
Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

All Creatures
Abilities | Monsters | NPCs

Arodeth, Disillusioned Mercenary Company Leader

Lord Garron of Cheliax was a wealthy noble and devoted follower of Aroden. Aroden's death in 4606 ar hit him doubly hard: he both lost the god he revered, and he lost his home when House Thrune rose up and seized power in Cheliax. Lord Garron became an exile, fleeing to Absalom with a significant portion of his wealth. There, he started anew as a mercenary, joining and then leading a group he called the Band of Blades.

Garron's life changed when he discovered a tome of prophecies, the Book of 1,000 Whispers. He believed Aroden's death had been a cosmic error, but by ensuring the prophecies in the Book of 1,000 Whispers came to pass, he believed he could correct the error and Aroden would return. The last of the prophecies in the book was to take place in 4714 AR, and the aging Garron knew he wouldn't see the glorious return come to pass. But his daughter, named Arodeth in honor of the dead god, would. Garron made sure to instill the importance of his work in her.

Arodeth grew up believing that fate held a special place for her, and she took to her father's cause with enthusiasm, preserving her father's fortune as leader of the amoral Band of Blades mercenary company. Outwardly, she styled herself as a vapid, pampered aristocrat who only directed the mercenary company she'd inherited on a whim. In truth, she used the Band of Blades as a cover for a mystery cult she led called the Harbingers of Fate. Mercenaries travel the world, after all, particularly when they'll work for any petty tyrant, so it was relatively simple to use them to help enact the cult's plans. There were so many prophecies to orchestrate that Arodeth had to rely upon trusted lieutenants to carry them all out (one of whom—Lord Drustan of Cheliax, the son of her father's friend— would ultimately prove less than reliable). The Harbingers of Fate achieved success after success, and the Band of Blades prospered.

Then time ran out in 4714 AR, and Arodeth's lifelong purpose proved fruitless. Aroden didn't return, and the prophecies went unanswered. Rather than face the enormity of her failure, Arodeth enacted a desperate gamble to steal a powerful artifact from the Pathfinder Society to turn local time backward to just before Earthfall, when Aroden still lived as a human, and pull him to the present. However, the mission proved disastrous, leading to the deaths of many in the Harbingers of Fate and Band of Blades. Arodeth herself would've been lost in the past and perished during Earthfall if not for the efforts of some kind-hearted Pathfinders who took mercy on her and returned her to the present.

Today, Arodeth believes herself to be a failure twice over. The Harbingers of Fate disbanded, and she was left with only the Band of Blades. Rather than lose this group, too, Arodeth threw herself into leading them. She shed the ruse of an insipid aristocrat and now makes bold decisions to preserve the company and ensure its prosperity. She has faced too many failures and is determined not to lose again.

Arodeth is an elderly woman who works daily to keep her mind keen and muscles strong. Her dark hair has turned gray, and her face is weathered, but she retains the soft features and kindly eyes that encourage others to open up to her. Although she still likes to dress in aristocratic fashion, she never appears without a rapier at her side and is usually in the company of her mercenaries.

Campaign Use

Arodeth's Band of Blades has seized the Storval Stairs and serves as the PCs' antagonists in the climax of “The Choosing.” Although Arodeth believes that holding the stairs is a critical source of revenue, she's willing to listen to the PCs and reconsider her position, potentially even abandoning the site and returning its control to the Shoanti.

Many people who receive cards from the Deck of Destiny believe themselves to be fated for greater things; it's the nature of the cards. Arodeth has chosen one of her apprentices, a man named Raflin Dorrum, as her pledged follower. Arodeth has seen perhaps too much of fate already, and she's willing to give up her card, The Rakshasa, more easily than others who have received them.

Arodeth hasn't forgotten how she benefitted from the kindness of adventurers in the past. If the PCs also treat her with kindness and respect, she might shift in alignment from lawful evil to lawful neutral at the adventure's conclusion.

Recall Knowledge - Humanoid (Society): DC 42
Unspecific Lore: DC 40
Specific Lore: DC 37

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

ArodethCreature 14

Legacy Content

Unique LE Medium Human Humanoid 
Source Pathfinder #190: The Choosing pg. 91
Female human magus
Perception +22
Languages Common, Draconic, Thassilonian
Skills Acrobatics +25, Arcana +25, Diplomacy +24, Fortune-Telling Lore +27, Intimidation +24, Occultism +27, Society +25
Str +1, Dex +5, Con +1, Int +5, Wis +2, Cha +4
Items +2 striking darkwood staff, greater pendant of the occult, The Rakshasa, +1 glamered resilient mithral chain shirt, material component pouch, spellbook (contains all prepared spells plus an additional 2d6 spells of the GM’s choosing)
AC 35; Fort +20, Ref +24, Will +23
HP 255
Fated to Fail [reaction] (misfortune) Trigger A creature adjacent to Arodeth rolls a hit or critical hit with a melee Strike; Effect Arodeth attempts a Fortune-Telling Lore check against the triggering creature's Will DC. On a success, the attack is reduced by one degree of success (from a hit to a miss, or a critical hit to a hit).
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] staff +27 [+23/+19] (agile, finesse, magical, two-hand d8), Damage 2d6+7 bludgeoningArcane Prepared Spells DC 34, attack +26; 7th dispel magic, prismatic spray; 6th chain lightning, disintegrate; 4th blink, slow; Cantrips (7th) chill touch, daze, electric arc, prestidigitation, produce flame
Magus Conflux Spells DC 34, 2 Focus Points; 7th runic impression, spinning staff
Rituals DC 34; 7th legend lore
Arcane Cascade [one-action] (concentrate, stance) Lady Arodeth can enter this stance only if her most recent action was to Cast a Spell or make a Spellstrike, but she can remain in the stance even if she no longer meets the requirements; Effect While in this stance, Arodeth can Interact or Release to change her grip on her staff as a free action when she Strikes with the staff, including Strikes made in a Spellstrike. This happens before she rolls her attack roll. She can also Interact to change her grip on the staff as a free action triggered at the end of her turn.Spellstrike [two-actions] Arodeth channels a spell into a melee Strike to deliver a charged attack. She casts chill touch, disintegrate, or produce flame. The effects of the spell don't occur immediately but are imbued into her attack instead. Arodeth makes a staff Strike, which gains the arcane trait. The spell is coupled with the attack, using Arodeth's attack roll to determine the effects of both the Strike and the spell. This counts as two attacks for her multiple attack penalty, but the penalty isn't applied until after she has completed the Spellstrike. After using Spellstrike, she can't do so again until she recharges this ability as a single action, which has the concentrate trait. She also recharges her Spellstrike when she casts runic impression or spinning staff.Twisting Tree As magus. Arodeth's unique fighting style also allows her to add the finesse trait to any staff she wields in combat.