Here's some of the early NPCs that I've created the write-ups for and the adventure will partially revolve around.
Some of them may be recognizable from Umbra and PS:Torment. I'm inclined to put a disclaimer at the adventure's beginning but it's all fan-fic anywho.
I welcome any other interesting write-ups for Mind's Eye Faction members and folk for the adventure hooks to revolve around.
I'm terrible at stats and would welcome anyone willing to do up stats for these folk.
Dexter
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Faction: Revolutionary League
Rank: Factotum
Race: Tiefling
Sex: Male
Class: Fighter 13
Home Plane: Abyss
Physical Description: Dexter is a white haired, red eyed, and blue skinned individual that may have some Frost Giant blood inside him as well as Fiendish. He's not unattractive but few can mistake his diabolic appearance. He's cursed with a pair of curved horns sticking outside of his head and recognizable fangs. Dexter is the upper half of six feet in height with a set of shining enchanted plate mail that he took from the body of a dead Paladin.
Personality: Dexter is a charismatic and aristocratic sort despite his Revolutionary League membership. He seems as arrogant as most Signers but has an undeniable charm that causes many individuals, particularly women, to flock around him. Dexter's tastes are omnivorous and he is frequently prone to promising power or a favored spot in the new world he 'imagines.' While he hides his Revolutionary League membership, it is not hard to see his tenancies towards being a megalomaniac.
Background: Dexter was born a slave in the Abyss to a powerful Balor named Errtu. Growing up in the Abyss, he proved brutal enough to eventually earn a place as a scout on the Prime Material. Dexter managed to escape Errtu's service when that deity was banished to the abyss for a century by some Drow defeating him in single combat. Dexter eventually found his way to the Cage, which he figured was far enough from Errtu's wrath to set up a new life for himself.
Ultimately, the traumatic nature of his upbringing mixed with an incessent lust for power has resulted in Dexter becoming the leader of one of the largest cells in the Post-Faction War Revolutionary League. Ultimately, those who know Dexter well might think he'd be a better candidate for the Doomguard with his psychotic nihilism and love of destruction. Dexter envisions a 'better world' post the Revolution, with him in command of course, but first believes a war that would make the Blood War look tame must be started.
Dexter has seen his opportunity in the curious belief system of the Mind's Eye and has infiltrated that group. Dexter is deluded enough to genuinely believe they are onto something and their power will be enough to allow him to overthrow the gods. This is especially due to his understanding of Aola's desire to resurrect the fallen god Aoskar, that Dexter thinks is the key to defeating the Lady of Pain. Dexter is old enough to remember the brief usurption of the Lady of Pain by Vecna and the cataclysmic effects thereof. He thinks that they just need to do it right this time.
Dexter is responsible for much of the murder and destruction that is going on through the Mind's Eye along with several unrelated missions. The Revolutionary League member will do anything to protect his plot to overthrow the cosmos by seizing Aoskar's power for himself and that includes plot against the Faction as a whole. Most of the Illuminated Eye know that Dexter is a selfish, egotistical, and evil b****** but few of them believe he's performing any of the monstrous acts that fill this adventure.
Ultimately, Aola's natural trust and belief that anyone can be redeemed through Aoskar's love has served as a major blind spot to the danger that Dexter poses to his scheme. Dexter might not be able to overthrow the Multiverse but the potential for devastation from his plot's success is unimaginable in its consequences.
Motivation: Dexter desires to seize the power of Aoskar for himself. The foolish Tiefling is certain he can crack Sigil wide open, and thus the Multiverse, by starting a war between the Lady of Pain and the God of Portals. He's wrong but he's willing to kill whole swaths of people to do it.
Umbra
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Faction: Mind's Eye
Rank: Factotum
Race: Alu-Fiend
Sex: Female
Class: 7th Level Rogue/6th Priest
Home Plane: Sigil
Physical Description: The years have been kind to Umbra and she now appears to be a sensual twenty something Alu fiend with chestnut brown hair, a sensuous, long bat wings, a clubbed tail, and a propensity for all the revealing clothing her kind may like. Noticible is the Zactar symbol birthmark on her hand that she often displays and is similiar to the symbol on a silver amulet she wears.
