 60 ft

Defense
AC : 18 = 10+2 (dex) + 4 (armor)+1 Natural Armor (familiar)+1 size
HP: 23 = 8+(2d8=>1,8 = 9)+3*2 Con
Fort +4 = +1 Shaman 3+2(Con) +1 trait
Ref +3 = +1 Shaman 3+2(Dex)
Will +7= +3 Shaman 3+4(Wis)
+2 vs Death effects, -2 trait vs charm spells and SLAs,

CMD : 14 =10 +2 (bab) -1 size + 2 (dex) +1 (str)
Acid resistance 5, Cold resistance 5, Electricity resistance 5.

Offense

BAB : +2
Melee: +3 Longspear (1d6+1) +0 Spiked Gauntlet+3 (1d3+1)
Ranged: +4 Sling (1d4+1)
CMB : +3 = +2 (Bab)+1(str)

Spells Prepared

L0 (DC 14, 4) : Guidance, Stabilize, Daze, Detect Magic
L1 (DC 15, 2+1+1): ???
L2 (DC 15, 1+1+1): ???

Current Spirits: ???

Current Hexes: ???

Stats
Str 12 = 12 (2 pts) -1 age (middle aged) +1 lesser age resistance SLA
Dex 14 = 14 (5 pts) -1 age (middle aged) +1 lesser age resistance SLA
Con 14 = 14 (5 pts) -1 age (middle aged) +1 lesser age resistance SLA
Int 14 = 13 (3 pts) +1 age (middle aged)
Wis 18 = 15 (7 pts) +2 Racial+1 age (middle aged)
Cha 16 = 13 (3 pts) +2 Racial+1 age (middle aged)

Feats : Flagbearer (1st), Healing Hands (3ed), Signature Skill (Heal) (5th), Accursed Hex (7th)

Traits :
Seeker (Social), Spirit Animal (Mammoth, Regional), State Indoctrination Education (Campaign, Arcana, History), Lonely (Drawback), Reactionary (Combat)

Skills (4+2(int) /lvl + 2 FCB) (Ranks, skill roll. NOT INCLUDING ACP)
Diplomacy ( +8 = 3 rank +3 trained +2 cha),
Spellcraft ( +10=3 rank +3 trained +2 int+2 trait),
Perception ( +11 = 3 rank +3 trained +4 wis,+1 trait)
K Arcana ( +9 = 3 rank +3 trained +2 int+1 trait),
K Planes ( +9 = 3 rank +3 trained +2 int),
K Religion ( +6 = 1 rank +3 trained +2 int),
Ride ( +6 = 1 rank +3 trained +2 dex),
Heal ( +10 = 3 rank +3 trained +4 wis)

Background Skills (2/lvl) (Ranks, skill roll. NOT INCLUDING ACP)
Handle Animal, (+7 = 2 rank +3 trained +2 cha)
Perform, Sing (+6 = 1 rank +3 trained +2 cha)
K History (1, +8 = 1 rank +3 trained +2 int +2 racial)
Linguistics (+4=2 ranks +2 int)

Languages : Common, Gnome, Draconic, Infernal (linguistics), Sylvan (linguistics)

FCB: 2 skill points (Lvl 1,2), add to Shaman List: Murderous Command at Lvl 3,

Spells: A shaman casts divine spells drawn from the shaman spell list. A shaman must choose and prepare her spells in advance.
To prepare or cast a spell, a shaman must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell’s level. The saving throw DC against a shaman’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the shaman’s Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a shaman can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table 1–9. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score (see Table 1–3 in the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook).
Shamans commune with their spirit animals to prepare their spells. Each shaman must choose a time when she must spend 1 hour each day in quiet contemplation with her spirit animal to regain her daily allotment of spells. A shaman can prepare and cast any spell on the shaman spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily communion.

Orisons: Shamans can prepare a number of orisons, or 0-level spells, each day as noted on Table 1–9. These spells are cast like any other spell, but they are not expended when cast and may be used again.

Minor Spirit (Su): At 1st level, the unsworn shaman also forms a temporary bond with a minor spirit each day, granting her access to a shaman or witch hex of her choosing, but not a major hex or a grand hex. She must make this selection each day when she prepares her spells for the day. Until she changes the minor spirit, she continues to have access to the shaman or witch hex. At 2nd level, she can instead select a hex from one of her wandering spirits selected for that day. If she selects a witch hex, she treats her shaman level as her witch level, and uses her Wisdom in place of her Intelligence for the purpose of that hex.
She can make temporary bonds with two minor spirits (thus gaining two hexes) at 4th level, and with one additional minor spirit (and hex) every 4 levels thereafter. This ability replaces spirit and alters hex.

