Difference between revisions of "Paragon Paths of Liminal"
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==Class Paragon Paths== | ==Class Paragon Paths== | ||
===Arcane Paragon Paths=== | ===Arcane Paragon Paths=== | ||
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* '''Academy Master:''' ''Any Arcane''. Liminal produces many Academy Masters, by virtue of its promulgation of schools of arcane lore. | * '''Academy Master:''' ''Any Arcane''. Liminal produces many Academy Masters, by virtue of its promulgation of schools of arcane lore. | ||
* '''The Argent (Silverstar):''' ''Any Arcane or Divine who worships the Empyrean gods''. Priests and magi who wield powers of silver luminance and illusion against lycanthropes and other agents of deceit and murder, the Argent are most often found among the priesthoods of Xanayr. There are a great many Argent magi among the [[House of a Thousand Veils]]. | * '''The Argent (Silverstar):''' ''Any Arcane or Divine who worships the Empyrean gods''. Priests and magi who wield powers of silver luminance and illusion against lycanthropes and other agents of deceit and murder, the Argent are most often found among the priesthoods of Xanayr. There are a great many Argent magi among the [[House of a Thousand Veils]]. | ||
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* '''Ravenkin:''' ''Any Arcane, training in Religion''. The Ravenkin are the especial servitors of Gauntpeak's Raven Queen, and share her fascination with the gods of the mortal realms. The vast majority of these magi hail from the Raven Queen's court directly, or from the [[Fallen House]] academy. | * '''Ravenkin:''' ''Any Arcane, training in Religion''. The Ravenkin are the especial servitors of Gauntpeak's Raven Queen, and share her fascination with the gods of the mortal realms. The vast majority of these magi hail from the Raven Queen's court directly, or from the [[Fallen House]] academy. | ||
* '''Shadowthief:''' ''Any Arcane''. Dabbling in the powers of shadow magic or running afoul of certain curses can result in the creation of a shadow thief. There are noteworthy shadowthieves among the mages of the [[Fallen House]], as well as one or two in the [[House of a Thousand Veils]]. | * '''Shadowthief:''' ''Any Arcane''. Dabbling in the powers of shadow magic or running afoul of certain curses can result in the creation of a shadow thief. There are noteworthy shadowthieves among the mages of the [[Fallen House]], as well as one or two in the [[House of a Thousand Veils]]. | ||
− | + | ====Artificer==== | |
* '''Arcane Armorer:''' ''Artificer with shielding elixir infusion''. Foremost in their use of defensive magics, the arts of the Arcane Armorer are an ancient dwarven discipline. Today, many mercenary companies use their secrets, and the [[Phoenix Tower]] in Liminal continues to teach its arts, as does the Spellwrights' Guild (whose dwarven artificers consider the talent almost proprietary to their race). | * '''Arcane Armorer:''' ''Artificer with shielding elixir infusion''. Foremost in their use of defensive magics, the arts of the Arcane Armorer are an ancient dwarven discipline. Today, many mercenary companies use their secrets, and the [[Phoenix Tower]] in Liminal continues to teach its arts, as does the Spellwrights' Guild (whose dwarven artificers consider the talent almost proprietary to their race). | ||
* '''Battle Engineer:''' ''Artificer''. Potent warriors in their own right, Battle Engineers prefer to turn their talents inward, unleashing terrible devastation with their powers on the front lines. Most of the military forces in Liminal know these secrets. | * '''Battle Engineer:''' ''Artificer''. Potent warriors in their own right, Battle Engineers prefer to turn their talents inward, unleashing terrible devastation with their powers on the front lines. Most of the military forces in Liminal know these secrets. | ||
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===Martial Paragon Paths=== | ===Martial Paragon Paths=== | ||
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* '''Corsair (Sword Coast Corsair):''' ''Any Martial''. Masters of the open seas, corsairs come from all walks of life and legal standing, from the noblest of naval officers to the foulest of pirates. They are most at home on the rocking deck of a ship at sea, but carry their bravado and quick-footed skills everywhere they go. | * '''Corsair (Sword Coast Corsair):''' ''Any Martial''. Masters of the open seas, corsairs come from all walks of life and legal standing, from the noblest of naval officers to the foulest of pirates. They are most at home on the rocking deck of a ship at sea, but carry their bravado and quick-footed skills everywhere they go. | ||
* '''Soldier of Conquest:''' ''Any Martial or Any Divine who worships the Talion gods.''. Favored by the Red Lady, there are masters of battlefield violence to be found in all the Talion priesthoods, and even among those who are not priests themselves. | * '''Soldier of Conquest:''' ''Any Martial or Any Divine who worships the Talion gods.''. Favored by the Red Lady, there are masters of battlefield violence to be found in all the Talion priesthoods, and even among those who are not priests themselves. | ||
===Divine Paragon Paths=== | ===Divine Paragon Paths=== | ||
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* '''The Argent (Silverstar):''' ''Any Arcane or Divine who worships the Empyrean gods''. Priests and magi who wield powers of silver luminance and illusion against lycanthropes and other agents of deceit and murder, the Argent are most often found among the priesthoods of Xanayr. | * '''The Argent (Silverstar):''' ''Any Arcane or Divine who worships the Empyrean gods''. Priests and magi who wield powers of silver luminance and illusion against lycanthropes and other agents of deceit and murder, the Argent are most often found among the priesthoods of Xanayr. | ||
* '''Chromatic Bane:''' ''Any Divine''. Holy dragon-hunters who hunt down and extinguish the lingering Primoridal powers that gather in wicked dragons, the Chromatic Banes all belong to the ''Order of the Platinum Dragon'', an order of holy knights sponsored by all the churches, Empyrean and Talion. | * '''Chromatic Bane:''' ''Any Divine''. Holy dragon-hunters who hunt down and extinguish the lingering Primoridal powers that gather in wicked dragons, the Chromatic Banes all belong to the ''Order of the Platinum Dragon'', an order of holy knights sponsored by all the churches, Empyrean and Talion. | ||
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* '''Soldier of Conquest:''' ''Any Martial or Any Divine who worships the Talion gods.''. Favored by the Red Lady, there are masters of battlefield violence to be found in all the Talion priesthoods, and even among those who are not priests themselves. | * '''Soldier of Conquest:''' ''Any Martial or Any Divine who worships the Talion gods.''. Favored by the Red Lady, there are masters of battlefield violence to be found in all the Talion priesthoods, and even among those who are not priests themselves. | ||
* '''Soul Reaper:''' ''Any Divine''. Blessed by Aldinmure and the Grim alike, Soul Reapers serve to speed those whose time has come to their final demise. There are Soul Reapers in the priesthoods of both Empyrean and Talion churches. | * '''Soul Reaper:''' ''Any Divine''. Blessed by Aldinmure and the Grim alike, Soul Reapers serve to speed those whose time has come to their final demise. There are Soul Reapers in the priesthoods of both Empyrean and Talion churches. | ||
− | '''''Avenger''''' | + | ====Avenger==== |
