GITP Villain Competition

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the GITP Villain Competition! Based on my own Vote Up A Villain contest, this competition aims to craft a singular adversary usable by any DM. To begin, the theme will be based on that of the original villain: plants.

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The contest begins with the posting of this thread and will continue until Midnight of June 20th (EST).

Soon after a poll will be opened for everyone to vote for their favorite that will last until the last day of the month.

Rules

1. You will be creating an original D&D villain, with personality and sentience. An entity, force or creature with an antagonistic motivation. This villain must be a plant of some kind, or have a notable plant theme.

Example
The Maiden's Weeping/The Swain of Varrone

2. The entry must include name, complete stat-block, physical description, thorough background information, and detailed combat behavior. Six plot hooks are mandatory. Incomplete entries will be disqualified upon the deadline.

3. Entries must be 3.5 edition, using either The Vorpal Tribble's monster format or Fax Celestis'. Each entry must contain both the actual combat information as well as the descriptive text, which must adhere to the format below.

4. Post all entries on this thread. Do not post conversation here. Any and All Comments and discussions will take place on this separate thread.

5. One entry per participant. No double-teaming.

6. Entries copied from some other source (splatbook, alternate website, etc) will be disqualified. All entries must be a new creation, not one already posted. Merely adding class levels or templates to an already published or posted creature does not count as a villain; an established monster can be introduced with new homebrew classes, spells, feats or magical items, if need be.

7. No reserving posts. Feel free to post a villain and tweak it, but you have to have the basic baddie already done.

8. This contest, unlike the monster competition, is less about the crunch and more about the fluff. It's about you creating the background, motivation, personality and encounter information, with the crunch only a secondary factor. Therefore, you cannot use a villain that currently exists in fiction as the basis for your villain; nor should you take an existing villain and "tweak" it slightly. If we can identify Tarth Xader, Father Brain, Lucressia Fishmong, Cannondorf or Zykon for who they're basically Expies of, you'll be disqualified.

Format of a Villain

Immediately after the statblock, you must write a short, one-line description of your villain in clear, precise terms.

Following this, write a paragraph describing your villain's physical appearance. Include alternate forms if necessary.

After any combat information, including abilities, you must post the villain's equipment and possessions, if any. A villain is entitled to wealth up to twice that of a player character of level equivalent to the villain's CR.

Name of the Villain

This section introduces the villain from its earliest history, before the time at which it acquired its current villainous goals and/or became a threat.

The Villainous Turn

In this section, you detail the turning point in the villain's life. What event caused the villain to become what it currently is? Even if your villain was always evil, this is the point at which its motivations, desires and needs become fixed in the final form that the protagonists will encounter.

Explain what this event was, what proceeded from it, what the villain's goals have become and what the villain is currently undertaking to achieve those goals.

Encounters

This section is a detailed description of the villain's behavior, attitudes, personality and habits. Where the villain frequents, who it associates with, how its actions have evolved at present - a snapshot, in other words, of the villain as it currently is.

Plot Hooks

•Plot hook

•Plot hook

•Plot hook

•Plot hook

•Plot hook

•Plot hook

Any extra homebrew material should be posted below, separated by three sequential dashes.

Orhyndin, Restorer of the Forest Empire

Medium fey
Killoren druid 3/fighter 2/fist of the forest 1/druid 17
Hit Dice:3d10 + 17d8 + 84 (197 hp)
Initiative:-1
Speed: 40ft (8 squares)
Armor Class: (24) touch 9, flat-footed 24 (+5 con, -3 dex, +10 vile, +2 natural, -1 aggresive)
Base Attack/Grapple:+20/+21
Attack: unarmed strike 1d8+6 magic and evil
Full Attack:3 unarmed strikes 1d8+6 magic and evil
Space/Reach:5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks:spells, vile strike +5 magic and evil
Special Qualities:Ability score enhancement, AC bonus, A thousand faces, endure elements, damage reduction 10/good, energy resistance 15, freedom of movement, greater sustenance, low-light vision, manifest nature’s might, mind shielding, natural armour, primal living, regeneration (1/hour, non-lethal 1/5 minutes), resist nature’s lure, resistance, sustenance, timeless body, trackless step, true seeing, venom immunity, wild empathy, wild shape (5/day), wild shape (elemental) (1/day), woodland stride, woodling companion, woodling companion benefits
Saves: Fort +17, Ref +8, Will +18
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 5, Con 22, Int 21, Wis 32, Cha 18
Skills:climb +3, concentration +20, diplomacy –1, handle animal +11, intimidate +16, jump +3, knowledge (nature) +21, knowledge (religion) +4, listen +21, spellcraft +19, spot +21, survival +25, swim +3
Feats:Great fortitude, Improved unarmed strike, Power attack, natural spell, Unspeakable vow, Vow of disdain, Vow of indecency, practised spellcaster, woodling companion, Vow of vengeance (animals), Vow of vengeance (magical beasts), Vow of vengeance (humans), Vow of vengeance (dwarves), Vow of vengeance (orcs), Vow of vengeance (goblinoids), Natural bond, Extend spell, Quicken spell
Traits: Abrasive, aggressive
Flaws: Pathetic (dexterity), shaky
Challenge Rating:20
Alignment:NE
Languages: Sylvan, Common, Aquan, Auran, Terran, Druidic

Orhyndin is a killoren druid who considers plants to be the perfect life form and has made it is goal to protect their interests at others expense while seeking to become one himself.

Orhyndin is a 32 year old, 5’ 9” Killoren weighing 145 lb with tan skin and shoulder-length hair who will probably in “Aspect of the destroyer” when met in which case he will have black hair and eyes. If he is in “Aspect of the hunter”, he will have green hair and eyes and dark brown skin. If he is in “Aspect of the ancient”, he will have white hair and blue eyes. However, Orhyndin spends most of his time wild shaped into an elemental or a plant and will most likely be met in such a form. In any form, he will be completely nude.

Combat

Orhyndin likes to ambush interlopers already buffed with summoned creatures already present if possible. If not he will try to buff as early as possible, possibly using allies as diversions. In any situation, he will spend most of the fight wild-shaped only reverting to his natural form temporarily if he needs a specific advantage which cannot be gained from a plant or elemental form that he can use. He will send his companions after any obvious mages or other individuals that he thinks are likely to have a weak fortitude save. In combat he favours summoning and casting spells that affect multiple targets or a large area and that give additional advantages to his allies, such as electricity spells when he has shambling mound allies or when wild-shaped into one. In any event the environment will be stacked in his favour with poison covered thorns, assassin vines and similar obstacles obstructing the adventuring party. His home is also unhallowed and is guarded by an active Liveoak spell. He is also happy to enter melee and coats himself in poison for this purpose. He mainly targets the same variety of opponents as his companion for melee. He know that his companion is vulnerable to fire and the two of them (if not others) will be magically protected, usually through fire immunity with shared spells. If it is not inconvenient, Orhyndin will try to take a prisoner or two for experimentation. The prisoners will be well guarded and obstructed so this can avoid an unexpected (or expected) TPK without the characters getting off lightly and have them need to think of a way to escape and raise their friends.

Manifest Nature’s Might (Su): Every day Orhyndin chooses an aspect of nature to manifest. He usually chooses Aspect f the destroyer unless he has plans that are more suited for a different aspect. The aspects are: Aspect of the Ancient: When manifesting this aspect, Orhyndin gains a +20 racial bonus on knowledge (nature) checks and an additional +2 bonus n saves vs enchantments.
Aspect of the Destroyer: When manifesting this aspect, Orhyndin gains the ability to make a smite attack that adds 4 to his attack roll and deals an extra 20 points of damage. He can only use this smite once per hour up to a maximum of 4 times per day and only against aberrations, constructs, humanoids, oozes, outsiders and undead. If he tries to smite something else, the smite fails but is still used up.
Aspect of the Hunter: When manifesting this aspect, Orhyndin gains a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, spot and initiative checks.

Class Feature's

Spells: Druid spells prepared: 6 0th/8 1st/8 2nd/8 3rd/7 4th/6 5th/6 6th/5 7th/3 8th/2 9th

0-Create Water, Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Guidance, Light, Read Magic
1-Camouflage, Detect Animals or Plants, Detect Snares and Pits, Entangle, Obscuring Mist, Omen of Peril, Produce Flame, Rot of Ages
2-Barkskin, Bear’s Endurance, Bull’s Strength, Cat’s Grace, Creeping Cold, Heat Metal, Owl’s Wisdom, Resist Energy
3-Call Lightning, Cure Moderate Wounds, Daylight, Extended Creeping Cold, Poison, Protection from Energy, Speak with Plants, Weather Eye
4-Arc of Lightning, Chain of Eyes, Dispel Magic, Flame Strike, Passage of the Shifting Sands, Scrying, Sheltered Vitality
5-Blizzard, Call Lightning Storm, Commune with Nature, Death Ward, Quill Blast, Wall of Thorns
6-Antilife Shell, Cometfall, Energy Immunity, Fire Seeds, Stone Tell, Wall of Stone
7-Greater Scrying, Heal, Poison Vines, Quickened Call Lightning, Quickened Poison
8-Frostfell, Storm of Elemental Fury, Word of Recall
9-Shambler, Summon Elemental Monolith

Spontaneous Casting: Orhyndin can channel stored spell energy into summoning spells that he hasn’t prepared ahead of time. He can “lose” a prepared spell in order to cast any summon nature’s ally spell of the same level or lower. Orhyndin can’t cast spells with the “good” descriptor.

Woodling Companion (Ex):

Spoiler

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Woodling Fleshraker Dinosaur Companion
Medium Animal
Hit Dice: 11d8+22 (26 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class: 32 (+6 Dex, +20 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 30
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+14
Attack: Claw +11 melee (1d6+5 and poison) or slam +8 melee 1d6+5
Full Attack: 2 claws +11 melee (1d6+5 plus poison) and bite
+6 melee (1d6+1) and tail +6 melee (1d6+1 plus poison) or slam +8 melee 1d6+5
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Leaping pounce, poison, rake 1d6+2, spell-like abilities: entangle 1/day, summon natures ally II 1/day, speak with plant 3/day, summon nature’s ally IV 1/day, command plants 1/day
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/slashing, devotion, evasion, link, Low-light vision, multiattack, plant traits, scent, share spells, vulnerability to fire
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +13, Will +6
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 23, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 12
Skills: Hide +15*, Jump +26, spellcraft +2
Feats: Improved Natural Attack (claw), Track, multiattack, virulent poison, ability focus (poison), mage slayer
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral

Leaping Pounce (Ex): When the companion charges, it leaps high into the air above its prey, attempting to knock it to the ground. This ability functions much like the pounce special attack. However, the companion’s incredible jumping ability makes its leaping pounce particularly deadly. When the companion charges a foe, it can make a full attack, including one rake attack. If the companion successfully hits and damages a target of its size or smaller that it pounces on during a charge, it can make a free trip attack without provoking attacks of opportunity. If the companion wins the opposed trip check, it can make an immediate grapple check. If it succeeds, the opponent is considered grappled and pinned on the ground beneath the companion. On each subsequent round, the companion can deal automatic claw and rake damage with a successful grapple check against a pinned opponent. If the companion fails the opposed trip check, it cannot be tripped in return. If it successfully trips its opponent but fails the subsequent grapple check, the opponent is still prone in the companion’s square, but it is not grappled or pinned.

Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 16, initial damage 1d6 Dex, secondary damage 1d6 Dex. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +2 melee, damage 1d6+2.

Spell-like abilities: entangle 1/day, summon natures ally II 1/day, speak with plant 3/day, summon nature’s ally IV 1/day

Skills: The companion has a +8 racial bonus on Hide checks and a +6 racial bonus on Jump checks, an additional +4 bonus on Hide checks and Move Silently checks in aboveground natural environments and an additional +2 bonus on Hide checks in forested areas.

Link (Ex): Orhyndin can handle his companion as a free action, or push it as a move action. Orhyndin gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding his companion.

Share Spells (Ex): At Orhyndin’s option, he may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) he casts upon himself also affect his companion. The companion must be within 5 feet of him at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting his companion if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the companion again, even if it returns to the druid before the duration expires. Additionally, Orhyndin may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his companion (as a touch range spell) instead of on himself. Orhyndin and his companion can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the companion’s type (animal).

Evasion (Ex): If Orhyndin’s companion is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw.

Devotion (Ex): Orhyndin’s companion gains a +4 morale bonus on Will saves against enchantment spells and effects.

AC Bonus (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, Orhyndin adds his constitution bonus (if any) to his AC. This bonus to AC applies even against touch attacks or when Orhyndin is flat-footed. He loses this bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.

Feral Trance (Su): Once per day, Orhyndin can enter a feral battle trance. Whule he is in this state, his hands and feet become clawlike and his teeth lengthen and become pointed. He alsogains a +4 bonus to Dexterity and a +2 bonus ondamage rollswih hisunarmed strikes. He can also make one bite attack per round athis highest base attack bonus wheneever he attacks as a full-round action. The damage for this attack is 1d6 + his strength modifier. This state lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + his constitution modifier. While in a feral trance, Orhyndin cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except for Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate, and Ride), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can he cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function. He can use any feat he has except metamagic feats. After a feral-trance, he is fatigued.

Wild Empathy (Ex): Orhyndin can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. Orhyndin rolls 1d20 and adds 21 to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, Orhyndin and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
A druid can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a –4 penalty on the check. Orhyndin will only bother sing this ability on a woodling. He only feels contempt towards other animals and magical beasts.

Woodland Stride (Ex): Orhyndin may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him.

Trackless Step (Ex): Orhyndin leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. He may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

Resist Nature’s Lure (Ex): Orhyndin gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like abilities of fey.

Wild Shape (Su): Orhyndin has the ability to turn himself into any animal or plant (that is a creature) from tiny to huge in size and back again five times per day (though he never uses an animal form). His options for new forms include all creatures with the animal or plant type. This ability functions like the alternate form special ability, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 17 hours, or until he changes back. Changing form (to plantor back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. Each time he uses wild shape, he regains hit points as if he had rested for a night.
Any gear worn or carried by him melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When he reverts to his true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on his body that they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items worn in the assumed form fall off and land at his feet (of course he has sworn not to use equipment anyway).
The form chosen must be that of an animal or plant that he is familiar with (he has conducted a lot of research on plants and is familiar with most plant creatures).
He loses his ability to speak while wild-shaped (as long as the normal form cannot speak) because he is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but he can communicate normally with other individuals of the same general grouping as his new form.
The new form’s Hit Dice can’t be more than 17.
He is also able to use wild shape to change into a Small, Medium, or Large elemental (air, earth, fire, or water) once per day. This elemental form is in addition to his normal wild shape usage. In addition to the normal effects of wild shape, he gains all the elemental’s extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities. He also gains the elemental’s feats for as long as he maintains the wild shape, but he retains the fey type.

Venom Immunity (Ex): Orhyndin is immune to all poisons.

A Thousand Faces (Su): Orhyndin has the ability to change his appearance at will, as if using the disguise self spell, but only while in his normal form. This affects his body but not his possessions (which he doesn’t own anyway). It is not an illusory effect, but a minor physical alteration of the druid’s appearance, within the limits described for the spell.

Orhyndin, Restorer of the Forest Empire

Orhyndin was a druid and worshipper of Obad-hai. From a young age he loved the forest and especially the trees which led to his druidic training and the taking of a name that meant “forest”. He was always suspicious of technology, considering it to be out of the best interest of plants. He therefore did not like having to rely on it, nor did he like relying on people. After completing his training and acquiring a dire rat companion, he decided to join the Guardians of the Green whom he had heard held similar views and actively campaigned to protect nature. This prospect greatly excited him and was a successful member. As a successful druid, the members expected to become a holt warden but instead he chose to undergo some combat training and became a fist of the forest. His belief that nature should be modelled after and that plants were ideal organisms continued to grow.

The Villainous Turn

Orhyndin took to living in the wild well and relied less on civilisation than was expected of him. One day on the edge of the forest though, he saw an elephant uproot a tree. He was horrified at the destruction to what he considered an example of perfection and when his dire rat animal companion started chewing on the newly exposed roots, he snapped. This was too much for him and he attacked his own companion, killing it. He then buried the body and planted a seed from the tree over it. He then cried out, asking if there was anything that cared for the plight of plants like he did and that animals obviously did not. He was then answered by a mysterious voice who told him that he was right and that they alone could give plants their due. This voice was Rytvush, The Bloody Leaf, a god of plant supremacy. He then vowed to serve Rytvush and to sever his connections with those who did not champion the cause of plants. He then denounced his name, now considering names “an animal idea” and took the title with which he now refers to himself “The Restorer of the Forest Empire” due to his desire to extend the forest back to its pre-humanoid form and beyond. He walked to the headquarters completely naked amid dumbfounded stares and proceeded to declare its members as hypocrites for maintaining their relationship with animals whom were just as capable of harming nature as undead, constructs, aberrations and humanoids. They proceeded to throw him out and revoke his membership which earned them his personnel hatred and desire for revenge. His goals include, spreading the worship of Rytvush, exploring methods of toughening plants and turning other creatures into plants, becoming a plant himself, spreading the area of the forest, altering the climate to be suitable for forests worldwide, bringing light to the night for unending photosynthesis, the extermination of all undead, constructs, deathless and surface dwelling aberrations, humanoids, monstrous humanoids, giants, magical beasts and animals (to him there is no distinction and they are all “animals”), the punishment of members of the Guardian of the Green who fail to agree with him, the removal of the taint of civilisation and the demonstrating of the suffering that plants experience to the unrepentant. For now he is happy to leave subterranean areas alone due to their lack of light but has considered that it would be a good place to conquer if he could find a way out of that snag (which should be fairly easy once night is eliminated).

Encounters

Orhyndin makes frequent use of divinations and is thus likely to be prepared for the encounter. He usually manifests aspect of the destroyer but spends most of his time wild-shaped. He will be happy to use summoning but will only summon plants and natives to the elemental planes. He will cast fire immunity or a similar spell on himself to negate his companion’s vulnerability. A common strategy of his is to cast shambler and spells causing electricity damage. He associates with clerics of Rytvush, woodlings, wood woads, shambling mounds, twilight guardians, tendriculi, assassin vines, evil dryads with verdant reavers and oaken defenders, briarvexes, wizened elders, burrow roots, demonthorn mandrakes, vinespawn, battlebriars, dread blossom swarms, topiary guardians, night twists and awakened trees. He lives in a dense part of the forest, surrounded by thorns which has been coated in poison and has planted assassin vines around the area. It is guarded by many of the creatures mentioned above which he has equipped with gourds of poison. He has developed new species and spells in his efforts to improve the lot of plants and become one himself. He often buries his victims alive and plants over them. Sometimes plants directly into their flesh, often whilst still alive. He will also drain blood and cast purify water for irrigation. He tears apart tree fellers. He sometimes smears contact poison on himself as he is immune. When he comes across books, he will search them for information on transforming an individual into a plant and will then bury it in disgust like he does to all objects he finds and all individuals he kills. He keeps the forest lit with magic and controls the weather to allow for maximum plant growth rate. He refers to the spells Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Eagle's Splendour, Fox's Cunning and Owl's Wisdom as Thistle's Endurance, Tree's Strength, Vine's Grace, Orchid's Splendour, Flytrap's Cunning and Sunflower's Wisdom respectively.

Adaptation

If their are no killoren in your setting, another fey race or an elf could substitute. If their is no Guardians of the Green in your setting, you could use any other organization dedicated to protecting nature. If you do not wish to add Rytvush to your pantheon, you could have Orhyndin swear to a different deity or to nature itself.

Plot Hooks

•The Guardians of the Green have been attacked by shambling mounds and many animal companions were killed in the attack.

•A group of tree-fellers have built a hut in the forest yet have not returned in a while, when sent to investigate, the hut is gone and in its place is a large mound of earth.

•Commoners have been disappearing, only to turn up dead with flowers growing in them.

• The area has been receiving an unseasonable amount of rain which appears to be concentrated on an area in the forest that appears to never go dark.

•The birds have not appeared from the forest for their annual migration.

•The town is being overrun by wild animals from the forest.
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Feats

Spoiler

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WOODLING COMPANION
"Only those who photosynthesise are truly one with nature"-Orhyndin, Restorer of the Forest Empire
You gain an animal companion with the woodling template.
Prerequisites: Able to acquire a new animal companion, minimum level requirement (see below).
Benefit: When choosing an animal companion, you may choose one with the woodling template. The woodling companion has all the normal abilities of a typical creature of its kind, as well as the characteristics of an animal companion determined by the druid or ranger’s level. Your effective druid level for this purpose is reduced by 4.

Credit to Talya for this thread.

VOW OF INDECENCY [VILE]
You have taken an unspeakable vow never to undignify your body by covering it.
Prerequisites: Unspeakable Vow, Charisma 15
Benefit: You are constantly surrounded by an awe-inspiring aura to a radius of 50 feet. Creatures within the aura must make a successful Will save (DC 10 + one-half your character level + your Cha modifier) or be affected by a Fascination effect. A creature that makes a successful saving throw and remains in the aura is unaffected until it leaves the aura and reenters. The aura is a mind-affecting, extraordinary compulsion. Allies gain +2 to this saving throw per day that they travel/work alongside you. After 5 days, they only become shaken rather than fascinated if they fail their save.
Special: To fullfill your vow, you must never willingly wear any item of clothing or armor that conceals your body. If you intentionally break your vow, you immediately and irrevocably lose the benefit of this feat. If you break your vow as a result of magical compulsion, or otherwise unintentionally (being forced into a straightjacket, for instance, a possible outcome of wandering city streets in the nude), you lose the benefit of this feat until you receive an atonement spell. Merely having a blanket thrown over you which you immediately attempt to remove will not cause this result. While in a form that is typically nude, the benefits of this feat are suppressed but your vow is not broken.

