[Hourglass of Zihaja] Chapter 10: Adventuring

[Zeta Kai]

Gadil izra-Yusuf

Quotes

• “Hear me! I bring unto you the word of heaven! Your salvation is at hand!”
• “Anyone can be saved. All that is needed is peace & forgiveness. Forgive those you have wronged you, & peace will be your reward.”
• “I am but a humble messenger. The true glory flies above, on wings of gold & light.”
• “My death would mean nothing. The truth is as immortal as the sun, & shines just as brightly.”

Background
The origins of Gadil izra-Yusuf are shrouded in mystery & steeped in myth. Some say that he was a prince who fled his far-off kingdom to wander the desert alone. Others claim that he was a humble orphan who grew up to be a shepherd or a carpenter. Still others believe that he is actually a being from beyond the Veil of Night, an otherworldly being with an unknowable beginning. Regardless of his past, he is currently a self-described prophet who has gathered a growing cult of personality around himself in the city of Qulzai.

Gadil came to Qulzai three years ago, a modest man of meager means. He began preaching on the street almost immediately, claiming to have recently received divine wisdom from an angelic being while walking through the wasteland. Since then, he has become one of the most popular & well-known figures in the city, despite his humble wishes to live simply & spread his word without undue adulation. The ruling council of Qulzai fears his movement as threatening the delicate status quo, so they are looking into ways of neutralizing him before his followers cause any lasting harm to the established order

Personality
Gadil is nothing if not driven. Unlike most other so-called prophets, he genuinely believes that he has been touched by divinity, & that he must spread the word of the divine to the masses for their own benefit. He preaches & sermonizes tirelessly, convinced that he can (& indeed must) help as many people as he is able to, & that the best way to do so is to give them the words of wisdom that were passed onto him. His passion & fervor can be a bit disquieting to some, but his daily acts of selfless kindness & giving have won over many converts, most of whom were initially skeptical about his message.

Appearance
Gadil’s eyes are warm & kind, yet they betray an unwavering, zealous conviction. He is emaciated from previous long fasts. His hair & beard are tangled & unkempt. He wears only a simple tunic (which is actually a glamered chain shirt), a pair of plain sandals, & shabby leggings.

Goals
Gadil wants nothing more than to spread the words of wisdom, telling anyone who will listen (& many people who won’t) of his divine message. He truly believes that he is a godly messenger, & that he has been chosen for this task. In order to better give the wisdom to all who can receive it, he has gathered a following of the faithful, a rapidly-expanding group of like-minded people who believe that he is the Chosen One. These Gadilites, as they are called, see him as a messianic figure that will unite the world against the evils that plague them, saving the world from the forces of darkness & ushering in a golden age of enlightenment.

This trend is worrisome to Gadil, as he feels that his followers are starting to worship him, instead of his message. He is trying to direct the Gadilites’ energies toward positive endeavors, such as charity, community services, healing the sick, & feeding the hungry, all while spreading the words of wisdom to those who will listen. But the movement is bigger than any one man, & the Gadilites’ may be beyond his efforts (& those of the ruling council) to control.

Combat Tactics
Gadil is a strict pacifist, a man who abhors violence & wants to heal wounds rather than inflict them. He carries a kukri, but he uses it to heal people (with its curative power) as a means of shocking people out of their preconceived assumptions. He will not use the weapon to attack someone, even in self-defense. His closest disciples, worried about his safety, have given him a glamered chain shirt (disguised as a tunic) to wear for his protection, although he had to be convinced that it was best for the message & the movement that he wear it. While he will not fight an attacker, he has used charm person & calm emotions to defuse violent situations in the past, & his use of the Knowledge & Prophecy domains allow him to avoid most battles before they start. If a serious threat to his life is known by the Gadilites, then they will defend him, usually with 2 clerics (13th level) or 4 paladins (11th level), who will use less peaceful means to resolve the issue.

3E Stats

Spoiler

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RACE: Human (Nomadic Tribal) male
CLASS: Bard 4/Cleric 11
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good
DEITY: The Darshan (The Awakened)
SIZE: Medium
AGE: 33 (born 322 AF)
HEIGHT: 6’5”
WEIGHT: 196 lbs.
EYES: Green
HAIR: Brown
LANGUAGES: Archaic & Common
HIT DICE: 8+10d8+4d6+15 (82HP)
INITIATIVE: +5
SPEED: 30’
ARMOR CLASS: 20 (+1 Dex, +9 armor); touch 11; flat-footed 19
BASE ATTACK BONUS: +11
GRAPPLE BONUS: +11
ATTACK: +13 Curative** Merciful Kukri (1d4+2, 18-20/×2, slashing)
FULL ATTACK: +13/+8/+3 Curative** Merciful Kukri (1d4+2, 18-20/×2, slashing)
SPACE/REACH: 5’/5’
SAVING THROWS: Fortitude +8, Reflex +7, Will +17
ABILITIES:

• Strength 10 (+0)
• Dexterity 12 (+1)
• Constitution 12 (+1)
• Intelligence 10 (+0)
• Wisdom 25 (+7)
• Charisma 14 (+2)

SKILLS: 82 points

• Diplomacy +21
• Heal +25
• Knowledge (Arcana) +18
• Knowledge (Religion) +18
• Sense Motive +23

FEATS: Brew Potion, Extra Turning, Improved Initiative, Improved Turning, Negotiator, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), True Believer**
WEAPON: +2 Curative** Merciful Kukri (18,308gp, 1d4+2, 18-20/×2, 2 lbs., slashing)
ARMOR: +5 Glamered Chain Shirt (27,950, +9, maximum dexterity bonus +4, check penalty -1, 20% AFC, speed 30’, 25lbs.)
EQUIPMENT:

• 92gp
• Agal of Blessed Faith (6,500gp)
• Candle of Cleansing** (6,500gp)
• Orb of Twilight (24,900gp)
• Periapt of Wisdom +4 (16,000gp)
• 4 Potions of cure moderate wounds (1,200gp)
• 3 Potions of endure elements (150gp)
• 3 Potions of mage armor (150gp)
• Ring of Sustenance (2,500gp)
• Wand of cure light wounds (750gp)

SPELLS:

• Bard: 3/3/1 (Caster Level 4th, save DC12 + spell level)
  • 0th Level: bend fate**, detect magic, know direction, light, mending, resistance
  • 1st Level: charm person, remove fear, sleep
  • 2nd Level: calm emotions, herald/courier**
• Cleric: 6/6+1/6+1/6+1/3+1/2+1/1+1 (Caster Level 11th, save DC17 + spell level)

CLASS FEATURES:

• Bardic Music.
• Bardic Knowledge.
• Countersong.
• Fascinate.
• Inspire Courage +1.
• Inspire Competence.
• Turn Undead.
• Domain: Knowledge.
• Domain: Prophecy**.