ELENA FAITH-HOLD (KNIGHT PROTECTOR OF NIDALA)
Sources
Islands of Terror
Artwork
Islands of Terror - p7
Stats / Rules
Islands of Terror - pp14-16
Description
Ravenloft Third Edition - pp156-158
Secrets of the Dread Realms - p7
Islands of Terror - pp6-10
Maps
NULL
See Also
Darklord of Nidala (Domain)
Resides in Faith Hold (Location)
Wields Caitlin (Item)
Former companion of Lady Kateri Shadowborn (NPC)
So Islands of Terror holds 2E stats. I could have sworn i saw a conversion or at least 3E stats for her either on this board or on the FoS, somewhere...
She's not in the Darklord conversion thread so maybe it was on the FoS boards...
According to this old thread hida jiremi has some stats for her.
Edit: I found this thread on the FoS boards about statting Elena. ex-paladin/blackguard seems the way to go but nothing specific. Though another poster has the same delusions about seeing her statted somewhere as I.
2.7 Elena Faith-Hold
(Source: Islands of Terror)
Female human Pal10 (Fallen): CR 10; Medium-size Humanoid (Human) (5 ft. 11 in. tall); HD 10d10+20; hp 95; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 19 (+9 +2 half-plate armor); Atk +19/+14 melee (1d10+8/17-20, +2 bastard sword); SA Conversion, turn LG; SQ Detect “evil,” divine grace, divine health, immortality, spell-like abilities; AL LE; SV Fort +13, Ref +9, Will +9; Str 23, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 18.
Skills and Feats: Concentration +8 (6), Handle Animal +10 (6), Intimidate +10 (6), Knowledge (religion) +15 (13), Ride +10 (8); Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Leadership (12), Mounted Combat, Skill Focus (Knowledge [religion]), Weapon Focus (bastard sword).
Paladin Spells per Day: 2/2. Base DC = 12 + spell level. Deity: Belenus (Dark Powers).
Signature Possessions: Caitlin (+2 bastard sword), +2 half-plate armor.
Combat
Spell-Like Abilities: 2/week - cause disease; 3/day - inflict light wounds.
Special Attacks: Conversion (Su): Elena can attempt to convert foes in melee combat. Her foes must make a Will save (DC 20) or turn to her side and lay their lives down for her. She may use this mind-affecting ability at will.
Turn LG (Su): Elena can turn lawful good characters as a cleric of 10th level turns undead.
Special Qualities: Detect “Evil” (Su): When Elena detects evil, she actually senses strong emotions directed toward her, which she then interprets as evil intent. Strong emotions include love and hate.
Immortality (Su): Elena does not age.
I think i'm going to make her take blackguard, as being a 10th level fallen paladin, taking a single level of black guard would make her a 10th level blackguard right off the bat, replacing her paladin levels and allowing the blackguard spells and abilities. I find her ability to turn LG people amusing:D
Elena Faith-hold, Darklord of Nidala
Female human ex-Pal3/Blk8: CR: 11+; Medium-size humanoid (human); HD 11d10; hp 90; Init +2; Spd 20 ft.; AC 23 (touch 11, flat-footed 22); Atk +16/+11/+7 melee (1d10+7 [one-handed] or 1d10+9 [two-handed]/crit 17-20 plus 2d6 unholy damage, +2 unholy bastard sword) or +13/+8/+3 ranged touch (by spell); SA aura of despair, command undead, poison use, smite evil, sneak attack +2d6, unholy bastard sword; SQ detect evil, dark blessing, fiendish servant; SR 14; AL LE; SV Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +7; Str 20, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 18 Height 5 ft. 11 in.
Skills and Feats: Concentration +4, Diplomacy +10, Heal +4, Intimidate +12, Knowledge (religion) +4, Ride +8; Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword), Improved Critical (bastard sword), Mounted Combat, Ride-by Attack, Trample.
Languages: Nidalan*
Blackguard Spells per Day: 2/1/1/1. Base DC = 12 + spell level. Caster level 8th.
Signature Possessions: +2 unholy bastard sword (“Caitlin”), +2 full plate of moderate fortification, masterwork large metal shield, candle of truth, gold holy symbol of Belenus.
Fiendish Heavy War Horse: CR 3; Large magical beast; HD 6d8+18; 48 hp; Init +1 (Dex); Spd 50 ft.; AC 22 (–1 size, +1 Dex, +5 natural, +7 armor); Atk +10/+10/+5 melee (1d6+4 [x2], hooves; 1d4+2 bite]; Face/Reach 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft. [10 ft. with horn]; SA smite good; SQ darkvision 60 ft., cold and fire resistance 10, damage reduction 5/+1, empathic link, improved evasion, scent, share saving throws, share spells; SR 12; AL LE; SV Fort +13, Ref +7, Will +7; Str 19, Dex 13, Con 17, Int 6, Wis 13, Cha 6.
Skills and Feats: Listen +8, Spot +8.
Possessions: Masterwork half-plate barding, military saddle.
Combat
Elena is a born warrior. She is never so happy as she is when fighting what she believes to be a righteous battle. She will not withdraw unless clearly overmatched, and even then retreat will be temporary. She prefers to fight while mounted on her fiendish steed, riding in the midst of her foes swinging her bastard sword.
Aura of Despair (Su): Elena radiates a malign aura that causes enemies within 10 ft. of her to suffer a –2 morale penalty on all saving throws. Many Nidalans claim that when their Holy Protector is provoked by evil, she responds with a palpable fury; even the most wicked of beasts tremble before her righteous wrath.
Command Undead (Su): Elena can command or rebuke undead as a 6th-level evil cleric.
Convert (Sp): At will, Elena can attempt to convert a foe to her side. The target must succeed at a DC 19 Will save or “see the light,” repenting her wicked ways and gladly joining Elena’s ranks. This effect acts as a powerful form of charm monster, except that she can only convert humanoids, and those who are converted will gladly die for her. If a target succeeds at her Will save, Elena cannot attempt to convert that creature again for 24 hours.
