Love as Free as Thunder: My Take on the Aasimar (Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition)

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This entry comes from my sensual psychedelic D&D campaign setting, originally written for Pathfinder, 1st edition.  Unfortunately, naming products like this are my worst onomastic skill ~ if you have any inspirations for a name for the setting (the equivalent of Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Dragonlance, Ravenloft, Planescape, Spelljammer, . . . .)

The story of the Asimar begins in the distant land of Presterjho.  A dawn-god came to lay with the king there, fathering a warrior-child who journeyed to the shores of the Hemeya Sea to fight a legendary war.  They staggered away, miles across the surface of the land with a wound in their side weeping red and rosy stains into their robes.  Coming to one of the Dragon Cities, they finally crumpled, the slack exhaustion of their muscles allowing the flow of their blood to land in the dusty soil.  It mixed there with a compassionate prostitute's tears.  The two fluids fructified each other and gestated in the womb of the earth.  Some time later, Beloved Imye was born on that very spot.

Pursued by the templars of the Dragon King who ruled that city, Imye fled to the east, only to be imprisoned by one of the queens who ruled the hives of Marwish.  There it was that eight angels came to the world to follow him: Ialpirgah, Ibahipuran, Ihehvdethaibah, Melfibah, Mozod, Nosilebo, Ouza, and Zablis.  And follow they did, for many years, through many lands and innumerable storied adventures.  Their wanderings eventually led them to the land that would become Natsiyaasim, inhabited at that time by humans akin to those of Orvad to the west, Mathog to the northeast, and (seemingly) the Mirrorwood to the east.  These humans owed their fealty to the halflings of the Holbytlan Empire.

The angelic host came to them there, seeking to recall those of their number who had forsaken the Heavens for love of Imye.  They threatened to get the gods involved, if the eight would not abandon the one whose footsteps they kissed.  Imye used Melfibah's blade to slice his palm, repudiating the bloodlessness of the Heavens, and each of the Companions lifted bloody lips from kissing the wound to show their agreement.  Ibhaipuran revealed the fell secrets he knew, that he had shared with the others, of the weaknesses of the gods, and the angels fled in surrender.  That was the founding day of Natsiyaasim.

Of the nine, all but Melfibah took lovers among the humans surrounding them, giving rise to a new half-angelic race.  Those are the Asimar detailed here, who have risen to equal, and at times even exceed, the Holbytlan Empire which once exerted its dominion over these lands.  Natsiyaasim now has holdings far across the sea to the west, in much of the continent to the south, and even on the far side of the continent to the east. 

The inspiration for the Asimar naturally comes primarily from angelic lore, both D&D and real-world, but it also draws very heavily on the Terre d'Ange of the Kushiel's Legacy series, though Norse mythology shows up as a secondary inspiration (fun fact: Snorri Snorlson describes Thor as the child of Memnon's son, the Ethiopian who was the last to fall in the Trojan War, making Thor half-black).  The Unforgiven who serve Ialpirgah additionally draw on the French Foreign Legion for inspiration, and the Twin Arts of Zablis on the twin Elders Laik and Alik from the old Magic: the Gathering novel Ashes of the Sun (one of my favorite books). The Asimar language mixes elements of French, Sumerian, Enochian (by way of the Celestial tongue), and even a tiny bit of Romani.

Prominent Asimar Houses

Linyaiglemorm.  The House of the Dead Eagle: scions of Ialpirgah and ruling house of Ialpach
Linyeichlasem. The House of Drunkenness: scions of Mozod
Linyeicoursem. The House of Court: scions of Imye that therefore don't use Asimar stats.
Linyeikayitsim. The House of Summer: scions of Mozod and ruling house of Lamozdas
Linyeilenvem. The House of the Other Side: scions of Nosilebo and ruling house of Nosileborre
Linyeimainyarm. The House of Grace: scions of Ihehvdethaibah
Linyeimerelyom. The House of the Mother: scions of Zablis and ruling house of Zablande
Linyeimorhbam. The House of the Wolf: scions of Ihehvdethaibah and ruling house of Ihehvdetheth
Linyeiperijum. The House of Closeness: scions of Ibahipuran and ruling house of Baifale
Linyeirevem. The House of Dreams: scions of Ibahipuran
Linyeirocailim. The House of Stone: scions of Ibahipuran
Linyeisharzaim. The House of the City: scions of Ihehvdethaibah
Linyeitrevalyom. The House of Work: scions of Ouza and ruling house of Ouzale
Linyeiverreum. The House of Locks: scions of Ibahipuran

