Argost Xavril

*"I gazed long into the abyss, and lo, did the gaze look back into me. It blinked, and I was scattered." -Argost Xavril, lecture on esoteric research.*

## History

Xavril hails from Falcon's Hollow, Andoran. A simple logging town, albeit one with a checkered past, it would have been easy to expect life to remain completely dull for someone like him. Argost knew this much, and rejected it completely. When he came of age, he left the town rather than become another logger, intent on making something of his life that was far beyond that of a commoner. The town's bloody history had fascinated him in some small way, and he knew he'd never feel right settling for a common life from this alone. He joined a small adventurer's group that performed odd-jobs as he tried to feel out what he was best suited for.

Being of quick mind, most could have easily guessed he'd make an excellent wizard. This could have come to pass easily, and indeed, Argost had been making headway into the arcane arts when his life altered its course drastically. His small group was hired by another village in Andoran to clear out a cavern system below the town itself. Evidently, its people wished to have a fallback position in case of attack, either by raiders or some other country that wished to repay Andoran's idealism with bloodshed. It was to be a simple enough job, but simple jobs often turn out to be anything but.

In the caves below the village, only a few weak monsters had taken up residence. These were easily dispatched, but what was waiting beyond the monsters was not so easily dealt with. A large set of double doors, inscribed with strange images that somehow hurt to look at, were built into the very rock of the caves themselves. The adventurers dared to open them for the promise of treasure inside, only to be greeted with the unintelligible ravings of a madman! An old man, dressed in moth-eaten robes, flung himself at the group, screaming and babbling in some foreign tongue while the party's strongest man tried to hold him down so he could calm himself.

Indeed, Argost tried to help as well, reaching for the man's shoulder and grasping it firmly to provide a steady anchor. As he did so, however, the man's bloodshot and rolling eyes suddenly looked into Argost's, and a loud *SNAP* was heard only to Argost's ears. Following this noise was some sort of low droning, just on the edge of Argost's hearing. Bewildered, Argost took a few steps back. His party shook their heads when he asked if they had heard anything strange, and to Argost's further confusion, he could now perfectly understand what the crazed man was rambling about.

"The Lurker at the Threshold, he waits for the door to be opened, you must see it! The time has come and will come and has already come, he is already here and yet he is not!" the man babbled, disturbing Argost highly. He chose not to reveal to his fellow party members that *now* he understood these rantings. They were common folk, after all, and might begin to worry some sort of enchantment was affecting him when it clearly was not. He proceeded further into the room they had uncovered, finding old books, fading murals, and disturbing iconography. Argost glanced over some of the books that must have belonged to the lunatic, and found himself fascinated. These were not mere ramblings about the might of some deity, these were complicated notes on the strength and powers of an awesome force that was present throughout all of time.

These were a priest's, and scholar's, notes on Yog-Sathoth. The man now babbling before them was clearly

some sort of devotee to the outer god, and his studies on the unfathomable thing must have driven him over the edge and into insanity. The droning, once at the back of his mind, now began to increase in intensity and volume, as if guiding Argost's research as he glanced through more and more of the notes, his innate curiosity driving him forward despite the obvious peril. The more he read, the more he understood - Though those without true understanding might think Yog-Sathoth evil, they would be mistaken. He simply *was.* Getting angry at a fire for destroying what it fed upon was silly, as was proscribing Yog-Sathoth to be malicious. The being beyond the stars could grant terrible, great knowledge of all things, that much was clear. This knowledge could be translated to power, power that could be wielded for all manner of reasons, but the price to pay for this power was unclear.

Perhaps, Argost considered, despite his mounting concern, if the priest had been of stronger mental fortitude, or maybe more careful, he would not have so clearly lost his mind. He must have touched that eldritch power, however briefly, and been foolish enough to let it consume him. Argost finally spoke at last, reaching a decision for himself: they should take the old man to the village so he could be cared for. He was harmless, only a danger to himself now more than anything.

When they had collected their payment for their job, however, Argost chose to leave the party. He instead returned to that building, clearly a temple, ostensibly joining the village. His comrades were faintly concerned, but they supposed it couldn't be helped. Not everyone was cut out to be an adventurer. The villagers would visit the caverns to reinforce it and stockpile it with cured foods and weaponry, but Argost forbade them from entering the temple. He covered the imagery of the doors for their own wellbeing, and to keep them from getting curious of the building's contents. He warned them that what was inside needed to be studied for some time, and that destroying it or entering it without proper experience could be quite fatal.