Smite Evil (Su): Twice per day, Elena may attempt to smite “evil” with one normal melee attack. She adds +4 to her attack roll and deals 8 extra points of damage. This power functions against any creature Elena has previously detected as “evil” (see below). If Elena attempts to smite a creature she has not detected as evil, the smite has no effect but is still used up for the day.
Detect Evil (Sp): Elena believes that she can still detect evil, as per the spell. Furthermore, she believes that the inability of other spellcasters in Ravenloft to detect evil is a sure sign of their spiritual impurity. In truth, this ability performs just as the detect evil spell — except that instead of evil, Elena actually detects any strong emotions that the target creatures may feel toward her. Sadly, this ability does not distinguish between emotions. Elena interprets both the burning hatred of her foes and the boundless love of a suitor as purest evil, and lashes out at each.
Detect Life (Sp): By concentrating for a full round, Elena can detect the thoughts of any humanoid within 60 ft. Elena cannot read the creature’s thoughts, but she can hone in on them to root out creatures that may be hiding. Targets within range can make a DC 19 Will save to escape detection. Magic effects that shield thoughts also prevent discovery. Intriguingly, this power cannot detect infants or the insane.
Poison Use: Unlike the blackguards of the Dungeon Master’s Guide, Elena still believes herself to be a paladin. She has not trained herself in the use of poison, and thus lacks this ability.
Lay on Hands (Sp): Once per day, Elena can cure herself or her fiendish mount of 12 points of damage.
Mr. Mangrum, would it be okay if the FoS used the stats you'd come up with as a basis for Elena's write-up, if and when we get around to doing a Shadowlands Survey? Even though we'll be including 4E stats in our netbooks by that point, we'd like to keep releasing 3.5 statistics for key NPCs also, for the benefit of folks who don't opt to switch editions.
...never saw print.
It's always very disappointing hearing those words applied to Ravenloft works.
Detect Evil (Sp): Elena believes that she can still detect evil, as per the spell. Furthermore, she believes that the inability of other spellcasters in Ravenloft to detect evil is a sure sign of their spiritual impurity. In truth, this ability performs just as the detect evil spell — except that instead of evil, Elena actually detects any strong emotions that the target creatures may feel toward her. Sadly, this ability does not distinguish between emotions. Elena interprets both the burning hatred of her foes and the boundless love of a suitor as purest evil, and lashes out at each.
That is well thought for her, and fun
Joël
It's always very disappointing hearing those words applied to Ravenloft works.
The list of other darklords we fully wrote up for Secrets of the Dread Realms, but never had the opportunity to publish or revisit, was:
* Anhktepot (mh rank five ancient dead Clr14 of Ra, CR 20)
* Arijani (m rakshasa Clr6 of Kali/Sor5, CR 20), Crocodile (m giant crocodile, CR 12)
* Diamabel (m unique monstrous humanoid or undead Clr8 of Evil/Ftr9, CR 19)
* Easan the Mad (m fiendish wood elf Wiz13, CR 16)
* Ebonbane (unique outsider, CR 17)
* Maligno (dread carrionette, CR 7)
* Frantisek Markov (m unique shapechanger Exp7, CR 10)
* Prince Ladislav Mircea (mh mature vrykolaka vampire Ari3/Exp6, CR 8)
* Anton Misroi (mh zombie lord Ari2/Sor6, CR 20)
* Yagno Petrovna (mh Clr12 of Zhakata, CR 14)
* Sodo (m dread doppelganger Rog1, CR 5) (Although, come to think of it, we did revisit him in Shadow of the Knife.)
* Gregor Zolnik (mh werewolf Rgr9, CR 14)
The list of other darklords we fully wrote up for Secrets of the Dread Realms, but never had the opportunity to publish or revisit, was:
* Anhktepot (mh rank five ancient dead Clr14 of Ra, CR 20)
* Arijani (m rakshasa Clr6 of Kali/Sor5, CR 20)
* Crocodile (m giant crocodile, CR 12)
* Diamabel (m unique monstrous humanoid or undead Clr8 of Evil/Ftr9, CR 19)
* Easan the Mad (m fiendish wood elf Wiz13, CR 16)
* Ebonbane (unique outsider, CR 17)
* Maligno (dread carrionette, CR 7)
* Frantisek Markov (m unique shapechanger Exp7, CR 10)
* Prince Ladislav Mircea (mh mature vrykolaka vampire Ari3/Exp6, CR 8)
* Anton Misroi (mh zombie lord Ari2/Sor6, CR 20)
* Yagno Petrovna (mh Clr12 of Zhakata, CR 14)
* Sodo (m dread doppelganger Rog1, CR 5) (Although, come to think of it, we did revisit him in Shadow of the Knife.)
* Gregor Zolnik (mh werewolf Rgr9, CR 14)
John, any chance we'll see those stats made available somehow? Also no Loup Du Noir for Zolnik? Did you use any material for him from birthright.net?
HPM: Most of them have been converted by GreenGiant in the Ravenloft Darklords thread (Arijani, Ankthepot, Diamabel, King Crocodile, Zolnik, Ladislav Mircea, Maligno), others should be in certain FoS netbooks (Anton Misroi, Sodo) iirc.
Also no Loup Du Noir for Zolnik? Did you use any material for him from birthright.net?
No.
<--- Noob.The Ravenloft Catalogue: Search Results
Your search returned 7 matches.