+ | * '''Agent of the Unbroken Circle:''' ''Avenger''. Most church hierarchies are careful to monitor their numbers for signs of heresy and apostacy. To this end come the Agents (who are often known by different names in different faiths), who are tasked with finding such corruption and rooting it out. Unwavering in their duties and nigh incorruptible themselves, the coming of these Agents is often an intimidating event to the faithful. | ||
+ | * '''Ardent Champion:''' ''Avenger with Censure of Pursuit''. Some Avengers are unconcerned with heirarchies and churchly organizations, eschewing formal initiations and training. Instead, they seek the truths of their god within, in the burning kernel of soul-deep devotion that drives them. These are the Ardent Champions, and most of the organized orthodoxies of the various religions consider them dangerous and uncontrolled rebels. | ||
* '''Covenant Agent:''' ''Avenger''. The finest of holy assassins, Covenant Agents can be found in a variety of religious orders. Most of the Talion churches maintain multiple separate orders for their agents. Though the Empyrean churches often deny its existence, and fear what could happen if its influence and power grew, they do maintain the Heavenly Convenant, an order of holy assassins whose aid may be invoked in terrible circumstances. | * '''Covenant Agent:''' ''Avenger''. The finest of holy assassins, Covenant Agents can be found in a variety of religious orders. Most of the Talion churches maintain multiple separate orders for their agents. Though the Empyrean churches often deny its existence, and fear what could happen if its influence and power grew, they do maintain the Heavenly Convenant, an order of holy assassins whose aid may be invoked in terrible circumstances. | ||
+ | * '''Dervish of Dawn:''' ''Avenger''. Ascetics who go into wild, harsh natural places to dwell for a time, seeking spiritual ecstasy and a hardening of the body which houses the soul, the Dervishes are a tradition known among the faithful of Aevo, the Two Mothers, Aldinmure and Khoro (although due to their eschewing of civilization, it is nearly a heretical vocation there). | ||
+ | * '''Dread Imperator:''' ''Avenger of a Talion god''. Terrible would-be priest-kings, Dread Imperators instill obedience and fear in their enemies, and deep fanatical loyalty in their allies. They are most common in the Makorynite Iron Heresy, but all of the Talion churches have had to deal with avengers who are divinely inspired to not simply serve with their power, but to actively rule. | ||
+ | * '''Favored Soul:''' ''Avenger''. Found in all faiths, Favored Souls have been touched by their god directly, and become more like their angelic or devilish servitors than the priests who worship them. The coming of a Favored Soul is often a mixed blessing in a parish: they carry the favor and word of their gods directly, but they also often bring death in their wake. | ||
+ | * '''Hammer of Judgment:''' ''Avenger''. As steel must bend to the smith's hammer, so must the enemies of the avenger's god be broken by the Hammer of Judgment. Weilders of hammers and maces, these avengers often are part of various knighthoods and warrior orders. | ||
+ | * '''Oathsworn:''' ''Avenger''. Defined by his mastery of the ''oath of enmity'', the Oathsworn's vow of destruction against a foe has terrible and holy power over that enemy. The Oathsworn are some of the most populous of Paragon Paths among Avengers. | ||
+ | * '''Relentless Slayer:''' ''Avenger''. Investing their oaths with even greater fervor than other avengers, Relentless Slayers are consummate hunters and inquisitors, always seeking the influence of their enemies. | ||
+ | * '''Serene Initiate:''' ''Avenger''. Monks and cloistered ascetics who balance the fury and vengeance of their vocation with a need for contemplation and meditation, Serene Initiates are unwavering in their duties. Though many faiths have monastic orders whose numbers include Serene Initiates (sometimes without even the other monks knowing), the largest gathering of these is in the Heavenly Convenant. | ||
+ | * '''Unveiled Visage:''' ''Avenger''. An initiate into the most sacred of rites, these avengers have seen the literal face of their gods and been transformed by it. Their own visages glow with divine radiance, and they must often go masked or veiled. As the power grows within them, they become angelic (for Empyrean avengers) or devilish (for Talion ones). Unveiled Visage traditions are usually taught as part of secret initiatory societies and occult religious orders. | ||
+ | * '''Watcher of Vengeance:''' ''Avenger trained in Insight or Perception''. Investigators, spies and intelligence-gatherers, the Watchers seek information about the enemies of their church. When they can personally root out what they find themselves, they do so; if they cannot, they bring such lore back to their priesthoods to be dealt with. | ||
+ | * '''Watchful Shepherd:''' ''Avenger''. Hidden in plain sight, these avengers almost never belong to formal orders. They are often wanderers, or have been in disguise in an area so long that no one thinks of them oddly. They do not wear their affiliations or show their talents openly, and the tradition is one among the avengers of the faiths often taken up by those who have seen too much violence and wish to retire without giving up their holy avocation. | ||
+ | * '''Zealous Assassin:''' ''Avenger trained in Stealth''. Stealthy, cunning and ruthless, the Zealous bring murder to the level of holy sacrament. Though the clergy know such men and women exist, their actual identities are usually concealed from all save those who they operate for. The Heavenly Covenant produces the greatest number of these avengers. | ||
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===Primal Paragon Paths=== | ===Primal Paragon Paths=== | ||
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* '''Nocturnal:''' ''Any Primal''. Night hunters and shadowy predators, the Nocturnals find the creatures of night and ferocious freedom most worthy of their reverence, and embody those traits themselves. | * '''Nocturnal:''' ''Any Primal''. Night hunters and shadowy predators, the Nocturnals find the creatures of night and ferocious freedom most worthy of their reverence, and embody those traits themselves. | ||
* '''Gatekeeper Mystagoguge:''' ''Any Primal''. Charged with defending the borders between the worlds and hunting down the unnatural, Gatekeeper Mystagogues are the sworn enemies of aberrants and other horrors of the Far Realms. | * '''Gatekeeper Mystagoguge:''' ''Any Primal''. Charged with defending the borders between the worlds and hunting down the unnatural, Gatekeeper Mystagogues are the sworn enemies of aberrants and other horrors of the Far Realms. | ||
+ | ====Druid==== | ||
+ | * '''Blightbeast:''' ''Druid''. Rot and decay are just as much a part of the natural cycle as new life and birth. Blightbeasts are druids who take the hard, lonely road to ensure that there is ''room'' in the world for new life, and sometimes that means ending that which has served its purpose. They use the darker elements of nature in their goals, and do not fear the coldness of death. Indeed, many of them see themselves as its agents. | ||
+ | * '''Blood Moon Stalker:''' ''Druid with Wild Shape''. The Blood Moon is a mythical time, when the Primal Beast stalks the world in physical form. The predators of the world are said to be more dangerous and filled with an insatiable hunger during this time. Some druids have learned to tap into this, empowering their animal forms with a ferocity unheard of even among other druids. The druids of the orcish Badlands are known for these talents, as are the druids among the shifters of the Delannwood. | ||
+ | * '''Coiled Serpent:''' ''Druid''. Though many druids have forms they prefer, the Coiled Serpent has delved into the primal mysteries of serpents, and come away transformed. Their beastforms are frequently ophidian in form, and they become masters of venom and stealth. Druids who dwell in or watch over places known for their serpents are most likely to tap into these secrets. | ||