Quick Reference Guide to Places Mentioned

Brobdingnag.  The last refuge for almost all of giantkind in Aoqina (the trolls have a land specific to them on the mainland).  Inspired by Shakespeare and fairy tales.  Roughly geographically equivalent to England.
Dilmun.  The marshy delta of two great rivers, full of reeds, where the mortal races are said to have been created.  It is now inhabited by the rhonians, long-legged birds who excel in diplomacy and the arts and are served by the toadlike rhoode.  (Both are from the 3rd edition book Mythic Races).  Roughly geographically equivalent to southern Iraq.
ge-Sathar.  Heaven of concealment, insight, and labyrinths.
ge-Tzach.  Heaven of eternity, patience, passion, and leadership.
ge-Vur.  Heaven of judgment, limitation, awe, and fire.
Hemeya Sea.  Once a range of mountains inhabited by minotaurs that was sunk by the gods.  Now, it's a vast sea densely populated by islands, inspired by the Odyssey, Star Wars, the Iliad, Star Trek, and Sinbad.  Roughly geographically equivalent to Turkey and the Black Sea.
Marwish.  A wide savannah of a land inhabited by a hive race resembling ants (mostly).  Roughly geographically equivalent to Iran.
Mathog.  An anarchic land where those who threaten the realm's existence or simply go too far with their freedoms are policed by vigilantes.  Roughly geographically equivalent to the Low Countries.
The Mirrorwood.  This broad forest is widely thought to be an anarchic land of foresters and rustic types that like their privacy.  In truth, many (even most) of these woodsy folk are therianthropes of various types who have forged an alliance to covertly rule the forest.  Roughly geographically equivalent to Germany.
Natsiyaasim.  The home of the Asimar, consisting of the provinces of Baifale, Ialpach, Ihehvdetheth, Lamozdas, Nosileborre, Ouzale, and Zabande (whose capitol is Laikalik).  The kingdom's capitol is Prisiimyem ("the City of Imye"), and its westernmost point is known as Begrosom, "The Promontory of Reeds", while Begswezorm ("The Promontory of the Sisters") is so close to Brobdingnag that the latter's white cliffs can be seen.  One of the country's most major rivers is the Fluvnosilebom.  Roughly geographically equivalent to France.
Orvad.  Widely thought of as the home of the human race, the people of this realm built their culture on the idea that, if they are the obedient parts of gnolls magically split off, true freedom can only be had by choosing whom you obey.  Mercenaries and lawyers who prize excellence, everything about them is negotiating and fulfilling service contracts.  Roughly geographically equivalent to the Iberian Peninsula.
Presterjho.  Here, the primary religion centers around worshipping angels, inspired by In Nomine.  Roughly geographically equivalent to Ethiopia.
Taweret.  Having overthrown those who enslaved them and split into at least three subraces (the giff, the giffyanki, and the giffzerai), the giff who rule this land built a religion around taking the trophies of those they hunt.  Roughly geographically equivalent to Egypt.
Zildahab.  A nation of merchants who pursue the strange and esoteric magics of money, inspired by Zilargo from Eberron and plutomancy/plutophagy from Unknown Armies.

Asimar Traits

Your Asimar character gains the following racial traits.
Ability Score Increase.  Your Charisma score increases by 2.
Age.  Asimar mature at the same rate as humans, but they can live up to 160 years.  As descendants of the god-eating maggot race of dwarfs (dwarfin sailors interbred with the fish-tailed rabbits of the Hemeya Sea to give rise to the gnomes, who bred with trolls to birth gnolls, who split off the human race in a magical ritual, some of whom greeted the Companions of Imye with inviting beds), there is a 1-in-16 chance that any Asimar who dies of old age doesn't die at all.  Instead, they metamorphose into the adult form of the dwarf: a byakhee from Sandy Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos.
Size.  Asimar have the same range of height and weight as humans.
Speed.  Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision.  Blessed with a radiant soul, your vision can easily cut through the darkness.  You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.  You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.
Celestial Resistance.  You have resistance to necrotic damage and radiant damage.
Healing Hands.  As an action, you can touch a creature and cause it to regain a number of hit points equal to your level.  Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Languages.  You can speak, read, and write Asimar and Celestial.
Subrace.  Seven subraces of Asimar exist: Asimarialpirgahm, Asimaribahipuranim, Asimarihehvdethaibahm, Asimarmozodim, Asimarnosilebom, Asimarouzam, Asimarzablisim. Choose one of them for your character.

