Briessec-Cur

ANDY JAMES

The savagery ofthe Southern Wastes has borne legends of mystic pyramids,cruel slavers,and fearsome beasts.But no myth is as peculiar as that ofBriessec-Cur,a sibeccai more likely to be seen in dreams than in flesh.

His name varies with the attitude ofthe race spotting him. Briessec-Cur translates into both spirit speaker (for those sibeccai who believe he exists) and wind-talk (a derogatory expression for nonsense—the preferred translation for most sibeccai).The rhodin give him the prosaic name “Goldfur.” Despite their lack ofspirituality,the rhodin fear the mere mention ofBriessec-Cur as a bad omen.The verrik ofZalavat bordering the Southern Wastes take a more enlightened perspective.Recognizing his ability to travel and speak through dreams,they have named Briessec-Cur “The Dream Walker.”

But even the verrik remain unaware ofBriessec-Cur’s past.Part ofhis mystery is that he seemed to appear in the Southern Wastes overnight.Unknown to anyone,BriessecCur is a creature ofdreams made solid.Just as the akashics developed a group memory,so too did a small tribe ofsibeccai explore dreams with hopes ofdeveloping shared dreams for their people.They sought to preserve the history oftheir race in dreams so future generations could passively gain the wisdom oftheir elders.The tribe developed a complex ritual for finding a spirit ofthe dream world to guide them.But as they began the ritual one night and slipped into the dream state,a band ofrhodin ambushed their encampment.The slumbering sibeccai were mercilessly slaughtered.

From their blood rose Briessec-Cur.The sibeccai had successfully summoned him into their dreams,but their deaths had the unexpected effect ofpulling the dream spirit into the physical world.Briessec-Cur emerged into a world much harsher than the one he knew.The spirits ofhis home had gone silent; instead,he heard new voices singing new songs.When the rhodin overcame their surprise and attacked him,he entreated the new spirits to aid him.The rhodin were decimated.

Combat

Briessec-Cur always casts greater beastskin and plant armor well before going into battle.He wades into melee with his club, Nature’s Fury, using his spells and special abilities only as backup.Ifoutnumbered,he summons a dream hunter (see next page).

Using Briessec-Cur

Briessec-Cur wanders the Southern Wastes searching for a means back to his dream world.The dreaming sibeccai envisioned him as one oftheir kind,with an above-average physique and unusually rich golden fur.He retained this form when made solid.Although the summoning tribe lies dead,Briessec-Cur feels obligated to fulfill their dying wish: guiding the splintered sibeccai tribes ofthe Southern Wastes toward unification.While otherwise unconcerned with the affairs ofthis world,his limited experience with the rhodin has shaped an intense dislike for them.He is aware ofthe verrik to the south indirectly,through the dreams oftravelers to and from this nation.Although Briessec-Cur would like to know more oftheir strange mental gifts,he avoids direct contact for fear ofhow they would react to him.

The sky,the earth,and the shrubs sing to Briessec-Cur with many voices,but one song in particular has caught his ear.Its resonating tones contain great power while warning ofgrave danger.It is the song ofthe Hadath,a powerful energy pattern hidden within the fabric ofthe universe.The essence ofthe Hadath is bound to every man,plant,and stone ofthe universe,woven throughout all spirits ofthis world.Since the Hadath is present everywhere in this world, only a greenbond from another world can recognize it for what it truly is.Briessec-Cur is unfamiliar with the legends of Virdella Tesham,an otherplanar creature who seeks the secret ofthe Hadath,but the songs warn Briessec-Cur that a great evil searches for it.For now,he resists the temptation to unveil the Hadath and access its power.While Briessec-Cur most likely could use the Hadath to go home,doing so would reveal its hidden form and risk destroying this universe.

Briessec-Cur has levels in somnamancer,a prestige class from Chapter Three of The Diamond Throne.

Briessec-Cur,male sibeccai Grn8/Somnamancer6: CR 14;

Medium humanoid;HD 8d8+16 + 8d6+16;hp 86;

Dying/Dead –3/–14;Init +2;Speed 30 feet;AC 12 (+2 Dex), touch 12,flat-footed 14;BAB +8;Grapple +9;Attack +11 melee (1d6+3 +1d6 earth +1d6 water,critical 20/×2,club);

Full Attack +11/+6 melee (1d6+3 plus 1d6 earth plus 1d6 water,critical 20/×2, club);SA Nature sense,infuse with life, trackless step,bond with the green,percipience,speak with spirits,induce sleep,subtle steps,dream tracking,dream spy, silent sheath,control dream,summon dream hunter,sense dreamer,steal dreams,spells;Hero Points 2;SV Fort +6,

Ref+8,Will +14;Str 12,Dex 15,Con 14,Int 14,Wis 17,Cha 12

Languages: Common,Giant

Skills and Feats: Concentration +14,Diplomacy +14,Heal +9,

Knowledge (magic) +14,Knowledge (nature) +10,Sense

Motive +9,Sneak +10,Spellcraft +10,Wilderness Survival +9;Craft Spell-Completion Item,Creator Mage,Elemental

Mage (earth),Elemental Mage (water),Power ofthe Name,

Slippery Mind

Nature Sense (Ex): Briessec-Cur can identify plants and animals with perfect accuracy and determine whether water is safe to drink or dangerous.