+ | * '''Guardian of the Living Gate:''' ''Druid''. Protectors of the natural world from extraplanar violation, the Guardians often consider the threat of the Far Realm to be the worst such threat. The Guardians are unusually common in and around Liminal, which has a long tradition of weak planar barriers. | ||
+ | * '''Inner Circle Initiate:''' ''Druid''. The Druid Circles of Rinhony are not many in number: the Circle of Frost in the north, the Forbidden Covenant in the Empire of the Nine, the Circle of Delann in the Delannwood, the Rivers Circle of the Badlands and River Kingdoms, the Circle of Stone & Storm in the western mountains of the continent. Most druids receive initial training from these Circles, and those who are so motivated may come to hold important positions in these Circles. | ||
+ | * '''Keeper of the Hidden Flame:''' ''Druid''. The Hidden Flame is a spark of burning vitality and passion, calling upon it to fuel their hunts and mating. When the Hidden Flame burns out of control, madness and savage fury overtakes the beast or man. The Keepers help excise those who have fallen out of balance with their own Hidden Flame, and learn to raise savagery in the breast of their allies when it is needful. It is said that this tradition is richest among orc-kind. | ||
+ | * '''Luminescent Swarm:''' ''Druid with Primal Swarm''. The ancients tell of swarms of kind, luminous insects who guided the nascent tribes of early humanity to safety. Though these insects are long gone - if ever they truly existed outside of druidkind - some druids with an interest in protecting civilization may tap into those ancient mysteries. Their swarm-bodies glow with an otherworldly, glimmering light, bewildering and dazzling enemies. | ||
+ | * '''Pack Lord:''' ''Druid''. Many druids who summon beasts to their aid may come to invest themselves with the powers of this path, not simply as skilled summoners but the very masters of such animals. Their affinity strengthens the beasts they summon. Many druids of the Feywild and fey-kind master these techniques. | ||
+ | * '''Primal Summoner:''' ''Druid''. Callers of ancient spirit-animals to their aid, primal summoners are druids seek a mastery over the summoning arts that other druids do not possess. In the height of their power, they may summon the Primal Slayer, a terrifying spirit-beast of brutal power. These arts are known throughout all druid-kind, although the human and halfling druids of the River Kingdoms are best known for them. | ||
+ | * '''Sky Hunter:''' ''Druid with Wild Shape''. Druids with a great affinity for the predators of the sky sometimes find within themselves the means of tapping into these mysteries. It is said that there is a hidden circle of druids in the Ilandor Mountains who hold these ancient secrets. | ||
+ | * '''Spiral Wind's Ally:''' ''Druid''. The Spiral Wind is a potent spirit of the lands, and one that has often followed the nomadic tribes of humanoids throughout history. These druids are often nomads, and are renowned healers as well. The Spiral Wind favors the mountains and plains of western Rinhony, and so the druid of the River Kingdoms and those rare druids who dwell in the Thundering Range and Sunset Peaks (many of whom are dwarves) come to ally themselves with it. | ||
+ | * '''Storm Speaker:''' ''Druid''. The druids of eastern Rinhony are feared as storm-callers and masters of tempests, thanks to the great storms that sweep in across those lands. In the Empire of the Nine, Storm Speakers (and often druids in general) are hunted, as they hold rebellious thoughts against the sorcerer-kings of the Empire, claiming the very land rises up against the sorcerous shackles they impose on it. | ||
+ | * '''Swirling Samara:''' ''Druid with Primal Swarm''. Some swarm-druids evolve beyond bodies of swarming insects, and pick up leaves, winged seeds and other natural detritus, making them supremely adaptable. The druids of the Delannwood are best known for these mysteries, a tradition of dwelling in a forest land often rocked by great storms that blow in off the eastern waters. | ||
+ | * '''Vermin Lord:''' ''Druid of Evil or Chaotic Evil alignment''. Feared and often reviled, Vermin Lords have found a kinship with insects and other vermin that horrify others. It is not enough that they protect such populations of creatures - Vermin Lords invite them to take up residence ''in their own bodies'', learning to direct them in useful ways. | ||
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+ | * '''x:''' ''x''. x | ||
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===Psionic Paragon Paths=== | ===Psionic Paragon Paths=== | ||
There are very few psionic-based orders or organizations in the world of Liminal. As such, most Paragon Paths are basically either the rediscovery of ancient lore or are refinements of already-possessed psychic techniques. | There are very few psionic-based orders or organizations in the world of Liminal. As such, most Paragon Paths are basically either the rediscovery of ancient lore or are refinements of already-possessed psychic techniques. | ||
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* '''Incandescent Champion:''' ''Any Psionic''. These psionicists have tapped not just into the powers of their minds, but their very souls, igniting them with psionic power like burning, white-hot stars within their bodies. Incandescent champions are enemies of those who would traffic in or corrupt souls. | * '''Incandescent Champion:''' ''Any Psionic''. These psionicists have tapped not just into the powers of their minds, but their very souls, igniting them with psionic power like burning, white-hot stars within their bodies. Incandescent champions are enemies of those who would traffic in or corrupt souls. | ||
− | + | ====Ardent==== | |
* '''Anarchic Adept:''' ''Ardent''. Rigid self-control is the first tool ardents learn to wield, but a rare few later discover there is tremendous power waiting within the well of that roiling chaos they lock away in their minds. Tapping into this chaos is dangerous, but also grants tremendous power. | * '''Anarchic Adept:''' ''Ardent''. Rigid self-control is the first tool ardents learn to wield, but a rare few later discover there is tremendous power waiting within the well of that roiling chaos they lock away in their minds. Tapping into this chaos is dangerous, but also grants tremendous power. | ||
* '''Argent Soul:''' ''Ardent''. Bolstered and empowered by pure and good emotions, the Argent Soul glimmers with a silvery light to those who see him. Argent Souls are a source of confidence and a balm for pain for those around them. | * '''Argent Soul:''' ''Ardent''. Bolstered and empowered by pure and good emotions, the Argent Soul glimmers with a silvery light to those who see him. Argent Souls are a source of confidence and a balm for pain for those around them. | ||
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* '''Stygian Adept:''' ''Ardent''. The shadows of fear, pain and madness are potent weapons in the mind of a foe, tucked away waiting to be discovered and used by those skilled enough to do so. The Stygian Adept is a master at plucking out these weapons and using them with deft touch against their foes. | * '''Stygian Adept:''' ''Ardent''. The shadows of fear, pain and madness are potent weapons in the mind of a foe, tucked away waiting to be discovered and used by those skilled enough to do so. The Stygian Adept is a master at plucking out these weapons and using them with deft touch against their foes. | ||
