#shining kingdoms

After a massive delay I finally got my paws on Shining Kingdoms

There's so much I wanna talk about

The Wealth Cult Zombie things

The more fallout of the Godsrain getting revealed

The Red Raven is a Legacy name now

...

But also

The Bibliodaemon

For those who don't know, Daemons all represent a form of Death

Bibliodaemons are "death by paperwork"

I fucking love the fucking weasel daemons

(art by Hideyoshi on DeviantArt)

It’s been a bit, but it’s time for our third, but perhaps darkest of the artifact archetypes.

In the nation of Galt, decades of perpetual revolution, with each new revolutionary council being executed by the organization known as the Gray Gardeners had left the populous living in fear, and perhaps no larger symbol of that fear exists than the Final Blades.

These soul-trapping guillotine blades, on paper meant to prevent loyalists from resurrecting any rightful heirs or political adversaries elsewhere, were in truth terrible weapons of future devastation devised by the true architect of these events, one that would have plunged the nation into utter ruin if it had succeeded.

However, even with the defeat of the conqueror worm and the disbanding of the Gardeners, the shadow of these blades remains. Many have been ritualistically blunted and rendered empty and inert, but a few are left unaccounted for, including the still-potent shards of Silent Lenore among others that were shattered but not rendered inert.

And it is from the shards of such terrible tools of injustice and cruelty that splinters of finality have been created. These slivers of metal can be inserted harmlessly into the neck of a willing recipient to give the bearer a measure of the lethal power of the final blades at full power, becoming a tool only willingly used by the most ruthless figures.

The sliver of metal weakens the body while so embedded, but in exchange it anchors the soul, warding them against spiritual damage, the depredations of haunts and spirits, and resistance against effects that would sap the mind or soul.

With a gesture, the bearer can draw forth a spectral dagger shaped like a crude weapon made from a shard of metal, which can reach into the ether to slash as incorporeal foes, and has a slight edge of spiritual damage to it that flares up when dealing critical blows.

While the blade cannot increase fear itself, some use the spiritual nature of it to further unnerve foes, preventing them from calming down.

The same way a razor leaves bleeding wounds in flesh, these daggers can leave wounds in the soul that leak vitality. Furthermore, the bearer can draw energy from the bleed to improve their own vitality.

Final blades are traps for the soul, and that purpose gives the shard an urge to draw souls in. This can slow nearby spectral dead and keep a living person alive as their soul is hindered from departing their body. What’s more, in the latter situation that hunger for living souls means the projected blade becomes even more vicious while someone nearby lies on the brink of death.

As they grow in power, the bearers can tap into the souls still trapped in the fragment and weaponize them in various ways. One such way is to weaken the body of their targets or distract them with otherworldly whispers, preventing them from reacting to the actions of others. Another feat allows them the option of cursing foes or marking them to be especially vulnerable to spiritual assault.

Eventually, the shards and their projected blades begin to truly hunger for souls, becoming even more lethal to living creatures they have already stabbed.

Those with a more defensive mindset can briefly surround themselves with the tattered soul fragments of those slain by the original final blade, warding themselves against several esoteric damage types. What’s more, they can extend the duration of this ward by slaying foes.

As shards of a guillotine blade, a master of the splinter can invoke that original purpose for a short while, making the spectral dagger sometimes veer unerringly toward’s a foe’s neck with deadly cutting power.

The most powerful and sinister wielders can empower the fragment enough that it can briefly fulfill the original purpose of trapping souls, at least for a day. During that time, the wielder taps into the soul’s energies to heal themselves. But while the soul normally gets free eventually, a cruel wielder can transfer the trapped soul to a fully functional final blade instead.

This archetype is definitely sinister and not for the morally righteous, but it has a lot of potential, able to deal extra damage, have a always-retrievable dagger that can be upgraded, lay down all sorts of debuffs with some defensive buffs as well… In the hands of a rogue, swashbuckler, or ranger or the like, this can be a deadly weapon and archetype indeed.

This archetype is heavily tied to the Lost Omens setting, but it doesn’t have to be. Any sort of sinister metallic shard of an infamous deadly weapon could potentially be the lore basis here. I can even see the argument for creating similar archetypes involving bigger weapons than just a dagger.

They say one of the fragments of the Scytheshards, broken from the weapon of Death Itself, lies somewhere in the ruins of Holjamin rainforest. Unfortunately for any would-be claimants, the ruins host all sorts of deadly reptilian beasts, including ravenous krooths.

