Empyreal Lord, AshavaThis graceful humanoid woman wears a flowing gown of sparkling starlight and a circlet of moss.Ashava CR 28Source Pathfinder #134: It Came from Hollow Mountain pg. 84
XP 4,915,200
CG Medium outsider (azata, chaotic, extraplanar, good)
Init +34; Senses blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., detect evil, detect law, low-light vision, see in darkness, true seeing; Perception +46
Aura primal aura (30 ft.)DefenseAC 49, touch 41, flat-footed 33 (+15 Dex, +1 dodge, +8 natural, +15 sacred)
hp 676 (33d10+495); regeneration 30 (deific or mythic)
Fort +26, Ref +33, Will +30
Defensive Abilities freedom of movement, mind blank, never surprised; DR 20/epic and evil; Immune ability damage, ability drain, acid, charm effects, compulsion effects, death effects, electricity, energy drain, petrification; Resist cold 30, fire 30; SR 39OffenseSpeed 50 ft., fly 150 ft. (perfect)
Melee moonlight javelin +46/+41/+36/+31 (4d6+28/19–20 plus dazzled)
Ranged moonlight javelin +53/+48/+43/+38 (4d6+28/19–20 plus dazzled)
Special Attacks bardic performance (unlimited rounds per day), hypnotize undead
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 28th; concentration +43)
Constant—detect evil, detect law, freedom of movement, mind blank, true seeing
At will—break enchantment, calm spirit (DC 27), faerie fireM, find the path, flare burst (DC 26), greater dispel magic, greater teleport, hasteM, hide from undead, holy wordM (DC 32), moonstruck (DC 29)
3/day—chaos hammerM (DC 29), halt undead (DC 28), irresistible dance (DC 33), lunar veil (DC 32), mass cat’s grace, quickened moonstruck (DC 29)
1/day—freedom, time stop, undeath to death (DC 31)
M Ashava can use this ability’s mythic version in her realm.StatisticsStr 27, Dex 41, Con 40, Int 28, Wis 31, Cha 40
Base Atk +33; CMB +48; CMD 82
Feats Acrobatic, Agile Maneuvers, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Greater Feint, Improved Critical (javelin), Improved Feint, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Stance, Mobility, Point-Blank Shot, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (moonstruck), Sidestep, Skill Focus (Perform [dance]), Wind Stance
Skills Acrobatics +55, Bluff +51, Diplomacy +48, Escape Artist +48, Fly +63, Heal +43, Intimidate +48, Knowledge (arcana, nature, planes, religion) +45, Perception +46, Perform (dance) +54, Sense Motive +46, Stealth +51
Languages Celestial, Common, Draconic, Infernal; telepathy 300 ft.; truespeech
SQ luminescent form, lyrical grace, seed of lifeEcologyEnvironment any (Elysium)
Organization solitary (unique)
Treasure tripleSpecial AbilitiesBardic Performance (Su) Ashava has the bardic performance ability of a 20th-level bard, granting her access to the distraction, fascinate, inspire courage, inspire competence, suggestion, inspire greatness, soothing performance, inspire heroics, mass suggestion, and deadly performance aspects of bardic performance. Ashava’s fascinate and inspire heroics bardic performances can affect any number of creatures that can see and hear her. There is no limit to the number of rounds Ashava can use her bardic performances each day.
Hypnotize Undead (Su) Ashava can affect undead creatures with her fascinate bardic performance, despite their immunity to enchantment or mind-affecting effects, and she can command any number of undead creatures fascinated in this way as a standard action, per command undead (Will DC 41 negates). The save DC is Charisma-based.
Luminescent Form (Su) As a swift action, Ashava can transform herself into pure moonlight, becoming incorporeal. Her fly speed triples in luminescent form, but she can’t use any of her spell-like abilities or her moonlight javelin attack. She can return to her corporeal form as a swift action.
Lyrical Grace (Ex) Ashava gains a sacred bonus to her Armor Class and on initiative checks equal to her Charisma modifier. She can ignore any effect that would reduce her speed or prevent her from taking a 5-foot step.
