Empyreal Lord, CernunnosThis tall, graceful person has elven features, the horns of a majestic stag and a piercing, ageless stare.Cernunnos CR 30Source Bestiary 4 pg. 88
XP 9,830,400
CG Large outsider (azata, chaotic, extraplanar, good)
Init +16; Senses blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., detect evil, detect lies, detect poison, low-light vision, true seeing; Perception +43
Aura primal (30 ft.)DefenseAC 48, touch 22, flat-footed 35 (+12 Dex, +1 dodge, +26 natural, –1 size)
hp 663 (34d10+476); regeneration 10 (evil artifacts, effects, and spells)
Fort +25, Ref +31, Will +25
Defensive Abilities freedom of movement, lightning rod, unbound; DR 15/epic and evil; Immune ability damage, ability drain, charm effects, compulsion effects, death effects, electricity, energy drain, petrification; Resist cold 30, fire 30; SR 41OffenseSpeed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (average)
Melee +5 holy cold iron club +48/+43/+38/+33 (1d8+18/15–20), gore +43 (2d8+18)
Ranged +5 evil outsider bane composite longbow +51/+46/+41/+36 (2d6+14/19–20/×4)
Space 10 ft., Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks greater slaying arrow, horned lord’s charge, powerful charge (gore, 4d8+13 and horned lord’s charge), wild shape (as 20th level druid)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 20th; concentration +25)
Constant—detect evil, detect lies, detect poison, freedom of movement, true seeing
At will—greater teleport, haste*, true strike*
3/day—break enchantment*, breath of life*, dimensional anchor (DC 19)
1/day—discern location, mage’s disjunction* (DC 24), time stop*
* Cernunnos can use the mythic version of this ability in his realm.
Druid Spells Prepared (CL 20th; concentration +26)
9th—elemental swarm, foresight, summon nature’s ally IX (2)
8th—control plants (DC 24), repel metal or stone, sunburst (DC 24), whirlwind (DC 24)
7th—control weather, creeping doom (DC 23), heal, sunbeam (DC 23)
6th—antilife shell, greater dispel magic (2), move earth, wall of stone (DC 22)
5th—atonement, baleful polymorph (DC 21), deathward, transmute rock to mud, wall of thorns
4th—cure serious wounds (2), freedom of movement, rusting grasp, true formAPG (DC 20)
3rd—call lightning (DC 19), cure moderate wounds, neutralize poison (2), remove disease
2nd—chill metal (DC 18), fog cloud, heat metal (DC 18), lesser restoration, resist energy (2)
1st—calm animals (DC 17, 2), cure light wounds (2), pass without trace (2)
0—create water, mending, purify food and drink, read magicStatisticsStr 29, Dex 35, Con 39, Int 18, Wis 22, Cha 21
Base Atk +34; CMB +44; CMD 67
Feats Combat Reflexes, Deadly Aim, Dodge, Improved Critical (longbow), Improved Critical (scimitar), Improved Initiative, Improved Precise Shot, Mobility, Point-Blank Shot, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run, Weapon Focus (club), Weapon Focus (gore), Weapon Focus (longbow)
Skills Acrobatics +46 (+50 when jumping), Diplomacy +22, Disguise +22, Fly +10, Handle Animal +22, Intimidate +22, Knowledge (geography) +24, Knowledge (nature) +24, Knowledge (planes) +24, Knowledge (religion) +21, Perception +43, Ride +32, Sense Motive +43, Stealth +45, Survival +43, Swim +26
Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal, Sylvan; truespeech
SQ change shape (any humanoid, alter self), empyreal lord traits, perfect archer, seed of lifeEcologyEnvironment any forest or plain (Elysium)
Organization unique
Treasure standard (+5 holy cold iron club, +5 evil outsider bane longbow, other treasure)Special AbilitiesGreater Slaying Arrow (Su) Cernunnos can spend 1 minute crafting any kind of greater slaying arrow (DC 32). He can have only one such arrow at a time, and it only functions for him. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Horned Lord’s Charge (Ex) An opponent hit by Cernunnos’s powerful charge must succeed at a DC 39 Fort save or be exhausted, sickened, or stunned (Cernunnos’s choice) for 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Lightning Rod (Su) Cernunnos absorbs and negates any electricity effect that targets him or includes him in its area. As an immediate action on his next turn, he can release this energy to grant the shock weapon special ability to all weapons wielded by his allies within 30 feet for 1 round.