It is the first-year anniversary of the invention of the Aetherphone, a device that allows the user of a transmitter to project voice and sounds across vast distances to those that have a receiver device, connecting people to the heart of news and even musical performances from anywhere in the broadcasting range. However, during the celebratory broadcast, a mysterious person invaded the studio and murdered the host on the air. Now the aetheric devices echo with his death cries while the killer remains at large. Who could have done this and why?

(art by Nikolaos-Thessalos on DeviantArt)

If there is anything iconic about fantasy nobility, it’s probably the flashy outfits and the condescending attitude. If there’s anything else, it’s probably the burly bodyguards they keep to back up their words when the webs of society fall away, either to defend them from assassins an kidnappers or to punish those they view as beneath them. (a minor third is the dichotomy of the self-serving nobles and the actually noble nobles).

And it doesn’t get much burlier than a big norse warrior!

Formed after the assassination of one of the previous grand princes of Taldor, the Ulfen Guard is a group of bodyguards drawn mostly from Ulfen mercenaries on the assumption that their honor would prevent them from being subverted by outside forces or succumb to greed. And so far, the Taldan royalty have been proven right.

This isn’t to say that the Ulfen Guard is entirely made up of ethnically-ulfen humans, though they do for the majority. The rare few that are not carry the title of leidang, rather than the traditional title of huscarl.

What remains true is that these warriors serve loyally for at least a year, if not longer, and are welcome to a final release payment of as much as they can carry from the Taldan treasury… Which sounds like one could become quite rich if one carried a bag of holding or three.

This archetype does actually have a 1e equivalent to a prestige class, which I have not covered on the blog (whoopsie!). The original prestige class leans heavily on synergizing with the barbarian class with lots of defensive abilities to make sure that their ability to defend their charge is not undermined.

So let’s see how things have evolved! The archetype does say at least one parent of the character must be Ulfen, but nothing says they have to be biological parent!

The basic dedication for this archetype comes with some training in the lore of warfare, as well as the ability to designate allies to protect them.

A dead guardian is a failed guardian, and so many of these warriors demonstrate a shocking resilience, able to stay standing in combat much longer, especially when their designated ward is nearby.

Others tap into a rage state in battle similar to a barbarian, bringing that fury down on their foes, even more so if their charge is nearby.

If a foe foolishly drops their guard, many of these guards are skilled enough to punish them with a strike.

Their honor and dedication also helps them guard their minds against mental subversion.

Those that rage can snap into that fury at a moment’s notice when either they or their charge is harmed, , making even surprise attacks a dangerous prospect indeed.

Many are also trained to parry blows coming towards nearby allies (whether they are their charge or not), helping maintain cohesion of the line.

Many also keep an eye on how their charge moves reflexively following them to keep them protected.

Finally, veterans often train to punish foes that attempt to attack their chosen ally, striking at them when they even dare to make the attempt. If they do especially well they can even rob their foe of the strength to follow through and actually hit.

This archetype is very useful for a tanky build that wants to partner up with one specific party member or important NPC, providing ways to protect them when they stay close and stay in the action to keep protecting them. As such, guardian, fighter, barbarian, and other tough melee classes are the best pick here, but if you can make it work with other classes, an elusive swashbuckler, a spell-warded caster, and so on.

Being a member of the Ulfen Guard comes with an obligation baked into the lore, but this archetype also does cover former guard, those that have been trained but never took the oath, and of course any situation of divesting the mechanics from the lore, of course. So don’t feel obligated to use this archetype only for storylines involving protecting a noble.

Marked with silvery runes unlike the runes of the warriors they fight alongside, Duty-9 is just as dedicated to defending their jarl as any other. The fact that they are clearly not quite human does linger awkwardly in the minds of their contemporaries, but if they have answers, they have not shared them.

There is a hidden force worming it’s way into the upper echelons of Duvardian society, and Lord Nybrin and his bodyguard Oglaf plan to root it out. In truth, the culprit is a young conspirator dragon. Relatively inexperienced, but still dangerous, so the duo may need some support.

(art by Rastzar on DeviantArt)

The nation of Druma has become a legendary center of trade and wealth, rivaling many other nations in terms of being legendary trade hubs.