To sometimes change moods, Umbra has been known to adopt a incredibly conservative business woman's look that somehow manages to look sexy upon her.
Personality: Umbra is able to move on a dime from sarcastic to sensual. Most of the time she's relatively personal and business-like but much of her conversation can't help but sound like flirting. Umbra is fond of causing mischief and trouble in addition to enjoying various pleasures. However, she's still part fiend and those who arrouse her wrath or endanger friends often find themselves subject to a grossly disproportionate response.
Background: Umbra was the daughter of an important Harmonium Faction member that just happened to have a brief relationship with a succubus. Due to an ancient prophecy, she also appeared to be the prophecized leader of the Chaotic Good Zactar 'faction.' A group of Clueless Primes with some well-meaning planars managed to somehow spirit her away from the Harmonium Factor and thus lead her to fulfill her 'destiny.'
Unfortunately, Umbra honestly proved a poor fit for a religious leader. The Zactar faction was little more than a cult disguising itself as a movement and attracted few people since prophecized chosen ones were a dime a dozen in Sigil. Furthermore, Umbra found herself drawn to the Chaotic nature of her fiendish heritage and frequently embarassed the faction with her romantic or thieving misadventures.
Ultimately, 'Factol' Umbra, dissolved her own faction by choosing to merge it with the Believers of the Source that closest represented her own beliefs about the universe. This was just in time for the Faction War and many higher ups were killed. Thus did Umbra, once more, find herself in an unwanted place of leadership.
Umbra has since become one of the major leaders of the Illuminated Eye sub-faction as she's attached herself at the hip to Aola the Proxy of Aoskar. Umbra personally doesn't believe it's possible to resurrect Aoksar and is mostly just humoring an old man whose genuinely nice to her. Umbra is the main leader of the day-to-day operations of the Illuminated Eye while Aola handles the impressive speeches.
Umbra has a tremendous loathing for Dexter and personally wants to see the man expelled from the Faction (preferrably through a portal to the Plane of Fire without any fire resistance magics). While she's still supporting Aola's plans to resurrect Aoskar, she is mostly interested in covering up any suspicion from the Mind's Eye leadership. Any PCs who wish to talk to her about the plot will find her evasive to say the least.
Umbra is currently in a love triangle involving Soressa and the wandering swordsman Po Ji. Her chaotic nature prevents her from taking the issue too seriously but anyone bringing her evidence she's not in full control of it will find her feeling much more talkative about many things.
DM's Note: Umbra is the title star of the Dungeon 55# adventure "Umbra." Her Priest Levels are from her training as a Zactar priestess but she now draws upon 'Aoskar' while fully aware it's Aola she's getting her spells from.
Saross
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Faction: Revolutionary League
Rank: Namer
Race: Human
Sex: Male
Class: Rogue 2/Fighter 7
Home Plane: Sigil
Physical Description: Saross is Sarossa's opposite sex identical twin. He's almost visually identical to her except for the fact he's male. He's got short brown hair, fair skin, and deep brown eyes. He's managed to put on some muscle in recent years that he can no longer pass for her without a disguise but the resemblance is unmistakable.
Personality: Despite being in his mid-twenties, Saross still acts like a petulant teenager in many respects. He's moody, anxious, and prone to repeating loud condemnations of the Factions without really anything to back them up. Saross acts tough but is easilly influenced, especially by powerful male authority figures.
Background: Saross is the son of the Godsman Factol Sandoz, a short-ruled predecessor of Factol Ambar. Growing up in the Foundry, Saross never really took to the philosophy and was always looking for something to differentiate himself from his peers. Ultimately, Bedai-Lihn the Anarchist managed to seduce and recruit the young man into sabotaging an important Godsman project. Saross was spared from the executioner's block by the mercy of a scarred figure not informing on him but refused to ignore the tormented man's advise against further dealings with the Revolutionary League.
