[Hourglass of Zihaja] Chapter 10: Adventuring

[Zeta Kai]

Ras Shasad

Quotes

• “Get your hands off of that, you dolt! Don’t you know what that is?”
• “The tales that are told of me are true, but the legends are all lies.”
• “The dark years don’t seem so dark anymore. At least, not to me…”
• “The rains fall where they must. And they fall everywhere eventually.”

Background
The legendary lizardwoman known as Ras Shasad was born in Rasaljathi in the waning years of the Admajai Empire. A lifelong follower of Pashati in a city dedicated to Sidaru, she was something of an eccentric outsider even in her youth. Despite her urban upbringing, she was attracted to the natural world, & soon joined a druidic order, eventually becoming a full-fledged priestess under the tutelage of the legendary Oud Zakat. Her initial tenure was unremarkable, but soon afterward, the Pactspell tore the empire apart & the Ten Dark Years began.

It was then that Shasad came into her own as the great heroine of her day. She ceaselessly traveled the devastated imperial lands, aiding the sick & wounded, gathering survivors, & combating the hordes of ghuls that were unleashed by the devastation. She fought valiantly in the Battle of the Light, which ended the dark years, & was instrumental in winning that decisive victory. Ever since then, she has been a stalwart warrior in the fight for good, an ageless & enduring symbol of compassion & love of nature.

Personality
Shasad is blunt, brusque, & sometimes belligerent, but she cares deeply for nature, the world, & the people who live on it. A powerful force for good on Siraaj, & her kindness is seen in her deeds, if not always in her words. She is diligent in her chosen duties, & is venerated as a saint by many, as her exploits have almost become the stuff of epic myth. She chafes at the adoration that she receives, preferring to work without constant fanfare, & so she sometimes travels anonymously, helping people & battle the forces of darkness under many different guises. She is also growing tired of the constant struggle against the myriad forces of darkness, which is taking its toll on her. She has lived for several lifetimes, & the burden of so many years of conflict weigh on her.

Appearance
Shasad stands up straight, seemingly unburdened by the weight of all her years, & her scales are polished to a shiny luster. Her eyes betray her immense age, however, as they have a wisdom (& a weariness) that is unknown to the young. She is usually clad in simple dark blue robes, with a black cloak around her shoulders & a hood that is always up.

Goals
Shasad is many things to many people, & so few people understand what she is actually working towards, preferring their own version of her in their mind’s eye. Her ultimate objective is actually rather simple: to prevent the destruction of the Ten Dark Years from ever reoccurring. She witnessed the carnage & its aftermath firsthand; she saw the sky grow dim with smoke & ash, the piles of mangled bodies, the hordes of ghuls slaughtering entire towns, the people dying from famine & sickness. Thus she has labored for nearly four centuries to ensure that such bloodshed & ruin never happen again. To that end, she is often found near lands at the brink of war, trying to end hostilities & thwart any conflict before it starts.

Combat Tactics
Shasad is an implacable foe, & while she is still a mortal being, she fights like an embodiment of divine fury. Nowadays, many opponents surrender to her will rather than face certain death at her end of her staff. While she finds armed conflict distasteful, she understands that it is often necessary, & has become frighteningly skilled at it over the years.

Unlike many consummate druids, she does not often use her Wild Shape, preferring to fight in her normal form unless in dire circumstances. She also employs her roc companion, Jurthi, to hamper & intimidate foes. Most importantly, she has a vast collection of magic items, which she uses as the circumstances warrant them. She can use them to create a stone golem, open locked doors, make a river flow once again, summon an efreet, or even blot out the sun.

3E Stats

Spoiler

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RACE: Lizardfolk (Sheqarai) female
CLASS: Druid 17/Master of the Wastes 10***
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good
DEITY: Pashati
SIZE: Medium
AGE: 461 (born 723 IR)
HEIGHT: 5’5”
WEIGHT: 134 lbs.
EYES: Amber
HAIR: N/A (Pine Green scales)
LANGUAGES: Alhaggi, Archaic, Common, Draconic, & Druidic
HIT DICE: 8+16d8+10d12+189 (334HP)
INITIATIVE: +9
SPEED: 30’
ARMOR CLASS: 28 (+5 Dex, +5 natural, +8 armor); touch 15; flat-footed 23
BASE ATTACK BONUS: +22
GRAPPLE BONUS: +28
ATTACK: +32 Disruption Thundering or +31 Merciful Speed Darkwood Quarterstaff (1d6+7/1d6+6, ×2, bludgeoning) (+28 & +23 as a double weapon, respectively) or +32 Distance Shocking Burst Seeking Darkwood Composite Longbow (1d8+11, ×3, 220’ range increment, piercing)
FULL ATTACK: +28/+18 Disruption Thundering & +23/+13 Merciful Speed Darkwood Quarterstaff (1d6+10/1d6+9, ×2, bludgeoning) or +32/+27/+22/+17 Distance Shocking Burst Seeking Darkwood Composite Longbow (1d8+11, ×3, 220’ range increment, piercing)
SPACE/REACH: 5’/5’
SAVING THROWS: Fortitude +30, Reflex +14, Will +29
ABILITIES:

• Strength 22 (+6)
• Dexterity 20 (+5)
• Constitution 25 (+7)
• Intelligence 32 (+11)
• Wisdom 39 (+14)
• Charisma 18 (+4)

SKILLS: 180 points

• Balance +20
• Concentration +22
• Handle Animal +23
• Heal +29
• Jump +16
• Knowledge (Nature) +33
• Listen +33
• Ride +24
• Spot +30
• Survival +48 (+52 in deserts)
• Swim +25

FEATS: Blessed by Fate**, Desert Nomad**, Diehard, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Grim Determination**, Improved Initiative, Never Say Die**, Self-Sufficiency, Track
WEAPON:

