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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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Ruzadoya Swiftmane, Vengeful Warmongering Graveknight

Ruzadoya Swiftmane wasn't always a warmonger. She remembers, as a child, that her parents frequently complained about the Verduran Forest's “protectorate” status. Protected from what? By whom? For what purpose? They always believed the Verduran would be better off left to fend for itself, and Ruzadoya lived much of her early life agreeing with them, though she didn't think much of it—life under the treaty was just the way things were, they said. There was nothing to do about it.

In time, as Andoran and Taldor pushed the terms of the treaty to their limits, Ruzadoya came to resent her family's passive acceptance of the treaty. She watched too many friends suffer from ignored quotas or being outright mistreated, threatened, belittled, and harassed by invasive woodcutters and colonists. Sometimes these incidents turned violent. The Lodge's continued repeated election of Valenar the Green baffled Ruzadoya. She believed the leader of the Wildwood Lodge was just like her parents— too much talk, too little action. But, for years, Ruzadoya's family said the same thing: “This is the price we pay for peace.” Over time, Ruzadoya grew worse at controlling her anger, but her parents did little to control her frequent frustrated outbursts. Ruzadoya took her anger out in battle or, when there wasn't a fight to be had, in scuffles with her friends, her cousins, even her sister Vandalya.

As hostilities with Andoran and Taldor increased in recent years, Ruzadoya saw far too many friends and family pay the ultimate price. And if that price wasn't securing peace, why not change the terms? She attended the Greenwild Gala intending to confront Valenar and demand restitution for the losses caused by the Treaty of the Wildwood. Instead, Valenar died, as did Ruzadoya, each a casualty of the Greenwild Massacre.

As her blood soaked the ground, thick, greenish wood grew over Ruzadoya like a suit of plate armor. Twisted branches sprouted from her shoulders and grasping roots erupted from her body to dangle from the gaps between plates.

While her armor is impressive, it has an unnatural and unsettling appearance; the wood looks sick, like it had given up its own vitality to keep Ruzadoya alive. Even without her armor, Ruzadoya was an imposing figure. Now, she's terrifying. Her desiccated flesh, raspy voice, unblinking eyes—they all make her seem like a corpse.

Ruzadoya's armor formed from coalesced primal energy that sprouted in her body and soul when she died, fueled by her anger and purpose and in turn granting her the “gift” of undeath. The time Ruzadoya spent on the Isle of Arenway no doubt contributed to this surge of primal energy, though she attributes her newfound power to her own strength and conviction. Ruzadoya has come to believe that her armor represents the will of the Verduran Forest. She considers herself a force of nature with a singular purpose: to restore natural order and Verduran might by destroying her enemies. She's willing to use (and utterly deplete) any resources, powers, and allies at her disposal. No price is too great, and no creature's suffering (not even her own) is unacceptable. Andoran and Taldor have sowed the seeds of their own destruction for centuries. Ruzadoya will only rest once the reaping is done.

Campaign Role

After antagonizing the PCs for the past three adventures, Ruzadoya faces them in battle when they confront her at the end of this adventure. After gaining trust and support from the people of Cradle of Knot, the PCs can find their way through the blighted wastes and track down their final foe. Defeating Ruzadoya not only ends the threat that she might return to Golarion and retake the Wildwood Lodge, but puts a stop to her efforts to convince Zibik to lay waste to Andoran and Taldor. Of course, Ruzadoya has had a long time to influence Zibik, and the PCs must do more than destroy the graveknight— if they want to thwart Ruzadoya completely, they must also reveal the extent of her deception. If they fail, Ruzadoya's plans to incite war in Avistan could still come to fruition, even beyond her true death and final destruction. Ruzadoya might even return to seek revenge on the PCs if they don't completely eradicate her graveknight armor.

Recall Knowledge - Undead (Religion): DC 42
Unspecific Lore: DC 40
Specific Lore: DC 37

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Ruzadoya SwiftmaneCreature 14

Unique Large Undead 
Source Pathfinder #203 Shepherd of Decay pg. 89
Female centaur graveknight
Perception +26; darkvision
Languages Common, Druidic, Elven, Fey, Necril
Skills Athletics +28, Deception +26, Diplomacy +23, Intimidation +28, Nature +24, Society +23, Survival +24, Warfare Lore +27
Str +8, Dex +4, Con +5, Int +3, Wis +4, Cha +6
Items +1 resilient duskwood full plate, composite longbow (20 arrows), guisarme
AC 38; Fort +27, Ref +24, Will +24
HP 255 (rejuvenation, void healing); Immunities bleed, death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious; Resistances vitality 10
Grasping Armor A creature that Strikes Ruzadoya with a melee weapon must succeed at a DC 31 Reflex save or be disarmed of that weapon. If the creature critically fails, the weapon ends up in Ruzadoya's space. A creature that hits Ruzadoya with an unarmed attack must succeed at a DC 31 Reflex save or become grabbed by Ruzadoya until the end of her next turn, it Escapes, or Ruzadoya moves, whichever comes first.Rejuvenation (primal) When Ruzadoya is destroyed, her armor rebuilds her body over the course of 1d10 days. If her body is destroyed before then, the process restarts. Ruzadoya can only be permanently destroyed by obliterating her armor (such as with disintegrate), transporting it to the Plane of Fire, or throwing it into the heart of a volcano.Sapping Aura (aura, primal, void) 30 feet. When a creature in the aura uses a vitality spell or ability, Ruzadoya automatically attempts to counteract it, with a +23 counteract modifier.Reactive Strike [reaction]
Speed 40 feet
Melee [one-action] guisarme +29 [+24/+19] (magical, reach 10 feet, trip), Damage 3d10+14 slashing plus 1d6 persistent bleed plus rooting strikesMelee [one-action] hoof +29 [+25/+21] (agile, magical), Damage 3d8+14 bludgeoning plus 1d6 persistent bleed plus rooting strikesRanged [one-action] composite longbow +25 [+20/+15] (deadly 2d10, magical, propulsive, range increment 100 feet, reload 0, volley 30 feet), Damage 3d8+10 piercing plus 1d6 persistent bleedGraveknight's Curse (curse, primal) This curse affects anyone who wears Ruzadoya's armor for at least 1 hour; Saving Throw DC 39 Will; Onset 1 hour; Stage 1 doomed 1 and can't remove the armor (1 day); Stage 2 doomed 2, –10-foot status penalty to Speeds, and can't remove the armor (1 day); Stage 3 dies and transforms into the armor's graveknight.Rooting Strikes On a critical hit with a melee weapon or unarmed attack, Ruzadoya's target is immobilized for 1 round (Escape DC 31) and clumsy 1 for as long as the immobilization lasts.Ruinous Weapons Any weapon or unarmed attack Ruzadoya uses gains the effects of the +1 greater striking and wounding weapon runes.Trample [three-actions] Medium or smaller, hoof, DC 31Weapon Master Ruzadoya has access to the critical specialization effects of any weapons she wields.Withering Blast [two-actions] (primal, void) Ruzadoya unleashes a 30-foot cone of corruption. Creatures in the area take 8d12 void damage (DC 34 basic Fortitude save). Ruzadoya can use this ability once every 1d4 rounds.