 

Asimarialpirgahm

    The Companions of Imye included among their number a hammer archon battle master fighter by the name of Ialpirgah ("God-Flames").  Ialpirgah, holding a flaming sword, is said to have commanded the forces that expelled Atba and Hepat from Dilmunin the primordial times.  Known for being martial, he left the Heaven known as ge-Vur to follow Imye and founded both Natsiyaasim's first armies and the territory Ialpach along the border with the Mirrorwood in the northeast of Natsiyaasim.   

    His priests, priestesses, and priestixes wear dark green vestments and carry a sword. The province of Ialpach simply uses Ialpirgah's symbol as its own: a flaming sword.  The Aiglemormar are among his most prominent scions, though they tend to be overshadowed by the Unforgiven.  This order of warriors was founded by Asimar who believed themselves to have lost their honor decades ago when they let the therianthropes of the Mirrorwood in through the mountain passes.  Nowadays, any warrior who seeks redemption may join the Unforgiven in hopes of regaining Ialpirgah's favor.  Foreigners who do so may petition for Asimar citizenship after three years of service or after being wounded (called "Asimar by spilled blood"); however, the Unforgiven owe their allegiance not to the Asimar crown, but to the Unforgiven itself.  Many among the Unforgiven take levels as paladins taking an oath of redemption, regardless of their primary skillset.  The Sentinel feat is also common among devotees of Ialpirgah.

Ability Score Increase.  Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Risk Taker.  You know the resistance cantrip.  Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.
God-Flames.  Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing whatever weapon you are wielding (or your fist, claws, tail, etc., if you aren't wielding a weapon) to burst into green flames, which cause you no harm.  Thin, sweet-smelling smoke snakes skyward from the smoldering jade your eyes have now become.  If you have a free hand, a cup containing within it more flames appears in that hand; if not, the cup appears floating above your head.
    Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it with a bonus action.  During it, the flames shed bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet, and every one of your successful attacks wth a now-flaming weapon deals extra fire damage equal to half your level (rounded up).  In addition, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage with an attack or a spell.  The extra radiant damage equals your level.
    Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Asimaribahipuranim

    Ibahipuran ("The Gods Shall Not See") valued knowledge most out of all Imye's Companions, teaching that all knowledge ~ no matter what sort ~ is worth having.  He was a lillend, after all, who chronicled and collected lore among the souls of the dead to preserve it against the ravages of the demon known as Mhroyegi the Martyr.  The wizard in the order of scribes was infamous for being arrogant in this fight, just for cleverness's sake.  One of the most famous stories about him involves his doubt that the other Companions of Imye would have the resolve to forswear the Heavens, leaving him alone to pay the penalty for so great a sin.  Thus, the Companions agreed to bind themselves together with a sacred and magickally mighty oath to love and deem the world they walked in all its flaws and troubles above the Heavens which had once been their home, whereupon Ibahipuran revealed what he knew of the weaknesses of the gods, allowing them to preserve their liberty when the host of angels came to recall them back to the Heavens.  

    The orthography of the Asimar language was Ibahipuran's greatest gift to the Asimar, even moreso than their scientific and sagely knowledge, and he founded the province of Baifale in the southwest of Natsiyaasim, bordering Orvad.  Ibahipuran's two sons Ohyah and Hahyah famously defeated a powerful leviathan which threatened Baifale, using not the strength of their arms but the clever and inventive powers of their understanding.  They are known for the excess of their boasting about this feat, souring its glory.

    Ibahipuran's lineage has found much greatness in Asimar history, particularly among his scions the Revemar, the Verreumar, and the Rocailimar.  His priests, priestesses, and priestixes wear gray robes, and many temples feature mechanical statues of him.

Ability Score Increase.  Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Polymath.  You know the guidance cantrip.  Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.
Radiant Knowledge.  Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing all of your hair to disappear as glowing arcane sigils begin orbiting your head.  Your eyes become the vertically-pupiled eyes of a serpent.
    Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it with a bonus action.  During it, the sigils around your head shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet, you can understand, speak, read, and write in all languages simultaneously, and you gain proficiency in all tool kits and Intelligence ability checks.  In addition, choose one artificer spell of a level up to one-quarter your level (rounded down); you may cast this spell as an artificer once during your transformation without using a spell slot.  Finally, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage with an attack or a spell.  The extra radiant damage equals your level.
    Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Asimarihehvdethaibahm