* '''Talaric Strategist:''' ''Ardent''. The ancient Talaric Codex was written by a psionic warrior society devoted to destroying incursions from the Far Realms. Occasionally, modern ardents discover fragments of this ancient Codex, unlocking its secrets for turning their psionic potency into a finely-honed tactical weapon in battle. | * '''Talaric Strategist:''' ''Ardent''. The ancient Talaric Codex was written by a psionic warrior society devoted to destroying incursions from the Far Realms. Occasionally, modern ardents discover fragments of this ancient Codex, unlocking its secrets for turning their psionic potency into a finely-honed tactical weapon in battle. | ||
+ | ====Monk==== | ||
+ | * '''Basilisk's Fury Adept:''' ''Monk''. Though many monasteries teach fighting styles based on animals, the Basilisk Art is practically a lost art. Most likely learned from a half-crumbling scroll tucked away in a monastery library, these techniques involve the exertion of great spiritual power through the gaze of the monk, whose eyes become jet black while its abilities are in use. | ||
+ | * '''Falling Needle Itinerant:''' ''Monk''. Wanderer monks are not unusual - any given monastic tradition has a handful of such itinerants. Those who study the philosophy of the Falling Needle are rarer, though, finding in their philosophy a demand for freedom whether on the road of life or in their maneuverability against a foe. Most monastic traditions teach some variation of this philosophy. | ||
+ | * '''Four Winds Master:''' ''Monk''. Finding in the movements of the four winds a secret for using those very winds in battle, the Four Winds Master seeks peace and tranquility. Though its movement may accomplish much, the wind does not move with a purpose: its purpose is the movement itself. Many monasteries that teach elemental masteries teach these techniques. | ||
+ | * '''Ghostwalker:''' ''Monk''. The tradition of the ghostwalker is a rare one. All must study with the strange masters of the shadow arts who dwell at the edge of or even within the Shadowfell, contemplating the nature of life and death, and the migration of souls into the Shadowfell after death. Ghostwalkers are capable of wrapping themselves in shadow. | ||
+ | * '''Initiate of the Dragon:''' ''Monk''. The Dragon Mysteries are a philosophy studied by rare monks. Though these teachings are found in nearly every monastic tradition, only a rare few will ever study it. Even fewer will master it - but those who do are a wonder to behold, sharing in the spirit of terrifying dragonkind in battle. Half-orcs often find that these mysteries come easily to them, as they learn that the rage that burns in their breast is dragon-like, and waits only the disciplines and skill of these mysteries to ally with, rather than constantly struggle against. | ||
+ | * '''Tiger Claw Master:''' ''Monk''. x | ||
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+ | * '''x:''' ''x''. x | ||
==Racial Paragon Paths== | ==Racial Paragon Paths== | ||
− | + | ===Deva=== | |
+ | * '''Ancestral Incarnate:''' ''Deva''. Though all deva have a tenuous connection to their past lives, the ancestral incarnate has more: he has an actual relationship with them, through a bond so strong that sometimes he takes the form of those who preceded them, or calls ghostly versions of them forth to aid him. | ||
+ | * '''Dark Star:''' ''Deva''. A deva that has returned - through great strength of will - back to the path of the righteous, the dark stars are those who fell in their previous life into rakshasadom, but are now redeemed...barely. Memories of a lifetime of monstrousness still lay at their fingertips. | ||
+ | * '''Heavenly Deceiver:''' ''Deva''. One who walks close to the edge of becoming rakshasa may find that they can reach past the veil that separates deva from rakshasa to tap into great powers of illusion and deception. Those who do this walk a perilous path - one misstep, and their souls become corrupted entirely. | ||
+ | ===Elf=== | ||
+ | * '''''Ea'Veliseth'' (Seldarine Dedicate):''' ''Elf or Eladrin; Cleric; Proficiency with Longbow or Shortbow''. Though rare is the elf who eschews the natural worship of the land in favor of worshipping the gods, those elves who dedicate themselves to the gods (Empyrean or Talion) may be blessed for their devotion. These favored saints occupy important positions in their temples, and even in elven society as a whole, for even the normally agnostic elven culture cannot help but sense the radiant devotion that the "Blessed of the Heavens" exude. | ||
+ | * '''Keeper of the Past:''' ''Elf; Bard, Shaman or Warlord''. Elven spirits return to the land to become part of the spiritual ecology, occasionally pausing in that role to be reborn in a newborn. The Keeper of the Past sings the songs of the ancestors to a newborn elven child, reminding him of who has been, and speaks the deeds of the newly dead, that the spirits may welcome them back. The Keeper of the Past is a leader in elven culture, inspiring with stories of ancient heroes and reminding the elven people that the spirits of the land and the spirits of their ancestors are the ''same thing'' - to fail one is to fail both. | ||
+ | * '''Sylvan Archer:''' ''Elf; Ranger''. There is something in the elven soul that sings when a bow finds the hand of that elf. To the archer, the bow has never stopped singing the song of the tree from which it was made, and those who are truly aware can learn to sing a part in that song. These archers are capable of terrifying feats of archery, and are utterly at home in the forests of the world. | ||
+ | * '''Twilight Guardian:''' ''Elf''. It is among the elven people that one finds the strongest natural affinity for the living flows of the natural world. Some elves may tap into this, building the trickle of life energy into a raging flow, becoming defenders of the natural world and rewarded for their custodianship with great natural power. The elves of the Delannwood are best-known for this tradition among elvenkind. | ||
+ | ===Half-Orc=== | ||
+ | * '''Bloodfury Savage:''' ''Half-orc''. All half-orcs struggle with the specter of imminent violence and rage. Some, however, give themselves over to the war-drums that beat in their hearts, tapping into this rage as a source of power. They do not battle the rage, but neither are they controlled by it - instead, they ride it as a horseman rides his mount, and is made strong thereby. | ||
+ | * '''Lightning Blitzer:''' ''Half-orc; Cleric or Paladin''. Swiftness and speed are the traits best favored by orcish raiders, and resilience and strength are the watchwords of humankind. Through the blessings of their god, both of these find their full manifestation in the Lightning Blitzer, who are capable of great feats of speed even while heavily armored. | ||
+ | * '''Mighty Judge:''' ''Half-orc; Avenger with Censure of Pursuit''. This tradition among avengers teaches that the rage of the half-orc can be turned toward just causes: that of one's god, specifically. The Mighty Judges eschew the stealth of so many of their fellows. Instead, they stand in open judgment of the foes of their god, reveling in their power and the fear it fills their enemies with. | ||
+ | * '''''Sharakim'' Blademaster:''' ''Half-orc or Orc; Swordmage with Aegis of Assault''. Though they are rarely encountered, the sword-dervishes of the orcish people, who wield blackest sorcery alongside fine swordwork, are greatly feared. The Blademasters are the masters of this order, responsible for training their people in its ancient traditions. | ||
+ | ===Human=== | ||
+ | * '''Adroit Explorer:''' ''Human''. Humans have notorious reputations for their restlessness. Though this means that some see them as flighty, it also means they are constantly pushing at frontiers and discovering new things. The Adroit Explorer is the perfect manifestation of that tendency, always desiring to push forward into areas he hasn't explored yet, determined and unflagging. | ||
