#lords of empyre

[dailycharacteroption]

Deity Drop 4: Andoletta

We’re back with more deities! And this time we’re tackling a new classification of demideity, in fact the broadest one!

Whether they are Archon, Agathion, Angel, Azata, or the rare few which defy those categorizations, all celestial demigods are referred to as Empyreal Lords, with no distinction between them beyond the traits of their native outsider type and philosophy.

Many Empyreal Lords also have direct administration (or at least authority) over major swaths of their home plane, even entire layers, leaving true deities to their personal realms.

While less well-known than true deities, empyreal lords are still paragons of good and kindness, unique divine beings that mortals may look to for wisdom and succor, perhaps worshipping them alongside a true deity as a form of pantheon.

In any case, let us turn to the actual subject of the entry, Andoletta!

Also known as Grandmother Crow, Andoletta is the archon empyreal lord of consolation, respect, and security, and she possesses the demeanor of a wise elder or grandparent, one who has seen ages come and go, and will always be there to pass wisdom onto the next generation. In this way, she is a protector of children, and a guide for the lost. She offers guidance for the ignorant and the remorseful, helping them on the way to wisdom and redemption, but for those who are truly wicked, she does not hesitate in her punishment. She also has an interest in protecting the wrongfully accused, and in consoling those who grieve for the deceased.

True to her nature, she often appears as an elderly woman with a long walking stick and a cape of black feathers which gives the impression of great black wings, though to the tengu she often indeed appears as a member of their kind, her cape becoming a true set of such wings.

Andoletta is the Shepherd of Requius, the fourth tier of Heaven, where she watches over the souls that either followed no specific deity but were true to the philosophy of lawful good in life, or otherwise are pacifists, having no desire to join the war against evil, but spend eternity in peaceful harmony in a pastoral expanse.

Empyreal lords like Andoletta are normally worshipped alongside other deities, or directly as part of what are called “Mystery cults”. Like their real-world counterparts, these cults are named such for their tendency to not share their rituals with others, which unfortunately makes it easy to mistake them for the more sinister variety. Still, their secrecy lets them hide among nations that oppress goodly faiths, as well as living discretely in lands where worship of lesser divinities is considered strange.

In any case, Andoletta’s cultists usually live as heads of small villages, or as wandering figures, where they provide aid to those who have lost the way, and provide protection and education to children and kindness to those in mourning. Her faithful despise deception and ignorance as well, causing her symbology to often appear in courthouses, and making them the enemies of those who profit from deception, no matter what side of the law they are on.

Not much information is given about Andoletta’s relationships, but it can be assumed that she is on good terms with most of the goodly pantheon (particularly her neighbor Erastil) and the more lawful and kindly monitor divinities. Evil gods, particularly those that focus on deceptive tactics and let others take the blame for their wickedness, seek to wipe out generations of knowledge through cultural genocide, or those that target children in particular (such as the demon lord Shivaska), are Andoletta’s sworn enemies.

As an archon, Andoletta can count upon many of her lesser kin to aid her, but she also includes celestial crows and ravens, blink dogs, and even goodly tengu among her servants (including their divine kin, the daitengu).

Her domains are that of Good, Knowledge, Law, and Protection, with the Subdomains of Archon (by way of Good or Law), Defense, Education (by way of Knowledge, Memory, and Purity. All of which reflect her role as a protector and advisor.

Similarly, Grandmother Crow’s Second Edition domains cover family, knowledge, protection, and sorrow, getting in a little bit more of her focus on children and upon consoling the grieving. While her granted spells allow her devotees to magically enhance simple wooden weapons, transform into birds, or quickly teleport allies and wards into favorable positions with foes at a disadvantage.

As an Empyreal Lord, Andoletta only has one set of obedience powers, tied to the Mystery Cultist prestige class. Whether empyreal lords do this out of humility compared to true gods or whether they simply have no need for such complexity, it is hard to say. In any case, the basic ritual of Andoletta is to recite a certain prayer while weaving a basket of willow branches and filling it with food, money, and other useful things and giving it away to someone in need, the completion of which provides some defense against magical attacks that deal harm with conjured or propelled physical objects.

Whether or not they choose to be a mystery cultist, however, these devotees also gain a few other abilities, starting with spells that provide protection, warding non-combatants against aggression, creating magic circles of protection, and even blessing weapons with alignment energies to pierce the hides of evil or chaotic beings. Another allows the blessed one to channel the stern disapproval of a thousand disappointed grandmothers, channeling a lawful dictum spell without saying a word. Finally, their eyes are enhanced to be a golden color, letting them see further into darkness, and unleashing a holy light from them that provides protection against mundane and magical harm to allies nearby.