Saross has spent the past decade performing various terrorist activities on behalf of the Revolutionary League. Ultimately, he betrayed Bedai-Lihn at the instigation of Dexter and murdered his lover to become the 'beloved' of his new master. Saross returned to Sigil not soon after the events of the Faction War and has managed to join the Mind's Eye thanks to his crimes being relatively unknown.
Saross' mission is to gather information on the Mind's Eyes various faction members and protect the secrecy of the Illuminated Eye at all costs. Dexter overestimated Saross' competence and his clumsy handling of the matter has drawn a great deal of attention from Factol Ombidias. It is due to this that Dexter sends Saross to assassinate Factol Ombidias in the later events of this module.
Saross is little more than a passing fancy and amusement of Dexter with little real knowledge of the man's plans. Furthermore, his position is so tenuous that even if he turned against the Tiefling then it would be only result in a swift death followed by his replacement. Saross has always wanted to be different but is nothing more than a follower in the end.
Motivation: Saross has become deeply enamored of Dexter and will do almost anything that the man tells him. The boy might have originally been a decent sort but he's wasted his opportunity to become something better and is already a murderer several times over. Saross' one exception to the rule of obeying Dexter in all things is harming his sister, which he will not do.
DM's Note: Saross first appeared in the video game Planescape: Torment.
Sarossa
Alignment: Neutral Good
Faction: Mind's Eye
Rank: Factotum
Race: Human
Sex: Female
Class: Sorcerer 9
Home Plane: Sigil
Physical Description: Sarossa is an elegant brown haired girl that has huge brown eyes and an exotic beauty about her that leads many to mistake her for a half-elf or other slightly non-human heritage. Sarossa tends to wear elaborate yellow dresses with the Mind's Eye sigil prominently displayed or woven into them. She seems to have a constant serenity about her that is accompanied by a perfect poise.
Personality: Sarossa is a mystical, enlightened, all-knowing type that quite a few people immediately dismiss as a 'crystal waving fruit loop.' It's true, Sarossa often lets her observations and thoughts exceed her level of experience but she is quite likable once one gets beyond her esoteric ways. She's rather easilly frightened and is somewhat sheltered despite growing up in Sigil.
Background: Sarossa is the daughter of the former Believers of the Source Factol Sandoz. Born as part of a pair of twins, Sarossa grew up in the Foundry and became the consummate Godsman in nearly all ways. Loved by nearly all of the Faction, many believed she would eventually go on to be Factol after Ambar. In the end, the Faction War slew many of her closest friends and allies while finding it merged with the Sign of One. Sarossa's popularity has dropped with most of her few remaining supporters as they view her joining the Illuminated Eye as a form of treason.
Sarossa is genuinely intrigued by Factor Aola's philosophical and mystical worldviews. She believes that the Godsmen and Sign of One can truly merge to become one Faction with the help of his guidance. Unfortunately, being born in Sigil has made her react with fear and apprehension at any mention of the word 'Aoskar' so that the Illuminated Eye has kept her out of most conversations involving him. She would be utterly blown away by the revelation that they intended to risk the wrath of the Lady of Pain to bring him back.
Recently, Sarossa's brother Saross has returned from 'an extended journey of self-discovery' across the Planes. Sarossa has welcomed her brother back with open arms despite the obvious changes that have overcome him physically and emotionally. It is primarilly because of him that he's been welcomed with open arms into the Faction and it will devastate her to realize that he's the party responsible for Factol Ombidias' murder.
The arrest of Saross at the hands of the Faction's security is something motivated less by any real proof of her guilt than an attempt by Ombidias' supporters to pin something on the Illuminated Eye. Ultimately, her exoneration will do more damage to their reputation than the discovery that her brother was party to murder. She's currently in the middle of a problematic romance with the swordsman Po-Ji and Umbra the Alu-Fiend. This might well confuse players who look for a personal motivation for framing her for murder rather than a political one.
Motivation: Sarossa is one of the few members of the Illuminated Eye's upper ranks that is unaware of the plot to resurrect Aoskar. Instead, she's much more concerned with the prospect of reconciling the Sign of One members with the Believers of the Source. She, erroneously, also believes she can convince Saross to return to the Mind's Eye from the Revolutionary League.
