Xantrius's page

A huge, imposing figure covered in armor from head to foot, he carries a polished shield bearing the etching of a rose in red and black. Striding about with a bold demeanor, he always seems to be in full command of any situation, not showing the doubts he feels about himself to those around him. He speaks in a deep, chilling voice that sends shivers up the spine of even the boldest knights, yet when he sings his voice smooths out into a surprisingly deep, rich baritone.

Beneath the armor:
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 245#
Eyes: Red
Skin: Black
Hair: None

Once he takes off the helmet, (which he rarely does with others around unless he knows them very well) you see a horrific black-scaled monster. Gleaming white fangs, small horns, glowing red eyes and pointed, serrated ears make him seem almost a full demon.

His mother Kale caused the cracking of the Kenabres Wardstone.

At least, that is the way she tells it. Before the first attacks, she was merely one of a squad of soldiers assigned to routine duty in the city. With nothing much to do most of them spent a lot of time in the local tavern, which is where she met Arvoris. A fairly good-looking young blacksmith come to trade from a neighboring village, she started spending a lot of time with him. He asked her endless questions about her and the exciting life of a soldier, and she enjoyed the attention.

Until the attack began.

With the cracking of the Wardstone, Demons began the assault , a screaming horde ready to claim all Golarian as their own. The crusaders fought bravely but were barely holding the line. After a disastrous battle on the front where she had seen almost her whole squad killed, she and a ragged group retreated back through the city. She rushed to find her lover. When she told him he had to flee, he laughed.

And then he changed.

He was not a simple craftsman but an advance scout for the Demonic Horde. And she had provided so much valuable information! Tears in her eyes, she could not believe it. She had used her Sight on him, seen no sign of evil! He grinned and raised an amulet with strange markings on it, taunting her. She rushed him with sword raised, but he teleported away, his laughter still ringing in her ears. She changed after that. Before, she had been a devotee of Shelyn, finding beauty in everything and a firm believer that anyone could find redemption. Now, she rushed into battle and fiercely attacked the enemy with no regard for her own life. Slowly, they managed to turn the tide and reclaim the city. The Wardstone held and she joined the new crusade to push the demons further back.

Until she discovered she was pregnant.

She knew once the child was born everyone would know of her shame and betrayal, so she fled. She settled in Ustalav, kept to herself and raised the demon-child for the rest of her life. She poured all her bitterness, rage, and hate for all demons into her son and trained him to kill as soon as he could hold a sword. But she also had the wisdom to try to make him understand that he was not to blame for what he was. Through his actions, he could overcome the stain of sin left on him by both his father and herself. He took to wearing full armor as often as he could, so as to hide his horrific visage. He still rarely removes it except when alone.

But it was not all lessons about demons and training. His fondest memories are of the times when, after a long day his mother would sing to him. She had a voice that would make the goddess Shelyn herself stop and listen! She would also sometimes talk about the family she left behind, her brother Kal who as far as she knew was still fighting in Kenabres. She instilled in him pride in the long line of the family who had come from Taldane during the first crusade and stayed, each generation taking up the banner to continue the war. While he took up the mantle of a Paladin from the teachings of his mother, he did not feel worthy to be one of Shelyn's own. He etched a rose in red and black on his shield and refers to his deity as "My Lady" and not by name where anyone can hear, but he hides the symbol of the Goddess of Beauty on the inner top of his shield and hopes to someday perform a deed to make him worthy in her eyes.

Last year, he returned from a trip to pick up the weapon he would need in his fight to find her dead, with a skeletal grey-skinned demon standing over her. The fiend dropped something on her body and vanished before he was able to reach them. He vowed then to destroy all demons, and to find out why she had been singled out for such misery. He still holds the strange amulet dropped by the demon, but he has not yet found someone who can tell him the meaning of the runes carved into it.

Now he has arrived in Kenabres, biding his time training in a crusader camp outside the city, ready to kill his Father and any other demon that gets in his way...

