The Demented One
2006-08-07, 10:41 PM
The Mindfire Knights
"Ambush!" Durgon hissed. He drew his short, poisoned dagger with one hand, and charged at the new threat, his allies fast behind them. Durgon smiled, anticipating an easy victory--for, while his adversaries had the element of surprise, they were all unarmed. The nimble elf leaped into the air, and prepared to deliver the death-blow. Then, the leader of the ambushers held up a hand. "Halt, knave! You have taken from the Knights. And the Mindfire Nights do not forgive." A blade of indigo blue flames formed in the hands of the leader. And then, the battle truely began..."
The Mindfire Knights are an elite order of soulknives, united by their discovery of the art of creating mind blades of flame through the path of the Mindfire Bladeweaver. Initially formed as a cadre of like-minded soulknives, the Knights have developed into a nation-spanning organization that sees itself as the sole group capable of destroying what has become the dread foe of the Knights--the Rakshasas. These tiger-like fiends earned the eternal ire of the Knights by stealing from them the techniques of the Mindfire Bladeweavers, and using them to create a potent psionic weapons that are bane to all soulknives--the Voidknives.
Purpose
To preserve and defend the arts and skills of the Mindfire Bladeweavers, and slaying with a flaming blade all those who steal and corrupt them.
Alignment
Chaotic Neutral (Any non-lawful alignment acceptable)
GP Resources
A character can commision any power stone, psionic tatto, psionic weapon or armor, or universal item from the Knights at a 10% discount. As a organization, the Knights may purchase almost any item worth 30,000 gp or less or produce any of the aformented psionic items worth 45,000 gp or less.
Membership
To become a member of the Mindfire Knights, one must first be both of an acceptable alignment and capable of manifesting a mind blade. One must then seek out a patron within the Knights, and train under him for 3 months. At the end of this preliminary training period, if the patron is satisfied with the candidate's talents, he offers the candidate the opportunity to take the Test of Mindfire. The Test of Mindfire involves sealing the candiate in a small room for 24 hours. He is given a small vial containing a potent poison known as mindfire toxin. The save DC is 22, but the candiate must voluntarily fail the save to be considered. Both the initial and secondary damage of the poison are temporary insanity, lasting 3d4 hours. If the candidate can endure the ravages of the mindfire toxin without breaking down and asking his patron for help, he is formally inducted into the Mindfire Knights. What the candidate does not know is that, as he undergoes the test, he is being mentally probed by his patron, seeking out any signs of disloyalty.
Authority Figues
Zenda Val, CN Female Xeph Soulknife 6/Mindfire Bladeweaver 10: Zenda Val is the current leader of the Mindfire Knights. While relatively new to the organization, she has earned great prestige by destroying two of the dreaded Voidknives, which were being dual wielded by a mighty and ancient Rakshasa at the time. The valorous act cost her her right arm--though none of her combat prowess. Zenda Val intends to maintain the course the Knights have been taking, placing far greater emphasis on the defense of their secrets than taking the fight to the rakshasas. However, her crippling at the hands of the fiends have left a deep-seated grudge, and some within the Knights seek to manipulate her into waging an all-out war with the fiends.
Andara Triel, NE Tiefling Soulknife 3/Lurk 2/Mindfire Bladeweaver 2: Andara joined the Knights only shortly after their betrayal by the Rakshasas. When it was discovered she was a great-grandchild of one of the very fiends that had betrayed them, she was nearly excecuted on the spot. However, she was able to prove her worth by selling out her ancestors, revealing secret weaknesses and hideouts of the fiends. She was soon accorded a place of great prestige for her fierce hatred of the hellish traitors and amazing talents at stealth and infiltration. The truth of the matter is that Triel was abused horrendously by her Rakshasa forefathers, and sees the Mindfire Knights as nothing but an expeditious way of getting revenge. She is one of the main forces within the organization pushing for all-out war on the Rakshasas.
Dedrin-Sai Duuth, TN Githyanki Fighter 4/Soulknife 3/Mindfire Bladeweaver 3: The head of all the Knights militant operations, Duuth is a renegade Githyanki who signed on with the Knights in search of asylum from his vengeful kin. He soon rose through the ranks through sheer shows of martial strength and tactical genius. He cares little for the conflict with the rakshasas, caring more for the further defense of the Knights' secrets by using preemptive strikes to destroy those who plot to steal them, rather than seeking revenge against those that have already done so.
Erasmus Flamel, NG Human Soulknife 2/Shaper 10: The head wright of the Knights, Erasmus is strictly a thinker, not a fighter. His training as a soulknife being only a footnote to his legacy, Erasmus has come up with many of the weapons and devices the Knights use in defending their secrets and hunting their foes. The fiendslayer hilts, shapestones, and soulspike armors were all devised by the psion. His motives for joining the Knights are unknown, but it is believed he simply wanted someone that would appreciate his works.