Perfect Archer (Ex) Cernunnos does not provoke attacks of opportunity for firing bow weapons in melee. He threatens squares out to his normal reach when wielding a bow. He automatically creates arrows when firing a bow and treats any bow he wields as if it had a range increment of 500 feet.
Primal Aura (Su) Any summoned animal or creature summoned by summon nature’s ally gains a +4 enhancement bonus to its Strength and Constitution while within Cernunnos’s aura. Any such creature summoned within his aura obeys him as if he had summoned it (if given conflicting orders, the creature obeys Cernunnos instead of its summoner).
Spells Cernunnos casts spells as 20th-level druid.
Unbound (Su) Cernunnos is immune to any effects that restrict or force extradimensional movement upon him, such as banishment or dimensional anchor. He may allow these effects to affect him.DescriptionCernunnos is a powerful empyreal lord who embodies the primeval force of nature as well as its wildness. He surrounds himself with counselors and advisors from all of the celestial races. Although he rarely makes a rash decision, he occasionally lets anger overwhelm his better judgment, even going so far as to swear personal vendettas against specific demon lords or archdevils. A peerless archer and hunter, in such moments of vengeance Cernunnos is tempted to visit Hell or the Abyss to personally exact his revenge.
His preference for decisive action against enemies puts Cernunnos at odds with Korada. Though Cernunnos agrees that even the wickedest souls can seek redemption, he worries that lives would be lost in the time it would take to allow a fiend to seek enlightenment.
The Horned Lord appears as a tall and muscular humanoid with elven features, tan skin, and a pair of antlers growing from his brow. Cernunnos dresses in simple clothes and leathers, died in natural colors but typically woven or worked with motifs of birds in flight or leaping animals.
On Elysium, Cernunnos dwells in an expansive palace constructed of interwoven trees and capped with lush foliage. Known as Briarbough, this sprawling complex of gardens and pools is his seat of power and a place of healing where celestials and good mortals come to have their most grievous wounds tended. Beyond lies hundreds of miles of pristine forest and plains; animals killed here are reborn the next day, fully healed. In times of war, Briarbough serves as a headquarters and hospital for good outsiders.
When not in Elysium, Cernunnos works with other celestial races to stem the spread of evil throughout the cosmos. Recognizing that—despite his power—he is still only one person, the Horned Lord uses his abilities to strengthen and bolster those already allied against darkness, training marshals and emissaries to work as his agents in the mortal and fey worlds. He favors druids and rangers—archers in particular—among his devotees.
In combat, Cernunnos uses stealth and range to draw enemies to terrain of his choosing. The Empyreal Lord then uses his magic to further shape the battlefield to hamper his foes before closing for melee.Cernunnos’s FaithGood fey, intelligent plant creatures, and mortal rangers and druids worship Cernunnos. Elven fighters and rogues often view him as a patron of luck and good fortune, but others pray to him for strength against evil. His sacred places are secluded groves, waterfalls, and deep forests.
Cernunnos’s holy symbol is the head of a stag, ram or similar horned creature with torcs or rings hanging from its horns. His favored weapon is the longbow. He grants access to the Animal, Chaos, Good, and Plant domains, and access to the Azata, Feather, Fur, and Growth subdomains.Creatures in "Empyreal Lord" CategorySource Bestiary 4 pg. 87
The empyreal lords are the primal forces of good given physical form. Though not as powerful as gods, they are ancient celestials with legendary abilities.