Spirit Animal (Ex): At 1st level, a shaman forms a close bond with a spirit animal tied to her chosen spirit. This animal is her conduit to the spirit world, guiding her along the path to enlightenment. The animal also aids a shaman by granting her a special ability. See the Spirit Animal section on page 47.
A shaman must commune with her spirit animal each day to prepare her spells. While the spirit animal does not store the spells like a witch’s familiar does, the spirit animal serves as her conduit to divine power. If a shaman’s spirit animal is slain, she cannot prepare new spells or use her spirit magic class feature until the spirit animal is replaced.

Wandering Spirit (Su): At 2nd level, the unsworn shaman gains access to the wandering spirit class feature. The shaman can form a temporary bond with a spirit. She must make this selection each day when preparing her spells. While this feature is active, she gains the spirit ability granted by the spirit. She also adds the spells granted by that spirit to her list of spells that she can cast using spirit magic. She does not add the hexes from her wandering spirit to her list of hexes that she can choose from with the hex class feature. At 10th level, she gains the abilities listed in the greater version of her wandering spirit. At 18th level, she gains the ability listed in the true version of her wandering spirit.
Additionally, at 6th level, she also gains a second wandering spirit, gaining the abilities listed in the greater version of that spirit at 14th level, and the abilities listed in the true version at 20th level.

Spirit Magic : A shaman can spontaneously cast a limited number of spells per day beyond those she prepared ahead of time. She has one spell slot per day of each shaman spell level she can cast, not including orisons. She can choose these spells from the list of spells granted by her spirits (see the spirit class feature and the wandering spirit class feature) at the time she casts them. She can enhance these spells using any metamagic feat that she knows, using up a higher-level spell slot as required by the feat and increasing the time to cast the spell (see Spontaneous Casting and Metamagic Feats).

Size: Non-human aasimars have the same statistics as human aasimars with the exception of size. Thus a halfling aasimar is Small but otherwise possesses the same statistics and abilities as a human aasimar—the difference is purely cosmetic. Thus gnome aasimars are Small creatures and thus gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
Normal Speed: Aasimars have a base speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Aasimars can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Celestial Resistance: Aasimars have acid resistance 5, cold resistance 5, and electricity resistance 5.
Languages: Aasimars begin play speaking Common and Celestial. Aasimars with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following languages: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, and Sylvan.
Scion of Humanity : Some aasimars’ heavenly ancestry is extremely distant. An aasimar with this racial trait counts as an outsider (native) and a humanoid (human) for any effect related to race, including feat prerequisites and spells that affect humanoids. She can pass for human without using the Disguise skill. This racial trait replaces the Celestial language and alters the native subtype.
Immortal Spark: Aasimars with this racial trait defy the powers of death. They gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge (history) checks and saving throws against death effects and can use lesser age resistance once per day as a spell-like ability. This racial trait replaces the skilled and spell-like ability racial traits.

Fierlos’s spirit animal is an oddity, an Ioun Wyrd,

Ioun Wyrd, Sage
N Tiny Construct
Init +2; Senses blindsight 30 ft.; Perception +2
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (average)
AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +1 Dodge, +2 size+1 Natural Armor+2 armor +1 Natural Armor Adjustment)
Hp ???
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +4
Immune construct traits
Str 4, Dex 15, Con —, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 5
Feats Dodge
Skills:
Fly +10 (1 rank +3 trained+2 dex+4 tiny)
3 additional ranks (1*{2-1int, min 1})
Lore (Crown of Eyes) +6 (3 rank +3 trained-1 int+1 Sage Knowledge)

Special Abilities
Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a familiar takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails.

Share Spells: The shaman may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself. A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast).

Empathic Link (Su): The master has an empathic link with his familiar to a 1 mile distance. The master can communicate empathically with the familiar, but cannot see through its eyes. Because of the link's limited nature, only general emotions can be shared. The master has the same connection to an item or place that his familiar does.

Sage Skills: A sage treats all Knowledge skills as class skills.

Dazzling Intellect (Ex): A sage’s Intelligence score is always equal to 5 + its master’s class level, but it gains natural armor increases as if its master’s class level were half what of the actual class level.
This alters the familiar’s Intelligence score and natural armor adjustment.

Sage’s Knowledge (Ex): A sage stores information on every topic and is happy to lecture its master on the finer points of a subject. A sage can attempt all Knowledge checks untrained and gains a bonus on Knowledge checks equal to half its master’s class level. Additionally, a sage gains 2 skill ranks each time its master gains a class level. Its maximum number of ranks in any given skill is equal to its master’s class level.
This replaces alertness and the familiar’s ability to share its master’s skill ranks.

