86
Legacy of the Dragons
Rune Reaver Large Monstrous Humanoid Hit Dice: 17d8+170 (246 hp), dying/dead –11/–30 Initiative: +2 Speed: 30 feet AC: 23 (–1 size, +2 Dexterity, +12 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 21 Base Attack/Grapple: +17/+29 Attack: Huge glaive +26 melee (2d6+12) Full Attack: Huge glaive +26/+21/+16/+11 melee (2d6+12) Space/Reach: 10 feet/10 feet, 15 feet with glaive (Face/Reach: 5 feet by 5 feet/10 feet, 15 feet with glaive) Special Attacks: Steal runes Special Qualities: Immune to runes, SR 22, sense runes Saves: Fort +15, Ref +12, Will +12 Abilities: Str 27, Dex 15, Con 30, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 17 Skills: Knowledge (runes) +22, Listen +18, Sneak* +16, Spot +18, Wilderness Survival +20 Feats: Cleave, Fast Healer, Light Sleeper, Power Attack, Stomp, Track, Weapon Focus (glaive) Environment: Any land Organization: Solitary Challenge Rating: 13 Treasure: None Advancement: 18–25 HD (Large); 26–34 HD (Huge) Level Adjustment: — For as long as men have learned and inscribed runes, there have been rune reavers. These creatures track and hunt those who use runes (runethanes) and those who bear them (runechildren and rune animals), seeking their destruction. Created by some strange universal law of balance, the rune reavers live for their appointed task of destroying those associated with runes. Legend says that, if they succeed in wiping out all knowledge of magical runes, all rune reavers—as a race—can ascend to some higher state of being. Working toward this eternal reward consumes them. To this end, they can sense runes from a great distance, they are immune to the effects generated by runes, and they can even absorb runes they encounter as well as gain strength and stamina from them. Rune reavers are very good at what they do. The rune lords (see Chapter Two of The Diamond Throne), in retaliation for all of the murdered runethanes and runechildren, have placed a large bounty (about 5,000 gp) on the head of any rune reaver. But in truth, the greatest enemies of the rune reavers are the shuyarns (see page 88). These two types of creature fight to the death if they encounter one another, and shuyarn specifically watch over favored runethanes or runechildren to prevent rune reavers from carrying out their grisly mission.
Despite their single-minded nature, rune reavers are living creatures. They eat, breathe, and sleep. They mate and produce young, although telling a male from a female is a task only another rune reaver can manage. Because they must always be on the hunt, rune reavers do not settle down. They only meet others of their kind by happenstance, and then socialize only for a short time. Young rune reavers mature very quickly (four to five years). Once they reach adulthood, they are likely to live at least another 90 to 100 years, although successful reavers live even longer if they have absorbed the power of a great many runes (see below). Rune reavers are careful, contemplative, and serious, rarely prone to unbridled fury or foolhardy behavior. They act with calculation and without mercy, never contemplating morals or ethics beyond the good of wiping out all those associated with runes. Neither logic, well-worded speeches, nor impassioned pleas can sway them from their goal. A rune reaver is vaguely humanoid in appearance and stands 9 feet tall. Its flesh is smooth and black, covered in glowing red, yellow, and blue runes. While on the hunt, particularly when it nears its quarry, it wears a sinister, unnerving grin. These hulking brutes usually wield a long pole arm and wear only breeches. Rune reavers speak Common. They are always Unbound.
Combat When encountering creatures with no magical runes of any kind, a rune reaver ignores them at worst and is mildly, cautiously friendly at best. (For now, rune reavers ignore those simply having some ranks in Knowledge [runes], mostly because it is so hard to determine. Eventually, however, they will have to find a way to hunt down such creatures as well.) If the rune reaver encounters those who have or use runes, however, it attacks immediately and ruthlessly. It fights to the death. The way that rune reavers really like to carry out their mission, however, involves a little more forethought than simply wandering about hoping to run into runethanes or runechildren. They use their magical abilities to sense the presence of runes, then cautiously track those involved. When a rune reaver has located its quarry, it sets up an ambush to slay its prey quickly and efficiently. Those without runes who accompany rune-bearers are guilty by association. Although a rune reaver won’t go out of its way to track and kill such creatures, it won’t hesitate to cut them down if they stand in the way of its mission. *Skills (Ex): Rune reavers gain a +5 racial bonus to Sneak checks. Steal Runes (Su): Should a rune reaver touch a rune created by a runethane or rune lord, the creature absorbs it. Even if it is a touch-trigger rune, it does not trigger the rune. An absorbed rune is gone. Further, the rune reaver