Andoletta is not yet mentioned in Starfinder, but it can be assumed that she still persists, likely having her worshippers in daycares, courthouses, and other places of succor across countless communities among the stars.

That about does it for today, but we’ve still got a week of deities to explore!

#pathfinder #deity #Andoletta #Empyreal Lord

[heinousactszx]

i love it when i pick up a random trade that just so happens to have deep continuity cuts to a story i’m deeply familiar with

#reading lords of empyre rn #heinousposts

[monstersdownthepath]

Empyreal Lord: Andoletta, Grandmother Crow

CR 28

Lawful Good Medium Outsider

Heaven Unleashed, pg. 16~18

Surprise! A special capstone for this month devoted to all that's good in the world.

Andoletta here has the same unenviable position as Furcas, in that she doesn't exist on the internet beyond some vague numbers on the wiki. No presence in the Archives of Nethys, no copyright-free version on d20pfsrd, nothing. Much like Furcas, the most we have are the stats of her weapon of choice, a +5 Anchoring Ghost Touch Holy Quarterstaff that's often masquerading as simple walking stick, the Artifact known as Helicyon. When I first found her in Heaven Unleashed as I was seeking more information on Divine Heralds, I was gobsmacked to see her at all! What other secrets are hiding in books I've never read?!

Grandmother Crow also has the actual enviable position of being the ONLY Archon Empyreal Lord with stats. Yes, even the shining paladin Ragathiel is an Angel, not an Archon, and Andoletta puts all future potential archons to shame by being one their best. The ultimate grandmother to all beings, Andoletta takes pains to remind her peers that winning a war means nothing if there's nothing left back home worth protecting, and as such, she watches over the most peaceful of Heaven's many kingdoms, caring for the souls within who have no desire or ability to fight in the crusades against Evil and even venturing into the mortal world at the edges of war-torn kingdoms to shepherd the lost, lonely, grieving, and innocent to better lives, masquerading as... Well, nothing. As one of the most human-looking celestials, she really has no need or desire to change herself (though she can take on the shape of a crow, raven, or tengu when needed), so her most common "disguise" is just walking around as herself, a stern old woman with a cloak of crow feathers who seeks those needing her advice.

It should come as no surprise to those even passingly familiar with fantasy stories that you should never question the advice of an elder with an eccentric accessory. When she speaks, it is of the utmost importance that you listen, for what she has to say will always be what you needed to hear, no matter what that may be. If you are grieving, you'll be consoled. If you are hopeless, you'll be encouraged. If you're questioning, she'll have the answer. If you're an idiot, she'll say it to your face, and then give you advice on how to smarten up. For the majority of her existence, Andoletta eschews the idea of conflict and instead focuses on offering little comforts to those in need, especially children; a kind word, needed advice, a basket of food, or even just something as simple as a reassuring hand on the shoulder or a glass of milk on the nightstand to help someone troubled go back to sleep. It's these small acts of kindness that she specializes in, the tiny comforts she feels build people into being better overall, giving them the tiny push they need to keep going.

Of course, that CR 28 isn't just for show. Andoletta is never the first to join a fight, preferring life on the homestead, but any fiend attacking what they believe to be a harmless old woman or threatening the lives of children in her care is in for a hell of a reality check.

Let's begin with her aforementioned weapon of choice: Helicyon. It's said that Grandmother Crow's divine power erupted into existence once she gained an understanding the secrets of an ancient willow tree which whispered the truth of the past to her. It was reduced to a single branch when a jealous archon attempted the same, only to find that pathway to enlightenment allowed only one creature to pass, forcing Andoletta to take that branch and turn it into a walking stick she can call to her hand from across any distance.

she presumably did that after giving the idiotic soldier of Heaven a solid whacking for such an egregious show of short-sighted envy.

Beyond just being a reminder of Andoletta's journey to divinity, Helicyon is her primary whackin' stick, and it's deadly enough to give pause to whatever Balor or Pit Fiend thought it'd be funny to swing on an old lady. This +5 Anchoring Ghost Touch Holy Quarterstaff can be swung up to seven times a round for 1d6+14 (+2d6 vs Evil) damage, with the Anchoring ability giving her the amusing option to slam it down into someone's foot or pushing them against a wall with its end in their chest and pinning them in place while she lectures them on how stupid they are to make her resort to such measures. And her lecture would work, too, because anyone struck by Helicyon must make a DC 25 Will save or be filled with Overwhelming Grief at every tragedy that's occurred in the entirety of creation since their existence started, unable to take any actions for up to 28 rounds unless they succeed the save again at some point during the effect. This crushing remorse is so potent it penetrates all defenses, including Mythic and deific protection, and no creature is immune to it, even if they don't have emotions. The only way to avoid the grief is to succeed the saving throw (any of the saves it offers will do), at which point there's a 24-hour immunity clause to prevent Grandma from stun-locking someone for minutes at a time.