But it never would have become known for such things if it had not been for the Prophecies of Kalistrade, penned by the man of the same name who claimed to have discovered a philosophy that was guaranteed to bring prosperity, involving a diet of “pure” foods, avoiding physical contact with those not adhering to the belief system, and of course, amassing vast quantities of wealth yet not spending it on indulgence and decadence.

Under that belief system, the adherents of this philosophy, the so-called Prophets of Kalistrade, managed to cement the nation’s independence by weaponizing debt and being extremely shrewd businessfolk. While Druma does have a government independent of the Prophets on paper, it is entirely in the pocket of the organization.

Until very recently in the setting, it was not known exactly what the end-goal of these money-grubbing elitists, but now it is becoming clear: the Prophecies of Kalistrade are a philosophical guideline for avoiding the judgment of Pharasma and being at the mercy of their final fate in the Great Beyond. All or at least some of their philosophical edicts are designed to prepare the body and soul for the final ritual involving infusing as much gold and other wealth into their body in a ritual suicide that locks their soul in a mindscape within their body, a perfect paradise where they can dwell in infinite luxury for all eternity… in theory.

However, recent events in the setting, particularly the Godsrain, have started waking up the interred prophets as jingling, lucre-filled undead denied their final rest, forcing both them and the living followers to suddenly question the veracity of Kalistrade’s writings and what is to be done about all this. Many aim to try and keep the mishap a secret and try to put the confused dead back to rest and continue as before, hiding their little trick from Pharasma and her servants.

Where your character sits on that debate is up to you, but if playing a greedy capitalist desperate to defy death sounds fun to you, or at least interesting to explore, today’s archetype might be appealing, so let’s have a look!

The base dedication of this archetype comes with great skill as a merchant and a diplomat, as well as the strictures that make it clear to most what their affiliation is. Furthermore, those without previous magical training learn a few occult cantrips.

They can take that training further to gain even more occult magic with basic training. This can later be improved to expert and master training.

Rubbing elbows in high society means that Kalistocrats overhear a lot of gossip, making them repositories of all sorts of information, albeit of dubious value.

A good business person never admits defeat, not even in the face of a potential business partner contemplating taking their business elsewhere. Instead, they keep calm and collected with a smile on their face, hoping their unflappable attitude can help them win others back, or at least, keep them perceptive enough to better react if things go south and swords are drawn.

The Prophets of Kalistrade make their own luck whenever possible, but they would be a foolish indeed to not take advantage of a wave of good fortune when it hits, leaning into that good luck when it hits for even greater chances of success.

Those that wish to lean into their spellcasting can train to have a greater potential for spellcasting and of course learn more spells to go with it.

Keeping valuable items safe is paramount to a Kalistocrat, so some learn a spell for turning a container into a imaginary form in their mind, keeping it and it’s contents safe until needed.

Kalistrade teaches that perseverance in the face of adversity is the path to success, and his most skilled followers are quite adept at putting that to use, turning yesterday’s failures in business into tomorrow’s successes.

This archetype offers a combination of decent archetype spellcasting with an array of abilities useful for social encounters. Obviously if you play with a spellcaster base class the spellcasting side of the archetype is of no use, but if you like benefiting from fortune effects and having a special lore that can in theory give you info on anything (provided the secret roll succeeds or you can parse the misinformation), this archetype might work well for you.

Now, obviously Kalistrade and those that followed in his footsteps are deeply selfish and hypocritical people. After all, they use the trappings of asceticism to try and avoid the one thing that an ascetic lifestyle is supposed to help you reconcile with. However, at the same time, nobody is the villain of their own story, so creating a character with this archetype can be just as compelling as more heroic characters, and some may become heroic in their own way along the journey too.

The villain that the party has been destined to face is a powerful psychic with obscene wealth that seems to be amassing power and gold for some sort of sinister purpose. He has used countless pawns, lackies, and catspaws, including a kindly old man who was the foremost genius in terms of magic and alchemy. The same man the villain just murdered in cold blood in front of the party.

The aristocratic upper class weave petty games with each other that have consequences for the entire nation, but perhaps no group among them is more insidious than the Wise Ones, members of a new cult seemingly designed to validate their wealth and power as the signs of their enlightenment and purity. Greelg Rocktooth, a goblin oread crime boss, wants dirt on the cult for use as blackmail, and he’s willing to pay handsomely for it.

