Branwylln Argyle, the Voice of the Ineffable Hatred

 

"Yes, there is something I wish of you... I wish for you to die in the most horrific way possible."

 

By their innately magical natures, fiends of all sorts -- whether be scheming yugoloths, domineering baatezu, or unpredictable tanna'ri -- can breed with the mortal races. The spawn of these couplings are the cambion, individuals whose latent outsider bloodline grants them incredible strength and power... and makes almost all of them wholely and irredeemably evil. Understandably, as only the most depraved or insane would even consider mating with a fiend of their own free will, most are products of violence. However, there are extremely rare cases where a particularly ambitious mortal willingly seeks out or forcibly summons fiendish company in order to acquire power, pleasure... Or both.

Branwylln was the result of one of the latter kinds of couplings, born of an incubus father and Cellentilis Argyle, an elven wizardress seeking to infuse and strengthen her line with a heritage drawn from the Festering Pit itself. Though the fiend was banished back to the Pit when the act was accomplished, he had served his purpose well, and two years on, Cellentilis was rewarded with a child that blended the power of the Lower Planes with the already formidable traits of the elves. Delighted by her success, the wizardress had the child hidden from the prying eyes of her peers and kinsmen, spread its news amongst her allies in the dark quarters of the city's politics, and waited until the time came to move against the 'weaklings' among the ruling council of Moonglade.

Almost from the moment she could think for herself, Branwylln was trained in the Art of magic which, not too surprisingly, the child easily gravitated toward. While this development pleased Cellentilis, it was made apparent early on that the wizardress saw her half-fiend spawn as nothing more than a tool to gain power. The loathing was mutual, but because of the degree her mother's mastery of magic Branwylln couldn't make any overt moves against her. And so she waited, learned what she could from the wizardress, and nursed her hatred and resentment until she had gathered enough power on her own to challenge Cellentilis.

It was during this period she secretly turned to the worship of the Destroyer, and began to secretly research on her own the process of synergizing the wizardly power of the Art she had learned from her mother, as well as the divine power the Destroyer had seen fit to bequeathe to her. It would take several decades, but her covert labors would themselves bear fruit. Blurring the line between the spellcasting tradition, Branwylln became a theurge, one who combined arcane and divine power into one seamless whole.

Sometime after ascending to the age of maturity, at a time when confidence in the decision-making capabilities of the city council was in doubt, Cellentilis chose to make her move. With the aid of her daughter's magical might as well as her own, and supported by the forces of her allies -- who had, by that time, followed her example, and fielded fiendish halfbreeds of their own -- the evil wizardress overpowered the council and its supporters, putting almost all of them to the sword and scattering what meager resistance formed to stop them.

Cellentilis and her allies got what they wanted, and the city was theirs. However, they weren't able to enjoy their success for long, as an army led by the bladesinger Aragarn Willowglade, a council member who had escaped the purge, marched upon the city. Composed of elves seething in anger at the betrayal, allied elf-kin, forces from kingdoms friendly with the elven city, and some say the quiet aid of the Archmage Lothiel, the host stormed Moonglade, and met with the arrayed forces of the usurpers in a wave of blessed steel and battle magic. In a week of fierce combat that was fought literally street-to-street, the bladesinger's army pushed the evil wizardress and her allies back, until they were cornered in the Glimmering Tower, former seat of the ruling council.

In a daring raid on the tower, Aragarn himself led a group of select individuals to face Cellentilis and her co-conspirators, while the army kept their forces busy. Battling their way up the tower, the strike force made its way into the apex, where the evil wizardress and her court waited. Amidst the clash of drawn steel and flung spells, the bladesinger ended the ambitions of the usurpers, with Aragarn himself slaying Cellentilis. However, as the dust settled, there was no trace of the fiendish elf that accompanied the wizardress; at the time of her mother's greatest need, Branwylln had quietly slipped away, and betrayed the wizardress to her fate.