Boyar Gregor Zolnik
Secrets of the Dread Realms - p7
Ravenloft Third Edition - pp18,155
Domains of Dread - pp99-100
Dark of the Moon - pp5-8,24-25,33,53-56
Darklords - pp90-94
Domains of Dread - pp99-100
Dark of the Moon - p56
Darklords - p94
Domains of Dread - p99
Dark of the Moon - p25
Darklords - p91
Loup du Noir (Monster)
Darklord of Vorostokov (Domain)
Rules from the Boyar's hall in the village of Vorostokov (Location & City)
Son of Antonina Zolnik (NPC)
Brother of Natalya and Elena Zolnik (NPCs)
Murdered his former wife Ireena (NPC)
Antonina Zolnik
Ghost (Monster)
Resides in the village of Vorostokov in Vorostokov (City & Domain)
Mother to Natalya, Elena, and Gregor Zolnik (NPCs)
Natalya Zolnik
Lives in the woods of Vorostokov with her Sister Elena (Domain & NPC)
Daughter of Antonina Zolnik (NPC)
Fights her brother Gregor Zolnik (NPCs)
Elena Zolnik
Lives in the woods of Vorostokov with her Sister Natalya (Domain & NPC)
Daughter of Antonina Zolnik (NPC)
Fights her brother Gregor Zolnik (NPCs)
Alexei Zolnik
Resides within Vorostokov (Domain)
Son of Gregor and Sasha Zolnik (NPCs)
Sasha Zolnik
Wife of Gregor Zolnik (NPC)
Mother of Alexei and Mikhail Zolnik (NPCs)
Marshkovik Mikhail Zolnik
Resides within Vorostokov (Domain)
Son of Gregor and Sasha Zolnik (NPCs)
Marshkovik of Torgov (City)
Engaged to Anna Karelia (NPC)
What the heck is Zolnik anyway?
We's a werewolf who uses a black wolf pelt to transform.
I'd also like more on Elena as a person--and a darklord. Stats are fine, but their just empty numbers without a story. Besides the blurb in the RL DMG who was she before she fell? How does she think and act currently? What is her interest in the Shadowborn Manor? This is such rich material for Gothic fantasy at its best.
Is/was Banemaw ever real? Or is s/he just a lie told by Elena to justify her tyrrany? What exactly is the "relationship" between Elena Faith-hold and this (nonexistent?) wyrm?
Nope, yep, she made it up, respectively.
I'd also like more on Elena as a person--and a darklord. Stats are fine, but their just empty numbers without a story.
For Elena's backstory, seek Darklords. For her relationship to Ebonbane in the updated Shadowlands, see the Book of Shadows netbook.
For Elena's backstory, seek Darklords.
Islands of Terror, actually.
Islands of Terror, actually.
Ah, yes, correct. I had a feeling I should have doublechecked that one.
I am thinking about basing a campaign around both Elena and Ebonbane. I don't have specifics yet, but i'm just trying to get as much info as possible. Any more stuff would be appreciated, on either of these subjects, although i'm pretty sure I asked about Ebonbane in some other topic.
Paizo is actually easier, if all you want is the product in e-form. But you can go print it at Kinko's or something as well.
As a point of trivia, were I to write up Ebonbane today, I would make it a powerful loumara (Fiendish Codex I); a lord of their kind.
Ebonbane, Darklord of Shadowborn Manor
Unique Outsider: CR 17; Large outsider (chaotic, evil, incorporeal); HD 11d8+55; hp 110; Init +4; Spd. Fly 20 ft. (perfect); AC 16 (touch 14, flat-footed 12); Atk +11/+6/+1 touch (1d8 + energy drain, slam); SA blade dominion, create spawn, energy drain, frightful presence, malevolence, reality dominion, spell-like abilities; SQ darkvision 120 ft., the four keys, immunities, incorporeal, telepathy; Face/Reach 5 ft.; AL CE; SV Fort +12, Ref +11, Will +12; Str —, Dex 18 (+4), Con 21 (+5), Int 23 (+6), Wis 17 (+3), Cha 15 (+2). Height 10 ft. 7 in.
Skills and Feats: Bluff +12, Diplomacy +12, Knowledge (arcana) +20, Knowledge (the planes) +20, Knowledge (the Shadowborns) +22, Intimidate +16, Spellcraft +18; Iron Will, Skill Focus (the Shadowborns).
Languages: Ebonbane can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.
Ebonbane’s Sword: CR 12; Small construct; HD 1d10; hp 10; Init +4; Spd. Fly 30 ft. (perfect); AC 17 (touch 15, flat-footed 13); Atk +11/+6/+1 touch (1d8 + 1d6 fire/x2 + vorpal, flaming vorpal blade); SA energy drain, flaming, symbols, vorpal; SQ hardness 20, the four keys; AL CE; SV Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +7; Str 10, Dex 18 (+4), Con —, Int —, Wis —, Cha —.
In its true form, Ebonbane appears only as the silhouette of a massive, spiky creature equally comfortable on two legs or four. This living shadow would appear entirely two-dimensional if not for the fiend’s eyes, which burn a fiery crimson. With luck, however, no one will ever see Ebonbane’s true form again.
Ebonbane was sealed in a powerfully enchanted sword when it first entered Ravenloft. Indeed, some scholars identified Ebonbane as an intelligent artifact, unaware of the true source of its evil. Although Ebonbane was later freed from the sword, it can still animate its former prison, and uses the sword as its proxy when dealing with intruders. Ebonbane’s sword has a long, slender blade forged from a strange black metal that was conjured from another dimension. The blade is set with numerous runes, each crackling with an unholy black aura. The sword’s hilt is cast in pristine silver, taking the form of a howling figure dressed in a monk’s cassock.
Ebonbane is now trapped within the body of Alexi Shadowborn. The body lies in stasis inside a rectangular casket carved from a single, seamless piece of crystal. The casket is ornately carved with designs that pulse with mystical power.
