Jason Andresen (order #1578489) - Jump page for Jubei

from nowhere, dispatch their targets, and vanish. Reavers are
definitely not human, but they imitate our form. Gender is a
choice for them—although they definitely prefer the female
form, perhaps because the majority of their targets are male.
I suspect their true form is as empty of detail as the shadows
from which they draw their power. Individuals have proper
names, though I do not wish to repeat any of them here.
All reavers have an affinity for shadows, into which they
can leap to evade their opponents. They have great capacity for
stealth. If you watch an umbral hop into shadow, watch your
back, for she will spring upon you from anywhere there is
darkness. Keeping to a room with bright lights and
no shadows is a good defense. Be warned they
are not directly weakened by light, but it
does rob them of certain powers.
Umbral reavers employ wavy-bladed
weapons, which they keep coated in
noxious poisons. All reavers can climb
nimbly, and possess unnatural quickness
and strength of limb.
They are most commonly called
for the task of murder, and I have
never heard of one of these assassins
failing once called upon. The price is
steep, for they take a portion of one’s
soul and essence as payment, and the
bargainer’s shadow is diminished as a visible
mark of this pact.
Summoning
Umbral reavers are the easiest of all Infernals to
summon because they require no arcane or divine
magic. Research is still required to learn the ceremony,
and a passing knowledge of infernal lore
certainly helps, but no actual spell is cast. True
infernalists—those who make it their life’s
work to negotiate with Infernals—do not deal
with these creatures, as there is no contract
to be bargained, and the price on one’s soul is
automatically paid.
The following lists the basic summoning ceremony
used for the assassin; adjustments for the other reavers follow.
Umbral Reaver Summoning Ceremony
Assassin: In a darkened room with no windows, the summoner
lights a black candle made with the blood of a winter
calf. Next to the candle an offering is placed. The offering must
be a valuable item, but more importantly must have significant
personal value to the summoner. In the flame of the candle, the
summoner blackens a dagger of pure silver and uses its edge to
cut his palm. Using his own blood, the summoner writes the
Umbral
assassin
109
Infernal, Umbral Reavers
name of his enemy on a piece of parchment. Pressing the wound
of his hand against his heart, he says the following aloud: “By
my blood, by my shadow, by my soul, death to him whom I have
named!” The summoner then burns the parchment in the candle.
An umbral assassin will step from his shadow and inspect the
offering. If the offering is insufficient, the reaver will attack the
summoner, whose soul will be enslaved if slain. If the offering is
acceptable, the reaver will step into his shadow, then emerge from
the shadow of the enemy listed on the parchment (as if using
greater teleport), and immediately attack.
Umbral reavers that attack their summoner will
do so with the same deliberation and stealth as they
would a regular target. They will pretend to be going
after the summoner’s target but will instead slip
into the shadows and attack the summoner the
moment he is vulnerable.
Sorcerer Ceremony Changes: The sorcerer
ceremony is the same except the following: 1)
The offering must be a magic item, preferably
with a historical connection to the summoner’s
bloodline. 2) The name written on the parchment
must include the formal name of a specific
umbral sorcerer, along with the name
of the enemy or location to be attacked.
3) The spoken invocation becomes: “By
my blood, by my shadow, by my soul,
bring destruction on my enemies!” At the
end of the ceremony the umbral sorcerer
steps into the summoner’s shadow and
appears at the enemy destination listed on
the parchment to plot its attack.
Warrior Ceremony Changes: The warrior
ceremony is the same except the following: 1)
The offering must be a weapon, preferably
with a historical connection to the summoner’s
bloodline. 2) The name written on the parchment
must be the formal name of a specific
umbral warrior. 3) The spoken invocation becomes: “By
my blood, by my shadow, by my soul, I beg for protection!”
At the end of the ceremony, the umbral warrior retreats into
the summoner’s shadow and is dormant until the summoner
is injured in an attack, at which point it springs into action.
Consequences of Summoning
Assassin: While the reaver is active, the summoner will
cast no shadow. Once the victim or assassin has been slain, the
summoner’s shadow will become permanently faded. This can
be noticed by knowledgeable clerics, paladins, or dabblers in
infernal lore on a Knowledge (infernal lore) check (DC 20).
Enacting this ritual places a mark on the summoner’s soul
(detectable with detect evil), and he will not be protected in the
afterlife by his deity (even if evil). If he is not already of evil
Jason Andresen (order #1578489) 9