Deliver Touch Spells (Su): If the master is 3rd level or higher, a familiar can deliver touch spells for him. If the master and the familiar are in contact at the time the master casts a touch spell, he can designate his familiar as the “toucher.” The familiar can then deliver the touch spell just as the master would. As usual, if the master casts another spell before the touch is delivered, the touch spell dissipates.

Equipment: Leather Familiar Barding

Черт побери Блядь! Ciapha cursed as as the group of Undead she cycle charged into turned out to be full of disgusting insects, that were now swarming her, biting her and...
YARRIK, Blyad, BOMB ON MY OWN POSITION NOW Good thing they practiced "friendly fire minmimization skills", Also, one Blyad meant "actually do what I say" as she noticed something.
A human, who was not part of her unit, and by whose positioning.
She instantly charged him as he casted some type of spell, trying to make he cower in fear before him.
Ciapha inwardly giggled as she impaled him on he horns, throwing him over her back, and then crushed his skull with a rearward kick.
On Never-get-laid-mancer down blyad, lure them to the ambush blyad!
Two Blyads, in one sentence, the prearranged signal for I am bluffing. She thought, her troops threw a last salvo of alchemist fire, and that little halfling madlad Cleos actually mooned the enemy shouting Follow us if you f+!+ing dare ahahahaha Unfortunately, he slipped over his own trousers and fell.

Ciapha altered he "war-boar-form", using her feet for speed rather then as natural weapons, ran past the fallen halfing and picked him up.
Advantadge of not using weapons, you have a hand free! She thought as she shouted
Keep mooning them Blyad!
BOOOM BOOOOM BOOOOM Came a sound from perhaps 500 feet away.
F!@+, the Sundial? S%@%!
Keep running, no routing. She ordered, hoping to keep her troops under her control.

Petyr
Male human fighter (two-handed fighter) 3 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 108)
NG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +1; Senses Perception +0
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Defense
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AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 16 (+6 armor, +1 Dex)
hp 31 (3d10+9)
Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +1
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft. (20 ft. in armor)
Melee +1 greatsword +9 (2d6+14/19-20)
Special Attacks overhand chop, shattering strike
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Statistics
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Str 20, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 10
Base Atk +3; CMB +7 (+10 sunder); CMD 19 (22 vs. sunder)
Feats Cleave, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (greatsword), Weapon Trick (two-handed Weapons)
Traits militia veteran (any town or village), - custom trait -, vandal
Skills Acrobatics -4 (-8 to jump), Handle Animal +4, Intimidate +6, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +5, Linguistics +2, Profession (miner) +6, Ride +0, Survival +7
Languages Common, Dwarven, Goblin
Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds (2); Other Gear lamellar (steel) armor[UC], +1 greatsword, backpack, bedroll, belt pouch, flint and steel, hemp rope (50 ft.), mess kit[UE], pot, soap, torch (10), trail rations (5), waterskin, 391 gp
--------------------
Special Abilities
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Cleave If you hit a foe, attack an adjacent target at the same attack bonus but take -2 AC.
Improved Sunder You don't provoke attacks of opportunity when sundering.
Overhand Chop (Ex) Single attacks with two-handed weapons receive double STR bonus.
Power Attack -1/+2 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Shattering Strike +1 (Ex) +1 Sunder and damage vs. objects.
Weapon Trick (Two-Handed Weapons) You may perform weapon tricks with the chosen weapon type.

Now fully subsumed by the crown, the frozen blasted wastelands that were once the Duchy now lie barren.
The duchy stood at the frontlines of several crusades, the harsh and cold climate breeding a equally hard fighting and hard drinking people.
Run by an oligarchy of Noble houses, its armed forces were a solid core of heavy infantry, typically supported by crossbows. Of specific note was their sapper corps, and their frequent use of ice based magiks. It had ferocious special forces, mostly typically were-creatures of some manner, that performed well in battle.
Its foremost Elite Unite were "Deaths Druzhina", an Elite force of Abyssal-Steelblood Werebears armed with Butchering axes, which sadly got wiped out alongside the second Crusade.
It was reconstituted later, and was the unit that held the Sundial in place for the Seabound Seven to do their thing. Getting wiped out again in the process.
Their strategic weakness was the limited usefulness of ice magics against the crown, as well as their relatively low numbers. They do have reasonably safe rituals to create at least lesser Skinwalkers (survival rate of 95%), but their rituals to create full blown weres are no longer practicable, as the forces of the crusade lost access to the highly specific magical plants, which grow only in arctic conditions and are out of reach of the crusade, that made the transformation "reasonably survivable".