Background
Ebonbane is a unique force for evil, less than a god but more than a fiend. It is likely that it was a ruler in whatever abyss spawned it. The fiend’s true name is Lussimar, but Ebonbane zealously guards this information. After untold eons in the lower planes, Lussimar turned its attention toward corrupting the mortal realm. As a shadowy, incorporeal fiend, Lussimar could not remain on the Material Plane without a physical body. Lussimar entered a material world in a land called the Southern Empire, and as a host took the body of its just and noble ruler, the Grand Caliph Muhdar ab Sang. Having dominated ab Sang, Lussimar turned the ancient empire to evil and demon-worship. It took control of the Grand Caliph’s elite cadre of servants, the Ahltrian, and turned them into an army of assassins. With the Southern Empire befouled, Lussimar turned its dire attention toward its northern neighbor, the matriarchal Great Kingdom.
The Great Kingdom was protected by the Knights of the Circle, an order of paladins representing each of the kingdom’s thirteen provinces. These holy warriors led the Great Kingdom’s armies against the invading Ahltrian in a bloody conflict known as the Heretical Wars. After one early victory, Lussimar captured a Knight of the Circle, a young paladin named Kateri Shadowborn, defender of the Province of Avonleigh. Lussimar subjected the woman to unspeakable and sadistic torments, but shockingly, it found it could not break her will. Even worse, during her internment Lady Kateri learned of Lussimar’s true nature. After Lady Kateri led a daring escape from the Ahltrian’s clutches, she dedicated herself to ridding her world of Lussimar’s evil.
Lady Kateri’s forces gradually drove back the Ahltrian, breaking their defenses. With each defeat Lussimar suffered, its obsession with the young paladin grew. After four years of war, Lady Kateri faced the Grand Caliph himself and expelled Lussimar from her world. Muhdar ab Sang was restored to his true self, but he could not bear the weight of the atrocities committed through him and soon took his own life. Both the Great Kingdom and the Southern Empire started to rebuild, and Lady Kateri put down her sword.
A year later, the last three remaining Ahltrian met in secret to summon Lussimar back into their world so that it could seek its vengeance. They created a magic blade — the Ebonbane — to house the fiend’s abyssal spirit, and it is that name which the fiend now uses. Once Ebonbane’s monstrous spirit was sealed in the blade, its first act was to suck the very life-force from its servants. Then, wielded by a dominated monk close to Kateri, Ebonbane sought out its nemesis at her home.
Kateri greeted her friend at the door, but immediately sensed the truth. Kateri and the dominated monk fought a long and exhausting duel, but eventually Ebonbane shattered the blade of Kateri’s holy avenger. Ebonbane struck down the paladin, and as it gloated over its ultimate victory, it failed to notice as the Mists of Ravenloft rose to sweep Shadowborn Manor away from the world.
Current Sketch
Ebonbane is blinded by hatred for Lady Kateri Shadowborn and has dedicated itself to destroying all that she ever held dear. Lady Kateri’s weary ghost still haunts Shadowborn Manor, and Ebonbane’s inability to destroy her utterly drives it to distraction. For all its power, Ebonbane has a weak grasp of the forces trapping it in Shadowborn Manor, and believes that Kateri’s spirit is somehow responsible for its imprisonment. Each time Ebonbane ruins something dear to Lady Kateri, her spirit grows that much weaker, and Ebonbane believes that if he can just destroy her, he will be freed to return to the Great Kingdom and destroy it utterly.
For 25 years Ebonbane existed as an enchanted sword. Then, in the year 626 BC, a young knight named Alexi Shadowborn, the son of Lady Kateri, entered the Phantasmal Forest to avenge his mother. Ebonbane immediately recognized its own essence in the man — it had sired the child during one of the many torments it had inflicted on the paladin during her captivity.
Alexi sought out Ebonbane and battled it just as it had battled his mother. Alexi shattered the sword, freeing the fiend’s spirit — but then Alexi immediately drew the incorporeal fiend into his own body. Ebonbane had traded a prison of metal for a prison of flesh.
Alexi Shadowborn remained in Shadowborn Manor for the rest of his life, founding a society of knights modeled after the Circle of his homeland. The Knights of the Shadows exist to this day, defending the weak and ensuring that Ebonbane is never freed.
After five decades of leadership, Alexi’s strength was waning. He knew that on the moment of his death, Ebonbane would escape its prison. Alexi sent his knights to bargain with Morgoroth, the darklord of Avonleigh. Morgoroth’s downfall had stemmed from his love for Aurora Shadowborn, Alexi’s cousin, and the knights convinced the mage that were Ebonbane freed, Aurora would become its first victim. To protect her, Morgoroth created a crystal sarcophagus that would keep Alexi in ageless sleep forever. The crystal prison is powered by four magic keys (see below) that must be renewed each year. The Knights of the Shadows return each year to keep Ebonbane contained. Casualties are common, but the knights have not yet failed in their mission.
Combat
While Ebonbane remains trapped in the crystal prison, its attacks are limited to blade dominion, create spawn and reality dominion. It has reconstructed the sword that once held it, and now animates the sword as its most lethal weapon. The Ebonbane sword is a +1 flaming vorpal longsword with the energy drain and symbols special attacks. Ebonbane ruthlessly hunts down any intruders in its realm, offering up each slaughtered victim as another torment to parade before Lady Kateri’s spirit. Ebonbane is wholly evil and delights in inflicting pain and torment.
If freed from its crystal prison, Ebonbane is free to travel wherever it wishes. Its first task will be to destroy the fools who freed it. That done, it will travel to the domain of Avonleigh to slaughter Aurora Shadowborn, then rampage through Nidala, and lastly it will return to the Great Kingdom to plunge it into darkness.
Saving throws against Ebonbane’s supernatural abilities are DC 20. Unless freed from the crystal prison, Ebonbane’s attacks are limited to blade dominion (including control of the Ebonbane sword), create spawn, and reality dominion.
Blade Dominion (Su): Ebonbane can animate any sword or dagger within its domain, as if casting animate objects, even if the blade is carried or worn by another creature. Ebonbane can animate and control every such blade in its domain at once. Such daggers and swords fly through the air and attack as animated objects (see the Monster Manual).
Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid slain in Ebonbane’s domain or the Phantasmal Forest and left in contact with the ground sinks into the earth after 1d4 minutes. 1d4 days later, the corpse reemerges in the muck surrounding Forenoon Abbey (see sidebar) as a ghoul. The ghoul retains the Intelligence score it had in life, but does not retain any other abilities. These ghouls, which Nidalans call the Ahltrian, remain enslaved to Ebonbane until their destruction.
Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by Ebonbane’s slam attack receive one negative level. A living creature that grips the hilt of Ebonbane’s sword suffers one negative level per round. The Fortitude save to remove a negative level is DC 20.
Malevolence (Su): Ebonbane can possess the body of a living creature, as the ghost ability (see Monster Manual).
Reality Dominion (Su): Ebonbane has a chilling degree of control over its tiny domain. It can summon lightning storms from clear skies, spin the sun and moon through their cycles, or even destroy and restore the entire manor. None of Ebonbane’s powers can affect its crystal prison, however.
Spell-like Abilities: At will — burning hands, chill touch, shocking grasp. 3/day — blindness/deafness, darkness, spectral hand, shatter. 1/day — deeper darkness, enervation, flame strike, slow, solid fog, vampiric touch. These abilities are as the spells cast by an 11th-level sorcerer (save DC 15 + spell level).
Symbols (Sp): The blade of Ebonbane’s sword is engraved with numerous, palpably evil symbols. Ebonbane can use these to evoke any version of the symbol spell at will, as cast by an 11th-level sorcerer (save DC 23).
The Four Keys (Su): Ebonbane’s crystal prison is sealed by four “keys,” each a magical representation of one of the four elements binding the abyssal spirit to the material realm. These keys take esoteric forms, though each can be found somewhere within the domain. Ebonbane’s power continually seeps out of this prison, but for four days after the keys are renewed, Ebonbane is so weakened that it cannot use any of its abilities or close the borders of its domain. This is often the only way to escape Shadowborn Manor.
Immunities (Ex): Immune to all mind-affecting spells and effects.
Incorporeal: Can only be harmed by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or magic, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. Can pass through solid objects at will, and own attacks pass through armor. Always moves silently. Due to Ebonbane’s unusual fiendish nature, if Ebonbane is freed from its material host it can pass through closed domain borders or even escape Ravenloft entirely.
Telepathy (Su): Ebonbane can communicate telepathically with any creature in line of sight that has a language. It can communicate with its ghouls so long as they are anywhere within Shadowborn Manor or the Phantasmal Forest. Targets of Ebonbane’s telepathy do not need to make Madness saves.
And here's the sidebar referenced above:
The Phantasmal Forest
Although Nidalans believe that the Phantasmal Forest is part of Avonleigh, this is not the case. It is a manifestation of Ebonbane’s formless evil, as it continually seeps through the borders of the fiend’s domain into the Mists of Ravenloft. When Ebonbane or its minions corrupt a location or creature dear to Kateri Shadowborn, that subject is drawn into the Forest and added to the fiend’s nightmarish collection. It is said that intrepid travelers could once use the Phantasmal Forest to journey into the outlander world that Kateri called home, but these Mistways seem to have closed when Ebonbane ran out of targets to destroy. Ebonbane has very limited influence over the Phantasmal Forest: it is dimly aware of the location of travelers, and it can communicate telepathically with any of its minions.
Numerous tiny “pocket domains” float in the ever-shifting Phantasmal Forest, like bubbles on an oily pool. Each of these locales, none larger than a few hundred feet across, is home to a creature that Ebonbane has thoroughly corrupted. Like darklords, these creatures cannot leave their “pocket domains,” but they cannot close their borders. Ebonbane cannot see into Avonleigh or Nidala, nor does he have any direct power over those domains; these two darklords corrupted themselves. A few of the known locales include:
Forenoon Abbey: Once the sacred home of pious scholars, this monastery is now home to Ebonbane’s ghoulish Ahltrian. The abbey is overseen by its former abbot, his name long lost, who now exists as a powerful ghoul.
Addar’s Glade: This break in the trees is home to the haughty unicorn Addar, corrupted by a nightmare serving Ebonbane. Their twisted offspring have now spread into the world. Addar was once a steed for a paladin in the Circle, but accounts differ on exactly whom he served. Addar’s glade travels with him. He can lead travelers to any location in the Forest, but only if they appease his immense vanity.
The Dolmens: The god Belenus is said to have created this circle of stones as a respite for his faithful. The area within the circle is under the effect of a permanent consecrate spell. Ebonbane is utterly blind here, and the sun always shines brightly.
Wow! I've really got to download all those 2e books and boxes. This is even better than I'd imagined. This also begs the question of whether or not Ebonbane is directly as well as indirectly responsible for Elena Faith-hold's fall from grace. Fighting a fiend like that...what would happen to the minds and spirits of those that survived the first war?As you know, the FoS is working on the last writing bits of the NS Gaz, so can we have your ideas on Easan the mad, darklord of Vechor? Is it more or less the version of SotDR?
And same question about Misroi. I'd like to compare with the version I wrote in the Souragne FoS Gaz!
(Have you read the FoS version (stats and backstory) ?)
Joël
Here are, again, almost entirely entirely unedited 3.0 stats. I'm going to include the fluff text since Ebonbane's details have changed considerably since the last time he saw print.
As a point of trivia, were I to write up Ebonbane today, I would make it a powerful loumara (Fiendish Codex I); a lord of their kind.
