Morwyn Nethers, the Void Incarnate

"You won't remember me in a few moments, so why even bother with introductions?"

A few centuries ago, a group of adventurers, seeing the opportunity to profit from the dark intrigues that often beset the courts and cities of the land, came together to pool their talents into an organization that would specialize in gathering hard-to-find information, by stealth and guile and larceny if needed. This organization would eventually become the Nightsong Guild, whose feats of infiltration and information gathering was both held in awe and in fear by highborn nobility and mercantile magnates alike... And whose services were in high demand. In societies where knowledge was power, the Nightsong Guild was willing to provide the needed information. For a price of course.

Morwyn was one of the guild's founding members, but you wouldn't find her name on any official document kept by the guild -- and the Nightsong Guild is infamous for its meticulous record-keeping. In fact, only the most determined scholar can find any mention of her at all, and even then, the best one could manage were vague mentions of her name, and her early exploits, of which only a treasured few ever survived. Even among the current leaders of the Nightsongs, her name is barely known at all, and is more akin to a figure of mystery than anything else. A legend, whose very existence is held in question by the very organization she helped found.

Very few people know is that this legend is still very much alive. She would have been delightfully tickled if her neighbors even knew she lived next door, but since that seems to be a remote possibility at best, Morwyn enjoys her status as a virtual non-entity. She feels a little lonely at times, but she figures that was the price she had to pay to gain her rather unique talents; in her quest to become a master of stealth and infiltration, she acquired a copy of a tome from the Church of Olidammara -- one that held the secrets of becoming 'one with the void'. Training herself according to the book's instructions, she eventually mastered the technique that would help her skirt the perceptions of other people without actually disappearing from sight, becoming such an insignificant detail that people quickly put out of their mind.

In essense, for all those concerned, she was not there. That, despite the fact she might have been standing right in front of someone. Morwyn can very well walk into a heavily-armed garrison of elite soldiers -- through the front gate, in plain sight of everyone there -- and no one would have noticed her. This, even after she walked out the same front gate, carrying with her everything of value she could bring with her.

Through some quirk of fate, she was discovered by the paladin Malthus Tannhauser during one of his visits to Union. In fact, he seems to find her every time he passes through the demiplane, which annoys her to no end.

In fact, this has nothing to do with the paladin at all; his perception is clouded by her abilities as much as the common folk. It does, however, have everything to do with his artifact weapon Angelis, whose perceptions are not fooled or redirected by her skills.

Malthus now considers her now as one of his planar contacts, though Morwyn really only associates with the paladin in order to learn the reason behind Malthus' uncanny location ability.

Despite being fully more than four hundred years old, Morwyn looks barely a year above a hundred winters -- the result of countless wish spells which both extended her life far longer than its norm as well as preserving her girlish appearance. She sports short dark hair with blue highlights, and eyes with striking sky blue-colored irises. Morwyn, strangely enough, favors dresses with bright and gaudy colors, all cut to strengthen the illusion that she's a young elven lass enjoying the sights of the city.

 

Morwyn Nethers, female Rogue 12/Nightsong Infiltrator 10/Void Incarnate 9: CR 31; Medium-sized humanoid (elf); HD 31d6+62; hp 217; wp 15; Init +10; Spd 40 ft.; AC 40 (27 touch , flat-footed 40); Base Attack +20; Grapple +24; Attack +34 melee (1d6+6 plus 1d6 elemental/15-20/x2, +4 elemental aura sending cold iron rapier), or +32 ranged (1d6+2/x3, +2 distance seeking shortbow); Full Attack +34/+29/+24 melee (1d6+6 plus 1d6 elemental/15-20/x2, +4 elemental aura sending cold iron rapier), or +32/+27/+22 ranged (1d6+2/x3, +2 distance seeking shortbow); SA Sneak Attack +8d6; SQ Blank aura, blank mind, break away, defensive roll, detect magic, elf traits, empty form, enhanced statistics (Dexterity, Wisdom, Charisma), evasion, grant move action, hide in plain sight, improved evasion, improved mettle of fortitude, improved uncanny dodge (retains Dex bonus to AC, cannot be flanked), longevity, mettle of fortitude, mettle of will, null strike (1/day), rogue special abilities (slippery mind), skill mastery, specialized tools, steady stance, teamwork infiltration, teamwork sneak attack +2d6, teamwork trap sense, trackless step, trapfinding, trap sense +4, uncanny dodge, void presense; SR 32; Alignment Chaotic Good; Saves Fort +18, Ref +34, Will +21; Str 14, Dex 31, Con 15, Int 17, Wis 20, Cha 22. Height 5 ft.

