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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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

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Narseigus

Driven by political and magical ambition, this sorcerer has rediscovered a unique spellcasting art used to command cave worms.

For all its emphasis on personal toil, hryngar culture rewards ensnaring others in a web of obligation and subservience. The more one's subordinates produce, the greater their master's take, so a hryngar who commands a mighty cave worm would be powerful indeed! At least this is what Narseigus believes.

His early training to be a miner was interrupted by the emergence of his magical talents. When his arm momentarily and unexpectedly transformed into a tentacle that strangled his mentor, this one murderous act both spared him any education debt to his mentor and set him on a new career path... only for him to become indebted to magical masters who claimed most of his subsequent profits. In his limited spare time, he read avidly, always seeking new inspiration that could advance his career and livelihood.

This research eventually unearthed worm calling, an obscure hryngar magical tradition that had fallen out of favor—both due the psychological damage involved and the catastrophic consequences that might ensue should a cave worm break free. Knowing of no living worm callers (or at least unable to indebt himself to even more masters), Narseigus began piecing together the techniques from fragmentary sources. Yet the written word had limits. He increasingly realized that mastering this art required studying cave worms, learning their every instinct to attune his mind to theirs. Absconding without closing out his debts, he embarked on a decades-long expedition throughout Nar-Voth to follow cave worms, hone his spells, and swindle supplies as needed.

And then he felt it: the telltale tremors of a cave worm, but massive beyond any he'd ever witnessed. He eagerly tracked the beast, witnessing its trail of destruction and discovering that this was the legendary crimson worm, Zogototaru. The creature's power captivated him. Why should he settle for controlling lesser worms when he could enthrall such a behemoth? Yet even though Zogototaru had left countless tunnels over the millennia, tracing her whereabouts proved challenging. Narseigus at last identified her lair, though getting to that lair would require traversing dwarven territory and excavating countless tons of stone. To his chagrin, he needed help.

Fortunately, King Orgukagan of Hagegraf needed a miracle. With no great deeds to his name, the king knew his reign was unremarkable and his ongoing rule was equally precarious. Thus, when Narseigus proposed a military venture that would both crush Rolgrimmdur and help Narseigus seize a mighty asset to fuel future victories, the king eagerly bankrolled his operation. The sorcerer received everything he needed for his research, including privileged access to the king's ear. The operation's scope steadily expanded, earning Narseigus a coalition army, growing clout, and an impressive list of enemies who resented his rise to power.

But for Narseigus, it would all be a means to an end. All that mattered was his magic.

Campaign Role

For much of the campaign, Narseigus is a sinister mastermind always several steps ahead of the PCs. They gradually learned of him in “Cult of the Cave Worm,” the previous adventure, uncovering his plans to invade Rolgrimmdur, command Zogototaru, and break into the Sky King's Tomb. However, his self-serving objectives have made him many enemies, and the more the PCs uncover, the more of his embittered rivals they meet and might turn against him. Ultimately, he can only rely on his thralls.

Yet Narseigus is so driven that he rarely glances back to notice the damage the PCs cause. By the time he does notice, it's too late. He's one of the final fights of the campaign, letting the PCs clash with Zogototaru and orchestrate Narseigus's comeuppance in one exciting scene.

Narratively, Narseigus provides time pressure to what could otherwise be a casual expedition. After all, Taargick's tomb has survived over 9,000 years. What's another few months? But with Narseigus and his schemes, finding the tomb and thwarting the sorcerer become intertwined goals, keeping the PCs on the move.

Recall Knowledge - Humanoid (Society): DC 38
Unspecific Lore: DC 36
Specific Lore: DC 33

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Narseigus WormcallerCreature 11

Unique LE Medium Duergar Dwarf Humanoid 
Source Pathfinder #195: Heavy is the Crown pg. 90
Perception +20; darkvision, tremorsense (imprecise) 10 feet
Languages Abyssal, Aklo, Common, Dwarven, Orcish, Undercommon
Skills Acrobatics +18, Athletics +19, Cave Worm Lore +24, Deception +24, Diplomacy +24, Intimidation +24, Nature +22, Occultism +22, Survival +20
Str +2, Dex +1, Con +4, Int +3, Wis +3, Cha +6
Items +1 striking staff, wand of widening (5th-level spell), religious symbol
AC 31; Fort +21, Ref +18, Will +24; +2 status to all saves vs. magic
HP 140
Inexorable When Narseigus gains the paralyzed, slowed, or stunned condition, roll a DC 15 flat check. On a success, he ignores the condition.Light Blindness Shake It Off [one-action] (fortune, primal) Frequency once per day; Trigger Narseigus fails or critically fails a saving throw against a condition or adverse effect (such as baleful polymorph); Effect Narseigus rerolls the triggering saving throw and uses the better result.
Speed 20 feet, burrow 20 feet, climb 20 feet
Melee [one-action] staff +20 [+15/+10] (magical, two-hand d8), Damage 2d4+8 bludgeoningMelee [one-action] tail +25 [+20/+15] (reach 10 feet), Damage 1d10+13 bludgeoningOccult Innate Spells DC 30; 6th blood vendetta, paranoia; Cantrips (6th) sigil
Occult Spontaneous Spells DC 30, attack +24; 6th dominate, feeblemind, slow (3 slots); 5th grim tendrils, vampiric touch, vomit swarm (4 slots); 4th dimension door, dispel magic, enervation, locate, soothe (4 slots); 3rd comprehend language, haste, magic missile (4 slots); 2nd blur, darkness, invisibility (4 slots); 1st alarm, command, true strike (4 slots); Cantrips (6th) chill touch, daze, mage hand, read aura, shield
Sorcerer Bloodline Spells DC 30, 3 Focus Points; 6th aberrant whispers, tentacular limbs, unusual anatomy
Quickened Casting [free-action] (concentrate, metamagic) If Narseigus' next action is to cast an occult spontaneous cantrip or an occult spontaneous spell of 4th level or lower, he reduces the number of actions to cast it by 1 (minimum 1 action).Steady Spellcasting If a reaction would disrupt Narseigus' spellcasting action, he attempts a DC 15 flat check. On a success, the action isn't disrupted.Worm Form [one-action] (morph, occult, transmutation) Narseigus partially transforms his lower body into that of a cave worm. He can use only his tail unarmed Strike and his burrow and climb Speeds while in this form. This transformation lasts for 1 minute.Worm's Feast [two-actions] (conjuration, primal) Frequency once per day; Effect Narseigus calls forth a brood of infantile cave worms to feast on his enemy's flesh. One creature within 30 feet must attempt a Fortitude save.
Critical Success The worms writhe away harmlessly.
Success The target takes 2d6 piercing damage and 4d6 persistent piercing damage.
Failure The target takes 6d6 piercing damage and 4d6 persistent piercing damage.
Critical Failure As failure, plus the target is flat-footed as long as it takes persistent piercing damage.