Ebonbane, Darklord of Shadowborn Manor
Unique Outsider: CR 17; Large outsider (chaotic, evil, incorporeal); HD 11d8+55; hp 110; Init +4; Spd. Fly 20 ft. (perfect); AC 16 (touch 14, flat-footed 12); Atk +11/+6/+1 touch (1d8 + energy drain, slam); SA blade dominion, create spawn, energy drain, frightful presence, malevolence, reality dominion, spell-like abilities; SQ darkvision 120 ft., the four keys, immunities, incorporeal, telepathy; Face/Reach 5 ft.; AL CE; SV Fort +12, Ref +11, Will +12; Str —, Dex 18 (+4), Con 21 (+5), Int 23 (+6), Wis 17 (+3), Cha 15 (+2). Height 10 ft. 7 in.
Skills and Feats: Bluff +12, Diplomacy +12, Knowledge (arcana) +20, Knowledge (the planes) +20, Knowledge (the Shadowborns) +22, Intimidate +16, Spellcraft +18; Iron Will, Skill Focus (the Shadowborns).
Languages: Ebonbane can communicate telepathically with any creature within 100 feet that has a language.
Ebonbane’s Sword: CR 12; Small construct; HD 1d10; hp 10; Init +4; Spd. Fly 30 ft. (perfect); AC 17 (touch 15, flat-footed 13); Atk +11/+6/+1 touch (1d8 + 1d6 fire/x2 + vorpal, flaming vorpal blade); SA energy drain, flaming, symbols, vorpal; SQ hardness 20, the four keys; AL CE; SV Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +7; Str 10, Dex 18 (+4), Con —, Int —, Wis —, Cha —.
In its true form, Ebonbane appears only as the silhouette of a massive, spiky creature equally comfortable on two legs or four. This living shadow would appear entirely two-dimensional if not for the fiend’s eyes, which burn a fiery crimson. With luck, however, no one will ever see Ebonbane’s true form again.
Ebonbane was sealed in a powerfully enchanted sword when it first entered Ravenloft. Indeed, some scholars identified Ebonbane as an intelligent artifact, unaware of the true source of its evil. Although Ebonbane was later freed from the sword, it can still animate its former prison, and uses the sword as its proxy when dealing with intruders. Ebonbane’s sword has a long, slender blade forged from a strange black metal that was conjured from another dimension. The blade is set with numerous runes, each crackling with an unholy black aura. The sword’s hilt is cast in pristine silver, taking the form of a howling figure dressed in a monk’s cassock.
Ebonbane is now trapped within the body of Alexi Shadowborn. The body lies in stasis inside a rectangular casket carved from a single, seamless piece of crystal. The casket is ornately carved with designs that pulse with mystical power.
Background
Ebonbane is a unique force for evil, less than a god but more than a fiend. It is likely that it was a ruler in whatever abyss spawned it. The fiend’s true name is Lussimar, but Ebonbane zealously guards this information. After untold eons in the lower planes, Lussimar turned its attention toward corrupting the mortal realm. As a shadowy, incorporeal fiend, Lussimar could not remain on the Material Plane without a physical body. Lussimar entered a material world in a land called the Southern Empire, and as a host took the body of its just and noble ruler, the Grand Caliph Muhdar ab Sang. Having dominated ab Sang, Lussimar turned the ancient empire to evil and demon-worship. It took control of the Grand Caliph’s elite cadre of servants, the Ahltrian, and turned them into an army of assassins. With the Southern Empire befouled, Lussimar turned its dire attention toward its northern neighbor, the matriarchal Great Kingdom.
The Great Kingdom was protected by the Knights of the Circle, an order of paladins representing each of the kingdom’s thirteen provinces. These holy warriors led the Great Kingdom’s armies against the invading Ahltrian in a bloody conflict known as the Heretical Wars. After one early victory, Lussimar captured a Knight of the Circle, a young paladin named Kateri Shadowborn, defender of the Province of Avonleigh. Lussimar subjected the woman to unspeakable and sadistic torments, but shockingly, it found it could not break her will. Even worse, during her internment Lady Kateri learned of Lussimar’s true nature. After Lady Kateri led a daring escape from the Ahltrian’s clutches, she dedicated herself to ridding her world of Lussimar’s evil.
Lady Kateri’s forces gradually drove back the Ahltrian, breaking their defenses. With each defeat Lussimar suffered, its obsession with the young paladin grew. After four years of war, Lady Kateri faced the Grand Caliph himself and expelled Lussimar from her world. Muhdar ab Sang was restored to his true self, but he could not bear the weight of the atrocities committed through him and soon took his own life. Both the Great Kingdom and the Southern Empire started to rebuild, and Lady Kateri put down her sword.
A year later, the last three remaining Ahltrian met in secret to summon Lussimar back into their world so that it could seek its vengeance. They created a magic blade — the Ebonbane — to house the fiend’s abyssal spirit, and it is that name which the fiend now uses. Once Ebonbane’s monstrous spirit was sealed in the blade, its first act was to suck the very life-force from its servants. Then, wielded by a dominated monk close to Kateri, Ebonbane sought out its nemesis at her home.
Kateri greeted her friend at the door, but immediately sensed the truth. Kateri and the dominated monk fought a long and exhausting duel, but eventually Ebonbane shattered the blade of Kateri’s holy avenger. Ebonbane struck down the paladin, and as it gloated over its ultimate victory, it failed to notice as the Mists of Ravenloft rose to sweep Shadowborn Manor away from the world.
Current Sketch
Ebonbane is blinded by hatred for Lady Kateri Shadowborn and has dedicated itself to destroying all that she ever held dear. Lady Kateri’s weary ghost still haunts Shadowborn Manor, and Ebonbane’s inability to destroy her utterly drives it to distraction. For all its power, Ebonbane has a weak grasp of the forces trapping it in Shadowborn Manor, and believes that Kateri’s spirit is somehow responsible for its imprisonment. Each time Ebonbane ruins something dear to Lady Kateri, her spirit grows that much weaker, and Ebonbane believes that if he can just destroy her, he will be freed to return to the Great Kingdom and destroy it utterly.