Stereotypes about Rodnan refugees abound, the fact that worshipping several Demon Lords (Jezelda, Nocticula, Haagenti and Zura, but amusingly enough not Koschtschie) was legal (as long as the worshippers of these demon lords obey Rodnan laws) is seen by many that all of them worship Demon Lords, which is very much untrue, as the majority would worship Gorum, Callistria or Cayden Caylean.

Rodnas Capital of Veligrad was utterly destroyed in fierce fighting, with the defending Rodnan force sacrificing everything, including their souls. As such, "Last defender of Veligrad" was a Balor, who went down fighting, but who could possibly be summoned again.
Balors take defeat incredibly poorly after all.

The following sentences are quite quintessential Rodnan:
Blood for Blood, Death for Death post collapse battle cry
Forward, At least its warm in the Abyss!/In Alyushinyrra Other battle cry
You are so ugly, a Succubus would not sleep with you common insult.
You smell so bad, you can give a Dretch lessons in farting other insult.
BLYAD Most commonly used Abyssal loan word. Can literally mean everything.

I pitched a garuda-blooded aasimar dwarf (mostly because the Dex/Wis boosts were exactly what I was looking for to get sufficient Dex for two-weapon fighting).

Question 1: Do Garudas exist in this universe? On Golarion, they have a notorious rivalry with nagas. Perhaps on this world the rivalry is instead with specific forces of the Crown of Eyes. Does that sound reasonable?

Question 2: Could there be some connection between garudas and archons? Or could/should I reflavor the garudas to something else more in-universe appropriate?

Question 3: Despite being an aasimar, could I take the Friends in High Places trait? (In 2e, aasimar is a heritage rather than an ancestry, so it's possible to be an aasimar dwarf.)

Question 4: Is there some sort of Order of the Godclaw in this universe? I imagine that although this person is a devotee of Torag that they find camaraderie with members of other faiths in fighting against the chaos.

Question 5: Do you have any feedback on the general concept?

Units of reknown: Blades of Midnight

Blades of Midnights are a feared but respected bunch.
They have rented out, rather then sold, their souls to Nocticula, and served her loyaly for one decade, fighting on her behalf in the Abyss and in Abbadon (fighting daemons on their own turf, and properly killing them, is frankly quite appealing to a Rodnan of the disposition to "brave the shadows"in the first place), before returning to the Material plane they came from, should they wish to do so (many dont. Alyushinnyrra is highly addictive, as is winning, which Nocticula's armed forces do a lot more then the crusade).
The increasing difficulty of planar travel in our plane has greatly reduced their numbers, although Alyushinnyrra still accepts planar transports, being far to proud to officially fear the eye, and having enough telepaths on call to quickly stamp out attempted infiltrations.

Those who do survive the "Decade in Shadow" and return due to as individuals best described as incredibly cynical hard core pragmatists who know every dirty trick of the multiverse. They do not all worship Nocticula, as this is not a requirement at all, but paying appropriate tribute to the Lady in Shadows is a greatly survival rate increasing choice.

The Crusade does not officially accept known worshippers of Demon Lords (Rodnans who also worship Demon Lords typically have a "buffet" faith, praying to Gorum before battle and to Nocticula before sex, and can thus generally speaking claim to worship Gorum/Callistria etc. under a zone of truth), but the Archipelago does hire them as Mercenaries, and has them identifiy and assassinate Human mages in particular that fight for the crown.
There is a clandestine "Liasion office" in the Archipelago, run by "Totally not a Succubus" who offers her profane gift to any returning blade (who does not already have a profane gift), and thus also acts as a relay for telepathic communication between individual blades in battle. Many will have also picked up profanely granted nightvision, that is often capable of piercing magical darkness (see in darkness feature that fanglords get). Lady "Totally not a Succubus" is not above offering her gift to notable individuals who catch her eye either, or who are recommended to her by actual blades, thus increasing Nocticulas influence. It has been rumored that the blades have assassinated crusaders as well (definitly lots of intrigue here).

It is rumored Daemons who managed to kill and devour the soul of a blade of midnight receive rewards from their patrons and often increase in power. If there is a Daemon special unit of hero hunters, these would be in a massive vendetta with the blades, and any normal crusader managing to kill on such Daemon will very likely receive a polite and informal offer to be profane pacted, which he or she can actually refuse without consequences.

Units of reknown: Erinyes Company

An all female mercenary unit patterned after Hells Erinyes legions.
Their leadership is progressing along the Sanguine Angel prestige class, and several of them have been transformed into full Erinye as per that prestige class capstone. Arrogant but effective, they are a quite frequent sight on the battlefield.
Rodnans are overrepresented in their ranks, both because of a long tradition of female fighters predating the wars with the crown, and because Hell deems it meritous to compete for Rodnan souls with the Abyss.
They are seen by the rest of the crusade as military forces from a very dangerous foreign power, but also as more controllable then the blades, and are formally employed by the Theocracy under a rather tight legal leash. That they are mercenaries makes this somewhat more palatable.