He was taught to honor the rightful law as long as it does not conflict with working for the common good, which is always paramount.

Always act with Honor, lies and cheating only spread ugliness.

Aid any good (or neutral) beings in need.

Destroy evil wherever it spawns and crush those who would see it spread but, should you find a being that truly seeks to change, nurture the beauty within.

Preserve the natural order by destroying the living dead, demons and devils that infest our world.

Nurture beauty wherever you can.

Awakening with the dawn, Xantrius sits up in his small tent on the outskirts of the city and starts polishing his armor. After awkwardly donning it in the small confines he exits and stirs up the embers of yesterday’s fire to cook his breakfast. He returns to his tent to eat and then puts his helm back on and checks his weapons before strapping them on. Taking one last look at the strange symbols on the amulet around his neck, he starts for the city. Nodding to the other recruits he recognizes as he leaves the large field camp stationed on the northern edge of Kenabres, he strides with purpose towards the library.

After waiting patiently for close to an hour while the guards at the gate check everyone entering the city, he recognizes the guard on duty and hails him. ”Good Morn, Roderick.” he calls out, his harsh, grating voice unnerving several others waiting to enter.

”Good Morn, Xantrius! Are you planning on joining in the festivities for Armasse tomorrow?”

”I shall be here, but I shall not have any duties. There is not much call for those who follow the Lady on this day.” he states, tapping his shield with its prominent depiction of a rose.

But I will not keep these good folks waiting any longer. Good Day.” With a final salute he enters and heads towards the Old City. His long stride quickly takes him along the twisting roads to his destination, the same place he has come almost every day for the past couple of weeks.

As he stoops to enter the entrance to the Library, the clerk at the desk sighs. ”He’s still not in.”

Xantrius is silent for a moment. ”And I doubt you have any idea when he will be available. May I view the volumes of Maxtarus’ Demonic Lore?”

”If you must. Be careful!” As the huge knight strides away the clerk mutters ”I don’t know why they even let brutes like him in…”

AC: 21, touch: 11, flat-footed: 20 (+6 Armor, +1 Dex, +2 Shield, +2 Natural Armor)
HP: 22 (2d10+4 Con, +2 FC)
Fort: +8, Refl: +7, Will: +7
Special Defenses: Cold Resistance 7, Electricity Resistance 7, Fire Resistance 7; +4 vs magical traps, language-dependent effects, symbols, glyphs, etc.

Spd: 20’
Melee: Cold Iron Longsword +7 (1d8+4, 19-20/x2)
+1 Morningstar +7 (1d8+5, 20/x2)
Silver Dagger +6 (1d4+4, 19-20/x2)
Shield Smash +6 (1d4+4, 20/x2)
Ranged: Silver Dagger +3 (1d4+4, 19-20/x2) (10ft)
Special Attacks:

Str: 18 (+4), Dex: 12 (+1), Con: 14 (+2), Int: 12 (+1), Wis: 12 (+1), Cha: 16 (+3)
BAB: +2, CMB: +6, CMD: 17

Armor of the Pit: +2 Natural Armor.
Weapon Focus: Longsword

Child of the Crusade: His mother was a member of the crusade, as were her parents before her. The righteousness of the crusades sometimes feels as if it runs in his very blood, and it bolsters him against demonic influence. His mother died last year, but he grew up knowing her, though, and her zeal and devotion to the crusade is the primary reason he feel the same way. She told him of other family members who have also been involved in the crusade, and it would not be uncommon for him to meet a distant cousin or long-lost aunt, uncle, or other family member while traveling among the border towns of Mendev. This strong family tie bolsters his mind and sense of belonging to the crusade. Once per day when he fails a saving throw against an effect created by a demon that would possess or incapacitate him mentally, he may immediately reroll that saving throw as a free action. He must take the second result, even if it is worse. Associated Mythic Path: Marshal.
Unscathed: Add 2 to all racial energy resistances
Armor Expert: Reduce the armor check penalty for any armor worn by 1.

