Veirid Runechaser

ANIEL LUNDSBY D

“Everything—our magic, our memories and the world that surrounds us—is written in the same language.”

Although the fantastic wears many faces,there are always those who seek a common thread uniting seemingly unrelated phenomena.Veirid has devoted her life to following in the tracks ofone who traveled that path more than a millennium ago.She has always been sensitive to the magic around her, even beyond the abilities ofother loresongs,yet her focus seemed somehow slightly removed to a place beyond her current surroundings.It came as no great surprise to her or anyone around her that she could tap into the akashic memory almost like reading a book.But what she found there turned the life ofthe dreamy young loresong girl upside down.

She believes it was Tialla,the goddess ofsudden revelations,who gave her a fleeting glimpse ofKaeleon,a faen rune lord who lived in ancient Thartholan at the time ofthe dramojh invasion.Kaeleon theorized that the magic ofthe runethanes was merely a pale reflection ofthe true potential ofrunes.Anything named is symbolized by a rune,Kaeleon thought,and knowing the rune gives you power over what it represents.He devoted his life to seeking the runes for such things as the Bitter Peaks (where he might have had a laboratory),the faen race,and time itself.However,his studies came to an abrupt end at the claws ofthe dramojh.

After this vision,Veirid began to sense the runes everywhere around her.At first,they were too complex for her to fathom,but through hard work and study ofthe memories ofrunethanes and rune lords,she has begun to recognize certain simple patterns.

Today,after having spent nearly halfofher years hunting for bits ofknowledge that might help her dig up more memories ofKaeleon,she looks a bit thin and worn—“a quickling’s build with a loresong’s height,” as the spryte Porua Flowersong expressed it while patching up Veirid after yet another ofher quests for obscure lore.Her grey-spotted black hair is drawn back tightly from her slightly sad face.Her eyes either stare at something no one else seems to see or burn with inner fire as she chases her newest lead to Kaeleon’s secrets. She believes he recorded all his results in his seven journals, ofwhich the second,chronicling many ofhis early journeys both east and west ofthe Bitter Peaks,is her most prized possession.

Veirid generally travels alone,going where she must and doing what it takes to further her quest—whether that means exploring an ancient ruin or stealing a needed object. Often,she gets what she seeks without anyone realizing she was there.She is used to traveling light and being prepared for anything.Occasionally she works with or hires others, but these relations generally do not last,as she is too focused on seeking and expanding Kaeleon’s results to have much time for anything else.It’s not that she dislikes people,they are just not as important as rune lore.

Combat

Veirid always has a rune ofarmor on her clothing.In a fight, the first thing she tries to use is a rune ofconjuring on one of her rune plates.She is also likely to drink her potion ofinvisibility and sneak away.Ifshe’s cornered,Veirid pulls out her dagger or her crossbow.

Using Veirid

To a low-level party Veirid might act as an employer,sending characters to acquire some item she is too busy to get herself. She also could serve as an expert on runic lore.To a midlevel party,she could be an ally for those seeking something in the ancient ruins that call her.She also could hire the player characters for an expedition into Thartholan to seek Kaeleon’s ancient lab,or she could be an enemy or a foil ifa character has something (an item or pence ofinformation) she wants.She could even try to convince the PCs to help her prove her own theories—such theories as the idea that the faen gods are actually a higher form ofrune manifest (see page 76),and that the akashic memory is “written” in runes.Ifthe party is high level,she could discover clues to what might be the nearly complete rune ofthe dramojh race, created by Kaeleon in a vain attempt to protect himself against their attacks.However,a cabal ofslassans has monitored her research,hoping to finish the rune and use it to transform themselves into true dramojh.