VOW OF DISDAIN [VILE]
You have taken an unspeakable vow to never insult your own abilities by using objects.
Prerequisites: Unspeakable Vow.
Benefit: You gain bonuses to your Armor Class, ability scores, and saving throws, as well as bonus vile feats, all depending on your character level.
Special: To fulfill your vow, you must not use any material possessions with the exception of raw materials (including food).

If you break your vow, you immediately and irrevocably lose the benefit of this feat. You may not take another feat to replace it.
{table=head] Level| Benefit
1st| AC bonus +4
2nd| Bonus vile feat
3rd| AC bonus +5, endure elements
4th| Vile strike +1 (magic), bonus vile feat
5th| Sustenance
6th| AC bonus +6, deflection +1, bonus vile feat
7th| Resistance +1, ability score enhancement +2
8th| Natural armor +1, mind shielding, bonus vile feat
9th| AC bonus +7
10th| Vile strike +2 (evil), damage reduction 5/magic, bonus vile feat
11th| Ability score enhancement +4/+2
12th| AC bonus +8, deflection +2, greater sustenance, bonus vile feat
13th| Resistance +2, energy resistance 5
14th| Vile strike +3, freedom of movement, bonus vile feat
15th| AC bonus +9, ability score enhancement +6/+4/+2, damage reduction 5/good
16th| Natural armor +2, bonus vile feat
17th| Vile strike +4, resistance +3, regeneration
18th| AC bonus +10, deflection +3, true seeing, bonus vile feat
19th| Ability score enhancement +8/+6/+4/+2, damage reduction 10/good
20th| Vile strike +5, energy resistance 15, bonus vile feat
[/table]

A character who swears a vow of disdain and takes the appropriate feats, Unspeakable Vow and Vow of Disdain, cannot use items other than raw materials, but he gains certain spiritual benefits that can help outweigh the lack of other items. These benefits depend on his character level. The level at which the character swears the vow (and takes the appropriate feats) is irrelevant; if he takes the vow at 10th level he gains all the benefits of a 10th-level character with a Vow of Disdain, with the exception of bonus vile feats.
AC Bonus (Su): At 1st-level you receive a +4 vile bonus to your Armor Class. The bonus increases to +5 at 3rd level, and thereafter increases by +1 for each 3 character levels. This bonus does not apply to touch attacks and does not hinder incorporeal touch attacks. Brilliant energy weapons, however, do not ignore this bonus. This does not stack with an armor bonus.
Bonus Vile Feats: At 1st level, you gets a bonus vile feat, and another bonus feat at 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter. Unlike the other benefits of a vow of disdain, you do not gain these bonus feats retroactively when you takes the Vow of Disdain feat; you only gain those bonus feats
that apply for the levels you gain after swearing his vow. Thus,
the bonus feat gained at 1st level is available only to humans and characters with flaws
who take both Unspeakable Vow and Vow of Disdain at 1st level.
Endure Elements (Ex): At 3rd-level you are immune to the
effects of being in a hot or cold environment. You can exist comfortably
in conditions between –50 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit
without having to make Fortitude saves (as described in the
Dungeon Master’s Guide).
Vile Strike (Su): At 4th level, you gain a +1
enhancement bonus on all your attack and damage rolls. In effect,
any weapon you wield becomes a +1 magic weapon,
and can overcome the damage reduction of a creature as though
it were a magic weapon. This enhancement bonus rises to +2 at
10th level, to +3 at 14th level, to +4 at 17th level, and to +5 at
20th level. At 10th level, any weapon damage the character deals
is also considered to be evil-aligned, so that it can bypass the
damage reduction of some good outsiders.
Sustenance (Ex): At 5th-level you don’t need to eat or
drink.
Deflection (Su): At 6th-level you receive a +1 deflection
bonus to your Armor Class. This bonus increases to +2 at 12th
level, and to +3 at 18th level.
Resistance (Ex): At 7th level, you gain a +1
resistance bonus on all saving throws. This bonus increases to +2 at 13th level, and to +3 at 17th level.
Ability Score Enhancement (Ex): At 7th level, you gain a +2 enhancement bonus to one ability score. At 11th level, you gain an extra +2 bonus to that score, and a +2 bonus to another ability score. At 15th level, you gain an extra +2 bonus to those two scores, and a +2 bonus to a third ability score. At 19th level, you gain an extra +2 bonus to those three scores, and a +2 bonus to a fourth ability score.
Natural Armor (Ex): At 8th level, you gain a +1 natural armor bonus, or your existing natural armor bonus increases by +1. It increases an extra +1 at 16th level.
Mind Shielding (Ex): Also at 8th level, you become immune to detect thoughts, discern lies, and any attempt to discern your alignment.
Damage Reduction (Su): You gain damage reduction 5/magic at 10th level. At 15th level, this improves to 5/good, and at 19th level to 10/good.
Greater Sustenance (Ex): Once you attain 12th level, you don’t need to breathe.
Energy Resistance (Ex): At 13th level, you gain resistance 5 to acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic energy. At 20th level, this increases to resistance 15.
Freedom of Movement (Ex): At 14th level, you can act as if continually under the effect of a freedom of movement spell.
Regeneration (Ex): At 17th level, you heal 1 point of damage per level every hour rather than every day. (This ability cannot be aided by the Heal skill.) Non-lethal damage heals at a rate of 1 point of damage per level every 5 minutes.
True Seeing (Su): At 18th level, you gain a continuous true seeing ability, as the spell.

Besides these benefits,you may sacrifice experience points in place of expensive components, with 1 XP equivalent to 5 gp value of components if you are a spellcaster. Unlike with a vow of poverty, you have no requirements to donate your treasure.

Rytvush
Lesser deity
NE
The Bloody Leaf
Portfolio: Plant supremacy
Domains: Air, Destruction, Earth, Evil, Fire, Plant, Water
Worshippers: Evil plants, woodlings, druids, rangers, fey
Symbol: A skull being crushed by a leaf
Favoured weapon: Unarmed strike
Dogma: Rytvush believes in plant superiority. He wishes for the rule of plants with other prime material creatures wiped out or enslaved, the destruction of architecture and the covering of the land with forest.

Gourds
“Glass is disgusting. It confirms how terrible humanoids are with their conversion of the earth into something that roots cannot pass through. The very idea revolts me.” – Orhyndin, Restorer of the forest empire

Orhyndin refuses to tolerate the use of glass. Therefore, he keeps his poisons and any potions that he “discovers” in hollowed out gourds and encourages his allies to do the same. Mechanically the difference is only in that gourds have an AC of 11 and 2 hp.

Foliage
Transmutation
Level: Druid 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless); see text
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The target gains a green hue and leaves unfurl from its skin.

This is one of the spells developed by Orhyndin in his quest to become a plant.

When casting this spell, you cause the target to grow leaves and gain some plant traits. The target gains a +10 competence bonus on hide checks in areas where being covered with leaves would make one blend in (such as in a forest). They also gain immunity to sleep effects, paralysis, stunning and critical hits. However, they also gain vulnerability to fire and any armour check penalty that affects them increases by one for the duration of the effect.

Monsters

Spoiler

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Toxicitree
HUGE PLANT
HD 10d8 HD +100 (145 HP)
Speed 0 ft. (0 squares)
Init: -5
AC 10; touch 3; flat-footed 10 (-2 size, -5 Dex, +7 natural)
BAB +7; Grp +10
Attack -
Full-Attack -
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks Poison
Special Qualities Blind, blindsight 15 ft., DR 5/adamantine, mindlessness, non-abilities, plant traits, vulnerability to fire
Saves Fort +17 Ref - Will +3
Abilities Str 1, Dex -, Con 31, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 8
Skills -
Feats -
Environment Warm and temperate forests
Organization Solitary or grove (2-8)
Challenge Rating 7
Treasure None
Alignment Always neutral
Advancement 11-15 HD Huge; 16-30 HD Gargantuan
Level Adjustment –

You see a tree with dark green leaves and a thick trunk. It is heavy with swollen, ovoid purple fruit.

The toxicitree is a creation of Orhyndin. While it is incapable of moving, it makes a good trap and inconvenience due to its poisonous fruit burst.

Combat

The toxicitree only has one method of attack and therefore, that is all it will do. Whenever anyone is within its reach it will cause some of its fruit to explode, showering any individuals within reach with pulp and seeds. The pulp contains a contact poison described below.

Poison (ex): Any individuals that become covered with the pulp must make a fortitude save DC 25 or take 1d6 initial and secondary con damage. The difficulty class is constitution based.

Dart vine
LARGE PLANT
HD 4d8 +16 HD (34 HP)
Speed 0 ft. (0 squares)
Init: +2
AC 16; touch 10; flat-footed 15 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +6 natural)
BAB +3; Grp +2
Attack dart +2 ranged 1d6 crit x2 range increment 20 ft. + disease
Full-Attack +2 ranged 1d6 crit x2 range increment 20 ft. + disease
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks -
Special Qualities Blind, blindsight 15 ft., mindlessness, non-abilities, plant traits, vulnerability to fire
Saves Fort +8 Ref +2 Will +1
Abilities Str 1, Dex 13, Con 19, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 8
Skills -
Feats -
Environment Warm and temperate forests
Organization Solitary or patch (2-4)
Challenge Rating 3
Treasure none
Alignment Always neutral
Advancement 5-7 HD Large, 8-12 HD Huge
Level Adjustment –

You see a vine with a green stem. It has bright green leaves and yellow swellings at many of its tips. Most of these swellings have what appears to be a large black thorn growing from them.

The dart vine is another creation of Orhyndin. It fires its dart-like pods into trespassers. This gives its seedlings plenty of nutrition to grow.

Combat

The dart vine attacks by firing its dart-like pods as a ranged attack at any non-plant that comes within the area of its blindsight.

Disease (ex): Any individuals that are injured by the darts must make a fortitude save DC 16 or be infected by the seed of the dart vine. This is treated as a disease with an incubation period of 1 day that does 1d3 Dex and 1d3 Con damage per day and requires 3 successful saving throws in a row to recover from. Any individual reduced to 0 Con in this manner dies and a dart vine grows from his/her body.

Bump, in an attempt to attract more entries.