    Ihehvdethaibah ("The Fixed Stars") served as a presiding punisher-angel of the Hells before he became one of Imye's Companions.  He understood the chastisement he gave his subjects with his whip made of fire was an act of love, and his subjects came to love him for purging their sins from them.  It is said they received his pain as balm.  When the sinners in his care were offered a chance to repent, they in turn taught him a lesson by refusing, out of love for Ihehvdethaibah.  The pain itself was valuable, he learned, in and of its own, quite apart from any goal or result.  He chose to join Imye because he felt that Imye understood what he did, while Imye's father was displeased with Ihehvdethaibah for preventing souls from passing to Heaven from Hell.  Imye, on the other hand, said "Love as thou wilt."

    His symbol is a rod and flail, and Ihehvdetheth along the north coast is the province of Natsiyaasim that he founded.  Among the houses which bear his lineage, none is more famous than the Sharzaimar.  Ihehvdethaibah's priests, priestesses, and priestixes wear bronze masks and black robes, completely concealing their identities.  Atoners, masochists, and endurers are typically flogged before the altar by a priest and have their wounds cleansed with salt water.  Statues of Ihehvdethaibah are frequently bronze and depict him with crossed arms, holding the rod and flail.  Tidragoram and Tibalchirm in the Pillow Court both have temples of Ihehvdethaibah as well as temples of Nosilebo.  There is a temple of Ihehvdethaibah located on the Begrosom.

Ability Score Increase.  Your Strength score increases by 1.
Visions of Judgment.  You know the mind sliver cantrip.  Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.
Radiant Torture.  Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your skin to become a burnished metallic bronze, gleaming and polished.  Your face becomes featureless, with only the vaguest suggestions of eyes and a mouth.
    Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it with a bonus action.  During it, any being to whom you cause damage or pain must succeed on a Charisma saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or become either charmed by or fightened of you until the end of your next turn.  Which effect they face is a matter of their conscious or unconscious disposition, and as such is determined by the GM or player playing them.  In addition, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage with an attack or a spell.  The extra radiant damage equals your level.
    Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Asimarmozodim

    Hailing from the Heaven known as ge-Tzach and associated in Asimar astrology with the planet Frodit, Mozod ("Joy of the Gods"), often called the Good Steward or the Star of Love, was the muldnal druid in the circle of the land among the Companion of Imye who taught the Asimar about growing crops and animal husbandry.  Once, Imye offered him an acorn.  Blowing on it, Mozod caused the oak within to sprout, right there on that holy palm.  The Companions planted this sapling together in the center of what would become Prisiimyem.

    Mozod founded the agriculturally fertile Lamozdas province.  A lingering scent of apples which grows stronger with emotion marks his scions, such as the houses of the Kayitsimar (including Ghislaikayitsim, the Royal Commander) and of the Chlasemar.  Emotion can also color the scent (anger resulting in the harshness of burnt apples, for example, or contentment giving off the homey smell of fresh apple pie).  Priests of Mozod wear brown robes tied with a rope belt.

Ability Score Increase.  Your Constitution score increases by 1.
Plant Whisperer.  You know the druidcraft cantrip.  Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.
Radiant Earth.  Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing fruit to hang from your hair and your skin to grow supple and soft bark.  Your ears become those of some sort of animal, and your hands and feet resemble those of one, as well.  Among all the Asimar, the Asimarmozodim have the most individual transformations, as the plants and animals at hand vary among and between transformations.
    Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it with a bonus action.  During it, you benefit from the effects of the speak with animals and speak with plants spells, and, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage with an attack or a spell.  The extra radiant damage equals your level.
    Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Asimarnosilebom

    The Bright Lady Nosilebo ("Pleasant Deliverer") is the most important Companion of Imye to the culture of Natsiyaasim.  A procyal bard in the college of glamour symbolized as a dove, she is worshiped by the Asimar as the deity of sexuality, desire, and dreams.  This association begins long before Imye's birth, as Nosilebo is said to have seduced the first mortal man, Atba, as he wandered the world after being cast out from Dilmun.  Upon her departure, she became one of four wives of the archangel Shomron, and bore him a child who would grow to become the demon prince Asmodai.  She came back to the world along with the other Companions when Imye was imprisoned in Marwish; her offering herself to the antfolk queen in exchange for Imye's freedom changed the course of that nation's destiny forever, bringing both sex and broader individuality to that hive race.  Each house of the Pillow Court has a different interpretation of why she offered herself so, but all know why she continued to lay with strangers in the plutomantic state of Zildahab, seducing them through her play of the cymbals.  Imye simply needed to eat.

