Ascaede Voheque's page

Yolana, Twin Liberty, Maid of Memory, The Light of Truth
Origins: The Called
Edict: dutifully record the histories of the world, distribute knowledge, fight against oppression and lies
Anathema: stifle creativity or prevent the dissemination of knowledge
Areas of Concern: history, freedom, protection
Worshipers: freedom fighters, historians, spies
Symbol: a torch chained to an open book, or a two-faced mask draped in chains
Sacred Animal: scorpion
Sacred Text: The Divine Record

Devotee Benefits
Divine Ability: Dexterity or Intelligence
Divine Font: Heal
Divine Skills: Society
Sacred Weapon: Sai
Domains: Knowledge, Freedom, Protection, Time
Alternate Domain: Truth
Spells 1st: Object Reading, 3rd: Time Jump, 6th: Cast Into Time, 7th: Retrocognition

Legends

Once there were two sister deities, twins, who mingled with mortals and embraced the vitality that burned so brightly within the frail creatures. Both found that they were fond of the tales these mortals would weave of their lives, and acted as muse to many mortals as history unfolded. They were particularly drawn to inspiring rebellion against those who would stifle creativity or to prevent the spread of knowledge. Unfortunately, this sharing with mortals was a contributing factor to the dark event known in The Divine Record as The Great Purge. Few deities escaped that apocalyptic event, and Gerana’s aid to Yolana in escaping the fires of deific death has been long remembered, as has the treachery of Eshsalqua. As the rebellious mortals used the power of revolution to push the gods from reality, Yolana’s essence increased to the point of ignition: had they wished, they could have created a new reality, but instead protected those few gods that survived by focusing their might on the fabric of time and space, tearing a hole to allow them to escape. This effort burned the twins almost beyond recognition, but an aspect of Aleria, guided by Gerana, invoked the power of forgiveness to restore the remnants of the Twins of Freedom into a single deific soul, Yolana, and established Her place after The Calling to the sphere of righteous revolution and history, so as to not have mistakes repeated.

Church

Temples to Yolana are usually remote monasteries that serve as repositories’s histories. They operate independent of any of the world’s government or societies, pledging no allegiances other than those listed below. This independence is fiercely guarded, and attempts to control a temple are met with open resistance. Clerics of Yolana serve two main roles: first, they scour the world, observing, collecting, and recording history as it unfolds, and distributing this knowledge to any who seek it. Secondly, they seek to enforce the free use of that knowledge. Oppression is not suffered to exist. Monasteries are overseen by a Flameholder; those clerics that choose to remain cloistered are known as Flameservants, and those that travel abroad are known as Seekers. It is common practice within a monastery of Yolana that after three decades of service the Holder steps down and begins the Path of Illumination, taking with him a copy of that monastery’s Record into the barbaric and wild frontiers.

Spell Preparation Rituals

For all their duty to knowledge and history, Yolani clerics do not presume to compile their own sacred text, but carry and annotate a condensed version of The Divine Record as a traveling almanac (or contribute issues, in a temple). This is an homage to the order’s humility, and to the dedication to progress and good, in alliance with the Geranites and the Alerians, with whom the Yolani church is defensive and allied. The light of a torch to pray by and renew spells reminds the Yolani of the price of Freedom, and its power. All within this torch’s circle of light are under that cleric’s protection, even unto death.

Hit Points: 8
Size: Medium
Speed: 25 feet
Ability Boosts: Two free ability boosts (Strength, Dexterity)
Languages: Common
Additional languages equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive). Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).

You spent your early days in a religious monastery or cloister. You may have traveled out into the world to spread the message of your religion or because you cast away the teachings of your faith, but deep down you’ll always carry within you the lessons you learned.

Choose two ability boosts. One must be to Intelligence or Wisdom, and one is a free ability boost (Charisma)

You're trained in the Religion skill, and the Scribing Lore skill. You gain the Student of the Canon skill feat.

Key Ability: CHARISMA
At 1st level, your class gives you an ability boost to Charisma.

Hit Points: 8 plus your Constitution modifier
You increase your maximum number of HP by this number at 1st level and every level thereafter.

Proficiencies
Expert in Perception

Saving Throws
Expert in Fortitude
Trained in Reflex
Expert in Will

Skills
Trained in Arcana, Nature, Occultism, and Religion

Trained in a number of additional skills equal to 3 plus your Intelligence modifier

Attacks
Trained in simple weapons
Trained in martial weapons
Trained in unarmed attacks

Defenses
Trained in light armor
Trained in medium armor
Trained in unarmored defense

Class DC
Trained in thaumaturge class DC

Esoteric Lore
Your experience with the unknown, as well as the tales you've exchanged with other thaumaturges, has taught you about strange phenomena of every kind.

You become trained in Esoteric Lore, a special lore skill that can be used to Recall Knowledge regarding haunts, curses, and creatures of any type, but that can't be used to Recall Knowledge of other topics. Unlike a normal Lore skill, you use Charisma as your modifier on Esoteric Lore checks. You also gain the Dubious Knowledge skill feat.

At 3rd level, you become an expert in Esoteric Lore; at 7th level, you become a master in Esoteric Lore; and at 15th level, you become legendary in Esoteric Lore.

First Implement and Esoterica
Implement
Your implement is a special object of symbolic importance: your badge as you treat with the supernatural and a powerful tool if things turn violent.

Choose an implement from the options to which you have access. You begin play with a mundane item of that type, and you gain the initiate benefit for that implement. While an implement is useful to you, it typically has no value if sold. If you acquire a new object of the same general implement type, you can switch your implement to the new object by spending 1 day of downtime with the new item.