Alymra
Huge Plant
Hit Points: 240
Speed 0 ft. (0 squares)
Init: -5
AC 1; touch 1; flat-footed 1 (-5 Dex, -2 Object, -2 Size)
BAB -; Grp -
Attack -
Full Attack -
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Qualities: Hardness 5, Positive Energy Aura, Timeless Resurrection, Plant Mind, Immunity to Mind-Affecting Abilities
Saves: Fort +17, Reflex +12, Will +16
Abilities: Str. - Dex. 0 Con. -Int. 15 (+2) Wis. 9 (-1) Cha. 13 (+1)
Skills -
Feats -
Environment Maze of Thorns
Organization Solitary
Challenge Rating 3
Treasure None
Alignment: True Neutral
Languages: Common, Elven, Sylvan, Bits of Orcish

Alymra is a demented Tree of Life, dedicated to increasing his power that he might unleash a long-dead host upon the world.

Alymra appears to be an oak tree approximately 30 feet high and two feet in diameter. His leaves are always green, and he gives off a faint white glow. When speaking, he can manifest a small face anywhere on his trunk, though he often does not bother to do so.

Combat:

Being a tree, Alymra is almost completely helpless in combat. In general, he is completely reliant upon his servants. If possible, Alymra will try to organize his defenders to slow enemies sufficiently that he can take advantage of his Resurrection abilities to bring back those already slain. In the event that Alymra acquires some form of combat ability due to a spell, he works to support those defending him, attempting to bring down enemy spellcasters if possible.

Despite his usual helplessness, Alymra is too arrogant to surrender or negotiate with a victorious opposition. He permits his servants to do what they like with any prisoners. Note that Alymra is considered a magic object, and is thus entitled to saves against spells - he is considered to have a caster level of 30 for such purposes.

Positive Energy Aura (Su): Alymra emits a constants aura of positive energy. Within 100 yards of Alymra, no spells relying upon negative energy will function. Undead in this radius take 1d8 points of Positive Energy damage each round. Necromantic spells originating within or cast upon anything within 10 miles of Alymra have their effective caster levels halved, assuming they work at all. Any of the assorted Cure spells cast within that radius have their effective caster levels doubled.

Timeless Resurrection (Sp): Once per day, Alymra may cast Resurrection. He may target any creature within 20 miles, and his spell functions regardless of how long the creature has been dead.

Plant Mind (Ex): As a plant, Alymra is a valid target for spells such as Animate Plant, and allows spells such as Entangle to be cast in his presence. Any such spell which would affect Alymra, however, gives him control of the spell, rather than the spell's caster. For example, if a druid cast Animate Plane upon Alymra, it would be Alymra, not the druid, who would have control of his animated self.

Equipment: Alymra does not personally possess any equipment, though his minions certainly do. If slain, however, Alymra will ooze small amounts if sap. Up to five bottles of this sap can be gathered. A bottle of sap can be used against undead as if it were holy water, but because of its sticky nature, the sap will continue to do damage for 2d6 rounds.

Alymra

In ages past, the elven kingdom of Wolkaia was a proud land, built, like all elven lands, around one of the majestic Trees of Life - Alymra. Armed with the power of the tree, the kingdom grew strong and mighty; her armies expanded her borders, art and culture thrived within the forests, and castles and monuments were built the likes of which could never be matched. The study of magic was taken to a level that could never be matched, and legends claim that even the gods looked down upon Wolkaia with envy.

And they were not alone in such. Beyond the forest kingdom's borders lurked Amaglor, greatest of the orc warlords, and his endless hosts. Arrogant and decadent within their majestic cities, the elves received no news of the orcish onslaught until their border outposts crumbled. Every city that fell was paid for with the lives of thousands; every tree felled was stained with orcish blood, but the numbers arrayed against the elves were too great, and at last, the orcs claimed the walls of Wolkaia's capital.

The cornered defenders fought as none of the kingdom's defenders had. Backed by the tremendous power of Alymra, the elves held even against impossible odds, their dead rising again even as their corpses fell. For months, the siege raged, and the orcish host dwindled. Finally, the orcish shamans called upon their dark magics to counter those of the tree of life, and the tree's keeper called upon Alymra to repel them. The divine power of the orcish gods met with the raw energy of life, and in a maelstrom of power, the magics went mad. Elf and orc alike were flayed where they stood, torn apart be the raging power, and when the arcane winds ceased, all lay dead. Alymra felt the destruction, and wept, and pondered.

For a millennium, Alymra considered his options. He could not simply abide the death and destruction. Should he wait for new life to come to him? Did he restore what his magics had taken? Should he return the two peoples to war, or only one to peace? At last he decided upon the latter, and cast his magics to restore the forests to the peace they should have known, to the rulership of one of the peoples he had destroyed. He cast his touch forth, and, perhaps through sheer chance, the being he raised was an orc.

The Villainous Turn

Dazed and confused, the orc stood. Within a few days, this orc, and a small handful of others, had been brought before Alymra. He offered them his power for their assistance. If they would work with him, he would give them immortality, power beyond the dreams of mortals. The orcs accepted Alymra's offer, and the host was reborn. Slowly, Alymra began the work of restoring those he had slain, even as the orcs began the pillaging which had eluded them for a thousand years.

It was not long before the orcs began to raid, and in their wake, they left angry lords and vengeful people. Adventurers began to strike at the forest, hoping to end the orc presence, and Alymra's wrath was terrible at the deaths of his people. He fed them more power, awakened ancient defenses, and soon realized that his power was insufficient. He had no fear of defeat, but the retaliatory strikes came as frequently as he was able to raise forces to oppose them, and he found himself gaining no ground, his attempt to restore Wolkaia stalled. Again, he pondered, and when he awoke, he birthed a new form of life, a tree which would absorb positive energy from its surroundings and send it to him, that he might increase his own power.

And so, he sent forth his children, to plant these new trees wherever life grew in abundance, that he might find the strength to raise their host to its former glory. He will see Wolkaia restored to its former pride and strength, even if the world must wither and rot that he might succeed.

Encounters

Alymra sits at the heart of the capital city of the ancient empire of Wolkaia, though the city itself is now little more than a ruin. Alymra himself lives within a small dome at the center of the Maze of Thorns, which itself lies deep within the city's palace. Ancient magical protections prevent anyone from entering the dome except by traversing the maze first, and it is here that Alymra's stoutest defenders lurk. Within the maze lurk the orcish immortals, and within the dome there dwell a number of Assassin Vines. Alymra controls the vines by feeding them positive energy, normally, he feeds them little, and they slumber. When he wishes them to act, he feeds them lots, and they animate and attack.

Amongst the orcs, Alymra most commonly consorts with the shamans, who frequently bring the dead bodies which they want raised to him. So far, Amaglor's corpse remains unfound. In general, such resurrections take place around mid-day, and DMs should take such into consideration when deciding how many of Alymra's uses of Resurrection remain. Alymra takes little interest in the daily lives or doings of the orcs, demanding only their thanks and adulation.

Personality-wise, Alymra is rather naive; he sees little difference between the elves he once cared for and the orcs he now supports, and he doesn't really understand the devastation that they could cause. Regardless, however, Alymra is supremely stubborn and arrogant, and is unwilling to accept that he might be wrong, or that he should stop working with the orcs. Even if they're all killed, so long as he is left alive, he will begin to revive them. Alymra is more concerned with preserving the orcs as a group than about any individual in particular, however, and he has no compunctions against sacrificing a few orcs to defend himself and the remainder of his people.

Although willing to speak to almost anyone, Alymra has no tolerance for those who kill his orcs (though he can accept a small number of deaths as self-defence or similar). Alymra's voice generally seems to come from nowhere when he talks, echoing throughout the dome he resides in, and is deep and pleasant.

When encountered, Alymra will generally be accompanied by at least one orc shaman, as well as all of his assassin vines. Any surviving immortals will make every effort to reach him in time to lend their assistance. Should Alymra or the orcs have been aware of a coming attack, then there will likely be additional guards.

Plot Hooks

•Increased orc raids mean that adventurers are needed to go see what's going on.

•Cities and forests around the land are withering and dying in a strange fashion; adventurers must find out what's wrong, and put a stop to it.

•Only recently, the ancient ruins of an elven civilization have been discovered. Untold wealth must lie within their walls.

•Some form of strange energy enhances magical healing in a small region. If only there weren't so many orcs, it would be an excellent place for a temple/city/medical facility

•A powerful necromancer on-the-run was caught surprisingly easily when his magics failed him. If someone could find out what was having this dampening effect, perhaps the dark wizards could be ended for good.

•Exploring PCs discover a new land, where hordes of orcs wage constant war amongst the withered ruins of what looks like it may once have been a vibrant land. What could have wreaked this devastation, and how can it be prevented from spreading back to the PCs' homes?

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Orcish Immortals
Medium Humanoids (Orcs)
HD 6d6 (21 hp)
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Init: +6
AC 14; touch 12; flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 leather armor)
BAB +4; Grp +7
Attack Greataxe +7 melee (1d12+3, x3)
Full Attack Greataxe +7 melee (1d12+3, x3)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks Sneak Attack +3d6
Special Qualities Darkvision 60 ft., Regeneration 5, Evasion, Uncanny Dodge
Saves Fort +2 Ref +7 Will +2
Abilities Str 16, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 8
Skills Escape Artist +11, Hide +11, Intimidate +8, Listen +9, Move Silently +11, Sleight of Hand +11, Spot +9, Tumble +11
Feats Improved Initiative, Martial Weapon Proficiency (Greataxe), Power Attack
Environment Maze of Thorns
Organization Group
Challenge Rating 3
Treasure Standard
Alignment Chaotic evil

Orcish immortals are orcs who have been imbued with immortality by Alymra. Usually, there are only a handful at a time. Depending upon PC level, you may wish to add more rogue levels to these guys. They generally lurk within the Maze of Thorns, taking advantage of their orc status to move about freely and launch hit-and-run attacks.

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The Maze of Thorns

Perhaps the greatest of Alymra's defenses is the Maze of Thorns. Designed by elven wizards long ago, it allows small numbers of warriors to launch surprise attacks against an invading force.

The maze is in an enormous chamber with a low ceiling, which the thorns jut against, thwarting any attempts to fly over the maze walls. The thorns themselves feed upon the positive energy of Alymra, and wither and die if he should perish. So long as Alymra lives, the thorns regenerate as fast as they can be damaged, preventing one from simply cutting his way through, though the application of fire will prevent a section from regenerating for three rounds. Attempting to force one's way through one of the walls through brute force causes 2d12 points of slashing damage and requires a DC 20 Strength check. Failure indicates that the character is repelled back to where he started. While it is possible to teleport within the maze, it is not possible to teleport through the dome surrounding Alymra.

Alymra may allow any character to freely pass through the thorns, in which case they twist around the character, causing no damage. Currently, all of the immortals and shamans are so protected. A DC 20 Dexterity check will allow a character to follow a protected character through the thorns unscathed. Failure repels the character to where he started, causing 2d12 points of slashing damage.

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Absorption Trees

Hardness: 5
Hit Points: 140
Special Qualities: Absorption, Fatigue, Power Enhancement

Absorption trees are the trees which Alymra's orcs are spreading around the land, seeking to drain power for their master. An absorption tree is roughly 20 feet in height and 1.5 feet in diameter when mature, and reaches maturity a mere week after being planted.

