Asphodel

### Title(s)

Former Shrine Maiden of the Temple of Desna; former (?) Offworld Colonist of the Glorious Empire of Azlant; former Bat-Rider of the Tenebrous Wastes of the Plane of Shadow; current Oracular Ship Bard of The Ibis

## Description

Her time in the perpetual darkness had changed her-- or perhaps it was some consequence of whatever divine or alien influence guided her safely through the end of the world and a dimension of frigid death. She was blinded by the light of day when she emerged, and her skin and hair were drained of hue. Though her eyes retain a hint of Azlanti purple, they glow faintly in the dark.

## History

Present at the destruction of the Azlanti empire, Asphodel and others were able to escape into the Plane of Shadow at the last second. The plane is dark, desolate, and wrought with undead, but at least it wasn't on fire or being hit with meteors. Unfortunately, they had no way of getting back.

Years later, Asphodel was alone. She still wandered the Plane of Shadow farther beyond lands that resembled the material world, praying for guidance from her goddesses. She had nothing to eat except the bounty of what she dreamed, and she was able to gift this dream to other creatures. This is how she was able to befriend an underfed dire bat steed during a time she was captured by slavers.

She (and the now ridiculously fat) bat escaped and fled into an expansive forest. Ahead of her, she saw a bright light through the trees: exactly the sort of portal said to lead back to the material plane of Golarion. She urged Fatbat onward toward the light and through the long-awaited portal back to what remained of her home.

Through some strange twist of fate, this portal led to the Bloodlands instead.

## Abilities

Asphodel is powerfully and absolutely blessed. Everything she does is by the grace of her gods, or so she says, and they have carried her through every struggle in her life. Whether this is because she is pious, was born under a rare astrological conjunction of a number of auspicious signs, comes from a long line of strangely blessed oracles and holy warriors, or is secretly benefiting from a much darker pact is a truth that may never be revealed to her.

One such blessing is her skill and talent with the starknife, the holy weapon of her goddess Desna. Although she possesses little physical strength, she somehow manages to strike powerfully and accurately by force of personality alone. Furthermore, she nearly always uses nonlethal attacks with her starknife and maintains its accuracy through the grace of the merciful redeemer Sarenrae who granted her that talent.

Asphodel is more than willing to terrify an enemy into submission. She possesses talent in this area as well-- freely combining nonlethal violence and a skill of intimidation that already has her foes quaking or cowering in fear.

Her oracular powers and their origin are still a mystery to her, but she believes them to be a blessing of Acavna. Her charm and force of spirit now physically protect her in place of her own agility. She is beset with the curse of being scarred by shadow, but that same curse grants her affinity with shadow magic and the ability to see in the dark.

Strangest of all and most importantly: she is assailed and empowered by a variety of spirits.

Not only do the spirits speak to her, she insists that they sing as well. One might call it the music of the spheres or the whispers of the universe. Her force of spirit and the torrent of lore she channels from beyond comes through like bardic knowledge and then some, thus giving her access to knowledge and intellectual skills beyond her formal studies. At times the spirits even grant her the arcane magic she requests which she uses to alter reality favorably.

She tends to empower her allies through song and magic. When attacking foes she is likely to entrap them with shadows, lash them with chains, shackle them down, or confound them by trapping them within illusory labyrinths.