While her melee may not seem intimidating at first, she's got a large pick of spells from the Inquisitor spell list she can invoke as swift actions, including Forceful Strike (+10d4 damage Force damage plus a free Bull Rush on a melee attack), Burst of Speed (+20 movement speed, movement doesn't trigger AoOs, can move through enemy spaces), and perhaps most dangerously for her foes: Litany of Righteousness, which causes the target to take double damage from the attacks of creatures with a Good alignment aura, including herself and her own attacks, for one round. 1d6+14 isn't impressive, but 2d6+28 up to seven times? There's an appropriate trope for this.

She has more than just a handful of Inquisitor spells, of course; among a handful of charming and helpful spells (such as Daylight, Plant Growth, and Calm Emotions), her combat options include a 3/day Dictum and Greater Dispel Magic, and the oxymoronic Quickened Slow to mire her foes with a lengthy stagger, making it much harder for them to harm her in a meaningful way... which is good, because she kind of needs it.

Unlike most demigods, Andoletta has comparatively fewer defenses. Her DR 15 is much harder to pierce than many other Good-aligned demigods, requiring a weapon that's Evil-aligned and Epic, but her low 10 Regeneration is suppressed by ANY exposure to Evil. She's got most of the Demigod Suite of immunities including proof against charm/compulsion, energy drain, ability score damage, poison, death, and petrification... but because grandma needs her naps and has arthritis, she's not immune to sleep or paralysis. In addition, her ONLY elemental resistance is immunity to Electricity when most creatures at her level are swinging around Fire and Cold with incredible ferocity. She doesn't even have Freedom of Movement available to her, leaving her terribly vulnerable to entangling effects, paralysis, or even just difficult terrain, which can prevent her from initiating with her otherwise-intimidating Spring Attack.

Thankfully, her lack of in-built defenses is somewhat mollified by her other unique abilities. She has the Primal Aura of all Empyreal Lords, her unique aura stretching to create a 30ft Circle of Protection From Evil, shielding everything inside from the attacks, spells, and effects of any Evil creature while also preventing any summoned Evil creature from setting a single toe inside. Anyone with 10 or less Hit Dice that's inside the aura is also shielded by an empowered Sanctuary effect that requires a DC 39 Will save to attack through... unless the fight takes place in Heaven, at which point the Sanctuary effect is completely unbreakable, resetting every round even if the protected creature attacks. The primary use of this power is, obviously, shielding civilians, as any attacker quickly finds out they can't bring their weapon against any innocent, costing them their action for the round and often allowing Andoletta to punish them for the attempt.

This isn't her only means of protecting her wards and allies, either; several of her lord and Inquisitor spells are for the benefit of others, like Litany of Escape and Litany of Warding, but she can also cause a mass-Sanctuary by standing tall and using Wing Snap. This 1/day thunderous crack of her hidden crow wings dispels fear effects from any number of creatures of her choosing within 30ft and shields them with Sanctuary, while any Evil creature within the radius must succeed a DC 39 Fortitude save or take 5d6 Sonic damage and be struck deaf for 2d6 rounds. This power can only be used when she has her Crow Feather Cape, but the indestructible artifact returns to her every 24 hours even if she's gifted it to someone, so she more or less always has it on her anyway.

Why would she give her cape away, though? Typically as a test. Anyone bearing her Crow Feather Cape is shielded by the immensely powerful Winds of Vengeance spell for 24 entire hours, a spell that's potent offensively and defensively. A creature shrouded by the cape can thus fly at 60ft/round through any environment and gains immunity to ALL projectile-based ranged attacks, 90% of existing breath weapons, and all gas/vapor-based attacks, spells, and effects. Anything striking a shrouded creature in melee has to make a DC 39 Fortitude save or take 5d6 damage and be knocked prone (or knocked from the sky, if it was flying), potentially ending a Full-Attack and allowing a retaliatory Full-Attack from the wielder with extra accuracy bonuses thanks to the victim being knocked prone.

Any creature that violates a just law while blessed with the cape not only immediately loses its power over winds, but has their voice stolen and replaced with the helpless squawking of a crow until they get the curse broken or until Andoletta removes it with a thought, typically followed by a stern lecture. It's an unbelievably powerful tool she can hand out to someone she thinks may use it correctly... but in my readings of this ability, there seems to be absolutely no restrictions in place which prevent Grandmother Crow from using the ability on herself as a move action, giving her insurmountable defenses against anyone trying to hit her from a range and blasting anyone hitting her in melee off their feet, letting her either lay into them with her staff... or use its Anchoring ability to pin them to the ground so she can advise them against going any further.