Unlike many other beings of demigod-level power, empyreal lords do not divide themselves as strictly along racial lines—the term “empyreal lord” names the greatest members of the agathion, angel, archon, and azata races. While demon lords, archdevils, horsemen, and similar unique beings orchestrate the plots of their race alone— proving either unwilling or too fractious to collaborate with those not of their kind—empyreal lords seek out the commonalities of interest and purpose shared by their peers among the other celestial races. Although some goodaligned planar races have their own titles for the greatest of their kind, the title “empyreal lord” serves as a unifying bond between forces for good. Though their foes (and even some allies) see these mightiest azatas, angels, agathions, and archons as rulers of their kind, the empyreal lords do not consider themselves royalty. Together the empyreal lords marshal the efforts of all goodly outsiders toward common ends.
Some empyreal lords are almost as old as creation itself, having arisen from the ranks of the first celestials. Others were imbued with divine grace, either by being champions of a deity, inheriting the power of a slain god, or tapping into remarkable powers gathered at far-flung corners of the planes. Some reached this high station by performing impossible quests, gaining the favor of fate, or becoming perfectly attuned with one of the good outer planes.
Representing the two poles of goodness and the fulcrum upon which they balance, the empyreal lords do not always agree, but generally do not interfere with each others’ decisions. Most view philosophical squabbles as petty when faced with a common foe, and never has infighting threatened the foundation of their bonds. Thus, while their outlooks may differ regarding freedom, individuality, and loyalty, the empyreal lords do not allow such differences to stand in the way of vanquishing evil—they’re celestials aligned against evil first and foremost.
Despite their power, the empyreal lords typically eschew direct involvement in the affairs of mortals and even most other celestials. They believe the greater objectives of good are ultimately served by larger and fartherreaching orchestrations of diplomacy and subtle strategy. Even though their powers might not always obviously be directly at work, empyreal lords court mortal worshipers who share their goals and ideals, who are typically referred to as mystery cultists. Rather than more general goals like good or order, mystery cultists focus their worship on the ideals, activities, and creatures their patron most fervently extols or openly favors. Empyreal Realms An empyreal lord’s planar realm may be as small as a metropolis or as large as a continent. The realms’ environments, themes, and traits are as unusual as the empyreal lords themselves, presenting surreal challenges and dangers to creatures seeking to invade them.
An empyreal lord gains the following additional powers while in its realm (the statistics presented on the following pages do not include these abilities). - Mythic: An empyreal lord functions as a 10th mythic rank creature, including the mythic power ability (10/day, surge +1d12). It may expend uses of mythic power to use the mythic versions of any spell-like ability denoted with an asterisk (*) just as if the ability were a mythic spell.
- Use of the following spell-like abilities at will—demand, discern location, fabricate, and major creation.
- Use of the following spell-like abilities once per day— dimensional lock*, miracle (limited to physical effects that manipulate the realm or to effects that are relevant to the empyreal lord’s areas of concern), power word stun*.
- Heightened Awareness (Ex): An empyreal lord gains a +10 insight bonus on Perception and Initiative checks.
Other Empyreal Lords Although the three presented here are among most powerful of the empyreal lords, they are far from the only celestials to bear this title. Among the ranks of the good races of the heavens stand those that are great leaders of their kind and shining examples to other celestials. For these few, their natures or their actions kindle a transformation that reshapes them into empyreal lords—a superlative version of their basic form. When they ascend, these empyreal lords are given an honorific typically celebrating their deeds or honoring another empyreal lord of similar distinction. Below are many ascendant celestials that have become empyreal lords and their honored titles.
Andoletta, Grandmother Crow (archon)
Arshea, Spirit of Abandon (angel)
Bharnarol, the Tempered Inventor (agathion)
Black Butterfly, the Silence Between (azata)
Chucaro, Maiden of Haze and Whimsy (azata)
Falayna, Warrior’s Ring (archon)
Ghenshau, Breezes-Still-and-Ripples-Cease (archon)
Immonhiel, Balm-Bringer (angel)
Jaidz, Fearless Claw (agathion)
Lalaci, He of Motley Repose (azata)
Olheon, the Just Arbiter (archon)
Ragathiel, General of Vengeance (angel)
Shei, the Ibis Matron (agathion)
Sinashakti, Immaculate Joy (azata)
Vildeis, the Cardinal Martyr (angel)
Ylimancha, Harborwing (agathion)
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