Skills and Feats (with Synergy bonuses included): Balance +47, Bluff +30, Climb +40 (+42 to checks involving ropes), Craft (Dressmaking) +6, Craft (Woodworking) +8, Diplomacy +19, Disable Device +21, Disguise +11 (+13 to act in character), Escape Artist +34, Gather Information +15, Hide +34, Jump +34, Listen +25, Move Silently +31, Open Locks +25, Profession (Seamstress) +8, Search +25, Sleight of Hand +23, Sense Motive +20, Speak Language (Celestial, Infernal, Planar Trade), Spot +25, Swim +10, Tumble +51, Use Magic Device +24, Use Rope +15 (+17 to checks involving bindings); Alertness, Blind-Fight, Combat Expertise, Improved Critical (rapier), Improved Feint, Iron Will, Weapon Finesse.

Epic Feats: Blinding Speed (can act as if under haste for 5 rounds each day), Dextrous Fortitude, Dextrous Will, Penetrate Damage Reduction (adamantine).

Languages Spoken (Base): Celestial, Common, Dwarven, Elven, Infernal, Planar Trade.

 

Adventuring Equipment:

Morwyn has access to an unbelievable array of magical equipment, stashed in various safeholds across the planes, all results of her various 'collection' trips through the years. Though her forte is infiltration, she doesn't shy away from fights, and performs well in most battles. Especially if one considered the fact that her opponents don't notice her until she's already given them a terrible wound.

The equipment listed below reflect what she might normally wear to a difficult mission or when she expects to participate in a large-scale conflict. Her stats above reflect such a situation.

 

Weapons: Road Less Traveled (+4 energy aura sending cold iron rapier: +1d6 energy damage of user’s choice, can be changed to another energy type each round, on a natural 20, after confirming roll, as a free action creature attacked is teleported to a place on the same plane previously visited by wielder), +3 silvered light mace, +3 keen dagger, +2 distance seeking short bow (doubled range, ignores miss chance from concealment).

Helm: Mask of the Unseen (constant nondetection, 3/day: greater invisibility)

Amulet: Clasp of Talos (as rod of invulnerability, grants a +5 natural armor bonus, +5 resistance bonus to saves, damage reduction 15/adamantine, immunity to critical hits, and spell resistance 32)

Armor: Bracers of Armor +8

Bracers/Gauntlets/Gloves: Gloves of Storing (Stores 1 item per glove weighing less than 20 pounds in stasis, to be retrieved with a snap of the finger)

Rings: Merrith's Bondage (acts as ring of regeneration, except heals 2 hit points per level/hour, heal 3 subdual damage per 5 minutes, regenerate limbs or organs lost while ring was worn, at will: featherfall), +7 ring of protection (+7 deflection bonus to armor class).

Belt: Diplomat's Girdle (+4 to Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Sense Motive checks, 3/day: charm monster)

Cloak: Cloak of Elemental Fortitude (cold/electric/fire resistance 10, +4 to saves to survive in environments of extreme heat and cold)

Boots: Boots of Swiftness (+6 enhancement bonus to Dexterity, evasion as 20th-level rogue, +10 base land speed, +20 competence bonus to Balance/Climb/Jump/Tumble, 3/day: haste for total of 20 rounds).