==Other Paragon Paths== | ==Other Paragon Paths== | ||
+ | * '''Dark Watcher:''' ''Good or Lawful Good alignment''. Though it is said the Dark Watchers were once a brotherhood who guarded against incursions into the natural world by the Shadowfell, these days they are simply a folk tradition kept alive by word of mouth, usually from wandering undead-hunters and similar crusaders. The Dark Watcher has seen shadow invade the world he loves, and finds within himself a source of great light, the very light of life. These guardians often spontaneously arise in populations that are very close to breaches in the Shadowfell. | ||
* '''Elemental Anchorites:''' ''Any character with an elemental attack power''. Weilders of potent elemental energies, Elemental Anchorites sequester themselves and study - via meditation, practice, prayer or other techniques - the secrets of tapping into greater elemental power within themselves. There are Elemental Anchorites in nearly all disciplines and organizations. | * '''Elemental Anchorites:''' ''Any character with an elemental attack power''. Weilders of potent elemental energies, Elemental Anchorites sequester themselves and study - via meditation, practice, prayer or other techniques - the secrets of tapping into greater elemental power within themselves. There are Elemental Anchorites in nearly all disciplines and organizations. | ||
* '''Shadow Dancer:''' ''Any character with teleportation powers; must be trained in Stealth''. Those who have delved into the secrets that lie behind every shadow, and have mastered the quick movement between them, the Shadow Dancers are a rare breed most often found among assassins and nethermancers. | * '''Shadow Dancer:''' ''Any character with teleportation powers; must be trained in Stealth''. Those who have delved into the secrets that lie behind every shadow, and have mastered the quick movement between them, the Shadow Dancers are a rare breed most often found among assassins and nethermancers. | ||
+ | ===Feat-based Paragon Paths=== | ||
+ | * '''Storm-Rune Adept (Lyrandar Wind-Rider):''' ''Mark of Storm Feat''. Those who possess one of the ancient Cerumar glyphs tattooed in their skin by the all-but-lost Cerumar Rite can delve deeper into its power. Those who do so become one of the fabled rune-adepts, focusing on the powers of storm and wind to fly, master thunder and lightning and eventually even call up a cyclone. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | * '''X:''' ''x''. X |
Latest revision as of 10:17, 20 November 2013
Class Paragon Paths
Arcane Paragon Paths
- Academy Master: Any Arcane. Liminal produces many Academy Masters, by virtue of its promulgation of schools of arcane lore.
- The Argent (Silverstar): Any Arcane or Divine who worships the Empyrean gods. Priests and magi who wield powers of silver luminance and illusion against lycanthropes and other agents of deceit and murder, the Argent are most often found among the priesthoods of Xanayr. There are a great many Argent magi among the House of a Thousand Veils.
- Battleweaver: Any Arcane with at least two illusion powers. There are many illusionists among the House of a Thousand Veils. The tradition is also taught to mages of Arderin.
- Demonologist: Any Arcane. The disciplines of demonology are vital to Liminal's survival. The Order of the Rose holds the best-known hero-demonologists, although there are rumors of much darker masters of this study in the Hellsward and Warrens.
- Familiar Keeper: Any Arcane with a Familiar. Mages who have invested greater reserves of power into their familiars, the Familiar Keepers are capable of great feats when aided by their companions.
- Master of Flame: Any Arcane. The undisputed masters of this discipline hail from the Three Towers of the Coalman's District, although many other magi dwell on fire magics as well.
- Ravenkin: Any Arcane, training in Religion. The Ravenkin are the especial servitors of Gauntpeak's Raven Queen, and share her fascination with the gods of the mortal realms. The vast majority of these magi hail from the Raven Queen's court directly, or from the Fallen House academy.
- Shadowthief: Any Arcane. Dabbling in the powers of shadow magic or running afoul of certain curses can result in the creation of a shadow thief. There are noteworthy shadowthieves among the mages of the Fallen House, as well as one or two in the House of a Thousand Veils.
Artificer
- Arcane Armorer: Artificer with shielding elixir infusion. Foremost in their use of defensive magics, the arts of the Arcane Armorer are an ancient dwarven discipline. Today, many mercenary companies use their secrets, and the Phoenix Tower in Liminal continues to teach its arts, as does the Spellwrights' Guild (whose dwarven artificers consider the talent almost proprietary to their race).
- Battle Engineer: Artificer. Potent warriors in their own right, Battle Engineers prefer to turn their talents inward, unleashing terrible devastation with their powers on the front lines. Most of the military forces in Liminal know these secrets.
- Clockwork Engineer: Artificer. Makers of automatons, Clockwork Engineers eschew more traditional golemcraft in favor of the clanking and whirring advances of clockwork technology. These arts are found almost exclusively among the Spellwright's Guild in Liminal, as most of the other magi think of this discipline as being distinctly human.
- Familiar Bloodsmith: Artificer. Merging golemcraft with the secrets of alchemical homonculi-making, the Bloodsmiths create potent familiars invested with their own sorcery-infused blood. There aren't many of these folk even in Liminal, and almost all of them are part of the Spellwrights' Guild.
- Self-Forged: Artificer of any race except warforged. Driven by the need to create in all ways, the Self-Forged are artificers who have turned that need inward. Investing parts of themselves with golem-like magic items, the Self-Forged are often feared as monsters or madmen.
- Spell Commander: Artificer. Battlefield strategists who turn their talents to imbuing troops with potent spells, Spell Commanders can be found in most major militaries. The most common place for this kind of training in Liminal is the Gruenmar Levy, though the Phoenix Tower teaches its disciplines as well.
Martial Paragon Paths
- Corsair (Sword Coast Corsair): Any Martial. Masters of the open seas, corsairs come from all walks of life and legal standing, from the noblest of naval officers to the foulest of pirates. They are most at home on the rocking deck of a ship at sea, but carry their bravado and quick-footed skills everywhere they go.
- Soldier of Conquest: Any Martial or Any Divine who worships the Talion gods.. Favored by the Red Lady, there are masters of battlefield violence to be found in all the Talion priesthoods, and even among those who are not priests themselves.
Divine Paragon Paths
- The Argent (Silverstar): Any Arcane or Divine who worships the Empyrean gods. Priests and magi who wield powers of silver luminance and illusion against lycanthropes and other agents of deceit and murder, the Argent are most often found among the priesthoods of Xanayr.
- Chromatic Bane: Any Divine. Holy dragon-hunters who hunt down and extinguish the lingering Primoridal powers that gather in wicked dragons, the Chromatic Banes all belong to the Order of the Platinum Dragon, an order of holy knights sponsored by all the churches, Empyrean and Talion.
- Doomguide: Any Divine who worships the Empyrean gods or the Grim. Doomguides make their primary task the laying to rest of the undead, returning them to their proper place in the Cycle of Souls. There are Doomguides in all the Empyrean priesthoods, but the best-known of them are the priests of the Grim.