The Crusade is wise enough to not have Erinyes Company assets and Blades of midnight fight side by side, as this would be unlikely to work well.

Campaign trait Rodnan:
Many crusaders breathe a sigh of relief when a Rodnan speaks infernal, as this would indicate that he/she is "probably not messing around with Demons at the same time", which reduces "penalties for Diabolism" by one tier of severity, and reduces to penalties for "demoniacism" to the level that Diabolism has normally.
Rodnans enjoy some advantadges when communicating with evil outsiders, based on their reputation, including intimidating Daemons, and receive a +2 trait bonus when using bluff, diplomacy or intimidate with the target being an evil outsider (the Rodnan does not have to know he is talking with an outsider, but the target needs to know that the character is Rodnan), and perhaps gain one of these skills as a class skill.
I do not know how big the penalties for diabolism/demoniacism for non Rodnans actually are, as such I have a hard time objectively valueing the impact of the trait. Getting a face skill as a class skill with a situational +2 bonus is certainly decent regardless though.

It is speculated that the Veligrads answer, a Balor that showed up to fight for the Rodnan Capital, has been made by Nocticula out of exclusively Rodnan souls , and carries a certain degree of attachment to the country.
This is partly true, A ritual self sacrifice of 666 willing individuals sent those 666 souls directly to the Abyss, where Nocticula molded them into the Balor, sending it back directly into the fray. The Balor was "young" and not fully used to his powers, which likely influenced its defeat by the forces of the eye. He is known as Veligrads answer, as the self sacrifice was conducted after the eye demanded the cities surrender, promising quick deaths in return for surrender and threatening eternal pain in Abbadon if refused.
The No, f!*! you Crown, you arent getting our souls SHE is HAHAHA. P.S. F#*& YOU. Also, Suprise Balor! answer is quite emblematic of Rodnans.

It wasn’t until I’d served in the Crusades that I came to realize just how incredibly cosseted and privileged my protectorate upbringing had been. Folk back home don’t like to talk about the war, it’s not because we’re embarrassed or fearful, rather we just don’t think about it at all. If you asked, the general consensus would be it’s someone else’s problem.

News flash, it’s not. The inevitable fall of civilization is everyone’s problem!

I remember the first time I felt existential dread as if it was yesterday. I was in a history lecture with a dozen other students at the Arcanum. Master Lorrinson’s course was entitled a brief history of time (he was anything but brief). Lorrinson was from the faculty of illusion and he used the art to show us an animated map of the civilizations over time. In the distant past there had been countless small kingdoms but then a new civilization arose, The Crown of Eyes. Its influence ebbed and flowed, but each time it came the flood rose a little bit higher. Lorrinson ended his lecture with a chilling prediction, ”The sea is merciless, caring neither for man nor elf. Great waves can swallow towns whole and in the fullness of time not even mountains are safe from its embrace. The Crown of Eyes is like the rising tide. It’s true in this hall here today today we feel safe and protected but tomorrow they’ll be lapping at our shores and then my friends it will be too late.”

There was a shocked silence in the lecture theater, I remember some of my friends snorting in disbelief others simply yawned. I on the other hand felt a creeping dread, my peace of mind was shattered. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen if they came here. In the end there was only one thing I could do, I packed my bags and set out for the Theocracy.

My friends tried to stop me, they said I was throwing my life away. I tried to explain that it was my duty to do something, to save them all. They thought I’d gone mad, nobody understood, least of all Clara. Our parting was hard, I remember the tears running down her cheek, she asked what she’d done wrong… I tried to explain but couldn’t.

I don’t remember much of my journey to volunteer, honestly much of the basic training is a blur too. The one thing I do remember is our drill sergeant, old man Niles. He was not popular with the recruits and had a reputation as a hard ass and as an alcoholic. It’s strange he never touched a drop during the six months we trained with him, but when we’d graduated he got absolutely blasted. I remember finding him in one of the stalls in a state. I did what I could to clean him up and asked him ”Sir what are you doing?! If the camp CO finds you like this…”

I’ll never forget what he told me. He had tears in his eyes as he told me, ”Son you lot think I hate you all, I’ve certainly pushed you hard. Made you run when all you wanted to do was crawl. You think I’m made of stone, I’m not. I’ve prepared you as best I could for war but best is inadequate. Son, the cold hard fact is within six months most of you will be dead or wish you were. You are all so young, it shouldn’t be this way, at times like this I just can’t bear it!”