Other Important Figures
Cerves Altaholt, CN Xeph Soulknife 5/Mindfire Bladeweaver 3: Head recruiter for the Mindfire Knights.
Ensel Dyun, TN Elan Soulknife 5/Egoist 1: Thought the Mindfire Knights do not know of his treachery, Ensel has sold out to the Rakshasas, and has been feeding them secrets for a little more than half a decade.
Racial Make-Up
-35% Human
-15% Xeph
-10% Elan
-5% Githyanki
-5% Half-Giant
-3% Duergar
-2% Maenad
-25% Other
Class Make-Up
All members of the Knights are Soulknives. However, many are multiclassed characters.
-50% Pure Soulknife
-20% Soulknife/Psychic Warrior
-10% Soulknife/Fighter
-5% Soulknife/Lurk
-5% Soulknife/Psion
-10% Soulknife/Other
Origins
The Mindfire Knights was originally a six-man group of friends, six soulknives working together to develop a new form of psychic combat. Their numbers remained small, never exceeding more than a few dozen, until a breakthrough was made.1
The mindfire toxin was invented, a potent poison that could unlock the mental power needed to create a mindfire blade in the space of a day, rather the decades it had formerly taken. The Knights blossomed to about 500 in number, and took on their true purpose. They set up an elaborate system of safeguards designed to guard their secrets.2
Times were good for the Knights, until, 300 years after their founding, a cabal of Rakshasas infiltrated the organization and broke past every one of their safeguards. With their stolen secrets, the fiends created powerful weapons known as Voidknives, blades that could literally rip a man's soul to shreds.3
In the following years, many Mindfire Knights fell to the Voidknives, and the Knights and Rakshasas remain locked in a Cold War that promises to eventually explode in a holocaust of mindfire.4
1Knowledge (History or Psionics) DC 17
2Knowledge (History or Psionics) DC 20
3Knowledge (History or Psionics) DC 25
4Knowledge (History or Psionics) DC 30
Adventure Hooks
-A player character unknowingly acquires a book containing encoded secrets of the Mindfire Knights. Now, he must convince the team of soulknife assassins on his tail that he did not mean to steal from them.
-After a player character is kidnapped by a Rakshasa, a contingent of soulknives from the Mindfire Knights offer to assist the rest of the players in retrieving him--if they will aid in destroying the Voidknife wielded by the fiend.
"Ambush!" Durgon hissed. He drew his short, poisoned dagger with one hand, and charged at the new threat, his allies fast behind them. Durgon smiled, anticipating an easy victory--for, while his adversaries had the element of surprise, they were all unarmed. The nimble elf leaped into the air, and prepared to deliver the death-blow. Then, the leader of the ambushers held up a hand. "Halt, knave! You have taken from the Knights. And the Mindfire Nights do not forgive." A blade of indigo blue flames formed in the hands of the leader. And then, the battle truely began..."
The Mindfire Knights are an elite order of soulknives, united by their discovery of the art of creating mind blades of flame through the path of the Mindfire Bladeweaver. Initially formed as a cadre of like-minded soulknives, the Knights have developed into a nation-spanning organization that sees itself as the sole group capable of destroying what has become the dread foe of the Knights--the Rakshasas. These tiger-like fiends earned the eternal ire of the Knights by stealing from them the techniques of the Mindfire Bladeweavers, and using them to create a potent psionic weapons that are bane to all soulknives--the Voidknives.
Purpose
To preserve and defend the arts and skills of the Mindfire Bladeweavers, and slaying with a flaming blade all those who steal and corrupt them.
Alignment
Chaotic Neutral (Any non-lawful alignment acceptable)
GP Resources
A character can commision any power stone, psionic tatto, psionic weapon or armor, or universal item from the Knights at a 10% discount. As a organization, the Knights may purchase almost any item worth 30,000 gp or less or produce any of the aformented psionic items worth 45,000 gp or less.
Membership
To become a member of the Mindfire Knights, one must first be both of an acceptable alignment and capable of manifesting a mind blade. One must then seek out a patron within the Knights, and train under him for 3 months. At the end of this preliminary training period, if the patron is satisfied with the candidate's talents, he offers the candidate the opportunity to take the Test of Mindfire. The Test of Mindfire involves sealing the candiate in a small room for 24 hours. He is given a small vial containing a potent poison known as mindfire toxin. The save DC is 22, but the candiate must voluntarily fail the save to be considered. Both the initial and secondary damage of the poison are temporary insanity, lasting 3d4 hours. If the candidate can endure the ravages of the mindfire toxin without breaking down and asking his patron for help, he is formally inducted into the Mindfire Knights. What the candidate does not know is that, as he undergoes the test, he is being mentally probed by his patron, seeking out any signs of disloyalty.