Gear: (inside Portable Hole): Antitoxin (2 doses), backpack, bedroll, blanket (winter), candles (5), clothes (explorer's), flint and steel, gem of seeing, ink vials (2, black ink), inkpen, iron pot, miner's pick, mirror (small steel), oil (3 pints), potions (10 potions of cure serious wounds, 3 potions of haste, 5 potions of heroism, 3 potions of lesser restoration, 3 potions of remove curse, 3 potions of waterbreathing), quiver of 10 cold iron arrows, quiver of 40 normal arrows, quiver of 40 silvered arrows, rope (silk, 50 ft.), scrolls (2 teleport, ethereal jaunt), soap (1 bar), spade, trail rations for six days, waterskin (full, water), whetstone.

 

Class Abilities and Special Qualities:

Blank Aura (Ex): Morwyn radiates no aura of any kind; detect chaos, detect magic, and similar spells simply detect her as a blank. She can share this aura with 1 additional willing creature within 30 feet, and lasts for 24 hours until she dismisses the aura, or the creature leaves the range of effect. She cannot lower her own aura.

Blank Mind (Ex): Morwyn is protected by mind blank at all times, and cannot lower this aura.

Break Away (Ex): When Morwyn does nothing but move during a round gains a +4 competence bonus to AC against attacks during that round. She must be aware to gain this bonus. Additionally, Morwyn can grant this action to an ally within 30 feet as a Swift action (detailed in Complete Adventurer), whose effect lasts 1 round.

Defensive Roll (Ex): Once per day, when Morwyn would be otherwise reduced to 0 hit points or less by damage in combat (by a weapon or other blow, but not from a spell), she can attempt to roll with the damage. She makes a Reflex save (DC = damage dealt), and if she's successful she takes only half damage.

Detect Magic (Sp): Morwyn can detect magic as the spell at will.

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.

Empty Form (Ex): Morwyn is affected by a permanent freedom of movement, and becomes immune to all force effects. Such effects either deal no damage (such as magic missiles), or simply don't exist for her (such as a wall of force, which she can simply walk through), or simply fail to affect her (such as mage armor).

Enhanced Charisma: Morwyn read a Tome of Leadership and Influence +5, increasing her Charisma score by 5.

Enhanced Dexterity: Morwyn read a Manual of Quickness of Action +5, increasing her Dexterity score by 5.

Enhanced Wisdom: Morwyn read a Tome of Understanding +5, increasing her Wisdom score by 5.

Evasion (Ex): If Morwyn makes a successful saving throw against a spell or effect that would normally deal half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. This functions only when she is wearing light or no armor, and when she is not incapacitated in any way.

Grant Move Action (Ex): Morwyn can direct and motivate her allies to act immediately, taking a standard action to grant any or all her allies within 30 feet (but excluding herself) an extra move action. Each of the affected allies take this extra action immediately, in the current Initiative order. The round continues normally after Morwyn's turn is over. Morwyn can use this ability twice per day.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): Morwyn can use the Hide skill in natural terrain even while being observed, as the Ranger skill of the same name.

Improved Evasion (Ex): Works like evasion, except while she takes no damage on a successful Reflex save, on a failed save she only takes half damage.

Improved Mettle of Fortitude (Ex): Works like Mettle of Fortitude, except while she takes no damage on a successful Fortitude save, on a failed save she only takes partial or half effect.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Morwyn can no longer be flanked, and cannot be sneak attacked except by a 26th-level rogue.

Longevity (Ex): As a result of being targetted by numerous wishes to extend her life, Morwyn retains the youthful body of an elf barely a hundred years of age, despite the fact that she is fully four centuries old; thus she is considered Venerable age with regards to bonuses in her Mental Ability scores, though has not yet accrued any penalties to her Physical Ability scores yet. She also ages much, much slower than what is normal for her race, and physically ages only one year for every quarter century that passes.

Mettle of Fortitude (Ex): When exposed to any effect that normally allows Morwyn to attempt a Fortitude save for a partial or half effect (such as slay living), she suffers no effect with a successful saving throw.

