Pathfinder Chronicles - Faction Guide (oef).pdf - WORLDWAKE

Pathfinder Chronicles: Faction Guide
Ri s e n gu a R d
Every member of the Risen Guard died a hero’s death
and was then brought back to join the elite unit serving
Osirion’s ruling Forthbringer dynasty. Since raise dead
only works on the willing, this means they all chose to leave
the afterlife and enter the mortal realm again. Whether
loyalty caused them to turn their backs on paradise or their
valor gave them a miraculous escape from eternal damnation,
they embody steadfastness and incorruptibility.
go a l: se Rv e t h e fo Rt h B R i n g e R s
The Risen Guard cast aside all trappings of their prior lives
and devote themselves to the Forthbringers, the dynasty
ruling Osirion. They give up their old identities and ranks,
and some even forsake their names—anything that might
distract them from carrying out the orders of the Ruby
Prince. Mostly former soldiers who find comfort in the steady
rhythms of drill and routine, they prefer direct solutions to
problems. They usually shun convoluted schemes in favor
of simpler, more predictable approaches. As members of
the Risen Guard tell each other, “Plans that need an ‘if’ to
work are bad plans.” This mindset limits their usefulness as
diplomats, but it does make them excellent bodyguards or
police, and ferociously single-minded assassins.
al i g n M e n t: ln
The word of the Ruby Prince is by definition law, and the
Risen Guard obeys his commands without hesitation, even
if it means certain death. Since they recognize no higher
authority, members of the Risen Guard feel no compunction
about disregarding inconvenient laws when carrying
out their duties. While in Osirion they rarely suffer any
consequences for this attitude (so long as they actually are
obeying orders), other nations often prove less forgiving.
Only the fact that most governments view the Risen Guard
as mere extensions of the Ruby Prince, which means that he
shoulders the blame for members’ misconduct, serves as a
meaningful restraint on their actions.
le a d e R
The outside world knows the current leader of the Risen
Guard as simply the Khopeshman of Sothis (LN male
human aristocrat 3/fighter 7). Insiders refer to him as the
First Captain of the Forthbringer because of the exceptional
fondness the Ruby Prince feels toward him. A swarthy man
who moves with extraordinary grace despite his powerful
frame, he has died three times defending the Ruby Prince
against assassins. Unlike most of the Risen Guard, he
displays exceptional political acumen and knowledge, not
just of Osirion but of its neighbors as well, and as captain
44
of the city watch, he has demonstrated his administrative
shrewdness on countless occasions. Many spend an idle hour
speculating exactly who he was in his first life and suspect he
was a person of considerable importance in his own right.
go o d cl a s s ch o i c e s
Fighter, Monk, Rogue
ch a l l e n g i n g cl a s s ch o i c e s
Barbarian, Cleric, Druid
he a d q ua Rt e R s
The Risen Guard lives wherever the Ruby Prince dwells.
When he travels, two dozen of them go with him. Standard
doctrine requires that the Ruby Prince should always see
at least three of the Risen Guard in any direction he looks
at any time—“One to die for him, one to kill for him, and
one to carry him to safety.” Each of the royal residences
(including secret safe houses and private retreats) includes
at least one member of the Risen Guard who commands its
permanent garrison.
Jo i n i n g
Actually becoming a member of the Risen Guard requires
the extraordinarily unusual circumstance of being raised
from the dead at the order of the Ruby Prince; a slain
person known to be loyal to the Forthbringer may be
raised to serve him at some point. Valorous royal guards
have been known to leave instructions in their wills that
should they be slain, they would willingly come back to
life to defend the Ruby Prince. The Guard has many allies
in Osirion, though fewer in other lands.
ga i n i n g PR e s t i g e
Actions that benefit the Ruby Prince or thwart attempts
to harm him are the best way to attract the attention of
the Risen Guard. Dying while defending the Ruby Prince
always earns the character 1 PA. To a lesser extent, actions
that aid Osirion also earn the Risen Guard’s respect.
Re s o u Rc e s
Members of the Risen Guard must forsake all prior ties,
allegiances, and obligations; allies of the group are not
required to do so.
1 TPA, Risen Guard: Gain free and unfettered access to
any Osirian Royal Library (Osirion, large town or larger).
This gives the character a +5 on Knowledge checks if he
spends an hour researching in the Library. He can use this
resource to make Knowledge checks untrained with the +5
bonus but must spend 1 day researching. This bonus does
not stack with the +4 bonus on one check listed on page 55.
10 TPA, 1 CPA: Gain a new appearance and identity
when brought back from the dead by the royal morticians.