Felstriders

Over the centuries, the **Felstriders** have grown in power as a force of change. Riding their summoned infernal steeds, feared by many that come across them, or shunned by those unafraid, the Felstriders are seen by many as a dangerous group that leave behind a stinking trail of corruption through nefarious arcane means. Under the guidance of Listeners, a **Fledgling** Felstrider undertakes a ritual known as the **Necrofire** ritual, granting them powers unavailable to any outside of their Faction.

Little is known about Necrofire outside of the Felstriders, who closely guard its secret, but it is thought to have been gifted to them by a mysterious entity known as The Voiceless, which the Felstriders serve. It is allegedly an ancient being that claims to have access to High Magic or God Spells. Through means that are unclear to all but the **Listeners** and **The Voice**, The Voiceless grants them seemingly great power, in return for secretive rituals, hushed favours and other hidden dark motives. Many Felstriders worship The Voiceless as a deity.

Made up of rogue mages that evaded the grasp of The Consortium, or former defected members of its ranks, the Fel Striders have been known to help defenceless communities in the face of overwhelming danger. Though they have never publicly accepted responsibility for it, the Siege of Emberwind 711AS is said to have come to a swift end due to the Felstrider's direct interference, as several of their mages combined their powers to force the tyrannical Ancient Dragon Emberscythe to retreat after significantly wounding her with a combined series of lance like Necrotic spells.

The **Felstriders** often like to keep a low profile, rarely displaying any iconography or revealing their affiliation. However, some Felstriders have the ability to summon infernal steeds, black horses with skull-like heads and green firey eyes and manes. They leave a streak of green fire behind them whenever they gallop at pace. Felstriders also have an affinity with necrotic and fire magic, unleashing spells of destructive firey necrotic energy.

**Faction Hooks**

* The Legend of Blood Mollification. - A way to infuse blood with divine magic that has been sealed away for 300 years.
* The Falling Flame - A once dormant volcano continues to spew out molten rock long past its expected time. Some say this is a tear to the fire plane.
* Sphere Shifting - You have heard of the planes, the spheres and the possibilities of shifting between them. You seek the secrets of this magic.

As bound by the Faction's Accord, **The Felstriders** are responsible for the following remits:

* Enacting Positive Change Where Possible, Promoting Freedom
* Being a Voice to the Voiceless and a Defender of the Defenceless
* The Understanding Consequences of Death, Undeath and Resurrection
* Regulating and Controlling the Influence Other Planes and Their Denizens Upon Vari.

*Examples: Dealing with Devils or Demons and their influences. Dealing with Outer Realm Entities. Providing alleged criminals with legal representation. Correcting injustices. Help to represent the poor or underprivileged in the political sphere.*

### Rank

* Fledgling - New Recruits
* Apostate -
* Acolyte -
* Seeker -
* Listener -
* The Voice - The Faction Leader

### Faction Benefits:

Your chosen faction provides you will a set of additional starting equipment, in addition to that which is granted by your class. Including gold.

* a dagger or a quarter staff#
* a scroll case stuffed full of notes from your studies or prayers
* a humanoid skull
* a winter blanket
* a set of dark common clothes including a hood
* a shovel
* a two-person tent
* a backpack, a bedroll, a mess kit, a tinderbox, 10 torches, 10 days of Rations, a Waterskin, 50 feet of Hempen rope
* 3 gp
* Feature: Rustic Hospitality

**Rustic Hospitality**

Since you come from the ranks of the common folk, you fit in among them with ease. You can find a place to hide, rest, or recuperate among other commoners, unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them. They will shield you from the law, the consortium or anyone else searching for you, though they will not risk their lives for you.

As deemed in the Faction's Accord, benefits are awarded for progression through the rank system of all factions in Vari.

