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Archives of Nethys
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Aspexia Rugatonn

This creature's description may contain spoilers. Click to revealAspexia was born to privilege in a minor noble family and has wielded it like an iron cudgel her entire life. As a child, her nannies often departed or disappeared after taking the blame for the smashed crockery and broken toys resulting from Aspexia's many tantrums. Her tutors were sternly lectured and sometimes severely punished after her parents heard her lies about what they were teaching her. Her friends (what few she had) were forced to play her games, with rules that she would quickly change in her favor should she start losing or growing bored. Her pets… well, she wasn't allowed any more pets after an unfortunate incident in which Brother Mittens somehow lost all his fur. In all these instances, her parents supported and believed her, no matter how outrageous her explanations.

The only things that really held Aspexia's interest were myths of Asmodeus and the history of his faith on Golarion, especially his instrumental role in House Thrune's rise to power in Cheliax. She would sit in rapt attention during sermons and religious lectures. In them, she learned the lessons of how the mighty should wield power over the weak and that mercy is never deserved. Aspexia yearned for that power in ways her young mind couldn't yet express. Her parents recognized this fascination and continued her education with the Church of Asmodeus, rightfully assuming she would don the mantle of cleric in adulthood. If they were all lucky, she would rise through the ranks of the clergy to increase the prestige of the Rugatonn name.

Over the next two decades, Aspexia exceeded her parents' expectations. As a novitiate, she mastered the basic precepts of clerical life, never failing to note when another acolyte was late to a gathering or misspoke a prayer. As a full priest, she was happy to be assigned to one of the poorer districts of Egorian, as it afforded her a position of superiority over her congregation. She would often stalk through those streets, giving stern glances and raising eyebrows at those she believed weren't following the tenets of Asmodeus. Eventually, she schemed and plotted her way to a position in the Midnight Temple, overseeing the education of new acolytes and being second-in-command to the elderly Grand High Priest Septeriano Volus.

During this time, Aspexia married the oldest son of another minor noble house, Eustate Scarpo. An accomplished barrister for Egorian's courts, Eustate was an acceptable match in Aspexia's eyes. Their two houses joined would hold more prominence than either could alone, and he was handsome enough. The wedding was the season's social event, but if pressed, none of the attendees would say it was a union of love. Aspexia soon gave birth to a son, Ludoviro, who's since followed in her footsteps as a cleric.

Then one cloudless summer night, Septeriano plummeted from one of the highest towers of the cathedral, body landing upon the stones of Thrune Square below. No one knows what happened to the old priest or why he was even atop the tower so late, but the very next morning, officials anointed Aspexia as the next Grand High Priestess of the church. She immediately purged the rolls of Egorian's upper priesthood, sending the clerics who'd been loyal to Septeriano to far-flung corners of the nation and replacing them with those she could more easily bend to her will.

In her new role, Aspexia also took control over the Infernal Inquisition, an organization within the church that has jurisdiction over suspected subversive activity against Cheliax's Infernal Compact—the agreement between Asmodeus and House Thrune. With her husband's aid, the rate at which citizens have been arrested and convicted by the inquisition has nearly tripled.

Aspexia has been the high priestess of the Church of Asmodeus for over two decades now, but her thirst for control hasn't yet been sated.

Campaign Role

When Egorian begins transforming into Hell at the beginning of Chapter 10, Aspexia rules the city as its seneschal in Abrogail II's absence. Asmodeus dispatches a small devil army to aid in her tyranny, though it isn't enough to maintain a total iron grip on the populace. The PCs can still traverse the city fairly easily, but everyday citizens are forced to cower in their homes or be arrested or punished by patrols of devils for even the smallest crime against the church.

Aspexia has also ordered the city gates closed to all. Merchants have been barred from entering or leaving, an unsustainable policy that will lead to eventual starvation should it be allowed to continue. The PCs' allies in Egorian want to help evacuate people from the metropolis in case the fires of Hell continue their encroachment. They ask the PCs for aid, and the most effective way to free Egorian is to eliminate Aspexia. Doing so will also allow them to enter the Midnight Temple and find a way to travel to Hell and stop Abrogail Thrune II's ritual. As such, Aspexia is a major obstacle for the PCs' plans (to say nothing of her devils). The PCs will need to field an army of their own if they want to defeat her.

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Print Stat Block

Aspexia RugatonnCreature 19

Unique Medium Human Humanoid Unholy 
Source Pathfinder #223: Hell's Destiny pg. 247
Recall Knowledge DC 39 (49 if Unique applies) • Humanoid (Society)
Female human cleric of Asmodeus
Perception +13
Languages Common, Diabolic, Empyrean
Skills Deception +14, Diplomacy +14, Hell Lore +16, Intimidation +14, Religion +18, Society +16
Str +3, Dex +1, Con +3, Int +4, Wis +6, Cha +5
Items +2 greater flaming greater striking unholy mace, +2 resilient breastplate, reliquary key
AC 23; Fort +16, Ref +13, Will +19
HP 355
Speed 20 feet
Melee [one-action] mace +17 [+12/+7] (magical, shove, unholy), Damage 3d8+13 bludgeoning plus 1d6 fire plus 1d4 spiritCleric Focus Spells 2 Focus Points, DC 22; 10th commanding lash, touch of obedience
Prepared Divine Spells DC 22, attack +14; 10th avatar, harm (×6); 9th massacre, wails of the damned; 8th divine decree, divine immolation (×2); 7th eclipse burst, energy aegis, execute; 6th mislead, repulsion, truesight; 5th banishment, divine immolation, spiritual guardian; 4th divine wrath, outcast's curse, suggestion; 3rd blindness, chilling darkness, crisis of faith; 2nd blood vendetta, darkvision, see the unseen; 1st bane, charm, enfeeble; Cantrips (10th) daze, detect magic, divine lance, shield, void warp
Cast Down in Flames [one-action] (concentrate, spellshape) Aspexia brings the sheer force of her faith crashing down on a foe. If the next action she takes is to cast harm to damage one creature, the target is knocked prone if it takes any damage from the spell. If the target fails its saving throw against the spell, it also takes 3d6 persistent fire damage.Channel Smite [two-actions] (divine) Requirements Aspexia expends a harm spell; Effect Aspexia makes a melee Strike. If it hits, she damages the target with a 1-action harm spell, The target automatically gets a failure (or a critical failure if the Strike was a critical hit). The spell doesn’t have the manipulate trait when cast this way.Deadly Simplicity Aspexia deals 1d8 damage with her mace instead of 1d6.Rebounding Smite [reaction] Trigger Aspexia misses with her Strike during Channel Smite; Effect Aspexia retains the energy from her smite. She Casts the 1-action version of the harm spell she expended, targeting a creature other than the target of her Strike.
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