Absorption: All spells cast within five miles of an Absorption Tree automatically fail if they rely upon positive energy - the energy is simply absorbed by the tree, and the spell has no effect.

Fatigue: All creatures within 5 miles of an Absorption Tree are perpetually Fatigued. Even rest is unable to remove this drained feeling. This heavy fatigue makes peaceful rest impossible, preventing affected characters from regaining spells. For every week which a character spends under the influence of an absorption tree, he takes one point of Constitution damage. This damage cannot be recovered while affected by the tree's fatigue.

Power Enhancement: For every Absorption Tree currently active and mature, Alymra may use his Timeless Resurrection ability one additional time every day.

Haevarlkoisan
Fiendish Gargantuan Dragon (Augmented Fey)
Hit Dice: 25d12 + 250 (413 HP)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 60 ft (12 squares), fly 120 ft (clumsy)
Armor Class: 34 (-4 size, +30 natural), 6 touch, 34 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +25/+47
Attack: Bite 4d8+10
Full Attack: Bite 4d8+10, 2 claws 2d10+5, 2 wings 2d8+5, tail slap 2d10+15
Space/Reach: 20 ft / 15 ft (bite 20 ft)
Special Attacks: Crush, tail sweep, breath weapon, spells, spell-like abilities, frightful presence, smite good, howl of suffering, withered brambles, oak bind
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, immunity to acid, sleep, and paralysis, damage reduction 20/magic/bludgeoning/cold iron, low-light vision, spell resistance 31, resistance to cold 10, resistance to fire 10
Saves: Fort +23, Ref +16, Will +21
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 11, Con 30, Int 20, Wis 21, Cha 22
Skills: +38 Hide, +28 Move Silently, +33 Spot, +33 Listen, +30 Concentration, +33 Spellcraft, +34 Intimidate, +30 Swim, +33 Knowledge (nature), +25 Search, +33 Sense Motive, +30 Bluff
Feats: Maximize Spell, Enhance Spell, Flyby Attack, Hover, Snatch, Wingover, Multiattack
Epic Feats: Empower Spell, Intensify Spell
Environment: Temperate forest
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 23
Treasure: None
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Advancement: --
Level Adjustment: --

Many an Elf has caught a quick glimpse of Haevarlkoisan before fleeing in terror, and has brought back erroneous tales of a dracolich in the Wood. Any unfortunate who has stayed for a closer inspection has realized that his "bones" are actually vegetation, thorny brambles and twisted roots making up an eerily draconic frame.

Combat
Crush (Ex): When flying or jumping, Haevarlkoisan can use his whole body to crush opponents as a standard action. Area 20 ft by 20 ft; Medium or smaller opponents take 2d6+15 points of bludgeoning damage and 2d6 points of slashing damage, and must succeed on a DC 32 Reflex Save or be engulfed, grapple bonus +56.
Engulf (Ex): Creatures successfully engulfed by a crush attack or swallowed move into the thorny ribcage, and take 1d8 points of slashing damage each round they remain engulfed.
Tail Sweep (Ex): As a standard action, Haevarlkoisan can sweep his tail, affecting a half-circle 30 ft in diameter, extending from an intersection on the edge of the dragon's space in any direction. Small or smaller opponents take 1d6+15 points of bludgeoning damage and 1d6 points of slashing damage, Reflex DC 32 half.
Breath Weapon (Su): As a standard action, Haevarlkoisan can breathe once every 1d4 rounds, a 50ft cone of poisonous fog dealing 16d6 damage, Reflex 32 half.
Spells: As 20th Level Sorcerer; Save DC 25 + Spell Level (6/8/8/7/7/7/5/5/3)
0 – arcane mark, dancing lights, detect magic, ghost sound, guidance, mage hand, prestidigitation, read magic, resistance; acid splash; 1st – alarm, chill touch, obscuring mist, magic missile, shield, Nystul's undetectable aura, expeditious retreat, entangle; 2nd –cure moderate wounds, darkness, see invisibility, detect thoughts, warp wood, hold animal; 3rd – deeper darkness, dispel magic, haste, nondetection, contagion, diminish plants; 4th – charm monster, crushing despair, detect scrying, hallucinatory terrain, antiplant shell, repel vermin; 5th – blight, feeblemind, shadow evocation, wall of thorns; 6th – acid fog, greater dispel magic, mass suggestion, liveoak, repel wood; 7th – mass hold person
Spell-Like Abilities: DC 25, Wisdom-based
At will – entangle, speak with plants, tree shape, charm person, deep slumber, tree stride, suggestion, plant growth, command plants; 3/day – dominate person; 1/day – unhallow
Forest-Bound: Haevarlkoisan cannot go more than 300 miles from the central oak of Aenor Forest.
Smite Good: Once per day, may make a normal melee attack to deal +20 extra damage against a good foe.
Frightful Presence (Ex): Whenever Haevarlkoisan attacks, charges, or flies overhead, creatures within 150 ft must make a Will save, DC 28, or become shaken for 4d6 rounds. Success renders a creature immune for 24 hours.
Howl of Suffering (Su): 1/1d6 rounds, Haevarlkoisan can force winds to tear through the vines comprising his body, letting out a shriek that compels humanoids within 50 ft to stop all other action and attack him via the most direct route possible. Will DC 32 negates.
Withered Brambles (Ex): Any nonmagical attack that does damage to Haevarlkoisan causes the dry vegetation of his frame to splinter and shower a 5 ft area with sharp debris, doing 2d8 damage, Reflex 32 half.
Oak Bind (Su): If a creature within 50 ft of Haevarlkoisan falls to zero hit points, he can bind their soul into an oak, causing their body to die. They are cursed to haunt the Aenor Forest, and cannot be raised or resurrected while their soul is trapped. Fort DC 32 negates this ability.

Haevarlkoisan
The Elves came into the cities because of the abomination in the Wood.
In the days before the Empires of Men had grown tired of war, the Elves swore to defend their home until the last of them had died there. But the mad Green Dragon Toeknahdreeyar cared nothing for the tribulations of mortals; he became enamored with the Dryads of the Wood, and convinced himself that what he felt was love, for the strongest of them, Ellissaba. He went to her in fey guise, but was recognized, and rebuked. Enraged, he forced himself upon her, and the result of this wretched act was born unto the world twisted and wracked with pain, and has remained so ever since.
Haevarlkoisan has sought fruitless bargains to end his suffering, only succeeding in growing more warped and fiendish. He made deals against his pitifully undying soul, and his rage at the father who made him, and the world that could not bring an end to his pain, grew stronger. He learned to turn the trees against the Elves and the Dryads, and each other, and the Wood became a black and hateful place.
The trees and vines now choke out the sunlight, and dark, wet things crawl under the dead leaves of the forest floor. The Dryads were driven to extinction, and the Elves had no home left to defend. This is why the Havelis came to be, and why the Elves laid down their arms and came peacefully to the cities of men. This is why the war is over.

The Villainous Turn
The god of pain approached Haevarlkoisan through an avatar, seeking his allegiance and offering great power. All Haevarlkoisan craved in that moment was vengeance for his birth, and demanded the avatar find his father. When he was told Toeknahdreeyar had been slain by the barbarians of Chaodel, he was enraged, and slew the avatar. He seeks to murder all the tribes of the mountains for denying him his revenge. But unable to leave his forest, he waits and plots, killing any humanoid that he comes across until he finds a way to be free of the wood.

Encounters
Haevarlkoisan wanders Aenor Forest at random. When the pain is little, he plots to free himself of the boundaries of the forest. He contacts fiendish creatures, who so far have all failed in helping him. When the pain is greater, he storms through the Wood enraged, attacking anything that moves. He holds especial hatred for humanoids.

Plot Hooks
•Alchemist's potions have been corrupted; the ingredients gathered from the edges of the forest seem imbued with fiendish power.

•Reports come in of a green dragon in the woods; every dragonslayer who has gone in so far has not returned.

•A cult of the god of pain has begun building a temple near Aenor Forest.

• An elven artifact was left behind when the elves left Aenor, they are offering a large reward for any who can retrieve it.

• An organization of Havelis wish to return to the forest, and hire adventurers to slay the abomination within.

• Rumors spread through Druidic circles that a fiend has come up with a plan that could free Haevarlkoisan.

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For clarification (if anyone's curious):

Havelis

When the fey and elves went to ground in the last great forest of Atlantis, the humans began a campaign to burn Aenor away. With the forest at stake, and the fiend terrorizing them from within, the elves surrendered, and the last of the dryads were lost that day. Many chose to die with their trees, but a few came together in a desparate bid to survive. They performed a ritual that severed their life energies from those of their trees, but also stifled their fey blood and made them all too mortal. Their descendants are the havelis.
The average havelis has 12-15 years to live. They are fully mature at 1 year of age, and most immediately set out to experience all they can in the time they have. They appear as slender, earthy humans, 5-51/2 feet tall and weighing 100-120 lbs. They tend to be tan, with dark blonde to dark brown hair, and brown or green eyes. Their ears are slightly pointed, and their eyebrows extend past the edges of their faces, like willowy antennae.
Havelis tend to assimilate into small human and halfling communities, and some elven villages, though many still feel the elves betrayed them at Aenor. They rarely keep up one profession for very long, instead experimenting with new things as the mood strikes them. A havelis is more likely to have a bit of skill in many areas of learning than specialized skill in any one thing. They do well in natural settings, having an affinity for plants and animals. Druidic peoples tend to dislike havelis at first, knowing of their origins. But the havelis' usually kind and charismatic demeanor overcomes most people's misgivings. Only the studious duergar cannot abide them for long, seeing them as flighty and undisciplined.

• +2 Cha, -2 Wis. Havelis are outgoing and personable, but spontaneous and sometimes reckless.
• Medium Size
• Base Speed: 30 ft
• +2 racial bonus against Enchantment spells and effects
• +2 racial bonus to Knowledge (Nature), Handle Animal, Survival
• Unfortunate Lineage: Any fey a havelis meets is 1 step closer to hostile than normal.
• 2/day - Speak with Plants, 1 min, as per the spell.
• 2/day - Speak with Animals, 1 min, as per the spell.
• Twilight: Upon reaching 10 years of age, and every year thereafter, the havelis must make a Fort save DC 25 + the number of Twilight checks already made. If the check fails, the havelis dies. If the check is successful, the havelis loses 1 point of Constitution.