    The temple to Nosilebo in Prisiimyem is a small building of white marble, surrounded by gardens.  Inside is a statue of Nosilebo, who stands with her arms open in welcome.  Doves are sacred to Nosilebo and may be brought as offerings.  They are released in the temple and fly out through an opening in the roof.  The doves roosting on the temple grounds remain unharmed.  Each house of the Pillow Court has its own temple to Nosilebo.  Initiation into Nosilebo's service as a prostitute , either independent or in service to one of the houses of the Pillow Court, is performed by a priest of Nosilebo and involves anointing with oil, eating a honey cake, drinking wine, and releasing a dove.

    The province of Nosileborre was founded by Nosilebo, and Asimar prostitutes all make a pilgrimage once in their lifetime to the shrine dedicated to her where Fluvnosilebom springs from beneath the earth. Her priests, priestesses, and priestixes wear scarlet robes.  Training as a priest or priestess requires one year of service where the acolyte is forbidden to turn anyone away who comes to them out of true longing.  Nosilebo blesses the acolyte with desire for each patron.  After this, they are free to take lovers and patrons as they wish.  One of Nosilebo's children, her daughter Maranosilebom whose father was a convicted murderer, is the most famous masochist in the history of Natsiyaasim, but the Lenvemar are among Nosilebo's most prominent scions.

Ability Score Increase.  Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Boudoir Blessing.  You know the prestidigitation cantrip.  Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.
Radiant Beauty.  Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing your skin to glow softly from within with the elegant silvery light of the moon or the intimate warm light of a candle.  Your hair becomes fuller and longer, your clothes are replaced with something grand and elegant (though of an analogous style), and your teeth gleam along with the your eyes.  Flower petals seem to drip from your crown and your extremities, and romantic music swells in the ears of all those nearby.
    Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it with a bonus action.  During it, you know the desires of everyone within 30 feet of you; treat this as the detect thoughts spell, limited to desires and without the need to choose an individual to focus upon.  In addition, you shed bright light within 5 feet and dim light 5 feet beyond that and gain proficiency in all Charisma ability checks.  Finally, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage with an attack or a spell.  The extra radiant damage equals your level.
    Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Asimarouzam

    Among all of Imye's Companions, the noviere druid in the circle of stars Ouza ("the Mightiest") was infamous for the excess of his pride, considering himself superior to mortals both earthly and ascended.  He it was who gave the Asimar their forbidden knowledge of navigating all the world's seas by means of the heavenly arcana, making them the wisest of peoples in the world.  Ruler of the angels of justice, an emblem of beauty, and patron angel of Taweret, he has a constellation of his own in Asimar astrology that resembles the crane, his sacred bird.  Begswezorm contains a stone cube called the Bus amid three holy trees considered to be sacred to Ouza where gifts are offered to him and sacrifices made to seek his favour.  One common gift offered on behalf of the sick is a golden image of the stricken individual.  There was once a statue of him there with a sword hanging from its neck, but it was destroyed by giantish invaders years ago, despite the heroic efforts of the always-nude wailing oracle-priestess who once protected it.  Asimar not only pray to Ouza for direction, they often do so in hopes of being protected by him, including in war-cries.  Instead of shrines, Asimar often keep devotional gardens to honor him.

    He founded the province of Ouzale on Natsiyaasim's northern coast, and the Trevalyomar are his most famous scions.  Ouza's priests, priestesses, and priestixes wear saffron tunics and crimson cloaks fastened with bronze broaches that match the bronze masks of Ouza's face, proud and beautiful in its disdain, that they wear.  In this way, they sublimate their individual pride before Ouza's.  Statues of Ouza depict him hanging from one foot, head down, one eye shut and the other open, holding one hand open, palm upward to the sky, with the other holding a sextant; incense is commonly burned beneath its head or in its open hand (depending on the size of the statue) as a form of worship.  The temple of Ouza in Prisiimyem has a highly polished copper dome whose glinting in the sunlight can be seen from many parts of the city.

