About Illiana VahadarrAt 6'1" Illiana is average height for a female drow. Her eyes and her hair, which flows down her back to her waist, are white like spider silk. She carries herself with the regal arrogance typical of a drow priestess, and the severity in her gaze could skewer a stone golem. She is heartless, enjoying only the suffering of those who oppose her and the acquisition of power. She carries a strange weapon that once belonged to her mother which appears to be a short sword but whose blade parts in segments according to its wielder's will to function as a whip. ILLIANA VAHADARR
DEFENSE
OFFENSE
Spell-like Abilities (CL 6th)
Warpriest Spells Prepared (CL 6th; concentration +9)
Blessings Darkness, Evil STATISTICS
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Each blessing grants a minor power at 1st level and a major power at 10th level. A warpriest can call upon the power of her blessings a number of times per day (in any combination) equal to 3 + 1/2 her warpriest level (to a maximum of 13 times per day at 20th level). Each time she calls upon any one of her blessings, it counts against her daily limit. The save DC for these blessings is equal to 10 + 1/2 the warpriest's level + the warpriest's Wisdom modifier. Blessings that affect weapons and armor benefit anyone who wields or wears those items, not just the warpriest. Enshrouding Darkness (minor): At 1st level, Illiana can touch an ally and bestow a darkness blessing. For 1 minute, the ally becomes enshrouded in shadows while in combat, granting it concealment (20%). Creatures that are normally able to see in supernatural darkness ignore this concealment. Unholy Strike (minor): At 1st level, Illiana can touch one weapon and give it an evil blessing. For 1 minute, this weapon takes on a black, orange, or violet cast and deals an additional 1d6 points of damage against good creatures. During this time, it's treated as evil for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. This additional damage doesn't stack with the additional damage from the unholy weapon special ability. Fervor (Su): At 2nd level, a warpriest can draw upon the power of her faith to heal wounds or harm foes. She can also use this ability to quickly cast spells that aid in her struggles. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to 1/2 her warpriest level + her Wisdom modifier. By expending one use of this ability, a good warpriest (or one who worships a good deity) can touch a creature to heal it of 1d6 points of damage, plus an additional 1d6 points of damage for every 3 warpriest levels she possesses above 2nd (to a maximum of 7d6 at 20th level). Using this ability is a standard action (unless the warpriest targets herself, in which case it's a swift action). Alternatively, the warpriest can use this ability to harm an undead creature, dealing the same amount of damage she would otherwise heal with a melee touch attack. Using fervor in this way is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity. Undead do not receive a saving throw against this damage. This counts as positive energy. An evil warpriest (or one who worships an evil deity) can use this ability to instead deal damage to living creatures with a melee touch attack and heal undead creatures with a touch. This counts as negative energy. A neutral warpriest who worships a neutral deity (or one who is not devoted to a particular deity) uses this ability as a good warpriest if she chose to spontaneously cast cure spells or as an evil warpriest if she chose to spontaneously cast inflict spells. As a swift action, a warpriest can expend one use of this ability to cast any one warpriest spell she has prepared with a casting time of 1 round or shorter. When cast in this way, the spell can target only the warpriest, even if it could normally affect other or multiple targets. Spells cast in this way ignore somatic components and do not provoke attacks of opportunity. The warpriest does not need to have a free hand to cast a spell in this way. Sneak Attack (Ex): At 4th level, a mantis zealot can make a sneak attack. This ability functions as the rogue ability of the same name. At 4th level, her sneak attack damage is +1d6. This damage increases by 1d6 at 8th level and ever 4 levels thereafter. If the zealot gets a sneak attack bonus from another source, the bonuses on damage stack. This ability replaces sacred weapon. Background:
Jhulstra Vahadarr wanted a daughter, and this latest male, Teb'agh of House Misraria, had better deliver or she'd kill him where he stood. Or perhaps she'd kill him anyway just to ease the pain of labor. She hadn't decided yet. All she knew was that it probably wasn't wise of him to be so near. The pain of a contraction cut her thoughts. She breathed sharply and gritted her teeth. She didn't cry out the first three labors, and she wasn't about to begin now. This went on for several hours.