• +4 Disruption Thundering / +3 Merciful Speed Darkwood Quarterstaff (196,620gp, 1d6+10/1d6+9, ×2, 2 lbs., bludgeoning)
• +5 Distance Shocking Burst Seeking Darkwood Composite Longbow (162,420gp, 1d8+11, ×3, 220’ range increment, 1½ lbs., piercing)

ARMOR: +5 Greater Fire Resistance Heavy Fortification Hide (166,165gp, +8, maximum dexterity bonus +4, check penalty -2, 20% AFC, speed 20’, 25lbs.)
EQUIPMENT:

• 526,588gp
• 40 Arrows (2gp)
• Amulet of Health +6 (36,000gp)
• Bag of Holding IV (10,000gp)
• Bag of Tricks, tan (6,300gp)
• Belt of Giant Strength +6 (36,000gp)
• Boots of Striding & Springing (5,500gp)
• Bottle of Air (7,250gp)
• Candle of Calm (14,410gp)**
• Candle of Truth (2,500gp)
• Cloak of Resistance +5 (25,000gp)
• Decanter of Endless Water (9,000gp)
• Dust of Dryness (850gp)
• Earth Medallion (28,250gp)**
• Efficient Quiver (1,800gp)
• Efreeti Bottle (145,000gp)
• Gem of Seeing (75,000gp)
• Gloves of Dexterity +6 (36,000gp)
• Golem’s Heart: Sandstone (53,000gp)**
• Headband of Intellect +6 (36,000gp)
• 4 Incenses of Meditation (19,600gp)
• 4 Jewels of Light (11,000gp)**
• Keffiyeh of Understanding (29,000gp)**
• Key of All Locks (24,000gp)**
• Latching Rod (22,850gp)**
• 2 Marvelous Pigments (8,000gp)
• Necklace of Adaptation (9,000gp)
• Orb of Twilight (36,000gp)**
• Pearl of Power: Two Spells (70,000gp)
• Periapt of Wisdom +6 (36,000gp)
• Potion of barkskin +5 (1,200gp)
• 5 Potions of cure serious wounds (3,750gp)
• 2 Potions of protection from arrows 15/magic (3,000gp)
• 3 Potions of resist energy (acid) 30 (3,300gp)
• 3 Potions of resist energy (cold) 30 (3,300gp)
• 3 Potions of resist energy (electricity) 30 (3,300gp)
• 3 Potions of resist energy (sonic) 30 (3,300gp)
• Ring of Elemental Command: Earth (200,000gp)
• Ring of Djinni Calling (125,000gp)
• Rod of Absorption (50,000gp)
• Scroll of astral projection (4,870gp)
• Scroll of energy drain (3,825gp)
• 2 Scrolls of gate (17,650gp)
• Scroll of summon monster IX (3,825gp)
• 3 Scrolls of true resurrection (86,475gp)
• Staff of the Sudden Dream (41,600gp)**
• Stone of Good Luck (20,000gp)
• Sustaining Spoon (5,400gp)
• Tome of Clear Thought +5 (137,500gp)
• Tome of Leadership & Influence +5 (137,500gp)
• Tome of Understanding +5 (137,500gp)
• 2 Universal Solvents (100gp)
• Vestments, Druid’s (10,000gp)
• Wand of restoration (26,000gp)
• Wand of wall of ice (21,000gp)
• Wind Fan (5,500gp)

RACIAL FEATURES:

• +2 on saves to resist the effects of poison.
• Natural Weapons: Bite (1d4 + Strength).
• Cold-Blooded: Lizardfolk are mesothermic, meaning that they can only partially regulate their internal body temperature. For them, the ambient temperature is considered one category colder than it actually is. However, they only suffer from cold exposure in temperatures below 40°F.
• Hold Breath (Ex): A lizardfolk can hold its breath for a number of rounds equal to four times its Constitution score before it risks drowning.
• Musk: A lizardfolk exudes certain oils from its skin that have a faint but distinct odor. This allows them to be more easily tracked, granting a +4 circumstance bonus to such checks.
• Water Dependence: A lizardfolk must ingest a minimum one gallon of water a day or suffer a cumulative -1 Con penalty. A full day of rest with complete hydration is necessary to eliminate this penalty. NOTE: This is negated by the Fasting class feature.

SPELLS:

• Druid Spells: 6/8/7/7/7/6/5/4/3/2 (Caster Level 27th, save DC19 + spell level)
• Master of the Waste Spells: 8/8/4 (Caster Level 27th, save DC25 + spell level)

CLASS FEATURES:

• Nature Sense.
• Wild Empathy.
• Woodland Stride.
• Trackless Step.
• Resist Nature’s Lure.
• Wild Shape (T/S/M/L/H, 5/day, Elemental 1/day, Plant).
• Venom Immunity.
• A Thousand Faces.
• Timeless Body (frozen at Old).
• Hardiness.
• Survival.
• Commune with Nature.
• Command of the Wastes.
• Improved Survival.
• Thermal Extremist.
• Powerful Fortitude (3/day).
• Preternatural Fortitude.
• Scoured Skin (SR30).

ANIMAL COMPANION: Jurthi, a roc (18HD, 207HP, AC17 (-4 size, +2 Dexterity, +9 Natural Armor), BAB+13, 2 Talons +21 melee (2d6+12) & Bite +19 melee (2d8+6), Fortitude +18, Reflex +13, Will +9, Intelligence 2 (-4), Link, Share Spells, Trick: Defend, Low-Light Vision, Alertness, Flyby Attack, Iron Will, Multiattack, Power Attack, Snatch, Wingover, Hide -3, Listen +10, Spot +14).