Ability Score Increase.  Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Little North Star.  You know the light cantrip.  Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it.
A Creature of the Starred Sea.  Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing youreyes to glimmer and two luminous, incorporeal wings seemingly made of stars to coalesce upon your back.
    Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it with a bonus action.  During it, you can walk on the surface of the water as if it is solid ground (though you are still affected by its motion, of course) and gain a fly speed of 15 feet.  You can switch between treating water as a solid and as a liquid as a bonus action; if you are submerged and switch to treating it as a solid, you float at the depth at which you did so and can climb to the surface at any time, usually as if on a staircase.  In addition, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage with an attack or a spell.  The extra radiant damage equals your level.
    Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Asimarzablisim

The raelis among Imye's Companions, gentle Zablis ("Both") was a Life cleric who left the Heaven of ge-Sathar to teach the Asimar the Twin Arts of healing and distraction that people long for in their hearts.  Herbs and care heal the sick and the wounded, while stories and music distract them from the knowledge that healing will one day fail and help the hale and the hearty prepare for the truth that they will die anon.  It should be noted that Zablis taught that histories and fantasies, prattlings and parables, religious visions and utter lies ~ all are written in the same book to be told from memory and changed as they are told.  Thus are they improved.  Different ears hear a different tale.  This and other teachings of hers form the core of the practices of the travelling, alms-begging storytellers known as the Mendicants, though her fondness for sailor boys is almost as famous.  It is quite common for Asimar in need to make offerings in her churches to ask for healing.

As a blessing to the descendants of her and the other Companions of Imye, Zablis has given those Asimar with wombs the ability to choose when they are able to bear children.  The gates of their wombs are closed and unable to conceive until such time as they light a candle and say a prayer to Zablis.  Once done (often as part of the Asimar wedding ceremony, but not always), however, it cannot be taken back.

Many of the best best healers and chirurgeons come from the province she founded, Zabande.  Her symbol is of two fish swimming in opposite directions, which the house of Merelyomar (rulers of Zabande) has adopted as their symbol as an expression of the love they bear for their ancestress.  The head of the Merelyomar, called the Lady of Laikalik, is for this reason always female or feminine.  Zablisim priests, priestesses, and priestixes wear sea-blue robes.

Ability Score Increase.  Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Life Saver.  You know the spare the dying cantrip.  Charisma is your spellcasting ability for it. 
Radiant Rescue.  Starting at 3rd level, you can use your action to unleash the divine energy within yourself, causing time to seem to stop as your hair (and others') seems to float as if underwater.  Your eyes begin to glow, and tinkling slow music quietly accompanies a murmuring voice from nowhere.  It whispers fairy tales.
    Your transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it with a bonus action.  During it, all creatures within 10 feet of you are warded as if by the sanctuary spell, and you may use your Healing Hands an additional number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.  In addition, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra radiant damage to one target when you deal damage with an attack or a spell.  The extra radiant damage equals your level.
    Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Well, this is just dandy, isn't it? (Fantasy Friday #12)

I wonder if there are any other archetypes that a dandy ranger could take? Let’s go look at the SRD . . . The answer is no, not at all ~ some variant 3rd party combat styles is all.

Rangers have d10 hit points, so rolling 2d10+16 (let’s make Forsetilafom the same level as Boanerges, y/n?) gives them 26 hp. A ranger’s 6 skill points per level results in Forsetilafom having 21 skill points to spend. Diplomacy, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nobility), Sense Motive, and Perception all feel pretty core to Forsetlafom’s history and role as High Reeve. Conveniently, they’re also class skills, thanks to the dandy archetype; let’s max them out at 3 ranks each, leaving only 6 more points to spend. I find myself liking Craft (clothier), Heal, Intimidate, Spellcraft, and Stealth as secondary skills ~ that’s 5 skills, so we just decide that Intimidate is the most important, enough to get 2 ranks, and we’re all set.

Instead of a favored enemy, dandies have favored nations, gaining bonuses to a variety of social skills when used against them as well as to attack and damage. Normally, taking one’s own race as a favored enemy or one’s homeland as a favored nation might indicate either a murderer or an outcast. Forsetilafom is neither, but they also haven’t made their name protecting Nosleborre and Natsiyaasim from external threats. Quite the opposite: Forsetilafom has stood against corruption and rot that comes from within. We give Forsetilafom Natsiyaasim as a favored nation. In choosing Forsetilafom’s combat style, I’m tempted by Deceitful until I realize that, as the name implies, feinting requires Bluff and we didn’t give Forsetilafom a very high Bluff >.< So, I turn to Inner Sea Combat, which has a listing of divine combat styles for rangers. Obviously, Forsetilafom’s life doesn’t center around religion (though they, of course, honor Blessed Imye and the raskokabajhon who followed him as he wandered the world), but I’m hoping a nice, flavorful style can come out of the list. If not, I’ll just default to the bog-standard AD&D Driz’zt-made-it-trite two-weapon style. Looking through, Cayden Cailean’s style weirdly doesn’t include anything about drunken fighting, but is actually very much like fencing. The SRD even calls it “Fencing” since they can’t use IP content! At 3rd level, we can choose from Catch Off-Guard, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, and Weapon Finesse. Combat Reflexes and Weapon Finesse are both hella attractive, but Weapon Finesse is only so because it would mean an additional +3 to Forsetilafom’s attack rolls! Mebbe I’ll pick it up with some generic feat slots; I take Combat Reflexes for now, cuz it feels much more thematic.