SYLVIA
11th Level Druid Succubus
Medium Outsider (Extraplanar, Evil, Tanar'ri)
Hit Dice:6d8+12+11d8+22 (143)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares) fly 50 ft. (average)
Armor Class: 31 (+6 Bracers of Armor +6, +3 Dex, +9 Natural, +3 Ring of Protection +3), touch 16, flat-footed 28
Base Attack/Grapple: +14/+15
Attack: Dagger of Venom +16 (1d4+2 plus Poison) or Claw +15 (1d6+1)
Full Attack: Dagger of Venom +16/+11/+6 (1d4+2 plus Poison) or 2 Claws +15 (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Energy drain, spell-like abilities, spells, wild shape 5/day,
Special Qualities: Animal companion, damage reduction 10/cold iron or good, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to electricity and poison, Heart Lily, nature sense, resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10, resist nature's lure, spell resistance 18, telepathy 100 ft., tongues, trackless step, wild empathy, woodland stride,
Saves: Fort + 18, Ref + 14, Will + 21
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 16, Wis 21, Cha 24
Skills: Bluff +18, Concentration +11, Craft (poisonmaking) +22, Diplomacy +14, Disguise +16* (+18 acting), Escape Artist +12, Intimidate +28, Knowledge (Arcana) +12, Knowledge (Nature) +24, Listen +24, Spellcraft +22, Spot +24, Survival +22 (+4 following tracks)
Feats: Ability Focus (Kiss), Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Hover, Mobility, Persuasive
Environment: The Crimson Garden
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 16
Treasure:Possessions plus 10d10 gold (more wealth exist in the Crimson Garden)
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Advancement: By Character Class

Before you stands a flawless women, mere words could not describe her beauty; with dark green flowing hair to the bottom of her knees and large black bat wings jetting from her back, she is someone you can't take your eyes off of but want to.

Sylvia is a succubus, unholy and beautiful, but her appearance is a little different then most, for instance she has long green hair that almost reaches the ground. Her eyes glow green instead of red in her natural form. On her wrist are silver bracers enbrodered with pictures of vines, on her right hand a plain silver ring and on her right a silver ring with an emerald protruding from it. Her burgundy cloak is clasped with a small scarab like figurine. Her belt holds a whip covered with thorns as long as fingers. She only appears in her natural form when in her Crimson Garden, fully free and naked except for her magic jewelry. However, when traveling, the form that she chooses to take is one of a raven haired girl of about 20 who's body is just as exquisite, but covered by robes, preferring to stay unnoticed, as best she can.

Combat

Sylvia will never enter into a fight if she can help it, preferring to talk, charm, seduce or put to sleep her opponents. If none of those options work she flees. The only time she fights is in defense of The Heart Lily.

Animal Companion:

Spoiler

Show

Nahashiz, Viper Snake
Huge Animal,
HD: 8d8+8 (44 hp)
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Init: +7
AC: 18 (–2 size, +3 Dex, +7 natural), touch 11, flat-footed 15
BAB:/Grp +6/+17
Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d6+4 plus poison)
Full-Attack: Bite +8 melee (1d6+4 plus poison)
Space:/Reach 15 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison
Special Qualities: Link, Evasion, Scent, Share Spell
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +3
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2
Skills: Balance +11, Climb +11, Hide +4, Listen +7, Spot +7, Swim +11
Feats: Ability Focus (Poison), Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (bite)
Environment: The Crimson Garden
Challenge Rating: --
Alignment: Neutral

This huge green and red viper blends in perfectly with its surrounding in the Crimson Garden. Striking any opponents that come near the Heart Lily.

Evasion (Ex): If Nahashiz is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw.

Link (Ex): Sylvia gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding Nahashiz.

Poison (Ex): A viper snake has a poisonous bite that deals initial and secondary damage of 1d6 Con. The Fortitude save DC is 17.

Share Spells (Ex): At the Sylvia’s option, she may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) she casts upon herself also affect Nahashiz. Nahashiz must be within 5 feet of her at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting Nahashiz if he moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect him again, even if he returns to Sylvia before the duration expires.
Additionally, Sylvia may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her animal companion (as a touch range spell) instead of on herself. Sylvia and Nahashiz can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the Nahashiz’s type (animal).

Tricks: Nahashiz knows Attack, Down, Guard.

Energy Drain (Su): Sylvia drains energy from a mortal it lures into some act of passion, or by simply planting a kiss on the victim. If the target is not willing to be kissed, Sylvia must start a grapple, which provokes an attack of opportunity. Sylvia’s kiss or embrace bestows one negative level. The kiss also has the effect of a suggestion spell, asking the victim to accept another kiss from Sylvia. The victim must succeed on a DC 27 Will save to negate the effect of the suggestion. The DC is 27 for the Fortitude save to remove a negative level. These save DCs are Charisma-based.

Heart Lily (Su): Sylvia is mystically bound to a giant calla lily, called the Heart Lily. If she is killed, she returns in 2d10 days, but if the Heart Lily is destroyed she is gone forever.

Nature Sense (Ex): Sylvia gains a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks.

Resist Nature’s Lure (Ex): Sylvia gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like abilities of fey.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will—charm monster (DC 21), detect good, detect thoughts (DC 19), ethereal jaunt (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), polymorph (humanoid form only, no limit on duration), suggestion (DC 20), greater teleport (self plus 50 pounds of objects only). Caster level 12th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Spells: Typical Druid Spells Prepared (6/6/5/5/4/3/1; Save DC 15 + Spell Level): 0- 2 Detect Poison, 4 Create Water. 1st- 2 Entangle, 2 Faerie Fire, Goodberry, Speak With Animal. 2nd- 2 Animal Messenger, Delay Poison, Lesser Restoration, Warp Wood. 3rd- Call Lightning, Greater Magic Fang, Plant Growth, Quench, Spike Growth. 4th- 2 Cure Serious Wounds, 2 Dispel Magic. 5th-2 Baleful Polymorph, Wall of Thorns. 6th-Greater Dispel Magic.

Tongues (Su): Sylvia has a permanent tongues ability (as the spell, caster level 12th).

Trackless Step (Ex): Sylvia leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

Wild Empathy (Ex): Sylvia can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. Sylvia adds her druid level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result.

Wild Shape (Su): Sylvia has the ability to turn herself into any Tiny or Large animal and back again once per day. Her preferred from is an Auburn Squirrel.

Woodland Stride (Ex): Sylvia may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion still affect her.

Skills: Sylvia has a +8 racial bonus on Listen and Spot checks.
*While using her polymorph ability, a succubus gains a +10 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks.

Possessions: Bracers of Armor +6, Cloak of Resistance +3, Crystal Ball with Detect Thoughts (Only found with her in the Crimson Garden), Elemental Gem (Earth), Scarab of Protection, Ring of Mindshielding, Ring of Protection +3, Dagger of Venom Plus a variety of poisons

SYLVIA

After the Blood Victory, where Hell had won the blood war over the Abyss, Sylvia was the one of the last remaining succubi. She was running from Hell's Demon hunters who sought to put an end to the entire Tanar'ri, when she was luckily summoned by an incompetent gnome sorcerer just before the Abyss was consumed by Hell. The gnome lived in a small hunt in the Kagayaki Forest, who had not known of the cataclysmic events that had just rocked the multiverse. He simply wanted revenge on a local nymph and she was more then eager to not go back to plane that ceased to exist. After she killed the nymph she was jealous of the possibility that another creature could be more beautiful then her. Soon she enticed the gnome to send her to kill other nymphs and other fey in the forest, the gnome agreed quickly thinking it was his own idea. As more and more fey were found as lifeless husks the druids and rangers started to take notice. One day a group rangers tracked her footsteps to the gnome's cottage while Sylvia was away. They subdued the gnome and forced him to tell them everything. After the encounter with the gnome a group of Arch-druids had found Sylvia draining the life of a dryad. Outraged the druids descended upon her and slayed her next to the corpse of the dryad. Her body and essence vanished.

SYLVIA
The Poison Queen
The Villainous Turn

Sylvia essence unable to return to the Abyss attached to a nearby Calla Lily. Over a hundred years passed as her the Lilly grew and grew, eventually becoming as tall as an oak. The day it bloomed, Sylvia awoke, and remembered her past but found an unreasonable attraction to plants around her, she saw their beauty for the first time. Wandering around the forest she noticed an animal dead from eating some flower heads. This sight put brought back all evil intentions that she once forgot about. Nature was a source of destruction, and poison was just the way for that destruction to be carried out.
Deep in the Kagayaki Forest she began to cultivate a large garden, and charmed wanders to come and try her poisons. Countless hours she worked and created new poisons, poisons to kill, poisons to weaken, poisons to sleep, poisons to stupor. As her garden became more beautiful, nymphs, and other fey began to invade her garden. Seeing nymphs in her garden infuriated her. She had to deal with these fey for once and for all, and she created a poisonous flower that would kill any that touched it. After her garden was filled with these Feybane flowers, the place was named the Crimson Garden for the amount of death it brought to the fey community. Elves of the old forest began to worship her and the Crimson Garden as a divine place. She began to travel into cities selling her poisons to guilds and assassins, increasing the deaths by her lovely flowers. Now she seeks to sell her poisons all over the land, helping society kill itself slowly so her garden may cover the world.

Encounters

Sylvia is flirtatious, playful and deadly with males, she hates females and often refuses to talk with them. She is extremely jealous of her garden, allowing few into her inner grove were the most precious and poisonous flower is, the Heart Lily. Their she spends most of her time with her only friend Nahashiz who guards the Lily at all cost. The garden is also guarded by a gargantuan assassin vine which will attack anyone that doesn't call out "Hail to the poison queen". She often ventures from her garden to talk to the Black Rose clan of wild elves that see her as a Goddess or to travel to Castle O'rouke, the secret base of the Black Hat guild, where she sells them every poison she can muster. The Black Rose clan has offered the services of rangers to patrol the woods around her garden. Multiple worg packs have also pledge their service to guard her garden. In the Crimson Garden, she is currently trying to create a flower that bears fiendish fruit to further her dominance and power.

Plot Hooks

• A local lord was poisoned by a rare and strange flower

• Legends tells of a beautiful maiden that lives in a garden that will offer aid to anyone, if they bring her a pretty flower.

• Hunter are being killed that venture too far into the forest for game by poison arrows.

• The Black Hat guild is meeting their poison agent by the docks tonight described as an attractive female in long robes

• Rumors of mass fey graves from the Kagayaki Forest caused by a woman who claims to be the Poison Queen.

• The Black Rose clan claims to worship a Goddess in place known as the Crimson Grove.