DM's Note: Sarossa is blessed with a unique gift that allows her to bring forth insights from the mind's of individuals. This allows her to permanently raise the Wisdom score of a given subject by 1 point, one time in their lives. Sarossa only does this for individuals who are close friends, faithful members of the Illuminated Eye, or have done her a great service.
Sarossa first appeared in the video game Planescape: Torment.
I'm not so good with my english, but I'd be happy to help you.
I can try to do it with some stats.
This is my first draft.
Dexter (planar / male tiefling / fighter 8, mole 5 / revolutionary league / chaotic evil): CR 14; med humanoid (tiefling); HD 8d10+24 plus 5d6+15; hp 123; Init +8; Spd 20 ft.; AC 27 (+4 Dex, +11 Full plate +3 with light fortification, +2 ring of protection ); Base Atk +16/15; Grp +16; + 20/+15/+10 melee (great sword +3, 2d6+12, 19-20/x2); SA Darkness, cure or inflicts light wounds 1/day, Mask Alignment, Faction Face (illuminated eye), ScapeGoat, Insinuate, Master Infiltrator; SQ Fire, Cold, Electricity resistence 5; AL CE; SV Fort +14, Ref +11, Will +10; Str 20, Dex 18, Con 17, Int 14, Wis 11, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Bluff +11, Climb +7, Diplomacy +6, Disguise +16, Gather Information + 6, Hide +14 , Intimidate +11, Knowledge (factions and guilds) +7, Knowledge (the planes) +5, Listen +7, Move Silently +9, Search +10, Sense Motive +6, Spot +7; Deception, Infiltrator, Point Finger, Improved Initiative, Complete the Cycle, Harness Divinity, Power Attack, Cleave, Weapon Focus, Improved Sunder, Weapon Specialization.
Speaks: Abyssal, Common, and Undercommon.
Special Equipment: +3 great sword, fullplate +3 light fortification, gloves of dexterity +2, ring of protection +2, cloak of resistance +4.
Special Abilities:
Mask Alignment (Su): A mole has the ability to hide his or her own alignment, cloaking it with another.The mole may choose any other alignment at will, appearing as that alignment for detection attempts. For instance, a chaotic evil mole who is masked with a lawful good alignment would not be detected by detect chaos or detect evil, but would be detected by detect law or detect good. However, the mole is still susceptible to protection and other spells that effect his true alignment. The aforementioned mole would be affected by a protection from evil spell, although the caster may not be aware of that fact.
Faction Face (illuminated eye) (Su): At 2nd level, a mole may choose one faction, sect, or guild which he has Infiltrator for which he is able to assume the features of. The mole may change his own features into an alternate form appropriate for that group, operating as if using the change self spell. However, the mole has only one alternate set of features he may change into. This change is indefinite, but goes away whenever the mole is unconscious or dead.
Scapegoat: Moles gain Scapegoat as a bonus feat at 3rd level. You receive a +5 bonus to Bluff checks when implicating someone for something they didn‘t do, and spells cannot determine whether you are lying about who is responsible.
Insinuate (Ex): At 3rd level, a mole increases his skills in duplicity and subterfuge, gaining a +3
competence bonus to Bluff, Forgery, and Gather Information checks.
Master Infiltrator (Ex): At 4th level, the mole becomes adept at infiltrating a particular organization, practically fooling himself and the multiverse in the process. The mole chooses one faction, sect, or guild. The mole is now considered a member of that organization for the purposes of access to feats.
The mole may also ignore any alignment restriction for a feat of that organization, but must meet all
other requirements and qualifications. In addition, the mole may take one feat from that organization now as a bonus feat.
Bonus Infiltration Feat: Moles may take another bonus feat from their chosen organization at 5th level.
Thanks, that's really well done and quite helpful.
A funny idea for Umbra's look.
She's very pretty! 
Do you know where are alu-fiend 3.5 stats or must we use the half-fiend template?
Do you know where are alu-fiend 3.5 stats or must we use the half-fiend template?