* **Fledgling:**
	+ **[Strider Scroll]** A magic illusionary scroll that displays up-to-date news and instructions from the Felstrider's direct superior. It can only be read by the Felstrider that is bound to it.
	+ You gain proficiency in Intimidation, Arcana or Religion.
	+ **Necrofire Ritual:** After undergoing the Necrofire Ritual to become a Felstrider, choose a spellcasting modifier for your Necrofire Ritual from Charisma, Intelligence or Wisdom. You gain the **Firebolt Cantrip** and your spellcasting modifier for this cantrip is the one you chose. You also gain Necrofire Aspect.
	+ You gain the **Absorb Elements** spell but can only use it on Fire or Necrotic damage. If you use this spell to absorb fire or necrotic damage created by a spell cast, ability or weapon used by an enemy creature, you regain 1 expended use of **Necrofire Aspect**.
	+ **Necrofire Aspect**. As a bonus action you can enable your **Necrofire Aspect**. Your aspect appears around you in a form that represents your newly found power, it could be a fiery aura, flaming wings, ghastly green spirits floating around you, a green fiery magical circle of runes around your body, or a fiery demonic figure bursting from your shoulders. Equally it could be something else of your choosing provided it can be seen by all around you and is unmistakably Necrofire. The aspect lasts for 10 minutes or until you end it as a free action. You can use it a number of times equal to your proficiency modifier, which you regain after a long rest.
		- While your **Necrofire Aspect** is active, you all gain the following until the aspect ends:
			* You burst into yellow-green flames, the flames don't harm you or your possessions, and they shed bright light out to 30 feet and dim light for an additional 30 feet.
			* You gain resistance to **Fire** damage**.**
			* When you cast the **Firebolt Cantrip** gained from your **Necrofire Ritual**, you can choose between **Necrotic** *or* **Fire** damage for the damage.
			* All magical fire that you create through cantrips, spells or any other magical feature is discoloured to become a vivid yellow-green.
* **Apostate:**
	+ **[Strider Stone]** (Requires attunement by a Felstrider.) This small white pebble-like stone appears to be carved into the shape of an equine skull. It it beset with arcane runes. **(** 1/day. **Find Steed Spell** (With the following customisations) You cannot communicate with the steed telepathically. Summons a black steed. You can choose the avatar of your steed when you first receive the stone, Horse, Dire Wolf, Ram or Lion. Each using **Warhorse** stats *(but it's type is fiend)* with a yellow-green fiery mane, green fire for eyes in its skull-like face. It has a strong stench of pungent odour of smoke and flame and when ridden at pace it leaves behind a trail of yellow-green flame. 1 use, resets at dawn. **)**
	+ **[ Necrofire Blood Infusion ]** Your connection to **Necrofire** has grown, While your **Necrofire Aspect** is active you gain the following:
		- Resistance to **Fire** and **Necrotic** damage.
		- While your Necrofire Aspect is active, any creature within 5 feet of you that hits you with a melee attack takes 1d4 fire damage.
		- If you use your Absorb Elements spell granted by your Necrofire Ritual feature, you can also use it on Necrotic damage. If you use this spell to absorb fire ***or necrotic*** damage created by a spell cast or an ability used by an enemy creature, you regain 1 expended use of **Necrofire Aspect** and you gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency modifier.
		- When you roll fire damage for a cantrip or spell you cast, you can reroll any roll of 1 on the fire or necrotic damage dice, but you must use the new roll, even if it is another 1.
		- Whenever you hit with a melee weapon attack that was not considered magical damage, or influenced with a spell or cantrip of any kind, you can treat the attack's damage as magical. In addition you deal 1d4 fire and 1d4 necrotic damage to the first target you hit with a melee attack each turn.
* **Acolyte**
	+ **[ Necrofire Ingition ]** When you activate your **Necrofire Aspect**, if there is a source of naked flame within 30ft, you can instead choose to activate your Necrofire Aspect as an action and explode with fiery wrath. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centred on you must make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 8d6 fire or necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. You are not harmed by this explosion. The Necrofire spreads around corners. It ignites flammable objects in the area that aren’t being worn or carried, with green flames. The DC for this ability is *8 + Your Proficiency Modifier + Your **Necrofire Aspect** Spellcasting Modifier.*
		- After you activate your **Necrofire Aspect** using **Necrofire Ignition**, for the duration of your aspect, any creature within 5 feet of you that hits you with a melee attack instead takes 3d4 fire or necrotic damage. Once you have used **Necrofire Ignition** you cannot use it again until you have taken a long rest.
	+ **[ Necrofire Shield ]** When you activate your **Necrofire Aspect**, you can instead choose to do so as an reaction when a creature makes a targets you with an attack roll. You produce a protective magical force that surrounds you, manifesting within the Necrofire Aspect's energy. The force covers you and your gear. You gain +**1 AC** and 5 times your proficiency bonus as **temporary hit points** for the duration. If a creature hits you with a melee attack while you have these hit points, the creature takes fire or necrotic damage equal to 5 times your proficiency bonus. Once you have used **Necrofire Shield** you cannot use it again until you have taken a long rest.
	+ **[ Necrofire Overcharge ]** When you activate your Necrofire Aspect, as an action you can choose to trigger Necrofire Overcharge, apply the following effects in order. You can only do this once until you take a long rest.
		- You immediately use **Necrofire Ignition**, however, when activated with **Necrofire Overcharge** you are affected by the damage and must make a saving throw as described. This damage will surpass any resistances or immunities you have, but if you succeed on the save you only take half damage.
		- If you have already used **Necrofire ignition** and it is unavailable to use until your next long rest, use it anyway as above, however you automatically fail the saving throw.
		- You then gain the benefits of **Necrofire Shield.**
		- If you have already used **Necrofire Shield** and it is unavailable to use until your next long rest, use it anyway as above, however you become vulnerable to cold damage while the shield lasts.
		- While your **Necrofire Aspect** created by **Necrofire Overcharge** lasts. The first fire or necrotic damage-dealing spell, no higher than fourth level, that you cast does the **maximum** possible damage. However, until your next long rest, the first time you take damage from an attack, spell or ability that comes from an enemy, that deals cold damage to you, you take the **maximum** possible damage.

* **Seeker:** *Unknown*
* **Listener:** *Unknown*