I did what I could to clean him up, and made sure word never got to the CO. His words haunt me, and the look in his eyes I’ll never forget, that man had seen things, terrible things. With the boundless folly of youth I was certain that my unit would do alright that we’d acquit ourselves well. Everyone in my unit was keen to do their part and we chafed at the weeks and months it took until we finally took part.

When the battle finally happened… Well. We thought we knew what to expect, we thought we knew about war, we thought we had trained hard. We were like children playing soldiers. We didn’t know the first thing about war, not really, how could we? That day, along with the vast majority of my new friends, my innocence died. Was there anything more I could have done? I’m not sure, my unit had set an ambush for their scouts. We made contact with the enemy and quickly dispatched them but then our luck turned. Their main force blundered into our trap, their first rows were decimated, but the size of the enemy host was staggering!

Not even in my worst nightmares had I thought there could be so many. We’re doomed, that much is certain. But maybe, just maybe we can buy a few years for those back home. At least that's the lie I tell myself so I can sleep at night.

Adrian Mc Kade
Male half-elf wizard 3 (Pathfinder Player Companion: Elemental Master's Handbook 21)
NG Medium humanoid (elf, human)
Init +9; Senses low-light vision; Perception +4
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Defense
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AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 10 (+3 Dex)
hp 18 (3d6+6)
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +4; +2 vs. enchantments
Immune sleep
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Offense
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Speed 30 ft.
Melee dagger +4 (1d4/19-20)
Ranged light crossbow +4 (1d8/19-20)
Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 3rd; concentration +7)
. . 2nd—create pit[APG] (DC 17), pyrotechnics (DC 16), stone call[APG]
. . 1st—enlarge person (DC 15), grease, heightened awareness[ACG], obscuring mist
. . 0 (at will)—dancing lights, ghost sound (DC 14), mage hand, prestidigitation
. . Opposition Schools Wood
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Statistics
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Str 11, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 14
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Combat Expertise, Craft Wondrous Item, Deadly Aim, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (Craft [alchemy]), Spell Focus (conjuration)
Traits elven reflexes, perfectionist's brew, State Education (Kn: Arcana)
Skills Craft (alchemy) +15, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +10, Knowledge (history) +10, Knowledge (nature) +10, Knowledge (religion) +10, Perception +4, Spellcraft +12 (+14 to brew potions)
Languages Common, Elven, Dwarven, Halfling, Celestial, Draconic
SQ arcane bond (Screech, owl [sage]), earth supremacy, elf blood, finesse weapon attack attribute, hindering muck (3 rounds), illustrious urbanite
Combat Gear pearl of power (1st level), pearl of power (2nd level), alchemist's fire (6), tanglefoot bag (4); Other Gear dagger, light crossbow, alchemy crafting kit[APG], backpack, bandolier[UE], wizard starting spellbook
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Special Abilities
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Agile Maneuvers Use DEX instead of STR for CMB
Combat Expertise +/-1 Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack.
Deadly Aim -1/+2 Trade a penalty to ranged attacks for a bonus to ranged damage.
Deliver Touch Spells Through Familiar (Su) Your familiar can deliver touch spells for you.
Earth Supremacy +2 (Su) +2 CMD vs. bull rush, drag, reposition, trip, and overrun while touch ground. +1 to melee att/dam while you and foe touch ground.
Elf Blood Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects.
Empathic Link with Familiar (Su) You have an empathic link with your Arcane Familiar.
Familiar Bonus: +3 to sight-based Perception checks in shadows You gain the Alertness feat while your familiar is within arm's reach.
Finesse Weapon Attack Attribute Finesse weapons use Dexterity on attack rolls.
Hindering Muck (3 rounds, 7/day, DC 15) (Su) As a standard action, you can create a 15-foot cone of sticky mud. Any creature in the cone must succeed at a Reflex save (DC = 10 + half your wizard level + your Intelligence modifier) or become entangled for 1 round for every wizard level you have.
Illustrious Urbanite You may leave buildings & structures undamaged when casting spells of the chosen school.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Power Attack -1/+2 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Share Spells with Familiar Can cast spells with a target of "You" on the familiar with a range of touch.
Spell Focus (Conjuration) Spells from one school of magic have +1 to their save DC.
Wood You must spend 2 slots to cast spells from the Wood school.

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Pathfinder® and associated marks and logos are trademarks of Paizo Inc.®, and are used under license.