I'm afraid we'll probably have to stick with the Half-Fiend template.
Only recently was the Cambion updated.
Do you know where are alu-fiend 3.5 stats or must we use the half-fiend template?
I'm afraid we'll probably have to stick with the Half-Fiend template.
Only recently was the Cambion updated.
And what do you think of this conversion from ENworld?
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=149812
Hmmmm.
Well, I think it works quite well!
We should probably provide a link to this in the module itself, though in the Reference section.
Well, I think it works quite well!
We should probably provide a link to this in the module itself, though in the Reference section.
We could provide the complete conversion of the alu-fiend 3.5 stats as for other monsters in the appendix of the module itself.
I can try to do a revised version for us.
What do you think?
Do you know if the Umbra's father was a human?
Factor Durkayle was a human male of the Harmonium.
This is my revised version of the alu-fiend.
If it looks good I could use this template for the Umbra stats.
ALU-FIEND
Alu-fiends are the offspring of a succubus (alu-demon) and a male humanoid (see below). Alu-fiends are always female. The creature looks to a large extend like her humanoid parent. The typical alu-fiend has dark hair, dark eyes, and sometimes a mark of its fiendish parent: small black horns just above her eyes, a tail, and leathery, black wings (see below). Since her natural form is that of a humanoid rather than a fiend (like her mother), alu-fiends are often used as spies in places where true seeing is a common ability (which would immediately reveal a fiend's monstrous true form). Alu-fiends that breed with humanoids produce tieflings, alu-fiends of the same heritage produce alu-fiends. An alu-fiend speaks the language of its base creature and the abyssal.
CREATING AN ALU-FIEND
"Alu-fiend" is an inherited template that can be added to any of the following humanoid creatures: drow, elf, genasi, half-elf, human, and tiefling. Theoretically an alu-fiend of drow heritage might fail Lolth in some way and be made into a drider, which would mean the template could be added to a drider as well. It uses all of the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
- Size and Type: The creature's type changes to outsider.
- An Alu-fiend begins with six levels of outsider, which provides 6d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +6, and base saving throws bonus of Fort +5, Ref +5. WIll +5
- Speed: An alu-fiend has bat wings. Unless the base creature has a better fly speed, the creature can fly with a speed of 50 ft (average maneuverability).
- Armor Class: Natural armor bonus +2.
- Attacks: An alu-fiend has two claw attacks. If the base creature can use weapons, the alu-fiend retains this ability. An alu-fiend fighting without weapons uses a claw when making an attack action. When it has a weapon, it usually uses the weapon instead.
- Full Attack: An alu-fiend fighting without weapons uses both claws when making a full attack. If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack and if it has a hand free, it use a claw as a natural second attack.
- Damage: Alu-fiends have claw attacks. If the base creature does not have this attack form, the damage dealt by a hit is 1d4. Otherwise, use the damage value above or the base creature’s damage value, whichever is greater.
- Special Attacks: An alu-fiend retains all of the special attacks of the base creature and gains the following special ability.
Tongues (Su): An alu-fiend has a permanent tongues ability (as the spell, caster level 12). This special ability is part of their succubus-heritage.
- Spell-Like Abilities:
At will – polymorph (humanoids only, no limit on duration);
3/day – charm person, detect thoughts, suggestion.
1/day - greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only).
Caster Level equals the creature’s HD and the save DC is Charisma-based.
- Special Qualities: An alu-fiend has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities:
- Darkvision 60 feet.
- Immunity to poison.
- Resistence to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10.
- Damage reduction 10/cold iron or good.
- An alu-fiends natural weapons are treated as evil and magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
- Spell resistence equal to its class levels + 16 (maximum 35).
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Dex +4, Int +2, Cha +8.
- Racial Skills: An alu-fiend' outsider levels give it skill points equal to 8x(2+Int. modifier). Its class skills are Bluff, Climb, Gather Information, Hide, Knowledge (planes), Listen, Move silently, Sense Motive, Spot, Tumble.
- Racial Feats: An alu-fiend' outsider levels give it three feats.
Challenge Rating: as base creature +3.