Moonlight Javelin (Su) As a free action, Ashava can conjure a +5 holy javelin created out of solid moonlight into her hand. This weapon deals force damage, has a range increment of 100 feet, and dazzles any target it strikes for 1 month or until Ashava chooses to end a target’s dazzled condition as a free action. Ashava adds her Charisma modifier to damage rolls with her moonlight javelins. A moonlight javelin vanishes once it leaves Ashava’s hand (or, if thrown, it vanishes after striking or missing its target).
Primal Aura (Su) Ashava constantly shines with the light of the moon. No effect can reduce the light level in her primal aura below dim light, unless she allows it or unless the effect is created by a more powerful deity. Weapons wielded in Ashava’s primal aura are treated as chaotic-aligned, good-aligned, and silver for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.DescriptionLong ago in the wild and lonely fens of Elysium, a collection of helpful marsh lights coalesced to form Ashava, the True Spark. Ashava is constant motion, spinning and twirling in steps that soothe all who watch her dance. Although she often remains at a distance from those who watch her, she nevertheless leads them out of wild places and back to the safety of civilization. She believes that no being—whether living or dead—should suffer the fear of being lost.
A part of Ashava lives in the hearts of all dancers, and her influence can be felt by those who rise from their seats when moved by a stirring beat or melodious chords. She believes that dance is the soul’s truest form of expression, and she looks down on those who would stifle their own or others’ creativity in this field. Ashava maintains that there is no wrong way to dance, and that dance not only embodies but transcends culture. She derives as much pleasure from the clumsy steps of eager but novice dancers as she does the practiced movements of professional ballerinas.
Ashava spends much of her time dancing through darkened swamps across many worlds, aiding lost travelers and fighting evil forces that would disorient and waylay them. On Elysium, Ashava’s realm is the Sparkling Fens, a swamp eternally bathed in moonlight. It rests at the base of the Mountain of Lingering Soulsong, and the mountain’s echoing melodies drift down into the marsh to provide Ashava and the azatas who follow her with accompaniment to their never-ending dances. No one can remain lost for very long within the Sparkling Fens, as floating globes of light—similar to will-o’-wisps in appearance but kindly in temperament—always appear to guide visitors to safety. These lights are both servants of Ashava and part of her, and she can feel and control them no matter where she is in the cosmos as if they were extensions of her own limbs.Ashava's FaithAshava is the patron of dancers, lonely spirits, and moonlight. Her worshipers include many who strike out from the comfort of their homes to move through dark and unexplored spaces in order to guide others back to safety. She encourages her followers to dance whenever the mood overtakes them, and most of her holy ceremonies center around movement in one form or another. Her most sacred areas are graveyards and forest clearings, especially when those places are drenched in moonlight. Ashava’s religion is particularly popular along Varisia’s Lost Coast.
Ashava’s faith is not just about joyous dancing, however. The recently bereaved also pray to the True Spark in her aspect as a shepherd of lost souls. Psychopomps ensure that the dead make their way along the River of Souls to their appointed rewards in the afterlife, but Ashava (and many of her followers) aid wandering spirits who have strayed from that path and need help returning to it. Ashavic dancers are followers of Ashava who specialize in this task, using the power of dance and moonlight to create magical effects that can exorcise possessing spirits and even unravel the necromantic energies that empower the undead..
Ashava’s holy symbol is a silhouette of a dancing woman against a full moon. Her favored weapon is the bladed scarf and her sacred animal is the wolf. She grants access to the domains of Chaos, Darkness, Good, and Repose, and access to the subdomains of Ancestors, Azata, Moon, and Revelry.Creatures in "Empyreal Lord" CategorySource Bestiary 4 pg. 87
The empyreal lords are the primal forces of good given physical form. Though not as powerful as gods, they are ancient celestials with legendary abilities.
