Shadow Warrior

Shadow warriors are spirits of noble Cerilians who fight on behalf of good in the Shadow World. Killed trying to defend their land from shadow incursions, they now continue their battle from the other side.

Shadow warriors look as they did in life. Because many of these spirits died long ago, often they wear antiquated armor and clothing. In the Shadow World, shadow warriors are transparent until they engage in combat; then they become semicorporeal

At portal openings in Cerilia, shadow warriors are invisible; only characters with middling or better perception can see or hear them. To such a perceptive character, the warriors appear transparent

Shadow warriors keep all abilities, skills, languages, and knowledge they had in life.

Only rarely do player characters find themselves opposing shadow warriors in combat. Usually, these spirits interact with PCs as transient allies, appearing unexpectedly during Shadow World battles where the forces of good are in danger of losing. They might also appear in Cerilia at portal openings, perhaps to offer warnings

Though shadow warriors will speak to good-aligned characters, they do not converse long and are highly unlikely to enter into any kind of formal alliance or cooperative agreement. The spirits should be used as momentary sources of information or aid, not as auxiliary party members.

Combat: Player characters should hope their encounters with shadow warriors are peaceful ones, for the ghostly knights prove themselves formidable opponents in battle. After a skirmish, they may stick around, attempting to glean informatio n from those they have helped, or they may simply disappear into the eternal twilight.

Shadow warriors will not aid parties with even one evil-aligned character among them, no matter what the circumstances

Shadow warriors' transparency and ability to move silently enable them to gain surprise 90% of the time. As these warriors have considerable experience fighting creatures of the Shadow World, they often can penetrate an opponent's Seeming or alread y know a monster's weakness and adjust their tactics accordingl y. If aiding an adventuring party, they may call out instructions

The fighters carry whatever weapons they died bearing. Because shadow warriors generally are of noble birth and died prepared to battle forces of the Shadow World, a majority of them hold magical weapons. The DM may assign arms or use the following table to determine each shadow warrior's weapon

The three captains carry a two-handed sword +3; a sword, +4 defender; and a long sword +2, +3 vs. magic-using and enchanted creatures respectively. Lieutenants bear either a sword of sharpness (66% chance) or a crossbow of accuracy, +3 (34% chance).

Shadow warriors can be hit only by silver or magical weapons. They are immune to poison, paralyzation, sleep, charm, and all but the most powerful illusion spells (sixth level or higher). Their long residence in a land of eternal twilight and countless battles against Shadow World evils, however, have taken their toll: The fighters have become especially vulnerable to priest spells of the sun sphere and wizard spells from the school of necromancy. Light and continual light(cast by priests or wizards) and sunray automatically blind the warriors (no saving throw); sunray also inflicts undead damage. Necromancy spells inflict double damage and impose a +2 saving throw penalty (in addition to any other penalties the spell may cause).

Initial encounters with shadow warriors tend to occur in combat situations. However, occasionally circumstances promp t the ghostly fighters to approach characters for other reasons. If sure of adventurs' nonevil alignment (through observation or instinct), shadow warriors may offer warnings about something that lies ahead or seek information to broaden their own knowledge of Shadow World happenings.

Most shadow warriors have resided in the Shadow World for years (often centuries). In addition, many encountered shadow creatures and the Seeming while still alive. This familiarity with the Seeming grants shadow warriors greater perception; a rare few (including the prince) have extraordinary perception

Though they are long-term residents of the Shadow World, shadow warriors are diametrically opposed to the Seeming and therefore have no ability to manipulate it themselves.

Habitat/Society: Prince Eyrmin, a former member of the Sielwode's royal family, leads the shadow warriors. The elven prince died several centuries ago driving a lich-lord out of the Sielwode and back into the Shadow World. When the portal closed, trapping him and 50 other spirit warriors on the wrong side, the elves vowed to fight for the cause of light in their new, dark home. Since then, more spirits (demihuman and human) have joined their ranks.

The prince has 15 Hit Dice and carries a powerful magical sword, Deathirst (details on page 51).

The warriors canvas the Shadow World in small bands, offering aid where they can and collecting information to report to the prince. Any band of 10 or more warriors includes a 12 HD lieutenant; the prince also has three 13 HD captains among the ranks. Occasionally, the bands come together for larg e-scale assaults on one Shadow World denizen or another. But Eyrmin realizes that their numbers are too small to take on all the Shadow World's many evils, so rather than engaging in futile suicide missions, the spirit warriors focus their efforts on smaller skirmishe s in which they can make a difference

The shadow warriors maintain a secret headquarters deep within one of the Shadow World's many forests. Each band of warriors returns there once every two to four months to repo rt news and activities and, when necessary, receive new instructions. A 25% chance exists of finding the prince there at any given time; more often than not, he is pat roling along with his troops. During the prince's absences, one of his captains oversees the command post.

Should the scattered bands need to communicate quickly over distances, they use a system of high-pitched whistles undetectable to mortal ears

Ecology: The original 50 shadow warriors began as spirits trapped on Aebrynis after their deaths. When Eyrmin (with the help of his son) freed their essences during a battle at a portal, they chose to follow him into the Shadow World and make his cause their own.

New shadow warriors come into being when a champion of strong moral character dies trying to defend his or her homeland from a shadow incursion. Not every fighter who dies in such a manner becomes a shadow warrior: The choice is a conscious one. Only those whose dedication to Cerilia surpasses even death itself join these noble ranks. For that reason, most shadow warriors were once scions or elves. Though they lost any bloodlines at death, their mystical connection to the land and drive to defend it continues beyond the grave

When a shadow warrior is “killed,” its spirit fades from the Shadow World and at last enjoys the peaceful afterlife dictated by its culture of origin.

Deathirst

Prince Eyrmin carries the magical sword Deathirst,a powerful blade forged by the gods themselves in the days before the Mount Deismaar cataclysm. Once an evil weapon used against him, in the prince's hands it has become a neutral instrument

Deathirst is a vorpal sword +6,a blade so sharp that it can literally cut through the Seeming. When holding the sword, one sees opponents, events, and terrain as they really are, stripped of the Seeming's masking influence. In addition, the weapon can cut through the barrier between the Shadow World and Cerilia, creating portals at the bearer's will. A single word spoken by the owner closes the portal

The blade is a bastard sword inscribed with dark, wicked runes. These runes seek to corrupt anyone who wields Deathirst, infusing the bearer with evil. Only Eyrmin has been able to withstand this corruption

In evil hands, the weapon gains additional abilities, becoming a sword of life-stealing and wounding. It also increases its wielder's Seeming score by 20 during combat; if the owner is blooded, the bearer receives an additional major blood ability.

Deathirst was forged simultaneously with Starfire,a blade created for the cause of good. Though centuries ago Starfire was carried by Cald, Eyrmin's adopted human son, no one knows what has become of it since