Alignment: Usually caotic evil (rarely neutral).
Level Adjustment: +4.
Favourite Class: Rouge
Cool. We'll use it as the basis for Umbra and include it in the back of the book then.
ALU-FIEND
Alu-fiends are the offspring of a succubus (alu-demon) and a male humanoid (see below). Alu-fiends are always female. The creature looks to a large extend like her humanoid parent. The typical alu-fiend has dark hair, dark eyes, and sometimes a mark of its fiendish parent: small black horns just above her eyes, a tail, and leathery, black wings (see below). Since her natural form is that of a humanoid rather than a fiend (like her mother), alu-fiends are often used as spies in places where true seeing is a common ability (which would immediately reveal a fiend's monstrous true form). Alu-fiends that breed with humanoids produce tieflings, alu-fiends of the same heritage produce alu-fiends. An alu-fiend speaks the language of its base creature and the abyssal.
CREATING AN ALU-FIEND
"Alu-fiend" is an inherited template that can be added to any of the following humanoid creatures: drow, elf, genasi, half-elf, human, and tiefling. Theoretically an alu-fiend of drow heritage might fail Lolth in some way and be made into a drider, which would mean the template could be added to a drider as well. It uses all of the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
- Size and Type: The creature's type changes to outsider.
- An Alu-fiend begins with six levels of outsider, which provides 6d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +6, and base saving throws bonus of Fort +5, Ref +5. WIll +5
- Speed: An alu-fiend has bat wings. Unless the base creature has a better fly speed, the creature can fly with a speed of 50 ft (average maneuverability).
- Armor Class: Natural armor bonus +2.
- Attacks: An alu-fiend has two claw attacks. If the base creature can use weapons, the alu-fiend retains this ability. An alu-fiend fighting without weapons uses a claw when making an attack action. When it has a weapon, it usually uses the weapon instead.
- Full Attack: An alu-fiend fighting without weapons uses both claws when making a full attack. If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack and if it has a hand free, it use a claw as a natural second attack.
- Damage: Alu-fiends have claw attacks. If the base creature does not have this attack form, the damage dealt by a hit is 1d4. Otherwise, use the damage value above or the base creature’s damage value, whichever is greater.
- Special Attacks: An alu-fiend retains all of the special attacks of the base creature and gains the following special ability.
Tongues (Su): An alu-fiend has a permanent tongues ability (as the spell, caster level 12). This special ability is part of their succubus-heritage.
- Spell-Like Abilities:
At will – polymorph (humanoids only, no limit on duration);
3/day – charm person, detect thoughts, suggestion.
1/day - greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only).
Caster Level equals the creature’s HD and the save DC is Charisma-based.
- Special Qualities: An alu-fiend has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities:
- Darkvision 60 feet.
- Immunity to poison.
- Resistence to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10.
- Damage reduction 10/cold iron or good.
- An alu-fiends natural weapons are treated as evil and magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
- Spell resistence equal to its class levels + 16 (maximum 35).
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Dex +4, Int +2, Cha +8.
- Racial Skills: An alu-fiend' outsider levels give it skill points equal to 8x(2+Int. modifier). Its class skills are Bluff, Climb, Gather Information, Hide, Knowledge (planes), Listen, Move silently, Sense Motive, Spot, Tumble.
- Racial Feats: An alu-fiend' outsider levels give it three feats.
Challenge Rating: as base creature +3.
Alignment: Usually caotic evil (rarely neutral).
Level Adjustment: +4.
Favourite Class: Rouge
Po Ji
Proxy of Jislana
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Faction: Mind's Eye
Rank: Namer
Race: Human
Sex: Male
Class: 10th Level Swordsage/10th Level Master of the Nine
Home Plane: Prime Material (Ortho)
Physical Description: Po Ji is a startingly handsome man with almond shaped eyes and long dark hair. He wears a long white robe that some Clueless Primes call a "kimono" and sandals while walking with a heavy walking stick. The walking stick is actually the overly long sheathe for his No-Dachi, a weapon more simple folk might call a curved Great Sword. When Po Ji doesn't want to kill someone, he uses his walking stick as a quarterstaff instead of fighting with the blade.