The fiendish halfbreed wandered the countryside after that, secretly formenting havoc and bloodshed wherever she went. When a rash of violence and murder was traced to her hand, Aragarn ordered a manhunt on the cambion, and posted a substantial reward on whosoever would bring back her head. And so, for the first time, she was the prey instead of being the predator. Though she was able to fend off those persistent enough to pick up her trail, slaying her pursuers outright when she could and retreating when they proved especially powerful, her luck finally seemed to run out, as a magekiller cornered her in Valley of Thunder, purported location of the treasure horde of the legendary dragon Sphioriss. Escaping into an subterranean cavern, she inadvertedly triggered a cave-in in her duel with the magekiller.

Her opponent managed to survive the catasthropic collapse of the cavern, and finding no trace of her but her holy symbol, decided that she had been finally slain, and left to claim his reward. However, she was still very much alive -- the collapse of the cavern had rent a gaping hole through the floor, hurtling down into lower chambers -- though she lay unconscious for a few days. Needless to say, injured during the battle and subsequent fall and hungry as a bear, Branwylln was surprised that she managed to survive. But she was more astonished to see the place she had fallen into: a gaping chamber, filled with treasure, that after some exploring, revealed even more caverns filled with all sorts of riches and, more importantly, magical items and weapons.

This was the legendary horde of Sphioriss the Crimson Death, of which countless generations of adventurers had struggled and failed to find. And it was all hers. Seeing it as a boon of her deity, Branwylln quickly set about converting the place into her lair, and set about plotting her revenge. And oh, such a revenge it shall be, what with the resources she now had under her disposal!

Dark-haired and willowy, with alluring cyan eyes, Bronwylln at first glance looks like any other elf-maiden. However, further study reveals large bat-like wings springing from her back, a prehensile tail, sharp talon-like claws, and slanted eyes burning with malice. She prefers to wear rich, even sheer, garments of silk and gauze, though when she knows she will go into battle, she dons the suit of plate mail she found in Sphioriss' horde, and whatever combat magic she could get her hands on.

While her primary motivation at this moment is revenge, the cambion is not adverse to weaving other plots on the side. Though she is more comfortable with spreading out-and-out chaos and mayhem in emulation of her deity Valthis, she can play the part of the manipulator when she wants to. She takes great interest in the happenings up and around the Heartlands, and is eager to forment evil whenever the opportunity is ripe, though she takes care not to call the attention of the various power-groups in the area, such as the Knights of Falcon's Point, the Alliance of Three Crowns, the meddling apprentices of the paladin lord Malthus and Lothiel the archmagus, and the Elder Druidic Council.

 

Branwylln Argyle, female half-fiend elf cleric of Valthis 4/wizard 4/mystic theurge 6: CR 17; Medium-sized outsider (augmented humanoid, evil); HD 4d8+20 plus 10d4+50; hp 129; wp 20; Init +4; Spd ft.30 ft., fly 30 ft. (average); AC 34 (touch 16, flat-footed 31); Base Attack +8; Grapple +10; Attack +14 melee (1d8+6 plus 2d6 vs. good/19-20/x2, +4 unholy impact morningstar), or +14 ranged (1d8+2/19-20/x2, +2 light crossbow), or +14 ranged touch (by spell); Full Attack +14/+9 melee (1d8+6 plus 2d6 vs. good/19-20/x2, +4 unholy impact morningstar), or +10 melee (1d6+4/x2, bite), or +14 ranged (1d8+2/19-20/x2, +2 light crossbow), or +14 ranged touch (by spell); SA Arcane spell use, divine spell use, smite good 1/day, rebuke undead 5/day; SQ Aura of evil, damage reduction 10/magic, darkvision 60 ft., elf traits, familiar, immunity to poison, permanent spells (comprehend languages, see invisibility), resistance to acid/cold/electricity/fire 10 (fire 15), scribe scroll; SR 24; Alignment Chaotic Evil; Saves Fort +15, Ref +12, Will +21; Str 14, Dex 18, Con 20, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 14. Height 5 ft. 2 in.

Skills and Feats (with Synergy bonuses included): Concentration +22, Craft (Weaponsmithing) +9, Decipher Script +14, Diplomacy +13, Heal +9, Knowledge (Arcana) +17, Knowledge (history) +7, Knowledge (Religion) +14, Knowledge (the Planes) +10, Sense Motive +13, Spellcraft +23; Combat Casting, Craft Wondrous Item, Empower Spell, Spell Focus (Evocation), Spell Penetration, Scribe Scroll (B).

