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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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Hryngar Assassin

In secret conclaves around Nar-Voth, hidden in plain sight within hryngar settlements, are the workshops and training grounds for the Darklands' most technologically sophisticated group of killers. Most hryngar assassins train from childhood, having been recruited from orphanages, and are under a life-debt obligation to their guild leader.

While on contract, hryngar assassins are on the lookout for new technologies, gadgets, and alchemical creations. They bring what they find back to their guild to be reverse engineered and replicated for other guild assassins. When the opportunity presents itself, they destroy the schematics and formulae that other organizations, inventors, and alchemists have created if they can't steal them.

Recall Knowledge - Humanoid (Society): DC 25
Unspecific Lore: DC 23
Specific Lore: DC 20

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Hryngar AssassinCreature 7

Uncommon LE Medium Duergar Dwarf Humanoid 
Source Pathfinder #195: Heavy is the Crown pg. 86
Perception +16; darkvision
Languages Common, Dwarven, Undercommon
Skills Acrobatics +17, Athletics +13, Crafting +13, Stealth +19, Survival +14, Thievery +17
Str +2, Dex +6, Con +4, Int +4, Wis +3, Cha +2
Items +1 striking repeating heavy crossbow (4 magazines with 5 bolts each), clockwork grappling gun, dagger, extreme climbing kit, hunting spider venom (5 doses applied to first magazine)
AC 25; Fort +15, Ref +17, Will +12; +2 status to all saves vs. magic
HP 115
Light Blindness Disengaging Shot [reaction] Requirements The hryngar assassin is equipped with a loaded repeating heavy crossbow; Trigger A creature critically misses the hryngar assassin with a melee Strike; Effect The hryngar assassin Strides, then Strikes the triggering creature with their repeating heavy crossbow; the target is flat-footed against this Strike.
Speed 25 feet; climb 10 feet
Melee [one-action] dagger +17 [+13/+9] (agile, finesse, thrown 10 feet, versatile S), Damage 1d4+8 piercingRanged [one-action] repeating heavy crossbow +18 [+13/+8] (range 180 feet, reload 1, repeating), Damage 2d10+2 piercingOccult Innate Spells DC 25; 2nd blood vendetta, paranoia; Cantrips (4th) sigil
Sneak Attack The hryngar assassin deals an extra 2d6 precision damage to flat-footed creatures.Surprise Attack On the first round of combat, creatures that haven't acted yet are flat-footed to the hryngar assassin.

Sidebar - Advice and Rules Bleeding Edge Killing Tech

Hryngar assassins use the most advanced gadgets and technology available to them. Their inventors are hard at work reverse engineering any specialized equipment they find so they can provide moderately equivalent designs to the best assassins. Elite assassins gain one consumable gadget of their level or lower, often selected for a specific job.

All Monsters in "Duergar"

NameLevel
Duergar Bombardier1
Duergar Sharpshooter0
Duergar Taskmaster2
Hagegraf Royal Guard5
Hryngar Assassin7
Hryngar Battlepriest9
Hryngar Breccia Squad9
Hryngar Forgepriest6
Hryngar King's Agent5

Duergar

Source Bestiary pg. 138
Deep beneath the surface, duergars stubbornly claim the ancestral subterranean homelands of the dwarves as their own, having refused to venture to the surface along with their modern dwarven cousins. An exiled dwarven deity named Droskar offered duergars salvation from the horrors of the Darklands, and in exchange duergars endlessly toil in his honor within their subterranean empire. Notorious slavers, duergars regularly raid other Darklands settlements as well as surface communities in constant search of living beings to task with endless amounts of work in their harsh and exhausting settlements.

Duergars are gray-skinned creatures, often referred to as “ashen” by those surface dwarves willing to speak of them. These subterranean dwarves have a strong natural connection with cave-dwelling vermin, and it’s common to see duergar caravans drawn by teams of immense beetles. Most duergars devote themselves to the worship of Droskar, a taskmaster of a god who demands back-breaking toil in addition to regular prayer. Duergar leadership often consists of powerful divine servants of Droskar, along with incredibly stout warriors whose martial prowess ensures they can overcome any direct threat to their rule. Almost every aspect of duergar society is controlled by a strict hierarchy of leadership, with taskmasters directing subordinates across all walks of life.

Sidebar - Locations Duergar Communities

Duergar communities are found deep underground in the ruins of abandoned dwarven cities. Generations of duergar occupation have resulted in the loss of dwarven history as the ashen honor their taskmaster deity by reworking traditional dwarven art into topics that elevate the exiled god. That duergars themselves seem incapable of achieving the heights of artistry mastered by their dwarven ancestors is both a source of frustration and shame that only fosters greater resentment of those who dwell on the surface.

Sidebar - Treasure and Rewards Highhelm Propaganda

Upworlders often believe that hryngars make shoddy weapons and armor, but this is propaganda spread by dwarves on the surface. Any proud hryngar knows that if you work hard enough on a project, it will come out just as well as crafters who rely on clever secrets and modern techniques. Therefore hryngar-made products often have fewer aesthetic elements in their design. Their creations tend to focus more on pure function.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Occult Traditions

Unlike classical dwarven practitioners of magic, duergars have embraced the practice of occultism. All duergars have at least a few innate occult spells, primary among them being the ability to magically increase their size. This power not only aids them in intimidating and bullying their slaves, but also serves as a potent combat option against their many enemies.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Upworlder Prejudice

Many upworlders' only experience with denizens from the Darklands come from Darklands raids. This has unfortunately caused many on the surface to believe that all Darklands peoples are murderous, which, of course, isn't the case. The Darklands are a harsh realm, and the people who live there have adapted to survive in an unforgiving environment that rewards the strong and punishes the meek. Yet despite this, there are still rich cultures and compassionate beings below the surface of Golarion.