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Amiel
2009-12-07, 07:27 AM
The rank odor of the docks assaulted his senses, nauseating him, impressing in him the need to vomit. With a visibly conscious effort and a shudder, Lord Neven suppressed that urge. Reaching into his red doublet of gold and purple embellishment he produced a white handkerchief that evidenced delicate craftmanship. He sniffed at it, undoubtedly it was perfumed. Good. With clumsy dexterity and awkward motions he fashioned a serviceable enough mask that helped to drive the reek away.

The task left his joints aching; they were hardened and stiff. Breathing out in staccato bursts, a cloud of vaporous steam emerged from between clenched teeth. It was winter and it was deathly cold. Rim frost coated every building, no respectable being lingered still in the frigid night...except those who depended on the darkness to cover up their foul deeds.

Lord Neven ruffled his greying hair, depositing icy shards on the ground, with a callused hand and smirked evilly at that thought. Too ambitious for his own good, he always sought the quickest way to ascension, even if that meant bloody handed murder. Of course he never dirtied his own hands and covered his tracks well enough so that no one ever suspected it was his hand that dealt the cards.

He ruled over the merchant council of Nar Lleshon and by association over that city-state, having bribed, threatened and forcibly retired those who stood in his warpath. He had someone to thank for his successes of course, a hired mercenary that had all too willingly accepted his commands. All too willingly. He had been warned about the cruel maletherion but never took those words of wisdom to heart.

Too late he came out of his thoughts, his vision was suddenly a spiral of blurred colors. Poison. He felt something leave the small of his back, scrapping his spine. A dagger, serrated. Blinking rapidly, he tried to fight back, but all he could manage was a shiver as the poison began its inevitable course.

Weakening rapidly, he focused all willpower to tilting his head slightly to get a better look at his malefactor. He needn't have bothered, a too handsome face was sneering cruelly at him. It snaked to his ear, a cultured voice oozing with an underlying vileness pronounced his doom. "Thank you for delivering this city to us." He hissed.

Neven finally managed to scream, he knew his horror was only just beginning.


Maletherion
Maleventhorn
Medium Outsider (Evil, Native)
Hit Dice: 16d8+24 (152 hp)
Initiative: +14 (+10 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 60 ft. (12 squares), fly 120 ft. (good)
Armor Class: 42 (+10 Dex, +21 natural, +1 dodge), touch 21, flat-footed 32
Base Attack/Grapple: +16/+26
Attack: +3 humiliating unholy longsword of wounding +30 melee (1d8+13 + 1 Cha + 2d6 unholy + 1 Con/17–20 + 1 permanent Cha drain + 1 Con) or slam +26 melee (1d8+10)
Full Attack: +3 humiliating unholy longsword of wounding +30/+30/+25/+20/+15 melee (1d8+13 + 1 Cha + 2d6 unholy + 1 Con/17–20 + 1 permanent Cha drain + 1 Con) or slam +26 melee (1d8+10)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Haste, spell-like abilities, spells
Special Qualities: Change shape, contemptuous, damage reduction 20/cold iron, darkvision 60 ft,. immunity to acid, cold and poison, low-light vision, murder of crows, pleasing form, regeneration 5, resistance to acid 10 and fire 10, spell resistance 30, tongues
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +23, Will +15
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 30, Con 20, Int 25, Wis 21, Cha 24
Skills: Bluff +31, Climb +26, Concentration +26, Diplomacy +31, Disguise +30 (+32 when acting), Hide +30, Intimidate +30, Jump +28, Knowledge (any three) +28, Listen +28, Move Silently +30, Search +26, Sense Motive +28, Spot +28
Feats: Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Critical (longsword) Improved Initiative (B), Lightning Reflexes (B), Persuasive, Power Attack, Stealthy
Environment: Nocturne
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 17
Treasure: No coins; double goods; +3 humiliating unholy longsword of wounding, dagger of poison
Alignment: Always Neutral Evil
Advancement: 17–32 HD (Medium); 33–48 HD (Large)

Change Shape (Su): A maletherion can assume the form of any Small or Medium humanoid.