Unlike many other beings of demigod-level power, empyreal lords do not divide themselves as strictly along racial lines—the term “empyreal lord” names the greatest members of the agathion, angel, archon, and azata races. While demon lords, archdevils, horsemen, and similar unique beings orchestrate the plots of their race alone— proving either unwilling or too fractious to collaborate with those not of their kind—empyreal lords seek out the commonalities of interest and purpose shared by their peers among the other celestial races. Although some goodaligned planar races have their own titles for the greatest of their kind, the title “empyreal lord” serves as a unifying bond between forces for good. Though their foes (and even some allies) see these mightiest azatas, angels, agathions, and archons as rulers of their kind, the empyreal lords do not consider themselves royalty. Together the empyreal lords marshal the efforts of all goodly outsiders toward common ends.
Some empyreal lords are almost as old as creation itself, having arisen from the ranks of the first celestials. Others were imbued with divine grace, either by being champions of a deity, inheriting the power of a slain god, or tapping into remarkable powers gathered at far-flung corners of the planes. Some reached this high station by performing impossible quests, gaining the favor of fate, or becoming perfectly attuned with one of the good outer planes.
Representing the two poles of goodness and the fulcrum upon which they balance, the empyreal lords do not always agree, but generally do not interfere with each others’ decisions. Most view philosophical squabbles as petty when faced with a common foe, and never has infighting threatened the foundation of their bonds. Thus, while their outlooks may differ regarding freedom, individuality, and loyalty, the empyreal lords do not allow such differences to stand in the way of vanquishing evil—they’re celestials aligned against evil first and foremost.
Despite their power, the empyreal lords typically eschew direct involvement in the affairs of mortals and even most other celestials. They believe the greater objectives of good are ultimately served by larger and fartherreaching orchestrations of diplomacy and subtle strategy. Even though their powers might not always obviously be directly at work, empyreal lords court mortal worshipers who share their goals and ideals, who are typically referred to as mystery cultists. Rather than more general goals like good or order, mystery cultists focus their worship on the ideals, activities, and creatures their patron most fervently extols or openly favors. Empyreal Realms An empyreal lord’s planar realm may be as small as a metropolis or as large as a continent. The realms’ environments, themes, and traits are as unusual as the empyreal lords themselves, presenting surreal challenges and dangers to creatures seeking to invade them.
An empyreal lord gains the following additional powers while in its realm (the statistics presented on the following pages do not include these abilities). - Mythic: An empyreal lord functions as a 10th mythic rank creature, including the mythic power ability (10/day, surge +1d12). It may expend uses of mythic power to use the mythic versions of any spell-like ability denoted with an asterisk (*) just as if the ability were a mythic spell.
- Use of the following spell-like abilities at will—demand, discern location, fabricate, and major creation.
- Use of the following spell-like abilities once per day— dimensional lock*, miracle (limited to physical effects that manipulate the realm or to effects that are relevant to the empyreal lord’s areas of concern), power word stun*.
- Heightened Awareness (Ex): An empyreal lord gains a +10 insight bonus on Perception and Initiative checks.
Other Empyreal Lords Although the three presented here are among most powerful of the empyreal lords, they are far from the only celestials to bear this title. Among the ranks of the good races of the heavens stand those that are great leaders of their kind and shining examples to other celestials. For these few, their natures or their actions kindle a transformation that reshapes them into empyreal lords—a superlative version of their basic form. When they ascend, these empyreal lords are given an honorific typically celebrating their deeds or honoring another empyreal lord of similar distinction. Below are many ascendant celestials that have become empyreal lords and their honored titles.
Andoletta, Grandmother Crow (archon)
Arshea, Spirit of Abandon (angel)
Bharnarol, the Tempered Inventor (agathion)
Black Butterfly, the Silence Between (azata)
Chucaro, Maiden of Haze and Whimsy (azata)
Falayna, Warrior’s Ring (archon)
Ghenshau, Breezes-Still-and-Ripples-Cease (archon)
Immonhiel, Balm-Bringer (angel)
Jaidz, Fearless Claw (agathion)
Lalaci, He of Motley Repose (azata)
Olheon, the Just Arbiter (archon)
Ragathiel, General of Vengeance (angel)
Shei, the Ibis Matron (agathion)
Sinashakti, Immaculate Joy (azata)
Vildeis, the Cardinal Martyr (angel)
Ylimancha, Harborwing (agathion)
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