- Exorcist of the Silver Flame: Any Divine who worships the Empyrean gods. The Mission of the Silver Flame is an order of Empyrean priests who are dedicated to battling the undead, demons, lycanthropes and all such scourges. Their exorcists are the foremost among them, wielding the powers of the holy Silver Flame directly.
- Fortune Blessed: Any Divine who worships the Empyrean gods. Touched by the luck of the gods themselves, the Fortune Blessed are agents of serendipity and fortune found among the Empyrean churches.
- Heartwarder: Any Divine who worships the Empyrean gods. Champions of love, beauty, art and passion, Heartwarders hold a special place in the church of Elibitara, though they may be drawn from any of the Empyrean priesthoods.
- Morninglord: Any Divine who worships the Empyrean gods. Champions of civilization and renewal, Morninglords are beacons of hope to those around them. Though they are all blessed of Khoro in their own way, Morninglords may come from any priesthood.
- Oak Shield: Any Divine who worships the Empyrean gods. Defenders of the wild and natural places of the world, Oak Shields are blessed by Ulandira, but found among all the Empyrean priesthoods.
- Soldier of Conquest: Any Martial or Any Divine who worships the Talion gods.. Favored by the Red Lady, there are masters of battlefield violence to be found in all the Talion priesthoods, and even among those who are not priests themselves.
- Soul Reaper: Any Divine. Blessed by Aldinmure and the Grim alike, Soul Reapers serve to speed those whose time has come to their final demise. There are Soul Reapers in the priesthoods of both Empyrean and Talion churches.
Avenger
- Agent of the Unbroken Circle: Avenger. Most church hierarchies are careful to monitor their numbers for signs of heresy and apostacy. To this end come the Agents (who are often known by different names in different faiths), who are tasked with finding such corruption and rooting it out. Unwavering in their duties and nigh incorruptible themselves, the coming of these Agents is often an intimidating event to the faithful.
- Ardent Champion: Avenger with Censure of Pursuit. Some Avengers are unconcerned with heirarchies and churchly organizations, eschewing formal initiations and training. Instead, they seek the truths of their god within, in the burning kernel of soul-deep devotion that drives them. These are the Ardent Champions, and most of the organized orthodoxies of the various religions consider them dangerous and uncontrolled rebels.
- Covenant Agent: Avenger. The finest of holy assassins, Covenant Agents can be found in a variety of religious orders. Most of the Talion churches maintain multiple separate orders for their agents. Though the Empyrean churches often deny its existence, and fear what could happen if its influence and power grew, they do maintain the Heavenly Convenant, an order of holy assassins whose aid may be invoked in terrible circumstances.
- Dervish of Dawn: Avenger. Ascetics who go into wild, harsh natural places to dwell for a time, seeking spiritual ecstasy and a hardening of the body which houses the soul, the Dervishes are a tradition known among the faithful of Aevo, the Two Mothers, Aldinmure and Khoro (although due to their eschewing of civilization, it is nearly a heretical vocation there).
- Dread Imperator: Avenger of a Talion god. Terrible would-be priest-kings, Dread Imperators instill obedience and fear in their enemies, and deep fanatical loyalty in their allies. They are most common in the Makorynite Iron Heresy, but all of the Talion churches have had to deal with avengers who are divinely inspired to not simply serve with their power, but to actively rule.
- Favored Soul: Avenger. Found in all faiths, Favored Souls have been touched by their god directly, and become more like their angelic or devilish servitors than the priests who worship them. The coming of a Favored Soul is often a mixed blessing in a parish: they carry the favor and word of their gods directly, but they also often bring death in their wake.
- Hammer of Judgment: Avenger. As steel must bend to the smith's hammer, so must the enemies of the avenger's god be broken by the Hammer of Judgment. Weilders of hammers and maces, these avengers often are part of various knighthoods and warrior orders.
- Oathsworn: Avenger. Defined by his mastery of the oath of enmity, the Oathsworn's vow of destruction against a foe has terrible and holy power over that enemy. The Oathsworn are some of the most populous of Paragon Paths among Avengers.
- Relentless Slayer: Avenger. Investing their oaths with even greater fervor than other avengers, Relentless Slayers are consummate hunters and inquisitors, always seeking the influence of their enemies.
- Serene Initiate: Avenger. Monks and cloistered ascetics who balance the fury and vengeance of their vocation with a need for contemplation and meditation, Serene Initiates are unwavering in their duties. Though many faiths have monastic orders whose numbers include Serene Initiates (sometimes without even the other monks knowing), the largest gathering of these is in the Heavenly Convenant.
- Unveiled Visage: Avenger. An initiate into the most sacred of rites, these avengers have seen the literal face of their gods and been transformed by it. Their own visages glow with divine radiance, and they must often go masked or veiled. As the power grows within them, they become angelic (for Empyrean avengers) or devilish (for Talion ones). Unveiled Visage traditions are usually taught as part of secret initiatory societies and occult religious orders.
- Watcher of Vengeance: Avenger trained in Insight or Perception. Investigators, spies and intelligence-gatherers, the Watchers seek information about the enemies of their church. When they can personally root out what they find themselves, they do so; if they cannot, they bring such lore back to their priesthoods to be dealt with.
- Watchful Shepherd: Avenger. Hidden in plain sight, these avengers almost never belong to formal orders. They are often wanderers, or have been in disguise in an area so long that no one thinks of them oddly. They do not wear their affiliations or show their talents openly, and the tradition is one among the avengers of the faiths often taken up by those who have seen too much violence and wish to retire without giving up their holy avocation.
- Zealous Assassin: Avenger trained in Stealth. Stealthy, cunning and ruthless, the Zealous bring murder to the level of holy sacrament. Though the clergy know such men and women exist, their actual identities are usually concealed from all save those who they operate for. The Heavenly Covenant produces the greatest number of these avengers.
Primal Paragon Paths
- Nocturnal: Any Primal. Night hunters and shadowy predators, the Nocturnals find the creatures of night and ferocious freedom most worthy of their reverence, and embody those traits themselves.
- Gatekeeper Mystagoguge: Any Primal. Charged with defending the borders between the worlds and hunting down the unnatural, Gatekeeper Mystagogues are the sworn enemies of aberrants and other horrors of the Far Realms.
Druid
- Blightbeast: Druid. Rot and decay are just as much a part of the natural cycle as new life and birth. Blightbeasts are druids who take the hard, lonely road to ensure that there is room in the world for new life, and sometimes that means ending that which has served its purpose. They use the darker elements of nature in their goals, and do not fear the coldness of death. Indeed, many of them see themselves as its agents.
- Blood Moon Stalker: Druid with Wild Shape. The Blood Moon is a mythical time, when the Primal Beast stalks the world in physical form. The predators of the world are said to be more dangerous and filled with an insatiable hunger during this time. Some druids have learned to tap into this, empowering their animal forms with a ferocity unheard of even among other druids. The druids of the orcish Badlands are known for these talents, as are the druids among the shifters of the Delannwood.
- Coiled Serpent: Druid. Though many druids have forms they prefer, the Coiled Serpent has delved into the primal mysteries of serpents, and come away transformed. Their beastforms are frequently ophidian in form, and they become masters of venom and stealth. Druids who dwell in or watch over places known for their serpents are most likely to tap into these secrets.
