The apogee of the Sorcerer-Kingmaker adventure path conversion, the battle with the legendary Pyreen princess Nyrissa will be a thing of legend, one that shakes both the First World and Athas alike, and either outcome will lead to change in the burnt world forever. This confrontation has been millennia in the making, and sadly no honeyed words or assurances can set aside Nyrissa's plans. A cataclysmic battle is set to take place.
As a truly ancient Pyreen, and one of Rajaat's contemporaries, Nyrissa's power is well beyond any individual mortal. However, she lacks the use of Rajaat's Obsidian Lens, and has not yet fully transcended mortality. Her mastery of druidic magic and psionic power is extraordinary, and over her thousands of years in the First World, she has been able to observe and learn almost any skill that has crossed her mind. She can turn her mind to swordplay techniques or grappling combat as easily as the specific local varieties of basketweaving common to the northern villages bordering the Sea of Silt, and has forgotten more artistic style than the PCs have ever witnessed. She is not to be trifled with or confronted lightly, and is rarely alone, even when at her weakest. Although Nyrissa is willing to take thousands, even millions, of lives, she expresses conflict over this choice, and sincerely believes that this will restore more life, better life, to a world in its dying throes. If she were to be quizzed against the old alignment chart, her powers of nature and psionics combined mean that she would reject the concept of the question "we're out of water, who gets the last of it?"- she would create more, use her psionic powers to establish a lower metabolic rate in everyone so that they needed less, and then also invite strangers in to share in what little remained. Her cause could be considered good (restoring a world that has long since scorched away), but the means she has chosen now are undoubtedly evil, even in the dubious ethics of the Burnt World. For this reason, her alignment has not been listed as normal - she is the final challenge to be overcome, and her cause sets her terminally at odds with the PCs' cause. Her death will doom the First World and everything that lives within it, the last elements of the Green Age swept away. The only alternative, however, is an ecological catastrophe which will cost countless lives. Unless the PCs can agree wholeheartedly and undoubting to her cause, the Pyreen princess must die. In battle, Nyrissa wields the Staff of the First World, an artifact which she forged even before her exile. It is an elegant creation of steel, crystal, and pale wood, and she uses it to discharge a clap of thunder each time it strikes, with a flash of brilliant green energy. She fights furiously when challenged, weaving magic and weapon strikes almost interchangeably. Nyrissa wears life-shaped armour which has long since become a part of her, shifting forms as necessary to appear like an archaic and cultured robe in times of calm, and thickening to grant thick bark-like hide as it senses hostile proximity. Informed well by her former servant Castor Irovetus, and from watching the PCs' progress over the last months, Nyrissa will be well-informed of the PCs' capabilities, and will use and exploit every weakness she can think of, without mercy. Nyrissa, Princess of the Pyreen, Mistress of the First World Medium fey (Pyreen) Armour Class 19 (natural armour) Hit Points 304 (32d8 + 160) Speed 40ft., fly 40ft. (hover) Str 22 (+6); Dex 21 (+5); Con 20 (+5); Int 25 (+7); Wis 25 (+7); Cha 27 (+8) Saving Throws Int +14, Wis +14, Cha +15 Skills Arcana +14, Insight +14, Nature +14, Perception +14, Persuasion +15 Damage Resistances Poison, psychic Condition Immunities Blinded, charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned Senses truesight 120ft., passive Perception 24, communion with nature 1,000ft. Languages All spoken languages after hearing them for at least 1 round, telepathy 120ft. Challenge 22 (41,000 XP) Communion with Nature. Nyrissa is constantly aware of the natural world surrounding her to a range of 1,000 feet, as a Commune with nature spell. She knows of the presence of any creature touching the ground or water, or breathing the air, within 1,000 feet of her at the start of her turn. Legendary Resistance (3/day). If Nyrissa fails a saving throw, she may choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. Nyrissa has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects created by any creature that has ever defiled. Pyreen Magic. Nyrissa commands druidic magic as a 20th-level caster. Nyrissa's druidic spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 22, +14 spell attack modifier). Nyrissa can maintain concentration on one druidic power as well as one psionic power at a time. For the purposes of this encounter, she can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At-will: Charm person, druidcraft, produce flame (4d8), thorn whip (4d6) 2/day each: Call lightning (4d10), conjure elemental*, healing word (14 hit points). 1/day each: Feeblemind, sunbeam, sunburst, storm of vengeance. As the PCs approach, Nyrissa will have conjured two CR 5 elementals of her choice to assist her. Pyreen Psionics. Nyrissa commands psionics as a 20th-level manifester. Nyrissa's psionic manifestation ability is Charisma (power save DC 23, +15 psionic attack modifier). Nyrissa can maintain concentration on one druidic power as well as one psionic power at a time. For the purposes of this encounter, she possesses 150 PSPs, and can manifest the following powers, with a maximum PSP limit of 15: Psionic Attack/Defense modes: All Sciences: At-will devotions: Ballistic attack (4d8), combat mind, disengaging sidestep, psionic blast (4d8/4d12), sapping twinkle (4d4). 1st level (PSP cost 2): Beast mastery, deflect 2nd level (PSP cost 3): Biofeedback, conceal thoughts, false sensory input, strength of the land 3rd level (PSP cost 5): Accelerate, awe, ejection, kinetic control 4th level (PSP cost 6): Control body, dimensional door, precognition, synaptic static 5th level (PSP cost 7): Body control, spatial distortion 6th level (PSP cost 9): Domination, energy containment, mass suggestion 7th level (PSP cost 10): Nerve manipulation, time shift 8th level (PSP cost 11): Mindwipe, psionic vampirism 9th level (PSP cost 13): Gravitational void, mindflame Regeneration. Nyrissa regains 20 hit points at the start of her turn. If she takes necrotic damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of her next turn. Nyrissa dies only if she starts her turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate. Teleport. As a bonus action, Nyrissa can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space she can see. Unknowable Mind. If a creature tried to read Nyrissa's mind or deals psychic damage to her, that creature must make a DC 21 Intelligence saving throw or be stunned for 1 round. Actions Multiattack. Nyrissa makes two attacks with the staff of the first world, and either casts one of her at-will druidic spells or manifests one of her at-will psionic devotions. Alternately, Nyrissa casts one spell or manifests one psionic science, and makes one attack with the staff of the first world. Staff of the First World. Melee weapon attack: +13 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage and 4 (1d8) thunder damage. Legendary Actions Nyrissa can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a timeand only at the end of another creature's turn. Nyriss regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn. Cast Spell (2 actions). Nyrissa casts a spell. Manifest Psionic Science (2 actions). Nyrissa manifests a psionic science. Rejuvenation Revenge (1 action). Nyrissa rejuvenates an area of nature which has been defiled that she can see within 100 feet, restoring the defiling damage to it, and causing the defiler to make a Constitution saving throw (DC 21) or take 1d6 necrotic damage per level of the spell used to defile. Staff of the First World (1 action). Nyrissa makes one attack with the Staff of the First World. Next week's post should wrap up the final details and epilogue, bringing this long journey to its end. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 26 March 2021. Comments are closed.
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