Personality: Po Ji is an affiable chap who is the opposite of most monks in his behavior. He frequently can be found making dead pan observations and indulging various vices. Po Ji takes swordsmanship very seriously but forbids himself from showing-off or belittling the skills of others (after all, he's had about a few thousand years to practice).
Po Ji holds a surprisingly large reverence for life and only kills after much deliberation. He fancies himself something of a ladies man, and is. Female PCs with High Charisma who flirt will be able to get the most of him along with those player characters that express an interest in either the sword or Jislana.
Background: Po Ji is from the Harmonium controlled world of Ortho. Apparently, he's the Proxy of one of the gods that was overthrown when that body took over the planet. Po Ji holds Hardheads in extreme disdain but mostly limits his efforts to frustrating them rather than actively doing them harm. The Harmonium does not return this and he's viewed as a dangrous criminal back on the homeworld. Thankfully, the Faction War has removed the Harmonium's influence from Sigil and he can walk the streets safely now.
Po Ji is a seasoned Planewalker and is one of the few individuals who remembers not only The Great Upheaval but the cult of Aoskar. Thus, PCs savy enough to ask him about Aola will find out that he's one of the few individuals who knows who and what he is. Po Ji is an ambivalent figure to most of the conflicts of the Planes but occasionally finds himself involved in 'lost causes' that catch his interest. More often, the sword swinger finds himself involved in issues simply because of an overactive libido.
Po Ji is a former member of the Believers of the Source and current member of the Mind's Eye but has chosen to avoid joining the Illuminated Eye. He is, however, involved with both the Alu-Fiend Umbra and human girl Sarossa. Po Ji has his suspicions about what Aola is attempting to do but is not sure whether Aoskar's return will be a good or bad thing. Thus, the Sword Sage has decided to stay well out of the plot.
Motivation: Po Ji is primarilly a creature of the moment. Aside from the joys he gets from irritating the Harmonium, he's focused on achieving 'Enlightenment through Combat' or serving various errands on the part of his god. Po Ji is in-between missions during these events of 'Illuminated Eye' and handling the personal affairs described in each chapter. Po Ji is meant to be a bit of a wild card that the PCs may mistake for having a larger role in the resurrection of Aoskar than he has.
Po Ji will not interfere in most confrontations save to help save the lives of bystanders and innocents. He is currently atoning for several murders he committed back on Ortho and is only allowing himself to kill Vartus Timlin in Chapter Two thanks to their shared past. This should help him from being used as a plot device by PCs hoping to spare themselves a final confrontation.
DM's Note: Po Ji is a character originally from the Ortho Campaign Setting. He has the ability, through Jislana, to transform a player characters levels from a Players Handbook class to one of the martial adept classes from The Book of Nine Swords. This requires at least a week of training. Po Ji's 'gift' is as much supernatural as genuine training. Po Ji will do this for PCs who manage to impress him with their honor or who he owes a favor.
Po Ji is weary of adventuring after all his millennium of life and may start passing along adventures to player characters if the DM determines that they like the character and wish to see more of him. His apathy may annoy them but they should feel that he's a fundamentally good person at heart.
Aola is ten thousand years old. Don't you think this number is a little bit too high? This means that this guy was alive during the golden age of elves and dwarves and he practically knows all the ancient history of the sigil and the planes. He is definitely going to be a target for every basher in the multiverse with a question about the history. Involving Baatezu and Yugoloth. We should either a)involve these people who come to Aola for his great wisdom as a plot twist or a side adventure.
b)Make it a secret that he is indeed a proxy and thus, immortal.
c)decrease his age.
Plus, I think that as the adventure Aola's divine power should either increase or decrease. If it is increasing justification could be that as the cult of the illuminated grow, so does the velief in Aola's divinity, and thus, powers. If it is decreasing, it is because he is the supplier of all the clerical spells of priests in the cult, and this is diminishing his energies. Either way, PCs would be forced to follow the adventure to stop Aola. (Since he is either gaining power exponentially, or losing it, and thus rushing in his plan to resurrect Aoskar)
Same thing about being too old goes with Po-ji too. I think we should keep from involving too many immortal characters in a single campaign at once(unless this is going to become an epic module, of course.). Granted, there are many immortals and demigods in Sigil and he is a good NPC concept to involve in the setting, but I feel that two is enough.