Authority Figues
Zenda Val, CN Female Xeph Soulknife 6/Mindfire Bladeweaver 10: Zenda Val is the current leader of the Mindfire Knights. While relatively new to the organization, she has earned great prestige by destroying two of the dreaded Voidknives, which were being dual wielded by a mighty and ancient Rakshasa at the time. The valorous act cost her her right arm--though none of her combat prowess. Zenda Val intends to maintain the course the Knights have been taking, placing far greater emphasis on the defense of their secrets than taking the fight to the rakshasas. However, her crippling at the hands of the fiends have left a deep-seated grudge, and some within the Knights seek to manipulate her into waging an all-out war with the fiends.
Andara Triel, NE Tiefling Soulknife 3/Lurk 2/Mindfire Bladeweaver 2: Andara joined the Knights only shortly after their betrayal by the Rakshasas. When it was discovered she was a great-grandchild of one of the very fiends that had betrayed them, she was nearly excecuted on the spot. However, she was able to prove her worth by selling out her ancestors, revealing secret weaknesses and hideouts of the fiends. She was soon accorded a place of great prestige for her fierce hatred of the hellish traitors and amazing talents at stealth and infiltration. The truth of the matter is that Triel was abused horrendously by her Rakshasa forefathers, and sees the Mindfire Knights as nothing but an expeditious way of getting revenge. She is one of the main forces within the organization pushing for all-out war on the Rakshasas.
Dedrin-Sai Duuth, TN Githyanki Fighter 4/Soulknife 3/Mindfire Bladeweaver 3: The head of all the Knights militant operations, Duuth is a renegade Githyanki who signed on with the Knights in search of asylum from his vengeful kin. He soon rose through the ranks through sheer shows of martial strength and tactical genius. He cares little for the conflict with the rakshasas, caring more for the further defense of the Knights' secrets by using preemptive strikes to destroy those who plot to steal them, rather than seeking revenge against those that have already done so.
Erasmus Flamel, NG Human Soulknife 2/Shaper 10: The head wright of the Knights, Erasmus is strictly a thinker, not a fighter. His training as a soulknife being only a footnote to his legacy, Erasmus has come up with many of the weapons and devices the Knights use in defending their secrets and hunting their foes. The fiendslayer hilts, shapestones, and soulspike armors were all devised by the psion. His motives for joining the Knights are unknown, but it is believed he simply wanted someone that would appreciate his works.
Other Important Figures
Cerves Altaholt, CN Xeph Soulknife 5/Mindfire Bladeweaver 3: Head recruiter for the Mindfire Knights.
Ensel Dyun, TN Elan Soulknife 5/Egoist 1: Thought the Mindfire Knights do not know of his treachery, Ensel has sold out to the Rakshasas, and has been feeding them secrets for a little more than half a decade.
Racial Make-Up
-35% Human
-15% Xeph
-10% Elan
-5% Githyanki
-5% Half-Giant
-3% Duergar
-2% Maenad
-25% Other
Class Make-Up
All members of the Knights are Soulknives. However, many are multiclassed characters.
-50% Pure Soulknife
-20% Soulknife/Psychic Warrior
-10% Soulknife/Fighter
-5% Soulknife/Lurk
-5% Soulknife/Psion
-10% Soulknife/Other
Origins
The Mindfire Knights was originally a six-man group of friends, six soulknives working together to develop a new form of psychic combat. Their numbers remained small, never exceeding more than a few dozen, until a breakthrough was made.1
The mindfire toxin was invented, a potent poison that could unlock the mental power needed to create a mindfire blade in the space of a day, rather the decades it had formerly taken. The Knights blossomed to about 500 in number, and took on their true purpose. They set up an elaborate system of safeguards designed to guard their secrets.2
Times were good for the Knights, until, 300 years after their founding, a cabal of Rakshasas infiltrated the organization and broke past every one of their safeguards. With their stolen secrets, the fiends created powerful weapons known as Voidknives, blades that could literally rip a man's soul to shreds.3
In the following years, many Mindfire Knights fell to the Voidknives, and the Knights and Rakshasas remain locked in a Cold War that promises to eventually explode in a holocaust of mindfire.4
1Knowledge (History or Psionics) DC 17
2Knowledge (History or Psionics) DC 20
3Knowledge (History or Psionics) DC 25
4Knowledge (History or Psionics) DC 30
Adventure Hooks
-A player character unknowingly acquires a book containing encoded secrets of the Mindfire Knights. Now, he must convince the team of soulknife assassins on his tail that he did not mean to steal from them.
-After a player character is kidnapped by a Rakshasa, a contingent of soulknives from the Mindfire Knights offer to assist the rest of the players in retrieving him--if they will aid in destroying the Voidknife wielded by the fiend.