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The Courts of Fey: Seelie Squire

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Since the rise of the “young” races, the boundaries of Faerie have waned and receded farther into the shadows. Once great powers and influences have been diminished or forbidden or forgotten. As the ancient traditions faded and the Old World separated from the New, some were compelled to depart along with it, by necessity or by choice or by force. Whether exiled wanderers or founders of new kingdoms beyond the veil, the fairest of Otherworld came to be called the sidhe and are wardens of the secret places, the forgotten ways, and the faerie roads. You’ll often find them near barrows and sacred oaks, near moonlit monoliths and other remnants of the old ways.

Here, however, we deal only with the fragmented aristocracy of the lords and ladies of the Seelie Court.

Seelie Squire

They are the heralds of the highborn and the armigers of the Otherworld. They’re the splendid and scrupulous squires—the affinities. Those trusted personal assistants to the exquisite aristocracy and gilded gentry of the sidhe, luminous lords and ladies of the fragmented courts and far-flung realms of Faerie.

Like their mortal counterparts, the squires of the sidhe serve as constant companion to a patron (a knight or a noble), skillfully tending to armor and animals and serving as quartermaster, standard bearer, and faithful man-at-arms on and off the fields of battle and tourney. Among the Seelie, it is not assumed that a squire will become a knight. When knighthood isn’t the case, a loyal and proven squire often remains within the household or entourage of their lord or lady, overseeing junior squires and hirelings, pages and lesser servants. And they remain counted among the trusted and honored few, required—not just allowed—to bear arms in the presence of Seelie nobility.

Scutarius Thornwalker (Esquire to House Rivenwood)

As a young page to Castle Rivenwood, Scutarius was unlike his peers. He was short and muscular, shy and soft spoken, rather unusual and undesirable traits among the eloquent and elegant sidhe. Now, after centuries of loyal (and often bloody) service to Rivenwood, Scutarius sits as esquire to that noble house. He’s major domo of the castle staff as well as herald and master of horse and hound. A scarred and grim war dog himself, Scutarius is not one to be trifled with. Manipulating his own network of informants and agents, he continues to serve house Rivenwood loyally, though oftentimes under his own subtle terms and through his own private agendas.

Scutarius Thornwalker

Medium humanoid (sidhe), neutral
Armor Class 16
Hit Points 60 (7d8 + 28)
Speed 40 feet

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
17 (+3) 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 15 (+2) 14 (+2) 16 (+3)

Saving Throws Str +6, Dex +8, Cha +6
Skills Animal Handling +4, Deception +6, Intimidation +6, Perception +4
Senses darkvision 90 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Elvish, Sylvan
Challenge 6 (2,300)

Fey Grace. Sidhe add their Charisma modifier to armor class, initiative checks, and Dexterity saving throws.

Spellcasting. Scutarius is a 7th-level spellcaster and uses Charisma as his spellcasting ability (DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). Scutarius knows the following spells:

  • Cantrips (at will): blade ward, mending, resistance, shillelagh
  • 1st level (4 slots): animal friendship, purify food and drink, shield, speak with animals
  • 2nd level (3 slots): animal messenger, heat metal, locate object, phantom steed
  • 3rd level (3 slots): conjure animals, haste
  • 4th level (1 slot): dominate beast

Magic Resistance. Scutarius has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Spirit of the Summer Lands. Scutarius is immune to charm and paralysis and magical sleep. Additionally, he has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from weapons that aren’t magical, blessed, or made of cold-forged Iron.

ACTIONS

Bill-Guisarme (magical +3). Melee Weapon Atack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d0 +6) piercing or slashing. A successful hit causes the target creature to succeed at a (DC 15) Dexterity saving throw or be tripped and knocked prone.

Flicker and Fade (30-feet/day). As a standard action, a sidhe may “leap” between spaces as if by dimension door. This magical “flicker” must begin and end within 30 feet of some discernible light source. A sidhe can “jump” a total of 30 feet per day in 10-foot increments (that is, 3 x 10-foot leaps or 1 x 30-foot leap per day). Using this ability with a faerie mount brings the mount along as part of the movement.

Houndmaster’s Horn (2/day). Sounding this horn as a standard action conjures one of the following “hounds”: on a d10 roll of 1-6, 3 (1d4 +1) blink dogs appear; on a roll of 7-9, 2 (1d4) dire wolves appear; on a roll of 10, 1 winter wolf appears. Conjured creatures appear in an unoccupied space within 30 feet and remain for 2 (1d4) hours or until dropped to 0 hit points before vanishing. Conjured creatures are friendly to the horn blower and will obey commands that they can understand.

Multi-Attack. Scutarius makes 2 bill-guisarme attacks

Rivenwood Regalia. This large magical battle standard bears the ancient crest of house Rivenwood and has the following properties. It grants the standard bearer +2 armor class and regeneration (as the spell) 1/day if within 10 feet. All allies within 500 feet of the standard gain +2 to initiative checks and become immune to the charmed, frightened, and stunned conditions as long as Rivenwood Regalia remains visibly borne aloft. All enemies within 100 feet that can see the standard have disadvantage on initiative and cecks to resist fear.


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