For 25 years Ebonbane existed as an enchanted sword. Then, in the year 626 BC, a young knight named Alexi Shadowborn, the son of Lady Kateri, entered the Phantasmal Forest to avenge his mother. Ebonbane immediately recognized its own essence in the man — it had sired the child during one of the many torments it had inflicted on the paladin during her captivity.
Alexi sought out Ebonbane and battled it just as it had battled his mother. Alexi shattered the sword, freeing the fiend’s spirit — but then Alexi immediately drew the incorporeal fiend into his own body. Ebonbane had traded a prison of metal for a prison of flesh.
Alexi Shadowborn remained in Shadowborn Manor for the rest of his life, founding a society of knights modeled after the Circle of his homeland. The Knights of the Shadows exist to this day, defending the weak and ensuring that Ebonbane is never freed.
After five decades of leadership, Alexi’s strength was waning. He knew that on the moment of his death, Ebonbane would escape its prison. Alexi sent his knights to bargain with Morgoroth, the darklord of Avonleigh. Morgoroth’s downfall had stemmed from his love for Aurora Shadowborn, Alexi’s cousin, and the knights convinced the mage that were Ebonbane freed, Aurora would become its first victim. To protect her, Morgoroth created a crystal sarcophagus that would keep Alexi in ageless sleep forever. The crystal prison is powered by four magic keys (see below) that must be renewed each year. The Knights of the Shadows return each year to keep Ebonbane contained. Casualties are common, but the knights have not yet failed in their mission.
Combat
While Ebonbane remains trapped in the crystal prison, its attacks are limited to blade dominion, create spawn and reality dominion. It has reconstructed the sword that once held it, and now animates the sword as its most lethal weapon. The Ebonbane sword is a +1 flaming vorpal longsword with the energy drain and symbols special attacks. Ebonbane ruthlessly hunts down any intruders in its realm, offering up each slaughtered victim as another torment to parade before Lady Kateri’s spirit. Ebonbane is wholly evil and delights in inflicting pain and torment.
If freed from its crystal prison, Ebonbane is free to travel wherever it wishes. Its first task will be to destroy the fools who freed it. That done, it will travel to the domain of Avonleigh to slaughter Aurora Shadowborn, then rampage through Nidala, and lastly it will return to the Great Kingdom to plunge it into darkness.
Saving throws against Ebonbane’s supernatural abilities are DC 20. Unless freed from the crystal prison, Ebonbane’s attacks are limited to blade dominion (including control of the Ebonbane sword), create spawn, and reality dominion.
Blade Dominion (Su): Ebonbane can animate any sword or dagger within its domain, as if casting animate objects, even if the blade is carried or worn by another creature. Ebonbane can animate and control every such blade in its domain at once. Such daggers and swords fly through the air and attack as animated objects (see the Monster Manual).
Create Spawn (Su): Any humanoid slain in Ebonbane’s domain or the Phantasmal Forest and left in contact with the ground sinks into the earth after 1d4 minutes. 1d4 days later, the corpse reemerges in the muck surrounding Forenoon Abbey (see sidebar) as a ghoul. The ghoul retains the Intelligence score it had in life, but does not retain any other abilities. These ghouls, which Nidalans call the Ahltrian, remain enslaved to Ebonbane until their destruction.
Energy Drain (Su): Living creatures hit by Ebonbane’s slam attack receive one negative level. A living creature that grips the hilt of Ebonbane’s sword suffers one negative level per round. The Fortitude save to remove a negative level is DC 20.
Malevolence (Su): Ebonbane can possess the body of a living creature, as the ghost ability (see Monster Manual).
Reality Dominion (Su): Ebonbane has a chilling degree of control over its tiny domain. It can summon lightning storms from clear skies, spin the sun and moon through their cycles, or even destroy and restore the entire manor. None of Ebonbane’s powers can affect its crystal prison, however.
Spell-like Abilities: At will — burning hands, chill touch, shocking grasp. 3/day — blindness/deafness, darkness, spectral hand, shatter. 1/day — deeper darkness, enervation, flame strike, slow, solid fog, vampiric touch. These abilities are as the spells cast by an 11th-level sorcerer (save DC 15 + spell level).
Symbols (Sp): The blade of Ebonbane’s sword is engraved with numerous, palpably evil symbols. Ebonbane can use these to evoke any version of the symbol spell at will, as cast by an 11th-level sorcerer (save DC 23).
The Four Keys (Su): Ebonbane’s crystal prison is sealed by four “keys,” each a magical representation of one of the four elements binding the abyssal spirit to the material realm. These keys take esoteric forms, though each can be found somewhere within the domain. Ebonbane’s power continually seeps out of this prison, but for four days after the keys are renewed, Ebonbane is so weakened that it cannot use any of its abilities or close the borders of its domain. This is often the only way to escape Shadowborn Manor.
Immunities (Ex): Immune to all mind-affecting spells and effects.
Incorporeal: Can only be harmed by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons, or magic, with a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source. Can pass through solid objects at will, and own attacks pass through armor. Always moves silently. Due to Ebonbane’s unusual fiendish nature, if Ebonbane is freed from its material host it can pass through closed domain borders or even escape Ravenloft entirely.
Telepathy (Su): Ebonbane can communicate telepathically with any creature in line of sight that has a language. It can communicate with its ghouls so long as they are anywhere within Shadowborn Manor or the Phantasmal Forest. Targets of Ebonbane’s telepathy do not need to make Madness saves.
And here's the sidebar referenced above:
*Drool*
Well this has been alot better than I expected!
Really no surprises with Easan:
[b]Easan the Mad, Darklord of Vechor
(removed as requested. Sorry Just saw this)
OK, thanks. Pretty much as seen in SotDR.