The commoners heeded his warnings, thanking him for his concern and leaving him to work. Out of gratitude, they even made sure he was fed and cared for through the years, preventing him from going into total isolation. Though Argost remained a recluse, slowly growing more paranoid by the day, he did not turn away the visitors completely. Some people visited him to consult his knowledge, which on several fronts was indeed now considerable. The villagers could appreciate his practical knowledge of things found in nature, and the more curious among them were fascinated when he deigned to give lectures on eldritch and arcane forces (albeit heavily censured so as to safeguard those most dangerous, and most powerful, of secrets for himself).

After a period of several years, Argost's studies had at last borne fruit. Momentary glimpses of the veil and

proper rituals to the Lurker had resulted in a boon: a strange bat, far more intelligent than any others of its kind, made itself known to him. Not only this, but he found he grasped both arcane and divine spellwork, an awesome power thought only available to a relative few in Golarion. These powers came at a price, however, and he found his nerves ever more closer to fraying each day. These glimpses of that most dark of tapestries had exacted a toll on his mind, though his caution (and, if he was forced to admit it, the company of the villagers) had prevailed in making sure his mind was not lost to the void.

When raiders struck at the village at last, the people all retreated into the caverns below to make their stand. The bandits quickly dispatched with the town after looting what they could, finding the caves easily and foolishly not thinking it more than anything but a panicked choice by mere peasants for an evacuation spot. They found those same doors that Argost once had, and broke through them in their haste to find citizens to take as slaves or otherwise malice. They found only Argost, who merely stared at them as they entered. Their sneering attitudes faltered when the first of them fell, unconscious. Their morale broke when their leader swung at the strange man staring at them, missing what should have been an easy target. When Argost began to speak at them in some strange, foul tongue, they stormed towards him, only to panic when one of their number screamed out as he was struck blind and another fell onto the ground, too weakened to even hold himself up. They ran, screaming, from that tomb of horrors, leaving their friends behind as Argost dragged their bodies to the door of the temple and flung them out, leaving them at the feet of the grateful, and vengeful, people of the village. As the people cried out in cheers for their savior, he moved to close the doors to his temple. That same *SNAP* from so many years ago was heard once more as the doors shut, and Argost blinked.

He was standing inside of a large skull, looking at a waterfall, overlooking a city close by.

## Appearance

Argost wears old robes more befitting a university scholar than some sort of adventurer. Though he has made sure not to let them become old and moth-eaten, that's also the most anyone can say of their appearance. Most would never guess he would choose to actually adventure in something that contains absolutely no armor. The hood of his robes is left up most of, if not all of, the time. This way his tangled, unruly hair can be hidden, so that he does not feel the need to have it cleaned up. His face is quite wan, and his eyes seem to have large bags under them while also sinking into his skull.

Perhaps, more worryingly, is the fact that no matter the occasion, he almost always bears a vaguely haunted look. He seems to stare right through people, and the occasional few find it very unnerving.

## Personality

The last person that most people would guess bothers to adventure would be Argost. He has an odd twitch that comes about him whenever under pressure, and he frequently appears to look over his shoulder as if checking for someone following him. In all things, Argost is nervous and very cautious, ever wary of the danger he might pose should he lose his tenuous hold on his sanity.

Perhaps surprisingly, Argost is quite capable of maintaining conversation without even a stutter. Unfortunately, this is because he is staunchly and coldly logical, focusing his rhetoric more on the objective points than any emotional basis. As such, he frequently fails to sympathize or empathize properly with other people, and his speech is often seen as more than a little robotic.

## Friends

Argost's sole friend and confidant that he has remaining is his familiar, Star. Star appears to be nothing more than a common bat, but appearances are quite deceptive. His intelligence is far greater than that of any normal bat, and he is quite capable of speaking with Argost on all the subjects his master has studied, albeit at a much lower level, comparatively.

## Enemies

Argost holds no ill will towards others, or indeed anything at all. That is not to say he does not have scruples himself, for he abhors slavery as does every Andoren. However, he does not go out of his way to make foes of most anyone. Perhaps the closest thing that could be called his enemy would be particularly fanatical paladins and priests who would object to the deity he has chosen.

## Aspirations

Quite obviously, Argost's long term goal is power. Not for the sake of ruling with an iron fist, or for bringing justice to the land, but merely to hold knowledge and power for its own sake. He's not quite sure what he'd do if he ever got to that point, but he has kicked that issue down the road to future-Argost to handle.

In the short term, Argost only hopes to glimpse more of his god's powers and abilities that he might gain control of them himself. While not at all eager to found a cult, he would be delighted to lead a school or university in its study of those outer beings that most dread to consider.