---

New Poisons

{table]Poison|Type|Initial Damage|Secondary Damage

Angel Coma|Inhaled DC 20|Unconsciousness|Unconsciousness for 1d4 days

Narcissus's Fate|Contact DC 21|2d6 Cha|3d6 Cha

Moonpaste |Ingested DC 26|1d8 Wis|3d8 Wis

Rhododendron Petals|Ingested DC 27|3d4 Int|2d4 Int

Nightshade Extract|Contact DC 28|2d6 Str|Exhausted for 1d4 days

Feybane|Contact DC 31|0|Death

[/table]

The Grand Old Rose

Gateway Rose (13HD), Rogue 1, Cardinal Agent 3

Huge Plant
Hit Dice: 13d8+4d6+102 (174 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20ft (4 squares), Climb 10ft
Armor Class, Whole: 23 (-2 size, +1 dex, +13 Natural, +1 insight), 10 touch, 21 flat-footed
Armor Class, Protrusion: 26 (+1 size, +1 dex, +13 Natural, +1 insight), 13 touch, 24 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+25 (whole) or +14 (protrusion)
Attack: Thorns +22 melee 1d4+6+Poison
Space/Reach, Whole: 15 ft./5ft
Special Attacks: Improved Grab, Poison, Sneak Attack +3d6
Special Qualities: Blindsight 30ft, Plant Traits, Passage, Resistance to electricity 10 and cold 10, Camouflage, Flexible, Altered Actions, Trapfinding, Skill Mastery (Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive), Evasion, Silver Tongue
Saves: Fort +15, Ref +9, Will +13
Abilities: Str 34, Dex 10, Con 23, Int 16, Wis 21, Cha 20
Skills: Bluff +20, Diplomacy +9, Escape Artist +8, Gather Information +12, Hide +6 (+18 Protrusion), Intimidate +7, Listen +25, Knowledge (Geography) +13, Knowledge (Local) +7, Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) +10, Search +7, Sense Motive +18, Sleight of Hand +13**.
Feats: Power Attack, Ability Focus (Poison), Combat Reflexes, Persuasive, Combat Expertise, Improved Trip, Blind Fight(B), Urban Tracking(B), False Pretenses (B)
Challenge Rating: 17
Alignment: Lawful Neutral

The Grand Old Rose is a sentient, teleporting rose-bush loyal to the dead king and committed to the death of the traitors who killed him.

The Grand Old Rose appears as an enormous, sprawling rose bush. It grows up walls and emerges from beds and window-boxes all around the garden. The immense area it commands exaggerates its size. In each window-box and flower-bed, hidden among the Rose's foliage, is a small portal, through which all its branches and vines are connected.
In the dense thicket at the heart of the rose-bush, the region normally sequestered in its lair, lie jewels and trinkets, bands of iron, and even a small box.Ioun stones rattle around on their orbits through the thorns and branches, and something slithers...

Combat

The Grand Old Rose has many allies and takes full advantage of his uncompromised position in the palace garden to spy on his enemies. Consequently, he will leave only with great reluctance.
If attacked by just a few foes, who he might kill, the rose will act to ensure that whatever information they have about him and his activities dies with them. In such a situation, he will remain quite dangerous, for as long as he believes that he is generally undiscovered, he will press the attack.
On the other hand, if attacked in great force, he may simply choose to flee the garden. He will recognize that he can no longer hide, and will act to survive. He has a lair, as well as a temporary stronghold, which he will retreat to. He will re-establish contacts, learn all that occurs within the palace, and finally strike back against his enemies. He may do so as part of an overwhelming attack, or perhaps through subterfuge conducted by his allies.
When he does choose to fight directly, however, the old rose is a powerful force. Typically emerging from thin air over those he considers the greatest threat, he will attempt to rend them to shreds while knocking-down any allies who try to give aid. Extra protrusions projected through passages can be used to strike throughout an enormous range. If his foes pose a significant threat, he may try to split them up by luring one or more through passages.
If somehow tracked to his lair, the Grand Old Rose will fight with all his strength. Not unless he is obviously defeated will he flee. He may feign retreat, however, to set up an ambush later in his lair. He knows all its turns from experience, and knows where his foes will find most difficult to pass.


Altered Actions:
A Gateway Rose is an enormous, flexible creature. While one limb attacks, another may be retreating, climbing, or activating items. Each 5ft square is entitled to a single action each round--full-round, standard, move, or swift/immediate--as a result of its bulky, intertwined structure. As compensation, each limb acts independently. Even if the rest of the Gateway Rose takes a move action, a section which remains stationary may still make an attack, for example.
Free actions still have no cost.

Blindsight (Ex): Gateway Roses are are able to see normally; they can also ascertain all foes within 30 feet using sound and vibration.


Passage (Su): As a free action, a Gateway Rose may open up a portal of any size between 2 feet and 10ft in diameter and in any orientation between any two unoccupied locations on the material plane, one of which must be within 5ft of some appendage of itself. The passage lasts as long as the Gateway Rose desires, but it can only have as many passages open at one time as are given on Table: Passage. Closing a passage takes a standard action.


Creatures may pass all or partially through the gate as if the locations were directly adjacent to one another. Objects or creatures straddling the passage as it is closed are shunted out one side unharmed.


Table: Passage
{table=head]Size | Passages
Large | 4
Huge | 8
Gargantuan | 12
[/table]
Camouflage (Ex):
A motionless Gateway Rose looks like just another rose to the untrained eye. However, a DC30 Knowledge(Nature) check can be used to identify it. A DC20 Knowledge (Horticulture) check can substitute, or a DC15 Knowledge(Roses) check.
A Gateway Rose that chooses not to show flowers gets a +4 racial bonus to hide checks in areas with low, green vegetation.


Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a Gateway Rose must hit with its thorn attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.


Flexible (Ex): A Gateway Rose, rather than being confined to a square shape, forms a flexible chain 5ft wide and of length proportional to its space. Adjacent 5ft square elements must simply remain adjacent to each other at all times. The rose is treated as small for the purposes of squeezing through tight spaces.


Poison (Ex): Injury, DC 24 (Constitution Based). Initial Wisdom damage 1d4, secondary damage results in unconsciousness. A Gateway Rose may choose not to inject poison, and will typically do so in order to continue to appear as a mundane rose.

Possessions

Ring of Fire Resistance, Major
Ring of Freedom of Movement
Two immovable rods
Iron bands of binding
Rope of Entanglement
Luckstone
Belt of Giant Strength +6
Amulet of Natural Armor +4
Scarab, Golembane
Ioun Stones:
Dusty Rose, +1 AC
Pink and Green, +2 Cha
Deep Red, +2 Dex
Pale Lavender, Absorbs 20 spells of 4th level or lower.
A chest containing maps, letters, and misc. items.

History

Note: Names of royalty, for convenience, are chosen from the kings of the House of Wessex. Choose names as fit your campaign setting.

The Grand Old Rose is centuries old. As a small plant, it was given as a gift to the then king Æthelwulf early in the dynasty. He was a curiosity brought from a distant land by some merchant long forgotten. The rose was free to leave, but was fed well, and tame.
In later years, the Grand Old Rose remained respected, if not always recognized. Some kings, notably Alfred the great, would seek advice regularly from the rose. By now it had a lair of its own, and began to spy on behalf of the king.
Edmund the Magnificent was the first to encourage this heavily, and the rose would sometimes travel great distances to conduct espionage. Agents were found to assist it abroad, and the rose did not forget these contacts.

The Villainous Turn

Edmund Ironsides assumed the throne knowing nothing of the rose. Nevertheless, the rose knew of him, and within a few months approached him. But Edmund was unwilling to trust the rose fully at first, and was more trusting of his long-time allies. He discouraged the rose from further spying, and it was his downfall. A coup overthrew and killed Edmund within months of his coronation. His former allies assumed the throne, and the rose became silent for a time.
The rose began assessing its strength. His spies were alerted. Reluctant allies found themselves captured and pressed into his service. A poisoner in the service of the rose killed the first new king, and none has yet replaced him. The rose now only waits and plans a more thorough attack.

There were no heirs, so the rose is considering solutions. It might nominate one of its own allies, but to do so from hiding would be difficult. It might simply kill all comers, but that would solve nothing. It has considered provoking a war, in which the throne might pass rightfully on to some foreign king, which would at least be superior to the current scum. It is yet unsure whether a personal attack, luring the foreign king through its portals onto the English throne, or a nationwide attack, with armies clashing, would be more conductive to its aims. In the case of a personal attack in particular, it recognizes that it might need to die, or at least enter hiding, for peace to be restored.

Encounters

The rose has long rested in the palace gardens. It appears as many small bushes, and of course much of it is hidden in locations known to no others.

The rose's lair is an unconnected collection of caves and hollows beneath a small hill in the north. A lower alcove opens to the outside, but other chambers at a variety of depths are mostly inaccessible.

The allies of the rose are normal people, some criminals, some nobles, all with some desire for power. The rose bribes them, typically with information to gain their services; they for their part will fight for it. At the moment, some are even staying in the lair, in case the rose should need them suddenly in England.

Plot Hooks

- The PCs are called to investigate after the murder of the second leader to assume the throne.

- Some friend of the PCs and secret ally of the Rose is taken away suddenly in preparation for the conflict occurring, and the PCs must investigate.

- An abandoned lower level of the palace is found, which the Rose has used for some minor storage in the past. The PCs are granted license to investigate and recover what they can, and must do so opposed by the rose and any allies he sends to protect his possessions.

- The Rose attempts to frame one of the coup leaders for a series of senseless murders, and the PCs must see through this and destroy it.

- The Rose places an individual of its own choosing on the throne. Unfortunately, they are unpopular, unsuited, and oppressive. The PCs must work to drive both out.

- The Rose provokes a sudden war with a neighboring kingdom. The PCs must cross the border, investigate, and try to bring the war to a close before foreign troops overrun the capitol.

-- -- --

Gateway Rose:

Spoiler

Show

Large Plant*
Hit Dice: 7d8+28 (59hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 20ft (4 squares), Climb 10ft
Armor Class, Whole: 17 (-1 size, +1 dex, +7 Natural), 10 touch, 16 flat-footed
Armor Class, Protrusion: 19 (+1 size, +1 dex, +7 Natural), 12 touch, 18 flat-footed
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+18 (whole) or +6 (protrusion)
Attack: Thorns +9 melee 1d3+5+Poison
Full Attack: Thorns +9 melee 1d3+5+Poison, see Text.
Space/Reach, Whole: 10 ft./5ft.
Space/Reach, Protrusion: 5 ft./5ft.
Special Attacks: Improved Grab, Poison
Special Qualities: Blindsight 30ft, Plant Traits, Passage, Resistance to electricity 10 and cold 10, Camouflage, Flexible, Altered Actions
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +7
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 12, Con 19, Int 16, Wis 21, Cha 18
Skills: Bluff +7, Escape Artist +3, Gather Information +6, Hide +7 (+15 Protrusion), Listen +15, Knowledge (Geography) +13, Sense Motive +8, Sleight of Hand +11***.
Feats: Power Attack, Ability Focus (Poison), Combat Reflexes
Environment: Material Plane
Organization: Solitary, or with servants
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Often Lawful Neutral
Advancement**: 8-12 HD (Large), 13-18 HD (Huge), 19-27 HD (Gargantuan)
Level Adjustment: +7 (Cohort only)


* A Gateway Rose is intelligent, and thus a much more dangerous combatant than most plants. When advancing by Hit Dice, add one CR per two HD. Thus a 13HD advanced Gateway Rose has a CR of 11, and a 19HD advanced Gateway Rose has a CR of 15.
** Attacks made by protrusions count towards the total of 4 thorn attacks a Gateway Rose can make as a full-attack.
*** A Gateway Rose has a +4 racial bonus on Sleight of Hand checks to hide things within its foliage.