A dandy’s other class features don’t require (or, in the case of favored terrain, allow) any other choices. Rumor empathy allows Forsetilafom to manipulate the rumors that fly through a community to make them better or worse for the people they’re about, while Endurance and Track give minor bonuses to Aragorny like activities that are easily guessable by their names. Favored terrain gives a bunch of bonuses in cities; because of the dandy archetype, these will increase but not spread to other terrains as time goes on. Next level, Forsetilafom starts gaining spells!

Next thing to choose is Forsetilafom’s two feats. This is always a bit of a slog, which makes choosing Weapon Finesse rather enticing, just to cut through all of that, but let’s give Heroes of the High Court and Ultimate Intrigue a chance. I am also thinking about Amateur Investigator ~ I’ll have to give that one a glance or two, as well. After doing that and looking through Heroes of the High Court, Ultimate Intrigue, Inner Sea Intrigue, Horror Adventures, and Horror Realms, I still don’t see anything featwise that jumps out and says “I’m perfect!”, but I get drawn more and more to the Street Smarts tree and the Unimpeachable Honor tree. Vacillating between the two for a little bit, I finally settle on Street Smarts + Sense Relationships. Sense Motive is a weapon for Forsetilafom, and those two feats really help to establish that.

My reluctance had been based on Sense Relationship’s benefits to Bluff, which I hadn’t given to Forsetilafom, but I also took good note of the Enchanting Courtesan prestige class in Inner Sea Intrigue. It DID jump out at me and beg to be added to Forsetilafom, though I resisted for a little bit because its emphasis on poison was a bit heavier than I would have liked. However, the prestige class wouldn’t leave me alone and I finally figured that the poison focus would add a little bit of George R. R. Martin into the Jacqueline Carey that is inspiring Forsetilafom. That recipe, if one is careful to not overdo the GRRM (he’s very much like cinnamon in that way ~ amazing as a background note in all kinds of dishes you wouldn’t expect, like macaroni and cheese, but just takes over the dish if you don’t use an absolutely miniscule amount), sounds wonderful. The requirements for Enchanting Courtesan include being able to cast 2nd level spells including at least 2 divinations and 2 enchantments somewhere in there, Spell Focus (divination OR enchantment), 2 ranks each in Knowledge (arcana) and Perform (act OR dance ~ and I’ll modify it a bit to accept erotic arts as an option, too. Cuz duh.), and 5 ranks in Sense Motive and . . . Bluff. Whatever are we to do!?

Well, aasimars don’t provide any specific favored class bonuses for rangers and, while we could co-opt the cavalier favored class bonus with some slight tweaks, doing more damage to people from Natsiyaasim doesn’t exactly fit Forsetilafom’s style. So let’s take 3 extra skill ranks and dump them into Bluff. Since they won’t meet the spellcasting requirement for the prestige class until 7th level, we have plenty of time to spend the 6 skill ranks we still need to qualify.

But does it always turn out the same? (Fantasy Friday #10)

Let’s create another character with the Three-Dragon Ante system. It’s a test of the reliability of the system: if this second character comes out significantly different from the first, it’s a sign that the system is a robust and a useful one. If every character comes out the same, then this system wouldn’t be very useful, would it?

This character’s card spread is:
Nature: Blue Dragon 2
Spirit: White Dragon 4
Body: Princess
Mind: Brass Dragon 2
Nurture: Silver Dragon 8
Strength: Gold Dragon 6
Dexterity: Blue Dragon 1
Constitution: Blue Dragon 7
Intelligence: Silver Dragon 2
Wisdom: Gold Dragon 13
Charisma: Brass Dragon 7

Much more heroic than Boanerges, with six metallic dragons! And yet at the same time, three blue dragons, which hits a threshold of significance. Maybe this character is from the desert (Not!Sahara? The Scarhasi deserts? Somewhere further afield?) . . . Or mebbe the character has some electrical association. Ironic, since the name I stole from the Bible for the last character (Boanerges) means “Sons of Thunder” in Aramaic bastardized by Hellenic authors. Also, because I’m already thinking about Africa cause of Boanerges, I’m reminded of Shango, the Yoruba orisha associated with lightning, and his wife Oya, who is the thunder, and their rather . . . tumultuous marriage (storms occur whenever they argue, which is often).