Finally, Jhulstra felt the child leave her body. She watched as the attending priestess held the babe, giving a look of disappointment. "Damn! Another male," she spat. It was then that Teb'agh came to stand beside her... the fool. The priestess shook her head and handed the bundle in her arms to Jhulstra. It was a beautiful baby girl... but she wasn't breathing. No living thing could comprehend the pain and rage she felt in that moment; it was unbearable. As if reacting to her emotional state, Ivy, her specially crafted blade seemed to quiver before Jhulstra had even gripped it, which is amazing considering the speed with which she grabbed the weapon and cut Teb'agh's throat. As he fell choking, some of his blood splattered across the baby's face, and a remarkable thing happened. The child awoke. It crinkled it's nose at the unexpected sensation across it's face and then cooed happily. Thus, anointed in the blood of her dying father, Illiana Vahadarr was born. Though no priestess herself, it was clear to Jhulstra that her daughter had the favor of some divine entity. Whether it was simply providence or one of the demon lords, she could not say. Unfortunately for Jhulstra, she wasn't the only one to notice Illiana's talents. The mother of Teb'agh, herself always having wanted a daughter, also took an interest in the child and as a high priestess in House Misraria, she had the resources to acquire her. One evening Illiana crept from her bed to watch her mother practice with Ivy. She had always admired the weapon, capable of seamlessly transitioning from a short blade to a bladed whip according to the wielder's thoughts, and spent much of her free time attempting to emulate her mother's movements. This particular night, as she watched her mother practice forms, she noticed several shadows closing in on her. She almost cried out a warning but, suddenly remembering something her mother taught her, crept closer instead. Only the strong survive, she thought. Let's see how strong mother is. The assassins crept silently into place, preparing to strike, but their prey was on to them. As they leapt from the shadows, Jhulstra also struck. Ivy lashed out and wrapped around the leg of one of the assailants planting him squarely on his back and then immediately whipped about to remove the weapon from another's hand. The third closed and thrust at Jhulstra's abdomen, but Ivy had already retracted and she parried the blow with the blade and knocked him further off balance with a kick to the backside. Glancing over, she saw the first assassin about to kip up and thrust Ivy toward him. The blade extended fluidly and pierced the elf's heart, ending his life. She spun to regard the other two but they had vanished. This can't be good, she thought, listening intently for any sign of them. She heard something move near Illiana and turned, but as she did she found only two daggers placed firmly between her ribs on either side as the assassins suddenly reappeared. Not strong enough, Illiana thought as the life quickly drained from her mother's body. Let's find the girl, she saw one of them sign. I will be, she thought as she crept silently toward her mother's corpse and Ivy. She was only a few feet from the blade when she unwittingly kicked a pebble and the assassins turned. She dashed for the weapon and leapt at her enemies, who instinctively prepared to counter the unexpected assault. Suddenly, shadows coalesced around Illiana, obfuscating her form and she slipped past their blades cutting both of their throats. As she stood there, catching her breath, another figure emerged, clapping slowly. "My my," a female voice sang softly, "it would appear that you do indeed have Nocticula's favor." Illiana raised Ivy and shifted back into a defensive stance, but the weapon was heavy now that her initial surge of adrenaline had worn off and she hadn't quite mastered its use. "Oh stop, child," the newcomer said, condescendingly. "They were never supposed to kill you. I am your grandmother, Zarafay Misraria; I've come to take you home." Illiana lowered the sword, but not her guard. "Come along now," Zarafay sang and walked away. Having nothing to her name now but her mother's blade, Illiana had little choice but to follow. When they arrived at her palace, Zarafay explained more about her relationship to Illiana and her new station. It quickly became clear to the young drow that this circumstance was a fortunate improvement for her. For the next several decades, in addition to practicing with Ivy, Illiana was trained in the ways of Nocticula. She learned to call upon the demon lord to give her power to permanently silence her foes. She also learned to revel in the power she gained from her patron, and her constant search for more power has brought her to Hagegraf in the realm of the duergar, where she is currently being held captive in the slave pits. She had taken several expendable males on an expedition to locate an artifact she had read about. If her research was correct, the artifact has the power to imbue Ivy with intelligence and strengthen the symbiotic relationship between them. During their search, they came across a duergar slave caravan. Severely outnumbered, two of the males died for her as they should, but the other two fled. Unable to escape, herself, Illiana surrendered that she might survive and appropriately punish the weaklings when she returned home. |