Drawback
Overprotective: If one of your allies should fall unconscious from hit point damage, you take a –2 penalty on attack rolls and skill checks as long as you are farther than 10 feet away from your fallen ally.

(6 skill points / level +1 / level Int + 1 bonus=16 - Class Skills in Bold yield +3 when trained, Class Skills in Italics are trained only)

Mod Ranks Name of Skill (-3 Armor Check penalty)
-2 0 Acrobatics (-3 to jump)
+1 0 Appraise
+3 0 Bluff
+4 0 Climb
+1 0 Craft
+8 2 Diplomacy
+0 0 Disable Device
+3 0 Disguise
-2 0 Escape Artist
-2 0 Fly
+3 0 Handle Animal
+5 1 Heal
+3 0 Intimidate
+6 1 Knowledge (Arcana)
+6 1 Knowledge (Dungeoneering)
+2 0 Knowledge (Engineering)
+2 0 Knowledge (Geography)
+2 0 Knowledge (History)
+6 1 Knowledge (Local)
+2 0 Knowledge (Nature)
+2 0 Knowledge (Nobility)
+7 2 Knowledge (Planes)
+6 1 Knowledge (Religion)
+1 0 Linguistics
+8 2 Perception
+8 2 Perform (sing)
+7 1 Perform (oratory)
+1 0 Profession
-2 0 Ride
+5 1 Sense Motive
-2 0 Sleight of Hand
+5 1 Spellcraft +1 to identify magic items/decipher scrolls
-2 0 Stealth
+1 0 Survival
+1 0 Swim
+3 0 Use Magic Device

Languages
Common (Taldane)
Abyssal
Infernal

+2 Str, +2 Cha, -2 Int
Darkvision 60’
Infernal Resistance: Cold, Electricity & Fire 5
Skilled: +2 to Disable Device and Perception
Soul Seer: Deathwatch at will; r: 30' cone, d: 10 min/lvl; know if creatures in range are dead, fragile (less than 3hp), fighting off death (4+ hp), healthy, undead, or neither alive nor dead.

Aura of Good: has an aura of good equal to his level
Bardic Knowledge: He adds ½ level to all Knowledge checks and may make such check untrained
Bardic Performance: 9 rnds/day; begin as standard action, maintained as free action

Countersong (Su): He can counter magic effects that depend on sound. Each round of countersong, he makes a Perform (Keyboard, Percussion, Wind, String, or Sing) check. Any creature within 30ft that is affected by a sonic or language- dependent magical attack may use his Perform check in place of its saving throw if, after it is rolled, the Perform check is higher. If a creature within range of the countersong is already under the effect of a non-instantaneous sonic or language-dependent magical attack, it gains another save against the effect each round it hears the countersong, but it must use his Perform check. Does not work against effects that don’t allow saves. (Audible components)
Distraction (Su): He can use his performance to counter magic effects that depend on sight. Each round of the Distraction, he makes a Perform (Act, Comedy, Dance, or Oratory) check. Any creature within 30ft that is affected by an illusion (pattern) or (figment) magical attack may use his Perform check result in place of its save if, after the save is rolled, the Perform check is higher. If a creature within range if the Distraction is already under the effect of a non-instantaneous illusion (pattern) or (figment) magical attack, it gains another save against the effects each round it sees the Distraction, but it must use his Perform check. Does not work against effects that don’t allow saves. (Visual components)
Fascinate (Su): He can use his performance to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated with him. Each creature to be Fascinated must be within 90ft, able to see and hear him, and capable of paying attention to him. He must also be able to see the creatures affected. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. For every 3 levels after 1st, he can target 1 additional creature. Each creature within range makes a Will (DC 13) (10+1/2 level +Cha) to negate. If the save succeeds, the creature cannot be affected for 24 hours. If it fails, the creature sits quietly and observes the performance for as long as he continues to maintain it. While Fascinated, a target takes a -4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Perception. Any potential threat to the target allows the target to make a new save. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. This is an enchantment(compulsion) mind-affecting ability. (Audible/Visual components)
Naturalist (Ex): if he has identified a creature with a knowledge check, he can use performance to share strategies for defeating it with allies in combat. He and any allies within 30ft gain a +1 insight bonus to AC & Attacks, and saves against Extraordinary, Supernatural and Spell-like abilities used by that specific type of creature. This increases by +1 at 5th lvl and every 6 levels thereafter. This ability is Language-dependent and requires visual and audible components. Replaces Inspire Courage.

