
Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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

All Creatures
Abilities | Monsters | NPCs

Saviya, High Priest Of Achaekek

Saviya's association with the Red Mantis began during her days as a mate on the pirate ship Storm Shark over 100 years ago. The infamous, cruel commander of the ship was a man named Captain Dargi—as notorious a pirate as ever prowled the Shackles. As a member of the crew, Saviya followed Captain Dargi's commands to loot, pillage, and sink many ships of the Chelaxian Navy, all while worshipping Besmara, the Pirate Goddess as a faithful priest. The Storm Shark was very successful and very brutal; they took pride in leaving none alive after their raids, and Saviya came to delight in the dread she inspired when name-dropping the ship.

Like many far-ranging pirate captains of the Shackles, Captain Dargi kept a berth in Ilizmagorti. Whenever the Storm Shark visited this port, the crew always abided by the laws of the Red Mantis, even if doing so was a challenge for a bloodthirsty pirate like Captain Dargi, who (while at sea) often derided the assassins and made bold claims of some day pillaging Ilizmagorti and making the city his own. Saviya initially found the captain's bravado intimidating, even a bit inspiring. But each time they sailed into Ilizmagorti and she saw the power, respect, and fear afforded to the Red Mantis among the city's citizens, her respect and fear of her blowhard captain dwindled, replaced by derision. She knew better than to voice her growing dissatisfaction with Captain Dargi, of course, but as her interest in the Red Mantis assassins grew, she increasingly kept an eye out for an opportunity to make her move.

One day, Captain Dargi met with a Rahadoum cruiser to fence stolen booty, as he had done many times in the past. Saviya happened to overhear the captain and the fence discussing their wares: secrets about Mediogalti Island's defenses. Saviya knew this betrayal would certainly be discovered and lethally punished the next time their ship sailed into Ilizmagorti, so when the Storm Shark arrived there a few months later, Saviya swiftly but secretly reported her captain's misdeeds to the Red Mantis and begged to be allowed to help with his assassination. The Red Mantis agents were impressed and agreed, with one requirement: they insisted that if she came along, she would be the one to kill Captain Dargi. Saviya eagerly accepted, and for several days she met in secret with her assassin contacts to learn their ways as best she could in preparation for her big chance. When the moment came, Saviya relished the kill, striking at her captain with the sawtooth saber she'd smuggled aboard, and then using her magic to break every bone in Dargi's body so that when death finally came, it did in glorious agony. From that day forward Saviya was a faithful devotee of Achaekek instead of Besmara.

Saviya could have claimed the Storm Shark as her own and served as a captain, but instead she offered the entire crew a choice—they could be marooned on an island far from any shipping lane and take their chances, or they could return with her to Ilizmagorti as servants of He Who Walks in Blood. Many of the crew chose to become marooned, only to learn (much to their horror) that this simply changed the venue and method of their offering to Achaekek, for the island Saviya had chosen was infested with immense deadly mantises who made quick work of the doomed crew.

Saviya served He Who Walks in Blood dutifully for the next several decades, starting by converting those of the Storm Shark crew who accepted her offer. Eventually, she was asked to join the priesthood at the Pagoda of the Mantis in Ilizmagorti. Over the next several decades, she rose in the ranks and became the current high priest. She's been a member of the Vernai for the past two decades—which, as it turns out, is plenty of time for her to revert to her old ways of plotting her commander's downfall.

Adventure Role

Just over 10 years ago, Saviya returned from a contract where she had used an experimental alchemical elixir to give her the ability to track by scent like a bloodhound. She used it to sniff out her target's location and shattered the columns of the building he was hiding in, flushing him out for a very public killing blow. The alchemically granted ability lingered as she met with Blood Mistress Jakalyn to report her success, during which Saviya smelled something she never detected before: elven blood.

This intrigued the high priest, for while Jakalyn was human, the faint scent of elf exuding from her was, to Saviya's enhanced senses, unmistakable. Jakalyn's mysterious longevity was well-known, of course, but the more Saviya watched and observed, the more she began to think that, somehow, Blood Mistress Jakalyn had inherited elven longevity. This vexed Saviya greatly, for she had designs on Jakalyn's position and had previously intended to take the very elven route of patience—simply outlive her human superior and then step into her vacant role.