Contemptuous (Ex): For those who only behold the visual appeal, a maletherion is nothing short of perfection. For those subjected to their acidic words, a maletherion is nothing short of the pinnacle of evil. The maletherion are masters of verbal decimation, capable of demoralising and demolishing a being through words. A maletherion gains a +4 bonus on Intimidate checks when interacting with creatures, those within 60 ft and capable of hearing a maletherion speak must succeed on a Will DC 25 save or suffers the effects of fear.

Haste (Su): A maletherion operates under a permanent haste effect. All other actions of a maletherion are normal (speaking at a normal cadence, etc) save that a maletherion possesses tremendous reflexes; their movements and reactions are almost too fast for the human eye to follow. A maletherion moves with extreme grace, appearing as if to almost glide when walking.

Murder of Crows (Ex): 3/day, a maletherion may assume the form of a swarm of crows. She is immune to physical damage while in swarm form, but may only deal physical damage to opponents; she loses access to her spells and spell-like abilities in swarm form. Additionally, by concentrating for up to one round, a maletherion may elicit the services of a crow, who becomes bonded to the maletherion as a familiar of her CL. A maletherion can only have the services of one crow at a time, and may replace it in the event of its demise. Finally, no crow or raven ever knowingly harms a maletherion.

Pleasing Form (Ex): A maletherion is extraordinarily beautiful. Their beauty is such that opponents would never try to intentionally harm a being such as they. A maletherion gains a +2 bonus on all Bluff and Diplomacy checks when interacting with others. All within 5 ft. of the maletherion must succeed on a Will DC 25 save or suffer the effects of charm monster.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will - animate dead, cone of cold, detect good, detect magic, fly, fog cloud, greater dispel magic, iceball, ice storm, invisibility, magic circle against good, obscuring mist, read magic, suggestion, wall of ice. 3/day - remove curse, remove disease, waves of fatigue. 1/day - power word stun, waves of exhaustion. Caster level 16th, DC 17 + spell level.

Spells: Maletherion can cast spells as 16th-level clerics. A maletherion has access to two of the following domains: Corruption, Darkness, Destruction, Evil, Pain, Trickery, War. The save DCs are Charisma-based. A maletherion cannot cast both spells and spell-likes within the same round or even same combat, she must choose either or.

The malicious and sadistic maletherion, who the ignorant call the aorathai, are black-hearted murderers devoid of any form of decency or compassion. Peace and love are naught but mortal follies for only power rules and absolute power rules absolutely. To a maletherion, the means always justify the ends. Despite this, the maletherion exhibit a form of twisted honor, corrupted beyond its original intent.

The maletherion are perennial schemers, capable manipulators of intrigue, assured that it is they and only they who will always come out on top. Such predilections do not constrain themselves to mere politics. The maletherion are manipulators, of individuals, of cities, of countries; their fingers are in every pie.

The maletherion are experimenters of the vilest sort, unconcerned with ethics and morals, the maletherion kidnap children, the elderly, the homeless that society no longer wants, nobles of lengthy lineage; all are suitable candidates for the great experiments erected by the maletherion. Such invasive procedures usually leave the victims raving mad or mindless at worst. To the maletherion, the ends always justify the means.

Sequestered in their great iron citadels, the maletherion do not turn their attentions or efforts to the domination of all lands, the maletherion are consummate slavers. They haggle over slaves of flesh and the tinkling of coin can ever be heard in their dominions. A maletherion lives for fornication and is dedicated to cults of pleasure with all its being. Those sold into slavery and purchased by the maletherion or even those who live free have suffered the vile touch of a maletherion at one time or another.

The maletherion are natives of the bleak chill-lands of Narzulgoth, the Land of the Chill. A frozen tundra of ice and gray stone, harsh winters are the norm here. The sky is always overcast, the sun itself seems to be on the verge of fleeing, as the occasional ray of sunshine is not enough to stave off the oppressive cold. Freezing to death here though is the least of a being's worries.

The maletherion organise themselves into great castes, with those occupying the bottom rungs afforded minimal respect; they are as slaves, serviceable only as cannon fodder. The maleventhorn are the counts and marquis of the maletherion, collectively referred to as the Houses Minor. The maletherion do not subscribe to the practice of promoting those of a lesser position into a position of glory and so a maleventhorn must prove herself again and again in a seemingly endless fashion before consideration for promotion is even considered.

A maletherion are among the most beautiful beings in the Cosmos. Darkly beautiful and formed of delicate features, a maletherion is a near perfect marriage of form and aesthetics.