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Archives of Nethys
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Zyphaniss

This creature's description may contain spoilers. Click to revealDespite the death grip in which he held Sverenagati for over a century, Zyphaniss never demonstrated much aptitude for politics, nor any particular interest in governance, during his reign. He ruled his city as a tyrant cloaked in the trappings of dignity, a practitioner of unspeakable magics who measured the worth of others not by their talents or loyalty, but by how well they endured his cruelty. His subjects feared to speak his name aloud. His political enemies vanished without a trace.

Though few would argue that Zyphaniss's rule was wise or just, the mark he left upon Sverenagati was indelible. Many of the city's enemies were also his, and Zyphaniss spent decades leveraging the power of his throne to settle these old grudges, returning Sverenagati to a position of strength it had not known since Earthfall almost as an afterthought. Less favorable, perhaps, was his desecration of the Ghostfang Coils. By destroying the crypt in which the city's ancient sovereign had been interred, Zyphaniss upset centuries of tradition, opening a door for those who would see even further changes in the city.

Nowhere, however, has Zyphaniss's legacy been more keenly felt than in the actions of his offspring. When his children were young, Zyphaniss delighted in pushing them to their limits, confident that only pressure and pain could forge successors worthy of his bloodline. Over and over, Zyphaniss forced his offspring into perilous trials, orchestrating devastating betrayals while observing impassively as they competed for his approval. His twin daughters, Jotzi and Aksayla, did their best to follow in his footsteps through religion and mastery of the necromantic arts, while his eldest son, Nuzial, became his hand and enforcer, hoping to secure a place beside his father in esteem as well as title. Yet no act of brilliance, bravery, or brutality earned any of them more than a withering dismissal or a cold, clinical dismantling of their efforts, always laced with unmistakable contempt.

It was Nuzial, pushed to the brink by neglect and humiliation, who finally struck his father down. But in a turn wholly in line with Zyphaniss's manipulative nature, he had already anticipated his son's betrayal. Unbeknownst to everyone but himself, the king had driven Nuzial to patricide intentionally, arranging the murderous act to serve as the final catalyst in a foul necromantic ritual fueled by blood and legacy. Risen anew as an immortal lich, Zyphaniss offered his son a hollow reward: the throne of Sverenagati, as well as his faint approval. He then vanished into the catacombs beneath the city, leaving only silence and rumors in his wake.

Campaign Role

The PCs hear about Zyphaniss long before they encounter him, in the form of furtive whispers circulating like a virulent plague among the people of Sverenagati. When the PCs descend into the Ghostfang Coils in pursuit of Nuzial, Zyphaniss welcomes the opportunity to subject them to the same calculated suffering he once reserved for his children. By the time the PCs face Zyphaniss a second time, their view of Nuzial and his sisters might be tinged by a mutual loathing for their father, shaping the party's opinion of his progeny into something perilously close to begrudging sympathy.

Note that the following statistics represent Zyphaniss when the PCs first encounter him in Ghostfang Coils during Chapter 7. When they meet the lich again in Chapter 9, Zyphaniss has the elite adjustment (Pathfinder Monster Core 6) due to his proximity to the entropic vaultline recently released from the Vaultline Auger. By that time, he has also armed himself with two of his favorite possessions: the mantle of Azal-tash and the staff of Sverenagati.
  • The mantle of Azal-tash is made from the hide of an ancient skaveling that plagued Sverenagati for centuries until Zyphaniss single-handedly slew the undead beast. The mantle functions as a cloak of swiftness, except that its Ride the Wind activation grants the wearer a fly Speed of 60 feet, rather than 30 feet.
  • The staff of Sverenagati is a +3 major striking greater decaying greater fearsome staff. The staff was crafted from the blackened spinal column of Cataphraxas, the giant viper companion of an ancient sekmin king, whose bones lay in state in the royal crypts below Sverenagati for generations before Zyphaniss repurposed them.

Elite | Normal | Weak
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Print Stat Block

ZyphanissCreature 19

Unique Medium Serpentfolk Undead Unholy 
Source Pathfinder #225: Vaultlines pg. 253
Recall Knowledge DC 39 (49 if Unique applies) • Undead (Religion)
Male serpentfolk lich
Perception +30; darkvision
Languages Aklo, Chthonian, Common, Diabolic, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Necril, Sakvroth; telepathy 100 feet
Skills Acrobatics +30, Arcana +39, Crafting +39, Deception +27, Diplomacy +32, Intimidation +34, Occultism +39, Religion +33, Sekmin Lore +39, Society +30, Stealth +34
Str +1, Dex +5, Con +1, Int +10, Wis +6, Cha +5
AC 41; Fort +27, Ref +31, Will +33 (+4 status vs. mental); +1 status to all saves vs. vitality
HP 330 (void healing, rejuvenation); Immunities bleed, death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious; Resistances cold 15, physical 15 (except magical bludgeoning)
Frightful Presence (aura, emotion, fear, mental) 60 feet, DC 38Not Angry, Just Disappointed [reaction] Trigger An enemy within 60 feet critically misses an attack, critically fails a skill check, or destroys an illusion created by Zyphaniss's illusory creature spell; Effect Zyphaniss attempts an Intimidation check to Demoralize the triggering enemy.Reflect Spell [reaction] Trigger A creature casts a spell Zyphaniss has prepared Effect Zyphaniss expends a prepared spell to counter the triggering creature's casting of that same spell. He loses his spell slot as if he had cast the triggering spell, then attempts to counteract the triggering spell. If he successfully counteracts a spell that affects targeted creatures or an area, he can turn that spell's effect back on its caster. When reflected, the spell affects only the original caster, even if it's an area spell or it would normally affect more than one creature. The original caster can attempt a save and use other defenses against the reflected spell as normal.
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] fangs +34 [+29/+24] (finesse, magical), Damage 3d6+10 piercing plus 5d8 void and siphon lifeArcane Prepared Spells DC 46, attack +38; 10th massacre (×3); 9th detonate magic, foresight, vision of death (×2); 8th chain lightning, disappearance, execute (×2); 7th fly, haste, illusory creature (×2); 6th mislead, truesight, vampiric feast (×2); 5th invoke spirits (×2), rouse skeletons (×2); 4th invisibility (×2), translocate (×2); 3rd fear (at will); Cantrips (10th) detect magic, electric arc, message, shield, telekinetic hand, void warp
Arcane Rituals DC 46; 6th ward domain; 5th call spirit, dread ambience; 4th shadow double; 2nd create undead (all common undead)
Occult Innate Spells DC 46; 4th suggestion; 2nd blur (self only; at will); 1st illusory disguise (at will), ventriloquism (at will)
Drain Soul Cage [free-action] Frequency once per day; Effect Zyphaniss taps into his soul cage's power to cast any arcane spell up to 10th rank, even if the spell being cast is not one of his prepared spells. His soul cage doesn't need to be present for him to use this ability.Siphon Life When Zyphaniss damages a living creature with an unarmed attack, he gains 20 temporary Hit Points and the creature must succeed at a DC 44 Fortitude save or become drained 1. If Zyphaniss is grabbed or restrained at the start of his turn, each creature grabbing or restraining him must succeed at a Fortitude save or become drained 1. If Zyphaniss siphons a creature's life again, the drained value increase by 1, to a maximum of drained 4.Steady Spellcasting If a reaction would disrupt Zyphaniss's spellcasting action, he attempts a DC 15 flat check. On a success, the action isn't disrupted.
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