(art by Haimerejzero on DeviantArt)

The elven nation of Kyonin has a long and complicated history, from it’s abandonment during Earthfall, to the re-settlement and slow process of rediscovery of relics and history left behind, to it’s connections to a now broadly-noncanon Adventure Path, and of course, having to deal with the annoying neighbors. And by annoying neighbors I mean the demonic invasion and subsequent corruption caused by it.

Luckily there’s now an AP that finally gives the heroes an official opportunity to kick the ass of James Jacobs’ Baby Boy (aka Treerazer), and today’s subject is a perfect fit for that Adventure, or any adventure involving those that hunt demons!

Necessity is the mother of invention, and demonic incursions breed a lot of necessity, which is where wylderhearts, warriors and hunters trained specifically against demons and fiends of all descriptions, come into play. This archetype borrows a little bit from ranger, a little bit from bard, and a few other sources to train characters of any profession to be expert demon hunters. Naturally ranger is a good pick here, but the archetype is open to all classes, though those that have decent martial skill will fit in the best.

As we’ll soon see, these hunters do not prey upon demons alone, but rather are geared towards taking them down as a team, isolating and tearing them apart like a pack of wolves. So let’s see exactly how they do that!

The base dedication for the archetype (which only requires that you be from Kyonin, not necessarily an elf), comes with training on demon lore and how to react quicker when the time comes to fight them. It also comes with training for the focus magic of the archetype if they decide to learn any of it.

Many wylderhearts keep an animal companion, specifically training them to be able to pick up and track demonic scents.

Drawing upon bardic tricks and their own emotions, some wylderhearts sing songs of defiance against their demonic foes, either a lament for the dead tinged with the promise of vengeance to unnerve them, a valiant anthem to inspire fellow hunters and warriors, or both.

More burly, melee-oriented members sometimes train to hammer their way through the opposition, barreling their way into an advantageous position and attacking in one fluid motion.

With a prayer to Ketephys, spiritual wylderhearts infuse their weapons with spiritual power that is especially effective against fiends.

Naturally, there are also feats for improving their animal companion if they have one, advancing to maturity, incredible, and specialized improvements.

As they master more magic, some wylderhearts learn to bolster themselves, either conjuring elemental matter to protect themselves based on the element chose, or unleash a mighty howl that pushes them past their limits and even bolsters their vitality further if as long as they keep slaying demons.

Dancing and moving with a vigor for life in open defiance of demonic depredation, some of these hunters can move with such grace as to fascinate and stun foes.

With an invocation of final death, some of these warriors can unleash a devastating aftershock of void energy in a struck fiend, dealing heavy damage and possibly stunning them as well if they are not slain outright.

Powerful melee-oriented wylderhearts sometimes learn to unleash great whirling attacks to hit all foes within their reach, making the prospect of facing hordes of demons not as frightening.

The most powerful of these warriors become such a bane to demonic existence that especially accurate blows of theirs deal even more grievous wounds and weaken the fiends afterwards.

This archetype is very much all about hunting fiends. Naturally it is geared mostly towards demons, but some of it’s abilities also work on other fiends, and some work on all foes regardless. Additionally, there are feats here for melee and ranged characters alike, though not that many for spellcasters aside from “grant more options for focus spells”, so naturally combat classes and partial casters/utility classes are the primary choice here. I’m especially a fan of the ability that lets you follow up a successful attack with a nice flat 80 void damage. That’s some quality punishment.

While at their core they are demon hunters, the wylderhearts feel a lot more hopeful and positive than the usual “we fight monsters, so we must become monsters to win” kinda vibe you normally get from such a profession. Maybe it’s the magical dances and performance-based focus-spells. Either way, theirs is one of defiance, no matter if you’re hunting an ongoing invasion or cleaning up after one has been thwarted.

Always on the lookout for fiendish activity in the Blightwood, a party of demon hunters happens upon a seemingly abandoned town. However, no demon depopulated this town, for a powerful nosferatu has come to perform experiments on the isolated townsfolk, with those who remain becoming half-mad thralls.

Subjected to violence and discrimination from those that erroneously believe that Baphomet is the one true patron of minotaur-kind since he was a boy, Volganus turned the pain of those experiences into a demon-hunting career alongside a deep knowledge of folk magic to destroy fiends wherever they are found. A distant dream of his is to be the one that personally rids the cosmos of Baphomet and the stain he has left on the minotaur people.