- Guardian of the Living Gate: Druid. Protectors of the natural world from extraplanar violation, the Guardians often consider the threat of the Far Realm to be the worst such threat. The Guardians are unusually common in and around Liminal, which has a long tradition of weak planar barriers.
- Inner Circle Initiate: Druid. The Druid Circles of Rinhony are not many in number: the Circle of Frost in the north, the Forbidden Covenant in the Empire of the Nine, the Circle of Delann in the Delannwood, the Rivers Circle of the Badlands and River Kingdoms, the Circle of Stone & Storm in the western mountains of the continent. Most druids receive initial training from these Circles, and those who are so motivated may come to hold important positions in these Circles.
- Keeper of the Hidden Flame: Druid. The Hidden Flame is a spark of burning vitality and passion, calling upon it to fuel their hunts and mating. When the Hidden Flame burns out of control, madness and savage fury overtakes the beast or man. The Keepers help excise those who have fallen out of balance with their own Hidden Flame, and learn to raise savagery in the breast of their allies when it is needful. It is said that this tradition is richest among orc-kind.
- Luminescent Swarm: Druid with Primal Swarm. The ancients tell of swarms of kind, luminous insects who guided the nascent tribes of early humanity to safety. Though these insects are long gone - if ever they truly existed outside of druidkind - some druids with an interest in protecting civilization may tap into those ancient mysteries. Their swarm-bodies glow with an otherworldly, glimmering light, bewildering and dazzling enemies.
- Pack Lord: Druid. Many druids who summon beasts to their aid may come to invest themselves with the powers of this path, not simply as skilled summoners but the very masters of such animals. Their affinity strengthens the beasts they summon. Many druids of the Feywild and fey-kind master these techniques.
- Primal Summoner: Druid. Callers of ancient spirit-animals to their aid, primal summoners are druids seek a mastery over the summoning arts that other druids do not possess. In the height of their power, they may summon the Primal Slayer, a terrifying spirit-beast of brutal power. These arts are known throughout all druid-kind, although the human and halfling druids of the River Kingdoms are best known for them.
- Sky Hunter: Druid with Wild Shape. Druids with a great affinity for the predators of the sky sometimes find within themselves the means of tapping into these mysteries. It is said that there is a hidden circle of druids in the Ilandor Mountains who hold these ancient secrets.
- Spiral Wind's Ally: Druid. The Spiral Wind is a potent spirit of the lands, and one that has often followed the nomadic tribes of humanoids throughout history. These druids are often nomads, and are renowned healers as well. The Spiral Wind favors the mountains and plains of western Rinhony, and so the druid of the River Kingdoms and those rare druids who dwell in the Thundering Range and Sunset Peaks (many of whom are dwarves) come to ally themselves with it.
- Storm Speaker: Druid. The druids of eastern Rinhony are feared as storm-callers and masters of tempests, thanks to the great storms that sweep in across those lands. In the Empire of the Nine, Storm Speakers (and often druids in general) are hunted, as they hold rebellious thoughts against the sorcerer-kings of the Empire, claiming the very land rises up against the sorcerous shackles they impose on it.
- Swirling Samara: Druid with Primal Swarm. Some swarm-druids evolve beyond bodies of swarming insects, and pick up leaves, winged seeds and other natural detritus, making them supremely adaptable. The druids of the Delannwood are best known for these mysteries, a tradition of dwelling in a forest land often rocked by great storms that blow in off the eastern waters.
- Vermin Lord: Druid of Evil or Chaotic Evil alignment. Feared and often reviled, Vermin Lords have found a kinship with insects and other vermin that horrify others. It is not enough that they protect such populations of creatures - Vermin Lords invite them to take up residence in their own bodies, learning to direct them in useful ways.
- x: x. x
Psionic Paragon Paths
There are very few psionic-based orders or organizations in the world of Liminal. As such, most Paragon Paths are basically either the rediscovery of ancient lore or are refinements of already-possessed psychic techniques.
- Incandescent Champion: Any Psionic. These psionicists have tapped not just into the powers of their minds, but their very souls, igniting them with psionic power like burning, white-hot stars within their bodies. Incandescent champions are enemies of those who would traffic in or corrupt souls.
Ardent
- Anarchic Adept: Ardent. Rigid self-control is the first tool ardents learn to wield, but a rare few later discover there is tremendous power waiting within the well of that roiling chaos they lock away in their minds. Tapping into this chaos is dangerous, but also grants tremendous power.
- Argent Soul: Ardent. Bolstered and empowered by pure and good emotions, the Argent Soul glimmers with a silvery light to those who see him. Argent Souls are a source of confidence and a balm for pain for those around them.
- Awakened Visionary: Ardent. When the Far Realms punch ragged holes into the mortal realms, some ardents begin to experience painful, traumatic visions. The flood of energy from the madness realm seeks out those who are sensitive to all emotions and flays them like knives. A rare few learn to resist and take advantage of these insights to battle the aberrants of the Far Realm.
- Catalyst: Ardent. All ardents stir emotion within their allies to aid them. The Catalyst takes this one step further and causes not simply emotion, but the actual potential of their allies to rise to the surface when most needed. Their touch isn't simply bolstering - it is transformative.
- Contemplative Ardent: Ardent. Accustomed not just to the mental voices of those around them, Contemplatives have - through meditation and ascetic practices - tapped into the very voice of the universe itself, listening in on it to gain guidance and awareness remarkable even among ardents.
- Phrenic Invader: Ardent. Potent empathy blooms into full-blown telepathy, and the din of raw emotion resolves itself into clear thoughts. The Phrenic Invader seeks into the mind of those around him, using a foe's thoughts against him and soothing the minds of his allies.
- Psionic Binder: Ardent. Though all ardents may turn the thoughts of their foes against them, the Binder has mastered a technique their fellows cannot fathom: imprisoning their enemies within their own heads. Psionic Binders first rose to prominence repelling the aberrant horrors of the Far Realms.
- Siphon: Ardent. Some ardents are wholly drained by what they experience, and seek sustenance in the only place they know: the minds of those around them. Siphons are psychic vampires, draining others of their vitality, passion and emotion, leaving them weary husks.
- Stygian Adept: Ardent. The shadows of fear, pain and madness are potent weapons in the mind of a foe, tucked away waiting to be discovered and used by those skilled enough to do so. The Stygian Adept is a master at plucking out these weapons and using them with deft touch against their foes.
- Talaric Strategist: Ardent. The ancient Talaric Codex was written by a psionic warrior society devoted to destroying incursions from the Far Realms. Occasionally, modern ardents discover fragments of this ancient Codex, unlocking its secrets for turning their psionic potency into a finely-honed tactical weapon in battle.
Monk
- Basilisk's Fury Adept: Monk. Though many monasteries teach fighting styles based on animals, the Basilisk Art is practically a lost art. Most likely learned from a half-crumbling scroll tucked away in a monastery library, these techniques involve the exertion of great spiritual power through the gaze of the monk, whose eyes become jet black while its abilities are in use.