Screech CR –
Owl (sage) (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 132)
N Tiny magical beast (animal)
Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +12
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Defense
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AC 16, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +1 natural, +2 size)
hp 4 (1d8)
Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +5
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Offense
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Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
Melee 2 talons +1 (1d4-2)
Space 2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
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Statistics
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Str 6, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 8, Wis 15, Cha 6
Base Atk +1; CMB +2; CMD 10
Feats Agile Maneuvers, Combat Expertise, Deadly Aim, Power Attack
Skills Acrobatics +3 (-5 to jump), Fly +7, Knowledge (arcana) +4, Knowledge (planes) +14, Perception +12, Stealth +15; Racial Modifiers +8 Knowledge (planes), +4 Perception, +4 Stealth
SQ empathic link, finesse weapon attack attribute, manifest dreams, recurring dream, sage’s knowledge +1
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Special Abilities
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Agile Maneuvers Use DEX instead of STR for CMB
Combat Expertise +/-1 Bonus to AC in exchange for an equal penalty to attack.
Deadly Aim -1/+2 Trade a penalty to ranged attacks for a bonus to ranged damage.
Empathic Link (Su) You have an empathic link with your master.
Finesse Weapon Attack Attribute Finesse weapons use on attack rolls.
Fly (60 feet, Average) You can fly!
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Manifest Dreams (Su) You can reshape your familiar every morning.
Power Attack -1/+2 You can subtract from your attack roll to add to your damage.
Recurring Dream (Su) Your familiar is a projection of your own mind.
Sage’s Knowledge +1 (Ex) Attempt all Knowledge checks untrainted and gain bonus on all Knowledge checks.
Share Spells Spells with a target of "You" can be delivered by a familiar with a range of touch.

Hero Lab and the Hero Lab logo are Registered Trademarks of LWD Technology, Inc. Free download at https://www.wolflair.com
Pathfinder® and associated marks and logos are trademarks of Paizo Inc.®, and are used under license.

Adrian is of medium height, with cropped brown hair and eyes. He has a ragged scar across his temple courtesy of the enemy. Self conscious of this he habitually wears a dark green cloak with a hood that obscures his face.

Adrian tends towards being bookish and reserved but his time in the army has helped him come out of his shell somewhat. The devastating losses in the campaign have shocked him to the core and he’s turning increasingly cynical and tending towards gallows humor as a coping mechanism.

Adrian’s role will be: buffs, battlefield control, knowledge

Adrian took Illustrious Urbanite alternative racial trait (Source Heroes of the Streets pg. 8)

His owl familiar Screech has Sage/Figment archetypes. Screech will be a combatant and I’m perfectly happy for him to be targeted!

I haven’t spent all of his starting gold yet, I will likely want him to pen some scrolls.

Niobe looks to be a middle aged short and well-built dwarf, its rather rare to see her not wearing her plate armor and even rarer to see her without her earthbreaker which seems to always be in her hand even well she sleeps. Her hair is a deep brown usually kept at a short and uneven cut that looks like whenever a strand gets long enough it annoys her she takes a dagger out and just hacks it off, her eyes are brown, and her face seems to be perpetually formed into a scowl.

Niobe says very little and when she does it usually is simply business offering suggestions, critique, guidance or ask for any of those. She will become somewhat prying of the story of those around her when she is comfortable and try to learn about them but when questioned on her own life she keeps things to the bear bones seeming uncomfortable with getting into much detail.

Niobe was born on the frontier of the Theocracy. Her family were farmers living in a tiny village of around 25 people, from her first memories she worked on the farm helping her father with harvest and sowing. Her memories fade a bit after that but she has been told that when she was quite young the Crown expanded after a sudden victory that brought them right to the hamlet where Niobe lived, her parents guided the population of the town out and they managed to flee deeper into the Theocracy but her parents realized that what limited support they received from the Theocracy would do little to give them leeway to survive after packing away their lives. So, they quickly chose to emigrate to the Archipelago.
After the move Niobe’s memory starts to pick up again. They came to a small enclave that was barely a mile wide. She remembers the skills that she and her folks had learned in her life farming doing little

initially, her father started learning how to fish becoming one of the main sources of food for not only her family but much of the island. The biggest thing Niobe liked about her new home was the sense of community, there was desperation that everyone there shared, after all who would come to an island smaller than any farm if they didn’t have to, but that desperation just brought them closer together almost becoming a new family.

After Niobe turned 15 and was somewhat able to help her father out her mother enlisted in the crusade and ventured as she told Niobe ”To reclaim all that they have taken from us”. Niobe waited a year that became 2 which became 10 without either her or her father hearing from her mother but he kept insisting that she wasn’t gone, just lost, and looking for her way back.

After another 8 years Niobe found a friend on the island, a human named Nikolas who she fell in love with, together they built a family home Nik dealing with much of the construction and homework well Niobe worked to keep them supplied and fed having joined and eventually surpassed her father in her fishing skill. They would regularly go out on a small raft and fish together in the deeps bringing back twice their weight in fish in an afternoon, enough to feed the island for the better part of a week.