Thanks for the advice and I agree.
Those will be the only two immortals.
Aola
Proxy of Aoskar
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Faction: Mind's Eye
Rank: Factor
Race: Aasimar
Sex: Male
Class: Priest 23
Home Plane: Mount Celestia
Physical Description: Aola is a handsome man with a long beard and attractive features that hint at some Celestial Blood. His eyes are a bright shade of gold and the man has skin that is a shimmering silver tone that implies he's most likely from the Upper Planes. He tends to dress in a glorious attire that shimmers with starlight while wearing openly the symbol of Aoskar.
Personality: Aola is one of the nicest, kindest, and most decent men you'll meet in your life. However, he's also a figure that can ere on being a bit naive while simultaneously being driven by the frustration and anger that he feels towards the Lady of Pain. Aola is overly trusting but this doesn't make him a fool. Indeed, he is a source of great wisdom and insight once one gets past his naivity about the Cage.
Background: Aola was born roughly ten thousand years ago, though few beings in the Cage would believe him if he said so. The grandson of a powerful Solar Deva in the service of a god called Bahamut, Aola was always more wild and hungry for new experiences than the majority of his kin. Ultimately, he peacefully parted ways with his kindred and headed off to explore the planes and become an adventurer.
Most of Aola's early adventures are long since forgotten with only a few long lived fiends and gods remembering his various slights against them. In the end, Aola found his way to the Cage where he became enamored with the faith of Aoskar. Abandoning his free-booting lifestyle, he embraced the religion of the Portal God and soon rose to the highest position in the faith. Ultimately, he was blessed with a portion of Aoskar's divine essence and immortality as a reward for his faithful service.
Of course, Aoskar was eventually destroyed by the Lady of Pain's wrath when the Dabus known as Fel converted to become a priest of that god. Aola joined the rest of the flock by being Mazed, except the poor fellow wasn't aware of it for the better part of a few thousand years. The Lady of Pain's choice of Maze for Aola was an almost exact replica of Aoskar's temple and subject to frequent visitors that could leave out the exit that he could not. Aola, trusting soul that he was, simply believed that this was an elaborate test from his god.
An encounter with a hideously scarred warrior with a resurrection problem left Aola with the revelation that previous visitors, mostly Clueless, didn't have. Specifically, that Aoskar was dead and the faithful were all Mazed. Despite being somewhat ignorant of the baser nature of the planes, Aola was aware that challenging the Lady of Pain was foolhardy at best. Nevertheless, the seasoned portal master quickly deduced a way to leave his prison (taking only a few years to do so).
Aola has, thus far, avoided returning to Sigil or revealing his allegiance to Aoskar. Nevertheless, in various disguises, he's founded the Cult of the Illuminated Eye that is little more than a repackaged cult to the deceased deity. Aola's power and natural charisma have managed to get him a powerful place in the Mind's Eye Faction as he's already made contact with much of the former Factol Darius' followers. Aola is intrigued by the idea of 'believing' Aoskar back to life and fully intends to pursue this course to its natural conclusion...
...even if that conclusion is his own death.
Motivation: Aola desires the resurrection of the dead god Aoskar and the restoration of his place amongst the Planes. Despite the fact that the Lady of Pain destroyed him, Aola bears the Mistress of Sigil no real ill will. He's much more concerned with bringing the god back to life than what he considers a futile attempt at revenge. Nevertheless, he is quite set on bringing his god back despite her possible wrath and freeing what followers of the faith that he can.
DM's Note: Because Aola is a Proxy, he possesses some small fraction of Aoskar's essence still within him. Thus, all the various Priests of Aoskar encountered in the adventure are drawing their power from him. Ironically, this includes Aola himself.
Aola first appeared in the video game Planescape: Torment.