As you advance as a thaumaturge, you will collect up to three implements and unlock the hidden potential stored within each, so you can mix and match their benefits to suit your situation.

Esoterica
While your implements are your primary tools in your dealings with the supernatural, you know the value of always being prepared. You constantly collect and carry various smaller mystic objects, bits of materials with paranormal affinities, and items used in folk practices: your esoterica. These might include cold iron nails, scraps of scrolls and scriptures, fragments of bones purportedly from a saint, and other similar objects. You keep your esoterica in easy-to-access places on your person and are well practiced in brandishing your implement and esoterica together, so you can draw and use esoterica with the same hand you're using to wield an implement.

Exploit Vulnerability
You know that every creature, no matter how obscure, has a weakness. By identifying and empowering the right object, you can strike down even the most resilient of monsters.

You gain the Exploit Vulnerability action.

Exploit Vulnerability [one-action]
Esoterica, Manipulate, Thaumaturge
Frequency: once per round
Requirements: You are holding your implement.

You scour your experiences and learning to identify something that might repel your foe. You retrieve an object from your esoterica with the appropriate supernatural qualities, then use your implement to stoke the remnants of its power into a blaze. Select a creature you can see and attempt an Esoteric Lore check against a standard DC for its level, as you retrieve the right object from your esoterica and use your implement to empower it. You gain the following effects until you Exploit Vulnerabilities again.

Critical Success You remember the creature's weaknesses, and as you empower your esoterica, you have a flash of insight that grants even more knowledge about the creature. You learn all of the creature's resistances, weaknesses, and immunities, including the amounts of the resistances and weaknesses and any unusual weaknesses or vulnerabilities, such as what spells will pass through a golem's antimagic. You can exploit either the creature's mortal weakness or personal antithesis (see below). Your unarmed and weapon Strikes against the creature also become magical if they weren't already.
Success You recall an important fact about the creature, learning its highest weakness (or one of its highest weaknesses, if it has multiple with the same value) but not its other weaknesses, resistances, or immunities. You can exploit either the creature's mortal weakness or personal antithesis. Your unarmed and weapon Strikes against the creature also become magical if they weren't already.
Failure Failing to recall a salient weakness about the creature, you instead attempt to exploit a more personal vulnerability. You can exploit only the creature's personal antithesis. Your unarmed and weapon Strikes against the creature also become magical if they weren't already.
Critical Failure You couldn't remember the right object to use and become distracted while you rummage through your esoterica. You become flat-footed until the beginning of your next turn.

You can attempt to Exploit Vulnerabilities in one of two ways: either by invoking properties that repel that type of creature, or by attempting a more improvisational, ad-hoc method with your esoterica that can impose a custom weakness on any creature, albeit one that usually isn't as dire as a creature's existing weakness:

Mortal Weakness After identifying a creature's weakness, you use a thematically resonant bit of esoterica to attune your attacks to your discovery. Your unarmed and weapon Strikes activate the highest weakness you discovered with Exploit Vulnerability, even though the damage type your weapon deals doesn't change. This damage affects the target of your Exploit Vulnerability, as well as any other creatures of the exact same type, but not other creatures with the same weakness.

For example, when fighting a pack of werewolves you might use silver shavings or crushed moonstone to deal damage that applies their weakness to silver to your attacks against any of the werewolves, but you wouldn't apply this damage to any other monsters with a weakness to silver.

Personal Antithesis You improvise a custom weakness on a creature by forcefully presenting and empowering a piece of esoterica that repels it on an individual level; for instance, against a tyrant, you might procure a broken chain that once held a captive. This causes the target creature, and only the target creature, to gain a weakness against your unarmed and weapon Strikes equal to 2 + half your level.

Implement's Empowerment
The power of your implement can also be turned to the more common task of combat, its power adding to and amplifying the effects of runes and other magical empowerments. When you Strike, you can trace mystic patterns with an implement you're holding to empower the Strike, causing it to deal 2 additional damage per weapon damage die.
Channeling the power requires full use of your hands. You don't gain the benefit of implement's empowerment if you are holding anything in either hand other than a single one-handed weapon, other implements, or esoterica, and you must be holding at least one implement to gain the benefit.

Thaumaturge Feats
At 1st level and every even-numbered level, you gain a thaumaturge class feat.

Skill Feats
At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill feat. You must be trained or better in the corresponding skill to select a skill feat.

Weapon implements are the most direct and confrontational, representing battle, struggle, and potentially violence. You can choose only a one-handed weapon as an implement, which allows you to channel energies into your weapon as well as hold your other implements once you gain them. Weapon implements are associated with the harrow suit of hammers and the astrological signs of the rider and the swordswoman.

Initiate Benefit
Your weapon trembles slightly in your hand, seeking out your foe's weakness to it and interrupting their actions. You gain the Implement's Interruption reaction.

At 5th level, when you gain thaumaturgic weapon expertise, your instinctive knowledge of your weapon implement also grants you the weapon's critical specialization effect.

Implement's Interruption [reaction]
Evocation, Magical, Thaumaturge

Trigger: The target of your Exploit Vulnerability uses a concentrate, manipulate, or move action, or leaves a square during a move action it's using.

Requirements: You're holding your weapon implement and are benefiting from Exploit Vulnerability against a creature. The creature must be within your reach if you're wielding a melee weapon, or within 10 feet if you're wielding a ranged weapon.

Your weapon senses a moment of weakness and guides your hand to strike down a foe. Make a Strike against the triggering creature with your weapon implement. If your attack is a critical hit, you disrupt the triggering action. This Strike doesn't count toward your multiple attack penalty, and your multiple attack penalty doesn't apply to this Strike.