- Falling Needle Itinerant: Monk. Wanderer monks are not unusual - any given monastic tradition has a handful of such itinerants. Those who study the philosophy of the Falling Needle are rarer, though, finding in their philosophy a demand for freedom whether on the road of life or in their maneuverability against a foe. Most monastic traditions teach some variation of this philosophy.
- Four Winds Master: Monk. Finding in the movements of the four winds a secret for using those very winds in battle, the Four Winds Master seeks peace and tranquility. Though its movement may accomplish much, the wind does not move with a purpose: its purpose is the movement itself. Many monasteries that teach elemental masteries teach these techniques.
- Ghostwalker: Monk. The tradition of the ghostwalker is a rare one. All must study with the strange masters of the shadow arts who dwell at the edge of or even within the Shadowfell, contemplating the nature of life and death, and the migration of souls into the Shadowfell after death. Ghostwalkers are capable of wrapping themselves in shadow.
- Initiate of the Dragon: Monk. The Dragon Mysteries are a philosophy studied by rare monks. Though these teachings are found in nearly every monastic tradition, only a rare few will ever study it. Even fewer will master it - but those who do are a wonder to behold, sharing in the spirit of terrifying dragonkind in battle. Half-orcs often find that these mysteries come easily to them, as they learn that the rage that burns in their breast is dragon-like, and waits only the disciplines and skill of these mysteries to ally with, rather than constantly struggle against.
- Tiger Claw Master: Monk. x
- x: x. x
Racial Paragon Paths
Deva
- Ancestral Incarnate: Deva. Though all deva have a tenuous connection to their past lives, the ancestral incarnate has more: he has an actual relationship with them, through a bond so strong that sometimes he takes the form of those who preceded them, or calls ghostly versions of them forth to aid him.
- Dark Star: Deva. A deva that has returned - through great strength of will - back to the path of the righteous, the dark stars are those who fell in their previous life into rakshasadom, but are now redeemed...barely. Memories of a lifetime of monstrousness still lay at their fingertips.
- Heavenly Deceiver: Deva. One who walks close to the edge of becoming rakshasa may find that they can reach past the veil that separates deva from rakshasa to tap into great powers of illusion and deception. Those who do this walk a perilous path - one misstep, and their souls become corrupted entirely.
Elf
- Ea'Veliseth (Seldarine Dedicate): Elf or Eladrin; Cleric; Proficiency with Longbow or Shortbow. Though rare is the elf who eschews the natural worship of the land in favor of worshipping the gods, those elves who dedicate themselves to the gods (Empyrean or Talion) may be blessed for their devotion. These favored saints occupy important positions in their temples, and even in elven society as a whole, for even the normally agnostic elven culture cannot help but sense the radiant devotion that the "Blessed of the Heavens" exude.
- Keeper of the Past: Elf; Bard, Shaman or Warlord. Elven spirits return to the land to become part of the spiritual ecology, occasionally pausing in that role to be reborn in a newborn. The Keeper of the Past sings the songs of the ancestors to a newborn elven child, reminding him of who has been, and speaks the deeds of the newly dead, that the spirits may welcome them back. The Keeper of the Past is a leader in elven culture, inspiring with stories of ancient heroes and reminding the elven people that the spirits of the land and the spirits of their ancestors are the same thing - to fail one is to fail both.
- Sylvan Archer: Elf; Ranger. There is something in the elven soul that sings when a bow finds the hand of that elf. To the archer, the bow has never stopped singing the song of the tree from which it was made, and those who are truly aware can learn to sing a part in that song. These archers are capable of terrifying feats of archery, and are utterly at home in the forests of the world.
- Twilight Guardian: Elf. It is among the elven people that one finds the strongest natural affinity for the living flows of the natural world. Some elves may tap into this, building the trickle of life energy into a raging flow, becoming defenders of the natural world and rewarded for their custodianship with great natural power. The elves of the Delannwood are best-known for this tradition among elvenkind.
Half-Orc
- Bloodfury Savage: Half-orc. All half-orcs struggle with the specter of imminent violence and rage. Some, however, give themselves over to the war-drums that beat in their hearts, tapping into this rage as a source of power. They do not battle the rage, but neither are they controlled by it - instead, they ride it as a horseman rides his mount, and is made strong thereby.
- Lightning Blitzer: Half-orc; Cleric or Paladin. Swiftness and speed are the traits best favored by orcish raiders, and resilience and strength are the watchwords of humankind. Through the blessings of their god, both of these find their full manifestation in the Lightning Blitzer, who are capable of great feats of speed even while heavily armored.
- Mighty Judge: Half-orc; Avenger with Censure of Pursuit. This tradition among avengers teaches that the rage of the half-orc can be turned toward just causes: that of one's god, specifically. The Mighty Judges eschew the stealth of so many of their fellows. Instead, they stand in open judgment of the foes of their god, reveling in their power and the fear it fills their enemies with.
- Sharakim Blademaster: Half-orc or Orc; Swordmage with Aegis of Assault. Though they are rarely encountered, the sword-dervishes of the orcish people, who wield blackest sorcery alongside fine swordwork, are greatly feared. The Blademasters are the masters of this order, responsible for training their people in its ancient traditions.
Human
- Adroit Explorer: Human. Humans have notorious reputations for their restlessness. Though this means that some see them as flighty, it also means they are constantly pushing at frontiers and discovering new things. The Adroit Explorer is the perfect manifestation of that tendency, always desiring to push forward into areas he hasn't explored yet, determined and unflagging.
Other Paragon Paths
- Dark Watcher: Good or Lawful Good alignment. Though it is said the Dark Watchers were once a brotherhood who guarded against incursions into the natural world by the Shadowfell, these days they are simply a folk tradition kept alive by word of mouth, usually from wandering undead-hunters and similar crusaders. The Dark Watcher has seen shadow invade the world he loves, and finds within himself a source of great light, the very light of life. These guardians often spontaneously arise in populations that are very close to breaches in the Shadowfell.
- Elemental Anchorites: Any character with an elemental attack power. Weilders of potent elemental energies, Elemental Anchorites sequester themselves and study - via meditation, practice, prayer or other techniques - the secrets of tapping into greater elemental power within themselves. There are Elemental Anchorites in nearly all disciplines and organizations.
- Shadow Dancer: Any character with teleportation powers; must be trained in Stealth. Those who have delved into the secrets that lie behind every shadow, and have mastered the quick movement between them, the Shadow Dancers are a rare breed most often found among assassins and nethermancers.
Feat-based Paragon Paths
- Storm-Rune Adept (Lyrandar Wind-Rider): Mark of Storm Feat. Those who possess one of the ancient Cerumar glyphs tattooed in their skin by the all-but-lost Cerumar Rite can delve deeper into its power. Those who do so become one of the fabled rune-adepts, focusing on the powers of storm and wind to fly, master thunder and lightning and eventually even call up a cyclone.
- X: x. X