In the end, that's all she really wants. She is the least warlike of all the Archons; she's not made to fight, and in fact abhors actually doing so, battling only when innocent lives are on the line and even then only until her wards have fled the fight before she teleports, Time Stops, or Plane Shifts away herself. She's more likely to trip up, disable, debuff, and humiliate her foes than actually kill them, humbling them so that they may listen to her words and, eventually, internalize them. With age comes wisdom, with wisdom comes patience, and Andoletta is patient enough to watch for every minute crack and fracture in even the most staunchly evil soul in the hopes that she can jam it wide enough to plant a seed of good.

And if that fails, she tends to just hold off her attacker long enough for a finisher to come along, because Heaven knows there are plenty of them around, ready to jump to Grandma's defense.

Andoletta's stats are not available via official channels, but I did find them here. The stats for her staff, however, are on the Archives here.

#Holy Heralds Month #not really but im including her anyway #Monster Spotlight #CR 26 and up #Pathfinder #dungeons and dragons 5e

[dujour13]

Siavash in his ascended form - art by the incredible @pauvre-lola

The Lark, Empyreal Lord of liberation and healing song

Alignment: Chaotic good

Portfolio/areas of concern: Music, Freedom, Redemption, Luck

Domains: Good (redemption), Chaos, Liberation, Travel (exploration)

Subdomains: Azata, Charm, Revolution

Worshippers: the redeemed or those seeking redemption, musicians, rebels, travelers and explorers

Servants: azata, havoc dragons, birds

Holy Symbol: a lark in flight

Favored Weapon Instrument: the guitar

Sacred Animal: the lark

Sacred Flower: the wood anemone

Sacred Colors: sky blue and gold

Edicts: The Lark is the patron of those who free themselves from chains, whether physical or mental. His worshipers are encouraged to keep an open mind, and always choose compassion over judgment. People are an end in themselves and never a means to an end. Acts of forgiveness, treating people with kindness and equality, and freeing the enslaved or imprisoned earn his favor.

#pathfinder: wrath of the righteous #wotr commander #azata #siavash #art #lola vagabonde #my heart's breaking this is so good #merci mille fois lola c'est absolument magnifique #💜💜💜

[616phyla]

Mar-Vell's children at his grave

Silver Surfer (1986) Annual #6; Annihilation (2006) #2; Lords of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling (2020)

#legacy grief and destiny how do you live up to someone said to be so great you never knew #the parallels and differences in how the kids deal with the pressure is so interesting. chews on it. running from it or trying to live up t #captain marvel #phyla-vell #teddy altman #genis-vell #mar-vell #lin.txt

[comicsgallery-marvel]

Lords of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling (2020) #1

#Anelle #Mar-Vell #Teddy Altman #Empyre (2020)

[gefdreamsofthesea]

I thought I would highlight some of my favourite queer characters in Pathfinder.

Shelyn, Desna, and Sarenrae are in a polyamorous relationship. Your PCs can even worship all three as the Prismatic Ray pantheon!

Arshea is the Empyreal Lord of freedom, physical beauty, and sexuality. Their worshipers eschew gender roles and many enjoy crossdressing.

ETA: I had added a couple iconics and NPCs I liked but tumblr ate them so here's a brief list: Anevia and Irabeth Tirabade, Mios, and Kyra and Merisiel

[angelophanie]

Feel the beat 🎶

Clubbing husbands, inspired by this iconic skrull dressed as Charles in a gay bar in Lords of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling 👀

#krakoa cherik #comics cherik #cherik

[elavoria]

WIP Wednesday

Tagged by @sheirukitriesfandom, thank you! I tag @dirty-bosmer and @boethiahspillowbook~

Have this reflection on religion from a little while ago, since I don’t consider what I’ve written more recently to be as shareable:

“I hate to admit it, but he has a point,” Seelah said, breaking the awkward tension. Isanna braced herself for another rebuke about Hulrun, but the paladin only said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you use your holy symbol in battle… or at all, for that matter.” “Oh, I don’t use it for spellcasting,” Isanna said, giving her a small smile. “I use it for prayer.” “I’ve never seen you pray, either,” Seelah remarked. “You expect to see me pray?” Isanna asked softly, eyes wide with genuine surprise. Seelah stared back at her doubtfully, and eventually the commander exhaled in amusement and shook her head with an apologetic little smile. “I’m sorry, sometimes I forget faith isn’t a deeply private matter for everyone.” She sheathed her scimitar, then took the wooden figure of Sarenrae in her hands and stared at it fondly. “My father carved this for me when I became an inquisitor,” she said. “He’s a woodworker, and although he doesn’t worship Sarenrae like my mother and I do, he was so proud of me. He’s more Varisian than Chelish by blood,” she explained before anyone asked, “and like many of Magnimar’s Varisians, he takes the city’s favored empyreal lords as his pantheon. For Varisians, this worship is a private, personal matter, not something to be done in public. Any congregations that do exist are small and home-based. Given that and Magnimar’s lack of an official temple to Sarenrae, well…” She smiled and shrugged. “Faith has always been a very private thing for me. I’ve visited many temples of Sarenrae in my travels, and they’re remarkably beautiful buildings, but… with the emphasis on communal singing and dancing, I always felt out of place during the services.”

#pathfinder #pathfinder wrath of the righteous #seelah #my writing #my oc #isanna #text post #i absolutely adore delving into religious lore and seeing how it might influence characters... inner sea gods pdf my beloved #isanna does get more comfortable praying outside of her tent over time... but she still does it at a distance

[augment-techs]

For the sending lyrics and you’ll make a fake wip summary;

If I could only get back to yesterday,

Today would be a perfect day

If I could only get back to yesterday,

Oh, the different things I'd do and say

I'd be so good to you

If I had a second chance

Yes, I would (Yes, I would)

Yes, I would

Drakkon and Eugene

Title: all that has been, all that will be (has no meaning anymore) Rating: T Warnings: Attempted Infanticide, Violence. Relationships: World of the Coinless Eugene Skullovitch/World of the Coinless Adam Park; World of the Coinless Eugene Skullovitch ^ Lord Drakkon | Tommy Oliver; World of the Coinless Kimberly Hart/World of the Coinless Farkas Bulkmeir; Coinless Trini/Scorpina; Coinless Zack Taylor/Coinless Jason Scott; Ninjor & Dulcea. Characters: Coinless Eugene Skullovitch; Coinless Adam Park; Lord Drakkon | Tommy Oliver; Prime Tommy Oliver; Prime Billy Cranston; The Blue Emissary; The Omega Rangers; Ninjor; Dulcea; The Green Dragon; The Orange Power Coin; The White Tiger. Additional Tags: Emotional Hurt/Comfort; Found Family; Families of Choice; Aftermath of Violence; Unresolved Grief; PTSD; Literal Infantilization; Planet Hopping; Good Parent Eugene Skullovitch; Good Parent Adam Park; Eugene Skullovitch is Not Having a Good Time; Redeemed Lord Drakkon; Verbal Abuse; Past/Implied Child Abuse; Hijinks. Summary:

The Emissaries realized their mistake, just before Kiya had slaughtered Blue and set forth the Orange Empyreal on the Prime universe. Drakkon deserved a punishment for all his misdeeds, but perpetual solitary confinement wasn't the way to do it. They could shift the balance of Power throughout the cosmos if the Grid deems it necessary, why not shift other things? So it went like this: The Red Emissary removed the toxic will of the Green Dragon from Drakkon, the Yellow Emissary removed his memories, and the Blue Emissary removed everything that made him a threat by turning back the clock and arranging a meeting with the World of the Coinless; an infant Tommy Oliver in hand, naked and confused and not quite a week old. They gathered the surviving Rangers--including the ones Zordon made a grave error in excluding--in the throne room and set the child on a table with the proclamation that it was them that would decide on what constituted justice. When they vanished, leaving the child behind, there was the mounting horror that came with it; showcasing that there was little left of what one would call mercy, with suggestions such as doing as mankind did centuries ago in leaving the infant in a vase out in the elements, or sending it away to the courts of the united planetary systems that also wanted a crack at Drakkon. Or simply setting the newborn on its stomach to let it stop breathing.

The real horror came from only Skull stepping forward when the child--he was an infant, like so many that he'd pulled out of the rubble and spirited to the others in the Coinless--mewled pitifully with the chill of the air and the man wrapped him up in his sentry's cape. (Skull was always meant to be a parent. And Orange is always benevolent in its choices. Even in enraged and in want of vengeance.)