This character’s nature is almost as vain, resilient, and forceful as the last’s; I give six tokens from Nature to Body and three to Mind. Not a great sign when looking for differentiation between the two. Luck pushed them, however, towards the speed, ferocity, and agility of a white dragon. My first thought is that, while Boanerges is a preening barbarian dandy (when not the Unseen Heart of the Flame, of course), this character is more akin to the arrogant villain of a racing movie. They know they’re the best and they are overly assured that anyone who contests that will be eating their dust. They don’t show off to convince people to give them whatever they want, they just win always. Regardless, Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma all get a token each.

The next card, somewhat sadly, inspires chuckles as I read it. The Princess denotes something very different from anything in Boanerges’s spread ~ that being diplomacy and influence ~ but has (at least for now) a very similar result. Constitution gets 4 tokens and Dexterity 2. I’m going to say that, however this turns out, that Princess in the Body position indicates that this character is devastatingly beautiful. Who knows if that will be in line with the rest of their occupation and reality or just a three-dimensionalizing extra quality? Although, a brass dragon’s wise and very perceptive mind lurks behind those good looks, so maybe they really are a social character who fights in courts rather than blood-mudded fields or the fantasy fucking Vietnam of a dungeon. Wisdom gets all three of Mind’s tokens, in a dramatic departure from Boanerges’s stats.

The adult Silver Dragon in Nurture continues the welcome distinction from Boanerges, as its judgment and justice give its token to Wisdom. I’m starting to get an image of this character ~ a noble of an evil realm forced by an uprising to flee as a child to another kingdom which, despite (or perhaps because of) its own goodness took them in and gave her a home. All that remains of their home culture is a vanity and an unrelenting drive for survival; all the rest of them is filled with the wisdom and the empathy and the justice of their rescuers. At the same time, their noble status among the houses of the realm and the friendship of their host has given them a solid place in their host’s court but their lack of any sort of realm or muster has left them without any sort of power amongst that court’s intrigues. Some years before they came of age, they learned to rely on a creative wit and judicious use of their good looks when those intrigues threatened the virtue of that court, maneuvering the host noble into uselessness and leaving the strong will of this character as the only advocate for justice. It was very Jacqueline Carey. Which, in turn, suggests that the character comes from Aoqina, my campaign world’s Europe-equivalent, specifically the realm of Natsiyaasim, which is based on Terre d’Ange (with influences from the Vikings and a religion tracing back to the grandchild of a Presterjho archangel who fought at a Troy-equivalent with Jedi expies).

Anyway, the adult Gold Dragon in the Wisdom slot gives two tokens to Charisma as the struggle for the soul of the court brings them much fame and skill at leading people with honor and nobility of spirit. That their host showered honors upon them as the Bulwark of Courtly Virtue only deepened the effect. Hilariously, the old Brass Dragon in Charisma just gives it right back. Where many would be tempted to just revel in the glory and the veneration of all the nobles around them ~ and this character was sorely tempted, considering their nature and early training ~ they resisted, and took the position of Bulwark quite seriously. Piercing eyes watched everyone, and discerned when and how to intervene without conflict to preserve the sanctity of the realm. Without conflict, to be sure, as this was a job of glittering laughter, not the dim and judgmental work of an inquisitor.

Of course, vanity could not be held at bay for long. It never hindered their work, but it is true that this character came to enjoy their position, the favor of their host, and the rewards of their good looks. Several relationships ended in tears and anger as this character’s incisive mind caught notice that they were founded upon the other’s desire for advancement, privilege, or ability to get away with some vice or crime, but for the most part, this character was free to indulge themselves in the gleaming giggles of play amongst the court. That old Blue Dragon in Constitution steals two tokens from Strength. The Blue Dragon in Dexterity isn’t so old, however, so it only steals one token from Intelligence, as these pleasures and this work call for time to be spent on them to succeed. Besides, studying with the castle’s loremaster was always yawn-inducing, so the distractions were quite welcome.