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Archives of Nethys
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Aksayla

This creature's description may contain spoilers. Click to revealBorn of the same mother as 5138"Nuzial" but from a younger clutch, the sisters Aksayla and Jotzi were unusually close during their youth, by sekmin standards. As common survivors of the familial traumas regularly orchestrated by their father Zyphaniss, the sisters forged an unshakable alliance. For decades, many in Sverenagati believed that one of them would eventually rise to power and claim Zyphaniss's throne, with the other perhaps serving as her sister's loyal advisor.

That Nuzial, the sisters' older but arguably less impressive brother, was the one to depose Zyphaniss shocked the entire city. However, it wasn't until Zyphaniss rose again as a lich and bequeathed his throne to his patricidal son that the loyalty Jotzi and Aksayla had always felt for one another wavered. Though by all appearances the sisters came together to support their brother, behind the scenes their disappointment with each other festered. Blame turned to anger, then contempt. Within weeks, the sisters were at each other's throats, their feud threatening Nuzial's initial efforts to unite Sverenagati beneath a common banner.

To cool hostilities, Nuzial confined Aksayla to Sverenagati's high temple of Ydersius. Jotzi, similarly, was restricted to the Perennial Archives, the grand library in heart of the city's central district. The semblance of peace created by his sisters' isolation afforded Nuzial the space he needed to bring Sverenagati firmly under his control. Once their house arrest was lifted and Aksayla and Jotzi were allowed to reenter society, they found the city's once fractious population had become almost uniformly devoted to Nuzial's campaign to conquer the surface—an effort that Nuzial expected both his sisters to support. The moment Jotzi and Aksayla learned of Nuzial's disastrous ritual to access his past lives, they seized upon their brother's weakness, coming together again to force Nuzial from the city. After a brief attempt at reconciliation, however, the sisters' rivalry reignited. Both, it seemed, had been irrevocably changed by their separation. Aksayla's devotion to Ydersius devolved into fanaticism, spurring her to persecute and purge all other faiths from the city. Meanwhile, paranoia had strangled Jotzi's former interest in politics and subterfuge. Suddenly distrustful of even her most seasoned advisors, she turned her attention to pure magical research, seeking a way to protect both the city and herself from the dangers she now saw all around her.

The recent changes to their personalities have turned the sisters' hatred for each other into undisguised loathing. Now, even an uncomfortable truce between them seems impossible. Engulfed in civil war, Sverenagati's districts change hands daily, with individual city blocks falling under the one sister's control, only to be retaken by the other mere hours later. Without an external influence to tip the balance, there's no telling how long this civil war will last.

Campaign Role

While the PCs are unlikely to become directly involved in Sverenagati's civil war, they need to negotiate a temporary truce between Aksayla and Jotzi to continue their pursuit of Nuzial, whose recent return to the city has further stoked his sisters' rivalry. Permission to enter the Ghostfang Coils—which conceals a passage to Orv, where Nuzial is headed—can be granted only by a member of the city's royal family, so the PCs must win the favor of at least one of the sisters, lest Nuzial's lead over them widens even further.

Thankfully for the PCs, the feuding sisters hate Nuzial more than they despise each other. Once one or both are convinced that doing so won't undermine their position in the city, the sisters grant the PCs access to the Coils, if only to ensure their traitorous brother never returns. Aksayla and Jotzi's distrust inevitably outweighs their loyalty to the PCs, however. In the hours following the ceasefire, they come to see the player characters as agents who could tip the balance of power in Sverenagati. Before the PCs enter the Ghostfang Coils, one of the sisters ambushes them—a betrayal that impacts the future of Sverenagati, as the fight's outcome will likely influence which sister, if either, survives beyond the campaign.

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Print Stat Block

Elite AksaylaCreature 19

Unique Medium Humanoid Serpentfolk 
Source Pathfinder #225: Vaultlines pg. 245
Elite Changes are marked. The +2 damage bonus to non-strike offensive abilities (+4 if the ability is limited, such as spells) is NOT factored in.
Recall Knowledge DC 39 (49 if Unique applies) • Humanoid (Society)
Female zyss serpentfolk ruler
Perception +33; darkvision, scent (imprecise) 30 feet
Languages Aklo, Chthonian, Common, Diabolic, Draconic, Elven, Necril, Sakvroth; telepathy 100 feet
Skills Arcana +34, Deception +32, Intimidation +32, Occultism +34, Religion +34, Sekmin Lore +32, Society +32, Stealth +30
Str +3, Dex +4, Con +2, Int +8, Wis +8, Cha +6
Items +2 greater striking dagger, +2 greater resilient explorer's clothing
AC 42; Fort +28, Ref +26, Will +34 (+4 status vs mental); +1 status to all saves vs magic
HP 275; Resistances poison 20
Thin of Blood Zyss serpentfolk recover slowly from injuries. When they take physical damage from a critical hit, they gain 2d4 persistent bleed damage. They take a –2 circumstance penalty to flat checks to recover from persistent damage and saving throws against afflictions.
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] fangs +30 [+25/+20] (finesse), Damage 3d6+2+18 piercing plus sovereign serpentfolk venomMelee [one-action] dagger +30 [+26/+22] (agile, finesse, magical, thrown 10 ft, versatile S), Damage 3d4+2+18 piercingOccult Innate Spells DC 42 (+4 dmg); 4th suggestion; 2nd blur (self only; at will); 1st illusory disguise (at will), ventriloquism (at will)
Divine Prepared Spells DC 42, attack +34 (+4 dmg); 9th foresight, harm (×6), massacre, wails of the damned; 8th clear mind, divine decree, execute; 7th energy aegis, fly, scintillating safeguard; 6th spellwrack, spirit blast, truesight; 5th invoke spirits, sending, truespeech; 4th fly, read omens, silence; 3rd fear (×2), ring of truth; 2nd augury, cleanse affliction (×2); 1st bane, command (×2); Cantrips (9th) daze, detect magic, divine lance, guidance, shield
Cleric Domain Spells (9th) DC 42, 2 Focus Points (+4 dmg); 9th competitive edge, ignite ambition
Fast Channel When Aksayla casts harm by spending 2 actions, she can choose the effects of the 3-action version instead of the 2-action version.Sovereign Serpentfolk Venom (poison) Saving Throw DC 42 Fortitude; Maximum Duration 6 rounds; Stage 1 3d4 poison damage and enfeebled 1 (1 round); Stage 2 6d4 poison damage and enfeebled 1 (1 round)
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