Note: The effective size of a Gateway Rose varies with the use of its Passage power. In the above statistics, "whole" is to be used when all or most of the the Gateway Rose is present, while "protrusion" applies to any element sized between Tiny and Small. Portions of the rose smaller than this cannot generally attack, and damage to them is generally considered negligible.

Appearance and Behavior
Long before the advent of the intelligent races, the vines of this beautiful rosebush grew only a few feet long. With slow, cautious movements, it slipped through passages of its own making and hunted small mammals for the nutrients it could not obtain from soil.
Over time, Gateway Roses learned to use its beauty as an asset. If fed and cared for, they could grow far larger than in the wild. They learned to speak common, sylvan, and other tongues. In exchange for feasts of meat, they became powerful allies.

A typical, large-sized Gateway Rose weights about 400lbs.

Combat

When initiating combat against a solitary target, a Gateway Rose prefers to attack from above. It will open a passage above its foe, strike with its thorns, and quickly retreat. It may repeat this many times as it waits for its foe to succumb to poison.
It will try to separate multiple foes by attacking violently and suddenly, then retreating through a passage.
If forced to flee, a Gateway Rose is typically prepared with a sheltered base where it may withdraw to. Unlike the false retreats it makes while on the offensive, it will fight violently to ensure that its foes cannot follow it through this portal.

Altered Actions:
A Gateway Rose is an enormous, flexible creature. While one limb attacks, another may be retreating, climbing, or activating items. Each 5ft square is entitled to a single action each round--full-round, standard, move, or swift/immediate--as a result of its bulky, intertwined structure. As compensation, each limb acts independently. Even if the rest of the Gateway Rose takes a move action, a section which remains stationary may still make an attack, for example.
Free actions are have no cost, however..

Blindsight (Ex):

Gateway Roses are are able to see normally; they can also ascertain all foes within 30 feet using sound and vibration.


Passage (Su): As a free action, a Gateway Rose may open up a portal of any size between 2 feet and 10ft in diameter and in any orientation between any two unoccupied locations on the material plane, one of which must be within 5ft of some appendage of itself. The passage lasts as long as the Gateway Rose desires, but it can only have as many passages open at one time as are given on Table: Passage. Closing a passage takes a standard action.


Creatures may pass all or partially through the gate as if the locations were directly adjacent to one another. Objects or creatures straddling the passage as it is closed are shunted out one side unharmed.


Table: Passage

{table=head]Size | Passages
Large | 4
Huge | 8
Gargantuan | 12
[/table]

Camouflage (Ex):
A motionless Gateway Rose looks like just another rose to the untrained eye. However, a DC30 Knowledge(Nature) check can be used to identify it. A DC20 Knowledge (Horticulture) check can substitute, or a DC15 Knowledge(Roses) check.
A Gateway Rose that chooses not to show flowers gets a +4 racial bonus to hide checks in areas with low, green vegetation.


Improved Grab (Ex):

To use this ability, a Gateway Rose must hit with its thorn attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.


Flexible (Ex):


A Gateway Rose, rather than being confined to a square shape, forms a flexible chain 5ft wide and of length proportional to its space. Adjacent 5ft square elements must simply remain adjacent to each other at all times. The rose is treated as small for the purposes of squeezing through tight spaces.


Poison (Ex):

Injury, DC 19 (Constitution Based). Initial Wisdom damage 1d4, secondary damage results in unconsciousness. A Gateway Rose may choose not to inject poison, and will typically do so in order to continue to appear as a mundane rose.


-=-=-=-=-=-=-

- Optional -

Lore
These checks may also be made using Knowledge (Horticulture) with a +10 circumstance bonus or a Knowledge (Roses) check with a +15 circumstance bonus.
DC30 Knowledge (Nature) : This is a plant creature disguising itself as a rose.
DC35 Knowledge (Nature) : It is known as a Gateway Rose for its ability to create portals throughout the material plane.
DC40 Knowledge (Nature) : They are carnivorous, mobile, and intelligent. Their thorns are full of venom.

Plot Hook/Story if any

Cardinal Agent:

Spoiler

Show

Cardinal Agent

3/4 BAB
d6 HD
Good Reflex and Will
6+Int skills
Skills: Balance, Bluff, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Forgery, Gather Information, Intimidate, Knowledge (Local), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty), Knowledge (Religion), Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Perform, Profession, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, Tumble, Use Rope, Use Magic Device

Requirements:
Combat Expertise and either Persuasive or Negotiator.
Bluff 10 ranks, Sense Motive 10 ranks, Gather Information 5 ranks

1: Skill Mastery, Blind Fight, Sneak Attack +1d6
2: Skill Mastery, Urban Tracking, Silver Tongue, Evasion
3: Skill Mastery, False Pretenses, Sneak Attack +2d6
4: Skill Mastery, Diverting Feint, Slippery Mind
5: Skill Mastery, Instant Defense, Improved Blind Fight, Sneak Attack +3d6
6: Skill Mastery, Die, Improved Evasion, Slippery Personality

Proficient: Light Armor
All Simple Weapons, Sap, Throwing axe, Short Sword, Rapier, Shortbow, Whip, Bolas, Shuriken, and Light and Hand crossbows.

Sneak Attack:

This is exactly like the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage dealt increases by +1d6 every other level (1st, 3rd, and 5th). If an agent gets a sneak attack bonus from another source the bonuses on damage stack.


Skill Mastery:

At each level, the agent chooses one new skill. It is always considered a class skill for him, and when making a skill check with one of these skills, he may take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent him from doing so.

Blind Fight:
A agent gains Blind-Fight as a bonus feat.

Silver Tongue (Ex):
At 2nd level, a agent may attempt to obfuscate any secret message he delivers with the Bluff skill. He may choose what false information is inferred by anyone attempting to intercept a secret message. Additionally, he may choose to obfuscate his message. He adds the same number to both his own DC to deliver the secret message, but also to the Sense Motive DC of anyone attempting to intercept the message.

Urban Tracking:
A agent gains Urban Tracking as a bonus feat.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/cl...#urbanTracking

Evasion (Ex):
At 2nd level and higher, a agent can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the agent is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless agent does not gain the benefit of evasion.

False Pretenses:
A agent gains False Pretenses as a bonus feat. He need not satisfy the prerequisite.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/bu...falsePretenses

Diverting Feint (Su):
Whenever he feints in combat, a agent of 4th level or higher may also confuse his target as to his location until his next attack. He may appear to displace himself up to 5ft if he succeeds on his bluff check. The target treats the agent as invisible, but believes him to be at his apparent position. Each time the target attacks this apparent position, it is entitled another special sense motive check to recognize the agent's actual position. Success, however, does not allow the target to regain its dexterity bonus against the agent's next attack.
A ally of the target may take an Aid Another action to reveal the agent's actual position to the target. Alternatively, a successful hit on the agent (by guessing his location) will reveal the agent's actual position.

Slippery Mind (Ex):
If the agent is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails his saving throw, he can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. He gets only this one extra chance to succeed on his saving throw.

Instant Defense (Ex):
Once per round, a agent who is struck in melee combat may, before damage is resolved, force a reroll of the attack. In exchange, he takes immediate defensive action. He cannot take a standard action during the next turn--not even Total Defense--but may take a move action in its place (i.e. for a total of two move actions during the next round).

Improved Blind Fight (Ex):
The agent becomes highly adept at fighting foes he cannot see. He gains blindsense out to 30ft and ignores the miss chance caused by any concealment that is less than total. Additionally, even when striking invisible foes, or those with total concealment, he may add sneak-attack damage. His speed is never reduced due to poor visibility.

Improved Evasion (Ex):
This ability works like evasion, except that while the agent still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth he takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless agent does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Die (Su):
A agent is capable of feigning his death in an utterly convincing manner. Whenever he survives any effect which, given average results on all rolls for damage and saving throws, would result in his immediate death, he may immediately choose to instead feign death. He collapses dead for 1d6 hours, during which time he cannot move, see, hear, or otherwise act. At the end of this time, he regains the ability to take actions. However, any damage inflicted since the moment he feigned death immediately takes effect. Thus a Coup de Grace inflicted after his death would deal damage as normal, but the agent would not need to make a fortitude save to survive. Thus while feigning death after a near-mortal blow is likely to be fatal to the agent, particularly if the blow dropped him below 0hp, feigning death after surviving Finger of Death is much less likely to prove fatal.

Even after he returns from the dead, the agent is treated as dead for all purposes save his own actions. He is not a valid target for any spell that targets only creatures, unless cast by himself. He is not even undead. Deathwatch reports him as dead, and he is a valid target for spells such as Speak with Dead. He is even a valid target for True Resurrection, which would either have no result (if he refuses to return) or result in his soul departing his body and reforming in the body created by the True Resurrection. Nevertheless, he must eat, sleep, and breath (or not, if those would not typically be required).

As a special case of the above, a agent who is animated as undead while feigning death is transformed into an appropriate undead. He retains his mental statistics, skills, feats, class features, and other such abilities, even if raised as mindless undead, such as a zombie. However, in this case, the agent would be unable to challenge the absolute control of the caster who animated him. He might even be forced to reveal his intelligence to his master if he is given an order that would normally be beyond the ability of a similar creature to follow. For example, a typical skeleton would be unable to follow an order to "report anyone suspicious," while a agent animated as a skeleton would be compelled to.

Note that it is the agent's ability to take actions while otherwise dead that makes this a supernatural ability. If he is exposed to an antimagic field or similar magic, he collapses dead until the magic is removed.

While feigning death, the agent must lay low. He cannot interact with other creatures. If any other intelligent creature--even his animal companion--sees him alive and well, this effect immediately ends. Casting a spell which affect others (a ray spell which misses does not count, while a spell which is resisted or saved against does), or even speaking to them from behind cover both also end this effect. However, he may affect others in an indirect manner. Not if he shoves a boulder from a great height, nor if someone hears him moving, nor even if he leaves notes for others to find does this effect end.

It is inevitable, though, that some agents may find themselves unable to escape detection in a manner which would end this effect. To escape such detection, a agent may act as a corpse. He makes a bluff check opposed by spot checks of any observers. If he succeeds, they believe him to be a corpse, otherwise the effect ends immediately.

Note that a agent may not terminate this effect on his own. If he feigns death and later finds himself entombed alone in a cave, he cannot end it so as to allow others to find him.

Slippery Personality (Su):
A agent can help his allies to shrug off enchantments. If he recognizes an ally to be under the effect of some enchantment, he may speak to them to grant them his Slippery Mind ability for one round. In this case, the saving throw does not need to be made 1 round after the failed save, but rather within 1 round of recieving the Slippery Mind ability. This still does not permit a character to make more than two saving throws against the same enchantment.