*

(Just for fun; a little theoretical excerpt below the cut)

He was thirty-eight, worn down to a thread, and feeling a little disgusted and fed up with just about everyone. Why bother defending choices that were going to be torn to shreds because nobody was willing to look beyond their own feelings of revenge and the unfairness of it all? Why bother looking for help even in the face of a bestfriend that had been so far away for two decades? (It probably wouldn't have hurt as much if he was as heartless and disgusting as everyone seemed to think he was. There was something akin to despairing familiarity in that.) Continuing his tramp along train tracks that had not been used since before The Final Battle, the long stretch of them familiar even after years, Skull tried to ignore how heavy the bag he'd brought along was, how his eyes were starting to become sore from the receding sun--as well as his trying not to embarrass himself with tears--and made sure his grip along wrap sling he'd had to fashion out of curtains was secure. Taking his eyes off of the horizon and tracks, just for a moment, Skull looked down again at the little bundle that had caused such a hubbub and breaking of any sort of civility. The barest traces of brown hair soft to the touch, skin much darker than it had been over the last few years, tiny little hands curling into Skull's shirt as the little hazel eyes twitch under petal soft lids in sleep. Tommy Oliver, reduced to a foundling that couldn't have been more than a week old; not even five pounds and completely helpless at at the mercy of every other being on the planet. For some reason the unfairness that everyone else seemed to feel didn't come to Skull. Not even the feeling of being cheated. He wouldn't pretend he understood it. Like he wouldn't pretend he couldn't hear the slightest steps of someone that had been trailing behind him for a good hours. "You really shouldn't be following me, Adam. What would Rocky and Aisha say?" He turned gently, not swaying and careful not to suggest vertigo in his own exhaustion, and looked over to the trees along the tracks that came part and parcel with the wilderness taking back the earth far faster than anyone would have guessed so long ago. It took a moment, not even three seconds, but exactly where his eyes were trained, grey and piercing as any wild animal, the tree branches in full green parted, the tall grass parting against knees as Adam Park loped out of his carefully hidden place and tried very hard not to look...embarrassed? ...And also like he wasn't obviously carrying a much bigger pack along his shoulders that was at least twice the size of the one his former captain carried.

#boom! comics power rangers #World of the Coinless #ask fill #prompt fill #Coinless Eugene Skullovitch #Coinless Adam Park #Lord Drakkon | Tommy Oliver #mighty morphin power rangers

[lordcaptains]

i wonder how much of the hand of the inheritor's nature is - not an act, but a conscious decision on his part. 

he's made of the stuff of heaven, the essence of the upper planes, true, but that encompasses a whole host of ideals. and before he served as iomedae's herald, he served as the empyreal lord ragathiel's - before he was the hand of the inheritor, he was the hand of vengeance. 

after aroden died and iomedae ascended, he asked to be released to serve her. baphomet says the angel has never been forgiven for "leaving ragathiel and joining iomedae" and that "heaven never rewards its traitors with trust." that's only the word of a demon lord, true, but the most dangerous words of demons are the half-truths.

so…why? iomedae didn't request his service - it was a choice the herald made of his own free will. and iomedae embodies justice, while ragathiel embodies vengeance. 

does the herald's nature tend that way too, then? towards vengeance, towards anger untempered by righteousness, towards wrath, just as ragathiel's does? and when he asked to serve iomedae, it was because he wanted to be different. he wanted to change.

in iomedae he sees ideals he himself wants to strive for - "righteous justice, valor, and honor", as he tells the knight-commander. he's given thought to this, and he's decided how he wants to be - still very much a warrior, but maybe something…kinder than what he was before.

#playin' pathfinder #pathfinder #wrath of the righteous #wotr #the hand of the inheritor

[dailycharacteroption]

Roleplaying Races 15: Munavri

(art by Catilus on DeviantArt)

On Monday we looked at the caligni, and now it’s time to look at one final example of Azlanti survivors that were changed by their exodus. However, unlike many such survivors, the muavri were not corrupted or degenerated by the transformation, and are a rare bastion of good and righteousness in the often cutthroat world that is the Darklands.

Descended from Azlanti sailors that were ambushed and abducted by the alghollthu in the wake of Earthfall, they were dragged down into the depths along the Braid, a supernatural waterspout that connects the Arcadian Ocean of the surface to the Sightless Sea in the Orv layer of the Darklands below.

Though no doubt the alghollthu had sinister plans for these abductees, perhaps planning on turning them into something similar to the azarketi gillmen, these Azlanti escaped and made use of their skill as sailors to ply the dark ocean aboard violet-sailed vessels made from carved ivory, where they settled on floating islands of a strange, jade-like substance.

This jade is highly psychically reactive, which made it unbearable for the alghollthu and many of their minions to approach, making it a sanctuary for these survivors. Over the generations, they adapted to the darkness and constant psychic power around them, becoming powerful and canny mystics in their own right as they prove a nearly inassailable nuisance to drow, alghollthu, urdefhans, and other villainous cultures in the depths.