Infuse With Life (Sp): Three times per day,Briessec-Cur can heal 3d8+8 points ofdamage.

Nature’s Gift (Su): Once per day,Briessec-Cur can add a +4 divine bonus to any d20 roll he makes in the following round.He can impart this gift to an ally he touches during the following round (the ally must use the bonus in that

Part Two: Characters of the Diamond Throne 133 round).He can even divide the bonus among up to four allies that he can reach in the round,each getting a portion ofthe bonus as he decides. Trackless Step (Ex): As a greenbond,Briessec-Cur leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. Bond With the Green (Su): Briessec-Cur has an intuitive sense ofthe condition ofthe land. Percipience (Su): Briessec-Cur can see and hear nature spirits otherwise imperceptible to mortals (unless a spirit wishes to show itself). Speak With Spirits (Su): Once per day,Briessec-Cur can ask nature spirits a question with a one-word answer.The spirit has an 83 percent chance to know the answer to a question about things beyond its immediate surroundings. Induce Sleep (Sp): Twice per day,Briessec-Cur can put a creature to sleep with a touch attack.

The creature cannot have more than 12 HD,and it gets a Will save (DC 18).The creature sleeps for a minimum of1d6+4 rounds ifleft undisturbed,even with loud noises and harsh conditions.In restful conditions,the creature continues sleeping for 3d6+2 more minutes. Subtle Steps (Sp): Three times per day,Briessec-Cur can cast subtle steps upon himself. Dream Tracking (Sp): Briessec-Cur can use a creature’s dreams to find it.The only limitations are that the character must be asleep when he makes the attempt,and the character must fail a Will saving throw (DC 18).Ifhe knows a character’s truename,no saving throw is allowed. Dream Spy (Sp): Briessec-Cur can look into the dreams ofany sleeping creature within 5 feet and see what it is dreaming about. Silent Sheath (Sp): Twice per day Briessec-Cur can cast silent sheath upon herself. Control Dream (Sp): Briessec-Cur can control the dream ofany sleeping creature within 5 feet whose dreams he can see with the dream spy ability.This ability is a standard action that can be used at will.IfBriessec-Cur induces terrifying images or other disturbing dreams,the creature must make a Will saving throw (DC 18) or suffer 1d4 points oftemporary Wisdom damage.Should Briessec-Cur attempt to implant dreams that seem prophetic or “important” in some way,the creature must make the save in order to disbelieve them.Those who fail believe that what they learned in the dream is true or will be true for the following day. Summon Dream Hunter (Sp): Once per day,Briessec-Cur can summon a dream hunter (see Chapter Four:Creatures in The Diamond Throne) that appears within 10 feet ofhim and obeys his verbal commands for 6 rounds.This is a full-round action. Sense Dreamer (Su): Even ifBriessec-Cur has no special knowledge or connection to a sleeping creature,he can sense it within 50 feet at will,discerning the creature’s exact location. Steal Dreams (Su): After using his dream spy ability on a subject,Briessec-Cur can learn one fact about that subject:name,fondest wish,true love,greatest fear,location ofthe key to her locked vault,and so on.The information learned must come in the form ofan answer no longer than six words.He can even try to learn the subject’s truename,but in that case the subject gets a Will saving throw (DC 18) to resist;on a successful save,the subject awakens immediately and knows what he tried to do.Attempting to steal dreams takes one minute.Briessec-Cur can attempt it only once on a given subject in a 24-hour period. Possessions: Nature’s Fury (+2 earth and water elemental club), bag ofneedful things, boots of tracelessness, cloak ofheat resistance (grants fire resistance 5), wand ofheightened lesser battle healing (30 charges), wand ofconjure repast (30 charges),three days’ rations,camping and survival gear,15 gp Spell Slots (11th-level caster): 6/6/5/5/3/2/1 Spells Readied (11th-level caster):10/9/7/6/4/3/2; 0—bash, canny effort, detect disease, detect magic, detect poison, hygiene, lesser glowglobe, lesser repair, saving grace, scent bane; 1st—animate weapon, charm, compelling command, lesser transfer wounds, mudball, obscuring mist, plant armor, safe fall, stone blast; 2nd—blinding light, cloak ofdarkness, darkvision, greenspy, lesser battle healing, muddy ground, protective charm; 3rd—attack from within, carnivorous plant defense, lesser creation, protection from elements, slow, whisper ofmadness; 4th—bind with plants, gaze ofterror, ghost weapon, neutralize poison; 5th—greater summon minor elemental, lesser dominate, wall ofstone; 6th—greater beastskin, shape element