Orichol arrives in the community where the PCs currently reside. It is looking for one of the sages that helped it find the Temple of the Four Pillars, to demand still more informa- tion about the temple’s origins. The sage, however, is afraid of the mojh now, with its newfound power, and comes to the characters for help. Orichol was none too gentle in its inquiries before, and now the sage wants none of it. The PCs need to protect the sage and perhaps confront the mojh, learning in the process what an elemental scion is—and about the mysterious Temple of Four Pillars.
Faradian
Large Monstrous Humanoid
Hit Dice: 9d8+45 (85 hp), dying/dead –6/–21 Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 feet
AC: 30 (–1 size, +1 Dexterity, +8 natural, +12 armor), touch 10,
flat-footed 29
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+18
Attack: Large dire masterwork greataxe +15 melee (2d8+11) Full Attack: Large dire masterwork greataxe +15/+10 melee
(2d8+11) and bite +15 melee (1d8+2)
Face Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet
(Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/10 feet)
Special Attacks: Ensorcel weapon, dazzle, telekinesis Special Qualities: Blindsight 60 feet, immunities, precogni-
tive flashes
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +13
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 12, Con 21, Int 17, Wis 21, Cha 19 Skills: Climb +13, Craft (weaponsmithing) +8, Intimidate +10,
Jump +10, Knowledge (geography) +9, Knowledge (history) +9, Listen +10, +10, Wilderness Survival +11
Feats: Ambidexterity, Bloody Strike, Exotic Weapon Proficiency
(heavy) B, Iron Will B, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon
Focus (greataxe), Weapon Specialization (greataxe)
Environment: Any land Organization: Solitary Challenge Rating: 8 Treasure: Double standard Advancement: By character class Level Adjustment: +4
Living by their own strange code, the faradians are as enigmatic as they are fearsome. Nothing is truly black and white in the Lands of the Diamond Throne, and the faradi- ans exemplify that truism. These towering warriors are as likely to murder a seemingly innocent person as they are to help someone in distress.
The faradians are not what they once were. Long ago they served as allies and friends of the mysterious crystal weavers of days past. As such, they were also close companions of the grynlocs (see page 46). Despite their great strength, the fara- dians were farmers and herders living in and around the northern reaches of the Elder Mountains.
In those days, the great kingdom of Sennes encompassed much of what was then called Terrakal. Queen Adrilashe decreed that she must have an elite force of bodyguards and troops. She commanded her allies, the Devanians, to bring the best and the brightest of the faradians to her generals, and they complied. The faradians were taught loyalty,
prowess, and strategy. They even learned sorcerous tricks from the mages of Sennes, who were at their height at the time. Thanks to their special connection to the akashic mem- ory, the faradians ensured that once they were trained, all other faradians would share their knowledge, as would their future generations. Thus, an elite force of faradian warriors attended the monarch of Sennes and, eventually, Devania. Even as political tides turned and human rulers changed, faradians always served them as faithful warriors. When the dramojh invaded, the faradians held them off longer than anyone would have thought possible. The dramojh hated them for their power, but even more for their steadfastness and loyalty. Using sorcery, the demon-dragons captured a number of faradians and murdered the rest.
For long years, the dramojh tortured their captives but could not break them. Finally, they used magic to give the naturally blind faradians sight—but no ordinary sight. They cursed the faradians with flashes of the future, but only terrible aspects of what would be. They tormented them with the horrors that were, that had been, and that were still to come. No one knows exactly what happened after that, but when the armies of the giants, sibeccai, humans, and others arrived at the dramojh gates bringing freedom, the faradians were still in the dramojh prisons. They would speak of nothing that had happened.
Today, faradians are quite rare. When one sees them, they are usually doing something difficult to understand—they attack individuals seemingly at random, while providing cryptic advice to others. They show up in numbers to help defend a tower against bandit attack, then walk away word- lessly when the same tower is beset by shadow trolls. The truth is, in their ongoing visions of future horrors, they see things that they know can be changed. Their assistance helps others alter or avoid the terrible events still to come. This knowledge sometimes calls for strange—even violent or evil—acts, from a nonfaradian perspective, but they do not care, and they never explain themselves. Thus, today faradi- ans enjoy a sinister and fearsome reputation.
Tall and muscular, these humanoids stand at least 12 feet tall. They wear massive, gleaming armor covered in spikes and mov- able, shifting plates (usually a definitive harness with armor spikes). They wield huge dire axes and wear helmets that cover the part of their faces where their eyes would be, if they had eyes. The helmet always has an opening for the faradian’s mouth, which is large with many pointed teeth. A faradian’s hands and feet are large, too, and it has only four fingers on each hand and four toes on each foot. Its flesh is pale white, almost pink, not that most people ever see faradian flesh.
Faradians speak Common as well as their own language, which is closely related to Grynloc, but much simpler. Though few in number, those who remain appear immortal and ageless.
Combat
Faradians are straightforward but intelligent combatants. They attempt to infuse their weapons with magic before they enter combat, and then blast with their dazzle ability before closing for melee. They rarely use telekinesis in a fight, saving it for more practical purposes. They fight to the death and show no mercy. In battle, they are savage and do anything to emerge victorious.
Ensorcel Weapon (Sp): A faradian can, once per day,
grant its weapon a single +1 or +2 magical weapon quality of its choice for up to 10 rounds. Doing so is a standard action.
Dazzle (Sp): By creating a brilliant flash of multiple
lights, a faradian calls up an effect similar to that of a dazzlesphere spell three times per day. It is immune to this effect.
Telekinesis (Sp): A faradian can use
lesser telekinesis at will and greater telekinesis three times each day.
Immunities: Faradians are immune to
gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight.
Precognitive Flashes (Su): Faradians
can see into the future, but they have no control over what they see. What they see is always bad, though not necessarily about them personally. In a given
encounter, there is a 25 percent chance that the faradian has seen something ahead of time that pertained to the encounter. In such a case, they gain a +4 insight bonus to attack rolls, saving throws, checks, and Armor Class. They might also (at the DM’s discretion) know an oppo- nent’s weakness, likely tactics, or some other vital bit of information ahead of time.