Daemons, creatures of the apocalypse. They seek nothing
but total destruction of existence itself. But Aesdurath, the Daemon Harbinger
of immortality, liches, and magical catastrophes torments his followers by
offering them immortality in a world he hopes will end. This week we look at
three possible sects of this harbinger.
As always, let us imagine we are sitting at our
theoretical gaming table. Our imaginary GM sets out the rules for the game that
we will play. In this game, we are to make a follower of Aesdurath. The
character does not need to be a divine caster, just a devotee of The Pale
Dowager. What character do you make?
For more information on Aesdurath
Aesdurath’s Pathfinder Wiki Page
Aesdurath’s Archives of Nethys Page
The Ever Sand
Although most followers of the Daemon Harbinger of
immortality seek undeath – most often lichdom – as the path to everlasting
life, The Ever Sand does not. This sect of Aesdurath worshipers looks to
continue living forever while still remaining among the living. The sect seeks
any means to stay alive so they have varied backgrounds; from monks who seek to
control their body by force of will, to alchemists who try to find everlasting
life at the bottom of a beaker. Both divine and arcane casters of are welcome
but many find that lichdom is actually an easier prospect than holding back the
sands of time.
One does not seek acceptance into The Ever Sand. As a
matter of fact few people outside of the sect even know of its existence. But
those who are searching for immortality stand out,and the sect will follow
their exploits before approaching them. Admittance is attained after a series
of tests, and a sharing of knowledge. If one cannot or will not allow the sect
into their research they are denied entry and usually killed for that
information anyway.
The Final Step
The world means nothing; it will all end sooner or later
so why be cautious? The Final Step is a group of arcanists who push the
envelope of magical research. Their
ultimate goal is to live their lives with as much power as they can possibly
muster and go out in a blaze of glory. They even see those among the follower
of their patron that seek immortally as misguided. The world will end anyway,
there is no living forever.
All members of this sect are arcane spellcasters with a
specific interest in research. They delight in testing new magical theories no
matter how insane other people think they are. Acarnists and wizards are most
common but quite a few alchemists also join the sect, their labs being the
perfect place to test a new concoction.
The Hidden Souls
A vast majority of followers of Aesdurath search for the
secrets to lichdom, but only a select few find their way to the knowledge
needed to perform the sacred rites. Even fewer still are allowed into The Hidden
Souls as this group fancies themselves the ultimate authority on the will of
their daemon patron.
For admittance into the sect you must already be a lich.
If you have mastered your art enough to find the ritual that works specifically
for your soul then you may be worthy of joining the ranks of the Hidden Souls.
Being the mortal representation of the will of the Daemon Harbinger is no walk
in the park so each lich member is watched for decades or even centuries before
being allowed to join the sect’s ranks.
Aesdurath’s followers are willing to do whatever it takes
to live forever. Who is your disciple of
Aesdurath? Why have they chosen to dedicate themselves to The Pale Dowager?
Where does their devotion come from? Let me know in the comments.
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I'll comment more in depth later, but for the moment, let me just give a profound thumbs up for you providing your own take on Aesdurath and their cult. :D
ReplyDeleteThank you. I intend to do a take on all the lesser known divine beings. There's a lot people can get out of them with a little inspiration.
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