Mettle of Will (Ex): When exposed to any effect that normally allows Morwyn to attempt a Will save for a partial or half effect (such as inflict wounds), she suffers no effect with a successful saving throw.

Nimble Fingers (Ex): Morwyn can take 20 on Disable Device checks, taking 20 times as long as a normal check.

Null Strike (Ex): Once per day, Morwyn can declare any melee or range attack she makes to be a touch attack.

Rapid Action (Su): Ten times per day, Morwyn can take an additional partial action in a round. During this action, she can: move, use a special ability, activate a magic item, draw a weapon/item, stand up from prone, light a torch with a tindertwig, use a non-attack skill that takes 1 action, pick up an item, or move a heavy object.

Skill Mastery (Ex): When making a Climb, Disable Device, Open Lock, or Search check, Morwyn can take 10 even if stress or distraction normally prevents her from doing so.

Sneak Attack (Ex): Morwyn deals +8d6 additional damage (6d6 plus the 2d6 Teamwork Sneak Attack damage) to any target that is denied their Dexterity bonus to AC, or whenever she gets to flank an opponent.

Special Abilities: Slippery Mind (Ex): If affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails her save, Morwyn can attempt another save against it 1 round later. She is only given once change to succeed on her saving throw.

Specialized Tools (Ex): Given an hour and 10 gp, Morwyn can prepare a specialized tool for a job. If she succeeds in making the tool (lasting an hour, a DC 15 Craft check for the specific Craft type required for making the tool, and requiring a set of artisan tools for construction), she gains a +4 Competence bonus on all checks made with one of the following skills: Climb, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, or Sleight of Hand. This bonus does not stack with the Circumstance bonus granted by any other set of tools (such as a Disguise Kit or Masterwork Thief Tools), only works in the are studied for the Teamwork Infiltration skill, and lasts for 24 hours.

Steady Stance (Ex): Morwyn is always stable on her feet when others have difficulty standing, and is not considered flat-footed when balancing or climbing, and adds her class level as a bonus on Balance or Climb checks to remain balancing or climbing when she takes damage.

Teamwork Infiltration (Ex): If Morwyn studies one small encounter area, such as a doorway or a guardpost, for one hour, she gains a +4 competence bonus to Balance, Climb, Disable Device, Disguise, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, and Tumble checks while in the encounter area for the next 24 hours. All allies within 30 feet of Morwyn gain the same bonus, even if they were not present when she initially studied the site.

Teamwork Sneak Attack (Ex): Any ally flanking the same opponent Morwyn is flanking deals +2d6 additional damage. Such damage stacks with any existing Sneak Attack damage granted through a class skill.

Teamwork Trap Sense (Ex): All allies within 30 feet of Morwyn gain a +4 bonus to Reflex saves to avoid traps, and a +4 bonus to their armor class against attacks made by traps, even though they have Trap Sense from a class feature.

Trackless Step (Ex): Like a druid, Morwyn cannot be tracked in natural surroundings, leaving nary a trail unless she wants to leave any. Also, Morwyn may share this ability with 10 allies (a standard action), which lasts 24 hours or until Morwyn dismisses it.

Trapfinding: Morwyn can use Search to locate nonmagical traps with DCs higher than 20, including magical traps, which have DCs of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. She can also use Disable Device to disable magical traps (which have disable DCs of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it). If she beats a trap's DC by a Disable Device check of more than 10, she can study the trap and find a way to bypass the trap without triggering it.

Trap Sense (Ex): Morwyn has a +4 bonus to Reflex saves to avoid traps, and a +4 bonus to her AC against attacks made by traps.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Morwyn retains her Dexterity bonus to AC regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker.

Void Presence (Ex): Opponents unconsciously ignore Morwyn's presence, and are always treated as flat-footed to her. She can also use Bluff to create a diversion and hide as a move-equivalent action instead of a standard action. Anyone trying to use Gather Information or other similar methods to learn about her adds 29 to the DC of such tasks.