Veirid Runechaser,female loresong faen Aks4/Rth4: CR 8;

Small humanoid;HD 4d8+8 + 4d8+8;hp 46;Dying/Dead –3/–14;Init +4;Speed 20 feet;AC 19 (+1 size,+4 Dex,+4 armor [rune ofarmor]);touch 15,flat-footed 19;BAB +5;

Grapple +0;Attack +11 melee (1d4–1,critical 19–20/×2, dagger) or +12 ranged (1d8,critical 19–20/×2, light crossbow);Full Attack +11 melee (1d4-1,critical 19–20/×2, dagger) or +12 ranged (1d8,critical 19–20/×2, light crossbow);SQ Low-light vision,spell-like abilities,skill memory, perfect recall,delve into collective memory,runes;

Hero Points 0;SV Fort +4,Ref+6,Will +9;Str 9,Dex 18,

Con 14,Int 17,Wis 12,Cha 6

Languages: Aquan,Auran,Celestial,Common,Draconic,

Faen,Giant,Ignan,Infernal,Litorian,Terran,

Undercommon,Verrik,and three ancient languages

Skills and Feats: Balance +9,Climb +4,Concentration +7,

Decipher Script +14,Disable Device +8,Gather

Information +2,Jump +4,Knowledge (cosmology) +5,

Knowledge (geography) +5,Knowledge (history) +5,

Part Two: Characters of the Diamond Throne 149

Knowledge (magic) +15,Knowledge (runes) +15,Listen +4,Open Lock +9,

Search +6,Sneak +15,Spellcraft +13,Spot +4,Use Magic Device +2;Intuitive

Sense,Sensitive,Skill Mastery (Balance,Climb,Concentration,Disable Device,

Jump,Open Lock),Weapon Finesse Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 1/day—detect magic, ghost sound, lesser glowglobe, lesser learn secret Skill Memory (Su): Twice per day Veirid gains a +2 bonus to a single skill check attempt made the next round. Perfect Recall (Ex): Veirid enjoys a +2 bonus to Knowledge skill checks made without using skill memory. Delve Into Collective Memory (Su): Four times per day,Veirid can make a +13 check to remember some relevant information about notable people,legendary items,or noteworthy places. Akashic Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 3/day—creature loresight, location loresight, object loresight Lesser Delve Into Personal Memory (Su): Once per day as a standard action,

Veirid can mentally probe the memory ofone creature within 25 feet to find a truthful one-word answer to a question.A Will save (DC 10) negates the effort; succeed or fail,the subject remains unaware ofthe attempt. Minor Battle Memory (Su): Once per day for 8 rounds,Veiridenjoys a +4 competence bonus to attack and damage rolls,as well as a +4 dodge bonus to Armor

Class. Lesser Battle Memory (Su): Twice per day for 8 rounds,Veiridenjoys a +3 competence bonus to attack and damage rolls,as well as a +3 dodge bonus to Armor

Class. Kinesthetic Memory (Su): Veiridcan easily get around with no penalty when she has a single damaged or deprived sense and is in familiar surroundings. Runes Available: 4 Runes Known: Lesser—armor, conjuring, knowledge, sleep, warding Erase Rune (Sp): Veiridcan always erase her own runes without fail.Ifthe rune was created by another runethane,she can make a caster power check (DC 10 + creator’s level) to erase it.An advanced rune adds +4 to the Difficulty Class,a greater rune adds +6,a rune ofpower adds +8,and the ultimate rune adds +10.

She must know a rune’s location to erase it.Erasing a rune she created is a standard action;otherwise,it takes a full minute. Sense Rune (Su): Veiridcan use a caster power check (d20 + level + Intelligence modifier) to sense whether an invisible or otherwise hidden rune lies within 10 feet ofher (DC 15).It takes a standard action to sense a rune.After a round of sensing,she can tell the direction ofthe closest unknown rune. Spell Slots: 4/4/1 Spells Readied: 0—detect magic, minor illusion, read magic, saving grace; 1st— acrobatics, charm, detect secret doors, lesser compelling question; 2nd—levitate Possessions: Masterwork daggers (2),masterwork light crossbow,masterwork bolts (20), bag ofholding I, runeplates (3, one bearing a rune ofconjuring), potions oflesser battle healing (3), potion ofinvisibility, potion ofdarkvision, spellpower elixir,400 gp worth ofandrecite,masterwork thieves’ tools,magnifying glass, Kaeleon’s Journals volume II (book ofrunes +3), Fevrik’s Travels in the

Lands ofthe Diamond Throne (book ofgeography +2), The Fall ofThartholan (book ofhistory +2),sunrods (3),bags ofcaltrops (4),tindertwigs (6),portion oftrollbane powder,smokebombs (4),thunderstones (3),purse with 150 gp worth ofsmall gems