Munavri look mostly human of Azlanti ethnicity, but their skin and hair is bleached of all color, making them seem at first glance to be albino. What’s more, their eyes radiate light from their natural psychic power. They typically wear jade armor chipped form the very gemstones they reside on, as well as leathers tanned from subterranean beasts.

It’s no exaggeration to say that the munavri represent the best of response to hardship a society can have, forging close-knit communities that are there for each other and treat each other like family beyond the bonds of blood, and forgoing brutality for carefully organized resolution of conflicts between their own. They also typically worship the various empyreal lords, with three spiritual leaders, each representing the empyreal lords of a particular celestial clade. Meanwhile, large family units are led by a protector-marshal that governs in the best interest of their people. That’s not to say that there are not dissenters or no room for individuality, but they often do focus on community first and foremost. Additionally, they treat friendly outsiders very well, and are eager to hear about the world outside their lightless nautical realm, especially the surface world.

As beings descended directly from the incredibly hale and brilliant Azlanti, the Munavri boast superior minds and bodies (particularly agility) with the exception of their strength, which is on the weaker side.

They also possess exceptionally long-ranged night-sight as well.

This, however, is coupled with a sensitivity to bright light.

Imbued with psychic magic, munavri have a knack for reading the psychic echoes on objects in particular, gleaning information from them.

They are able to take this even further, however, by reading the memories of how the object was used, allowing them to use unfamiliar weapons and tools with a surprising level of competence for a short while.

Like many Darklands residents, they also possess a bit of innate spell resistance as well, making them hard to affect with hostile magic.

Their psychic abilities also grant them telepathy, though it is limited to communication with other munavri only.

With having a positive bonus to every single stat except for strength, munavri characters can literally excel at any class or archetype combination, even strength-based stuff like barbarians with a little work. Which… will give a lot of GMs pause, and I can imagine many straight-up banning the ancestry outright because of that, or at least restricting it to games where everyone is playing something similarly powerful or higher-level games where such traits are less of an issue. If you do get to play one, consider that nautical options are appropriate for their life on a sunless sea, as well as various classes and archetypes that grant psychic magic as well. But again, they can excel in pretty much any field, so feel free to pick any class combination you like!

#pathfinder #race #munavri #Bestiary 6 #Occult Bestiary #Darklands Revisited

[silver-gm]

I stink at video editing, but I bashed together this summary of the major Empyreal Lords of Pathfinder

#pathfinder #pathfinder 2e #pathfinder rpg #ttrpg #meme humour

[monstersdownthepath]

You think it's weird that there haven't been any fiendish gods of music for the metalheads in Pathfinder's patheon?

Not at all! Metal music wasn't really a thing until the Plane of Metal intersected the Inner Sphere again (this sounds like a joke but it's actually canon I repeat this is a canon detail from Rage of Elements). Now that the concept has been reintroduced to the universe, there's probably some kind of fiend out there ready to make "devil worshiping metal music" a literal concept.

This also means there's probably going to be the in-universe equivalent of Christian Rock as some of the Empyreal Lords start nodding along to the beat.

I entirely misunderstood the question, but I had already written the first paragraph before I looked up and read it again. Yes, it IS a little odd that there's no evil deity that has a specific interest in music; there are some who enjoy songs (Ardad Lili, Ydajisk, Gogunta), but none that are explicitly musicians or who appreciate music enough to have it in their divine portfolio. The closest is the Velstrac Demagogue Sugroz, who's noted to transform mortals and captured Outsiders into twisted musical devices whose notes are the victims' tortured screams, but that's more of a side project than her actual goal. Man, the more I delve into it, the more glaring the absence becomes! There's not even a specific Infernal Duke for it, and there's some really specific Infernal Dukes! Selling your soul for musical talent is one of the most enduring diabolic storylines!!!!! What gives?!

... Thinking about it, not even I have an evil deity associated with music. I have a Neutral one (and a Great Old One at that), and the non-sapient Gravesong, but no actual evil music god. It's certainly a niche begging to be filled!

#asks #coolclaytony

[droids-in-disguise]

Billy and Teddy making TNG references in Lords of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling (2020) #1

Bonus:

#tng #star trek tng #marvel comics #hulkling #wiccan

[another-heroine]

Thinking about Tishka

I suppose it's nothing new that I love birds of prey. They are one of my fav animals, side by side with wolves and felines. My father and my baby brother call me 'little owl' (what's very cute hahaha), my friends and hubby associate me with crows (what is cute too). Anyway, just babbling.

But. Let's talk about Tishka.