After another 15 years Nik mentioned that if they wanted to start a family it would be better to do it sooner rather than later after all, he pointed out that his age of 36 was showing much more than hers. They had a son and named him Ulysses, he quickly grew and took an interest in Niobe’s mother and the adventures she went on. His tenaciousness brought Niobe to learn some skill at arms to teach him. After a further 9 years Niobe’s father passed on of old age.

Ulysses grew up in a fairly normal childhood, he worked in town as a merchant from when he was 14, he was a charmer and much of the island hoped that he would grow to be a diplomat and make a small name for the island among the larger ones that surrounded them. He however had different plans; he continued his training in arms until he turned 29 when he enlisted in the Crusades following his grandmothers’ path.
After he left Niobe began to grow distant from the town and even from Nikolas causing her to disconnect for Niks last 3 years a fault she didn’t and likely never will forgive herself for. Going to the beach to fish where she found a beached Earthbreaker, when she lifted it she felt a strange connection as though it was communicating with her.

Shortly after that she got what she resolved would be the last bad news she would let herself not effect. She heard word that Ulysses had been one of the few casualties in the Battle of Oxfort Hill. Swearing herself to avenge his loss and the loss of so many others she enlisted and got to the lines just after the Shame of Oldspire. From there she joined the militia lines until the headwaters were taken when she volunteered for the E6 reargaurd hoping that she could protect the army and maybe join her family.

Blades of Midnight
Rodnans have been quite infamous for making deals with literally anything to prevail over the crown, and failing that to make the crown pay in blood for every step they take.
Nocticula, Lady in Shadows is probably amongst the less insanely risky choices made. Multiple Rodnans served a decade each in her service, fighting in the Abyss and on Abbadon on her behalf, before returning as incredible well equipped, hardened and profanely boosted special forces.

Those who did wish to return that is, Alyushinnyrra is a highly addictive place, and winning, which the armed forces of midnight eternal do a lot more then the crusades, is also a highly popular activitiy.

There were rumors that it was them who managed to wound the swarm itself in the second crusade, rumors that may be true on account of the extreme and specfic hostility the Daemonic Hero hunters display to any known blade, although this could also be due to most actual blades having had, from the Daemons perspective, invaded Abbadon at one point in the career, a serious insult coming from a mortal.

The Blades are scattered, few in number and considered bad luck, not without reason as their presence seems to draw in Daemonic Hero hunter units.
They use long range teleport links via their Liason Agent named "Totally not a Succubus" (she is in fact actually a Lilitu) and operate in tight knit groups of usually no more then 6. Many being scattered among the planes.
The blades do have "probationary blades", to become one, one must either seriously impress a blade, or kill a Daemonic hero hunter that has killed a Blade before. If the target accepts, Mrs. "Totally not a Succubus" will bestow her profane pact on him.
The pact binds the pactees soul to the Abyss, unless the pactee serves out a decade in Nocticulas armed forces while alive, and may only by utilized by Nocticulas armed forces to fight other Demons or Daemons.
One is free to refuse, and the Lilitu does fairly inform pactees on what they sign up their soul for, and that the pactee is free to refuse without having to fear retribution from either the blades or herself.

The blades consider themselfs an Elite unit and would not countenance forced conscription, or accept those who dont know what they signed up, into their ranks.

Rodnans are reknown, even interplanary, for their high acceptance of self sacrifice, and their willingness to spit in the eye of literally anything, dying with "Fangs bared and Souls burning" if that is what fate decides. There is also a strong element of denying resources to the foe, as the presence and the implications of the Crowns use of Daemons to trap souls is well known.
A hope exists, even shared by some in the theocracy, that the Daemons taking Hell or Abyss bound souls for themselfs could create counterattacks by either of these forces, and create additional trouble for the crown. Both Hell and the Abyss are quite open to Rodnan recruits as Rodnans rarely go back on their words, if they were given freely.

An incredibly strong taboo exists in Rodnan society about sacrificing others though "Your soul is yours, and my soul is mine, you have but 1, use it wisely." or "Never claim anothers soul" and many other such sayings are relatively well known, and make Diabolism or even Demonology more palatable if a Rodnan is doing it. At worst, he will just sacrifice himself after all.
These traits make Rodnans unusually adept at dealing with evil outsiders. A Rodnan, who has to be known as one by the evil outsider, receives a trait bonus of +2 to intimidate, bluff or diplomatize with it. Furthermore, he or see receives one of these skills as a class skill. The social penalties from being a known Diabolist or Demonologist are reduced by one tier.
Many Rodnans wear a badge with their national crest, a burning fang, dripping blood, on a black field, which identifies them as such.