The realization that Jakalyn may well outlive her forced Saviya's hand, and she began to slowly recruit members to a conspiracy eventually meant to dethrone Jakalyn and secure the god-given right to rule the Red Mantis from Achaekek.

By the time the PCs finally catch up to Saviya, she's close enough to her goal that not only can she smell it, she can taste it. As the favored agents of Jakalyn, the PCs are as much Saviya's enemies as their leader is, but when the PCs encounter her in Elysium, her frustration at being so close to success forces her to finally commit a likely fatal mistake—she challenges the PCs directly.

Recall Knowledge - Humanoid (Society): DC 49
Unspecific Lore: DC 47
Specific Lore: DC 44

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

SaviyaCreature 19

Unique Medium Elf Humanoid 
Source Prey for Death pg. 123
Perception +34; (37 to Seek) darkvision, perfect scent 60 feet
Languages Aklo, Azlanti, Common, Diabolic, Elven, Sakvroth
Skills Achaekek Lore +33, Acrobatics +34, Athletics +36, Deception +36, Diplomacy +34, Intimidation +34, Nature +33, Religion +35, Society +31, Stealth +34
Str +4, Dex +5, Con +1, Int +4, Wis +6, Cha +5
Items +3 greater resilient antimagic greater winged mantis shell armor, +3 major striking greater astral greater shocking wounding high-grade dawnsilver sawtooth saber, greater doubling rings, high-grade dawnsilver sawtooth saber, major mask of the mantis, bracers of strength
AC 43; Fort +31, Ref +35, Will +38
HP 360
Fading [reaction] Frequency once per use of Crimson Shroud; Trigger Saviya is targeted by a Strike from a creature she can detect; Requirements Saviya's Crimson Shroud is active; Effect Saviya fades from reality. The creature making the triggering Strike must attempt a DC 11 flat check; on a failure, the attack passes harmlessly through the immaterial image of Saviya's body, after which she returns to her physical form.
Speed 30 feet, fly 25 feet
Melee [one-action] sawtooth saber +35 [+31/+27] (agile, finesse, magical, twin), Damage 4d6+12 slashing plus 1d6 electricity, 1d6 spirit, and 1d6 persistent bleedCleric Divine Prepared Spells DC 41, attack +33; 10th manifestation (already cast); 9th harm (×6), heal, massacre, wails of the damned; 8th dispel magic, sawtooth terrain, teleport; 7th cleanse affliction, execute, mantis's grasp; 6th crimson breath, dominate, truesight; 5th command, heal, truespeech; 4th outcast's curse, talking corpse, unfettered movement; 3rd blindness, cleanse affliction, heal; 2nd create food, resist energy, silence; 1st command, fear, sanctuary; Cantrips (10th) daze, divine lance, guidance, shield, void warp
Red Mantis Divine Prepared Spells DC 41, attack +33; 8th disappearance; 7th project image; 6th phantasmal calamity; 5th sending; 4th translocate; 3rd paralyze; 2nd mist; 1st fear; Cantrips (4th) figment, sigil
Rituals DC 41; 6th commune; 5th call spirit, planar servitor, resurrect
Crimson Shroud [one-action] (healing, magical) Frequency seven times a day; Effect Saviya swathes herself in red mist for 1 minute, during which time she gains fast healing 9. She can Interact with the mist to gain a +1 circumstance bonus to AC until the beginning of her next turn. If she dies while Crimson Shroud is active, her body vanishes, leaving behind only her gear.Prayer Attack [one-action] (concentrate) Requirements Saviya wields a sawtooth saber in each hand; Effect Saviya attempts to Feint an enemy within 30 feet. If the Feint is successful, Saviya's next successful Strike with a sawtooth saber in that same turn deals 2d6 persistent bleed damage to the target. In addition, provided they remain visible to that target and that target remains within 30 feet of Saviya, additional Prayer Attacks against that target automatically cause them to become off-guard against Saviya's attacks until the end of their turn.Vernai Training In order to resurrect a creature slain by Saviya, a creature must counteract Saviya's influence on that creature's death as they Cast the Spell or perform the ritual (DC 41).