Detect Evil: at will; As move action, gain knowledge of strength of aura about 1 item/individual within 60' as if he had studied it for 3 rounds of concentration.
Divine Grace: He gains a bonus equal to his Cha modifier on all saving throws.
Lay on Hands: 4/day; heal 1d6 hps per 2 levels by touch. This is a standard action on others, swift action on self. He can deal damage to undead as a melee touch attack, no save.
Lore Master: He can take 10 on any knowledge check he has ranks in. 1/day, he can take 20 on a knowledge check, plus 1/6 lvls after 2nd.
Magic Lore: He gains a bonus on Spellcraft checks to identify magic items or decipher scrolls equal to 1/2 his lvl and may take 10 on such checks. He can use Disable Device to disarm magical traps and gains a +4 bonus on saves vs. magical traps, language-dependent effects, and symbols, glyphs, and magical writings of any kind.
Smite Evil: 1/day; add +3 (Cha) to attack, add +2 (level) to damage vs. 1 chosen opponent until they or he is defeated. If evil outsider, dragon or undead, gain +4 (2 x level) to damage instead, ignores DR.
He also gains a deflection bonus to AC vs. attacks from the target equal to his Cha mod (+3)

Bardic Spells CL: 2nd (Conc. +5) 25% failure chance for spells w/somatic comp.
O-Level
Detect Magic: (V,S) r: 60’, d: 1 min/l
Light: (V,M –firefly) d: 10 min/l
Mage Hand: (V,S) r: 25’+5’/2lvls, 1 object up to 5lbs, move 15’ as move action
Mending: (V,S) r: 10’, 1 object up to 1lb/lvl, restore 1d4hp
Prestidigitation: (V,S) r: 10', d: 1 hr, minor magical effects

1st-Level (3/day)
Cure Light Wounds: (V,S) heal 1d8+1hp/level
Ear-Piercing Scream: (V,S) r: 25’+5’/2 lvls, 1d6 dam/2 lvls Reflex (DC: 14) for ½
Expeditious Retreat: (V,S) d: 1 min/lvl, +30' speed

Combat Gear
MW Agile Breastplate (25 lbs), MW Heavy Steel Shield (15 lbs), Cold Iron Longsword (4 lbs), Silver Dagger (1 lb), Morningstar +1 (6 lb)

Other Gear
Traveller's Outfit (5 lbs), Backpack (2 lbs), Belt Pouch (.5 lb), Waterskin (4 lbs), Flint & Steel, 4 days Trail Rations (4 lbs), 50 ft Silk Rope (5 lbs), 2 Flasks of Acid (2 lbs), 1 Vial of Alchemist's Fire (1 lb), Terendelev's Scale: 3/day as a standard action, it can be used to cast align weapon, but only to make a weapon lawful or good. Unlike a normal align weapon spell, this effect can be cast on an unarmed strike or natural weapon.

Treasure: Millorn’s spellbook (blur, color spray, detect secret doors, fog cloud, grease, invisibility, mage armor, magic missile, resist energy, shocking grasp, and silent image)

At Campsite: Small Tent (20 lbs), Bedroll (5 lbs), Iron Pot (4 lbs), Mess Kit (1 lb)

Weight: 106.5lbs/76.5lbs without tent (L/M/H: 100/200/300)

Money