CW: Long Post, Animal's Death, Personal Sidequests, Empyreal Lord apparition, Hook for Witch!Ekaterina, I got carried away again

When I was creating Ekaterina, I thought about giving her an animal companion. I love this part of her class. But the more I read about the druids in Pathfinder, the more I noticed that it wouldn't be her cup of tea. Blight Druids don't bond with animals necessarily, but with the ill land, and it fits perfectly for WOTR's context.

She was a lonely child and one day found an owl's nest in the underground. Katya get quickly attached to the Mama Owl and her owlets. Especially to the odd one: the smallest of the flock. While his siblings grew up and changed feathers, he looked like was always a step back. And yet he strived.

The elders recalled restlessly about how important was to let the Nature follows its course and they should never step on. Ekaterina did that, but not without cheering for her friend to survive because she felt him. When the others owlets were learning how to fly, she made company to him.

The name 'Tishka' came to her in a dream. Actually, it was Tisemir, but Ekaterina got used to call him by the nickname. She only calls him Tisemir when she is infuriated (what's very rare).

When she left Irrisen, he found her midway to Mendev. By that time, Ekaterina had already noticed that he wasn’t an ordinary owl; Tishka could fly long ways in short time, show in her dreams, and could send and bring messages for/from her family. She thought the latter was only possible because Annya and she were druids and were able to understand animals, but barely she knew it wasn’t all.

When her biological mother struck, kidnapping Annya, Ekaterina (and the KC, in the CompanionAU!) confronts a hard moment:

"Are you willing to save your dearest mother or your stupid owl?"

Both beloved ones before her eyes, with their fates on her hands. Annya tied like a lamb, with a blade between her ribs, Tishka locked in a cold iron cage, in the aim of a deadly spell. Regardless Ekaterina's choice, she can hear his last words:

"Trust me... I'm sorry."

A suddenly darkness gouples the room, giving enough time for Annya to free herself and get barely injured, but they can't say the same for the horned owl; a sparkle and a painful shriek are enough to make the aasimar's eyes glow bewildered.

Tishka was dead. And that filth hag would pay for it.

After seizing the witch, Ekaterina mourns for her feathered best friend. When she touches his body, she is transported for another dimension and sees herself surrounded by celestial owlbears and ghostly owls. Among them, a giant, bluish horned owl with glowing eyes is staring at her.

"And we finally met," he says. "Forgive me for not contacting you in a better moment, emberchild."

"Who are you?" Ekaterina frowns with clenched fists.

"... And he told me about you. Tishka, I mean. Since then, I couldn’t take off my eyes of your deeds, emberchild. Since your foreparent is a reckless being and never came in your aid."

"Me? I am Tanagaar, the Aurulent Eye, an Empyreal Lord. I am a watcher, protector of whoelse wanders in the dark to protect their kin from evil."

The druid sttagered.

"Do you know my foreparent?"

"Yes, but trust me, it’s better you two never meet. For your good."

Ekaterina pleadges, "Please, bring him back. It was a mistake."

"Mistake you say? Emberchild, he knew what he was doing. After all, it was me who lend a sparkle of my power for Tishka saves your mother. And what's gone can’t be returned. You should know it very well."

Ekaterina drops her gaze, embarrassed. She sounded like a spoiled child, didn’t she?

"But..."

She looked at the deity again, hopeful.

"It doesn’t mean he can’t keep following you."

Among the ghostly court, an owl flies right way to the druid. She would recognize him in any life or after it. His feathers, now changing their colors between gray and brown, like it used to do when they left Irrisen and arrived at places where the sun was allowed to touch the earth, are dearly familiar.

"You feathered brain," she mocks with cracked voice. "I'm glad to see you again."

Tanagaar states, "The brighter the light, the darker the shadows. Use it in your favor, emberchild."

"What’s the catch? You wouldn’t simply let him wandering with me for free, would you?"

"Why would I not?" The Empyreal sounded concerned. "You are fighting against demons and bringing light to the darkest depths of the Abyss. When your halo falters, you can call for me and my flock. The only thing I ask for is an alliance. But you don't need to answer now. Your people needs you."

Before she could say anything, Ekaterina was back at the witch's den, with curious and worried eyes over her. Tishka's body had disapeared in thin air, yet she could feel him nearby.

All that time, the piercy eyes of an Empyreal Lord were watching her, silent, motionless. And she didn’t know how to react.

#not sure if she would become a witch (at least not in my playthrough) #but the idea of catching an empyreal's attention was interesting to work on #in-game it would give her an ability or two #or just a charmed amulet #thanks for coming to my ted talk #i need to gather all pieces yet #ekaterina grushankaya #pwotr pals