Joël
Male Zombie Lord Ari2/Sor6: CR 20; Medium-size humanoid (human); HD 6d12+2d8+6d4+32; hp 86; Init +4; Spd 30 ft.; AC 18 (touch 14, flat-footed 14); Atk +13/+8 melee (1d6+2, masterwork rapier) or +10/+10 melee (2d4+2, slam) SA Aura of death, zombie master, awaken the dead, zombify, dance of the dead, spells; SQ Essence of death, swampwalk, speak with the dead, spellsinging; AL LE; SV Fort +8, Ref +8, Will +12; Str 15, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 16. Height 6 ft. 1 in.
Skills and Feats: Appraise +4, Concentration +5, Diplomacy +4, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (local) +4, Knowledge (undead lore) +8, Listen +5, Perform +8, Spellcraft +6, Spot +5, Wilderness Lore +7; Endurance, Great Fortitude, Weapon Finesse (rapier), Weapon Focus (slam, rapier).
Languages: Souragnien*, Darkonese, Druidic, Vaasi.
Sorcerer Spells Per Day: 6/7/6/4. Base DC = 13 + spell level.
Sorcerer Spells Known: 0–create water, detect magic, detect poison, light, mending, purify food or drink, read magic; 1st–entangle, invisibility to animals, obscuring mist, pass without trace; 2nd–hold animal, speak with animal; 3rd–plant growth.
Signature Possessions: Masterwork rapier, boots of elvenkind, cloak of elvenkind, gloves of swimming and climbing, lantern of revealing.
Combat
Anton is a devastatingly powerful foe, with a legion of undead slaves and virtually limitless necromantic power at his command. His ability to merge with the trees and ground of the swamp makes him almost impossible to kill, and enables him to strike his enemies from almost anywhere, in an instant. In personal combat, he adroitly wields a rapier, though if angered he will toss it aside and use his bare hands, striking with great force.
Aura of Death (Su): The first round that a living creature comes within 30 yards of Anton, it must make a Fortitude save at DC 18. Those who fail are affected as if a contagion spell had been cast on them, inflicting a disease of Anton’s choice. Those who fail their save by more than 10 points die instantly and become zombies under Anton’s control. Anton can activate or deactivate this aura at will, as a free action.
Zombie Dominion (Su): Anton can mentally sense all zombies within the Souragnean swamp, and can employ their senses as if he were standing in their place. He can mentally command them as a free action, and zombies under his influence cannot be controlled or rebuked by anyone else, though they can be turned. Anton can send his zombies outside the swamp, where it is possible for him to lose control of them; in this case, all zombies are still considered to be under Anton’s influence. In the case of rebuking attempts, this takes the form of a –4 penalty to the rebuke check.
Awaken the Dead (Su): Anton can cast a variation of the animate dead spell at will. Only zombies can be created via this spell, but, provided sufficient corpses are available, there is no limit to the number of zombies Anton may animate and control. The power affects all corpses within a 10 ft. radius of Anton, unless he wishes to affect fewer. In all other respects it is identical to the spell animate dead.
Zombify (Su): Once per day, by making a successful touch attack, Anton can attempt to turn a living creature into a zombie under his command. The target must make a Fortitude save against DC 15. Those who fail are instantly slain, and rise in 1d4 rounds as zombies under Anton’s command.
Dance of the Dead (Sp): Once per round, as a full action, Anton can cast any necromancy spell. The spell takes effect as if cast by an 18th-level caster.
Essence of Death (Ex): Anton is immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromantic effects, and mind-influencing effects, as if he were an undead creature. He can forego this protection at any time if he wishes.
Swampwalk (Su): Anton is able to enter any tree within the swamp or the ground of the swamp itself, as a standard action. Doing so immediately restores him to full hit points, and he can emerge anywhere within the swamp.
Speech of the Dead (Su): Anton has the mystical power to telepathically converse with the undead. Generally, they can convey only basic information about their former lives and their recent experiences. He can also cast speak with dead at will by touching a corpse.
Spellsinging: Anton’s sorcerer spells never require material components, but all of them require verbal and somatic components; he must sing and dance to cast them. Also, his spells are drawn from the druid spell list instead of the sorcerer/wizard list, but they still count as arcane spells. He is incapable of learning curing or healing spells of any kind. In all other respects he is a normal sorcerer.
Zombie Dominion (Su): Anton can mentally sense all zombies within the Souragnean swamp(...)
Why not everywhere in Souragne, i.e. including on dry land? They could be his eyes and arms where he can't go himself?
Spellsinging: Anton’s sorcerer spells never require material components, but all of them require verbal and somatic components; he must sing and dance to cast them. (...)
We had a similar idea, to make him closer to the novel. But we made that a feat, that he can teach to other people of the like of Larissa.
Dancing bones
You are able to cast spells simply by dancing
or singing them.
Prerequisites: Born in Souragne, able to
cast spells, 5 ranks in Perform (Dancing or
singing), Charisma score of at least 13.
Benefit: Through dancing or singing (or
both), you are able to cast spells. You do not
need to make the normal somatic gestures to
cast them. Material components must be in
hand (and they can are used or consumed as
per the spell description). The singing and
dancing is a full round action (or longer, is
the spell takes longer to cast).
Since you are in movement, you are
considered to be in defensive mode when
dancing. If the spell is cast by singing, the
caster appears to sing a strange song in a
foreign language. To spot that a spell is
being cast, other casters must make a Sense
Motive check DC 16 (+ Cha modifier of the
caster). In addition, Spellcrafts checks to
identify the spell are made with -4 penalty
due to the unfamiliar movements.
Joël
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravenloft_domains#Vorostokov
...and here are some links from the Birthright guys who adapted/built on the RL material:
http://www.birthright.net/old/article.php?subsection=GeneralInfo&aid=161
http://www.birthright.net/brwiki/index.php/Vorostokov
http://www.birthright.net/brwiki/index.php/Shadow_World_Vorostokov
John would you object in this material being made available as a pdf download on the FoS site?
I'd rather you not.
I'd rather you not.
As you wish. Still many thanks for sharing them here.