Languages Spoken: Abyssal, Common, Draconic, Elven, Goblin.

Cleric Domains: Destruction (gains smite power, +4 to attack and +4 damage once a day on one melee attack), Evil (+1 caster level when casting Evil spells). Deity: Valthis.

Common Cleric Spells Prepared (6/5+1/5+1/4+1/4+1/2+1; save DC = 14 + spell level, 15 + spell level for Evocation spells): 0 - create water, detect magic, detect poison, guidance, read magic, resistance; 1st - bane, divine favor, enthropic shield, inflict light wounds (D), obscuring mist, sanctuary; 2nd - augury, desecrate (D), hold person, resist energy, silence, spiritual weapon; 3rd - bestow curse, deeper darkness, dispel magic, magic circle vs. good (D), searing light; 4th - cure critical wounds, divination, divine power, summon monster IV, unholy blight (D); 5th - dispel good (D), righteous might, true seeing. Caster level 10th, 11th for Evil spells.

Common Wizard Spells Prepared (4/5/5/4/4/2; save DC = 14 + spell level, 15 + spell level for Evocation spells; 15% Arcane spell failure): 0 - acid splash, dancing lights, mending, prestidigitation; 1st - charm person, expeditious retreat, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement, true strike; 2nd - alter self, invisibility, Melf's acid arrow, mirror image, web; 3rd - dispel magic, fireball, fly, gaseous form, nondetection, slow, stinking cloud, suggestion; 4th - dimension door, Evard's black tentacles, stoneskin, summon monster IV; 5th - teleport, wall of force. Caster level 10th.

Spellbooks: Branwylln knows all arcane of spells 5th level and lower listed down in the Player's Handbook.

Half-Fiend Spell-like Abilities (save DC = 12 + spell level): 3/day - darkness, poison, unholy aura; 1/day - blasphemy, contagion, desecrate, unhallow, unholy blight. Caster level 14th.

Standard Equipment*: +4 unholy impact morningstar, +2 light crossbow (40 crossbow bolts), +4 twilight mithral full plate, +3 moderate fortification heavy steel shield, boots of teleportation, bracers of health +4, cloak of minor displacement, lesser vestments of power (+3 deflection bonus to AC, +4 resistance bonus to saves, continuous protection from arrows effect, fire resistance 15, gives access to feather fall if wearer falls more than 10 feet), mask of the skull, periapt of wound closure, portable hole, potions (5 cure serious wounds,1 fly, 1 haste, 3 invisibility, 2 lesser restoration, 3 owl's wisdom), ring of sustenance, ring of wizardry III, spell scrolls (arcane: feeblemind, greater invisibility, teleport; divine: 2 cure critical wounds, summon monster V, true seeing, wall of fire), wand of fireball (10th, 23 charges left), wand of unholy blight (8th, 15 charges left).

*Branwylln has a greater number of magic items than normally alloted for her level. Most of these are part of the hidden dragon's hoard she had discovered, while the rest were acquired either from foes she vanquished, or items she created herself.

 

Class Abilities and Special Qualities:

Arcane spell use: Branwylln can cast arcane spells a number of times per day, limited to those listed down on her spellbook, at caster level 10.

Aura of Evil (Ex): Branwylln radiates a powerful aura of evil.

Divine Spell Use: Channeling the power of her deity, Branwylln can cast a number of divine spells at caster level 10.

Elf Traits (Ex): Immune to sleep spells and effects, +2 racial bonus to saves vs. Enchantment spells and effects, low-light vision, +2 racial bonus to Listen/Search/Spot, automatically is allowed a check to find secret or concealed doors, proficient with longswords, rapiers, longbows, and shortbows.

Rebuke Undead (Su): Branwylln can rebuke or control undead as a 4th-level cleric 5 times a day.

Scribe Scroll: Branwylln gains Scribe Scroll as a bonus feat at her 1st level of Wizard.

Smite Good (Su): Branwylln adds her level to her melee attack damage vs. a good opponent, once per day.

Summon Familiar: Branwylln can choose to obtain a familiar, an animal that is unusually tough and intelligent, as a companion. However, she has not elected to summon one at this time.