Ashmadiel
“The Gryphon’s Guardian Angel”
History believed by the PC
Ashmadiel was an celestial once. A member of the Shining Legion under the “Source”, known as: Ashmadiel – the Celestial of the Flame. All that changed when they chose to pursue another celestial of the Shining Legion: Aaziakel – the Celestial of the Hearthlight, when the celestial chose to fall! Aaziakel believed humankind needed a more direct hand in guidance to paradise. The celestial decided to make this happen they would need a direct hand because every single sign Aaziakel ever sent had been ignored or mis-interpreted. Choosing to willfully fall to lead humankind was perverse in the eyes of Ashmadiel. That a friend and fellow member of the Shining Legion would choose this meant something larger was at work and Aaziakel needed saving.
The only way to pursue and protect mortals cared for by their master was to fall and enter the “creation” of the “Source.” Ashmadiel believes in guarding free will and time can heal any wound. Both celestials landed in the time of the Third Crusade and some scholars of the arcane and the divine sight their presence as the schism between the Templar and the Hospitaller knightly orders. Aaziakel kept provoking the Templars to fight the descendants of the Ishmaelites to incite war and find the strongest leader to then guide in conquering the world. Then their would be an army strong enough to face off against the Lords of Night, the Ba’al! When they finally faced each other Ashmadiel was worried Aaziakel was trying to betray the Shining Legion. She had been pushing the leadership into an assault on the Ba’al, but was thusly denied. Ashmadiel and Aaziakel mortally wounded the other. Ashmadiel does not know what happened to its former friend but awoke to found its soul had been reshaped and forged into the fragments of its sword that showed the fiery fury of heaven’s flaming blades. It pale-grey blade looks like the sky slightly overcast and sad. It’s only known two wielders before Garrick, one was a noble knight in the crusades, another was a spy in WWII. It fell asleep after the night passed in the holy lands and it was boxed up to be sent back to what was to become Europe. It fell asleep again when the WWII ended and its wielder hid it to prevent evil from finding it.
True History Currently Revealed
See the Chronicles A Leap of Belief?, Ashmadiel and Aaziakel, and What Ashmadiel Had to Say.
Appearance: A 33″ long blade of twin Damascus, pattern-welded pieces, the storm-grey steel with its sides emblazoned by golden sigils appearing to be of an celestial nature glowing faintly. The pommel is a sculpted, golden Gryphon/Eagle head with sapphires inset for eyes. Its handle is made of made of what appears to be cypress wood stained in a blue tint. Much of the hilt and rear mounted ricasso on the blade is either highly polished bronzed Damascus steel, or what appears to be gold chasing. Suggesting it belong to a king or mighty warlord. The handle (crossguard & hilt) measures in at 15″ in length for a complete length of four feet (48 inches).
Well Balanced & Lightweight: +1 to “Strike” and “Parry” when using the sword.
Damage: 6D6 + 7 / 10D6 + 14 with Artifact Supernatural Strength.
NOTES: These are the only powers available to anyone wielding the sword aside from its linked wielder. Consequently, anybody else who takes and uses the weapon cannot draw on its magic or be transformed into a superbeing. They can only use it as a superior quality weapon. However, if the champion is slain, the magic weapon is able to join and empower a new one after 72 hours.
| Bonuses & Bestowed Powers: | Description |
| Note: | Must say the following phrase while in physical contact to become bestowed |
| Phrase: | “Grant unto me the might of the Gryphon.” |
| Heroic Attire | Add 60 to your physical S.D.C. Your height increases into a more heroic version yourself, no less than 6ft. The outfit Garrick typically summons looks like German field officer dress uniform of the 17th and 18th century meets the fantasy MMORPG he plays with one of the guys from work. In order to change an outfit the character must change back to their normal form and then change again. Any clothing taken off will only vanish when the person transforms back to their normal form and then changes again. |
| Handsome Appearance | Add 7 points to your P.B. |
| Elemental Resistance | Provides its champion with resistance against fire and cold; they do quarter damage (These are the combined effects from the “Sword” and the chosen minor super power of “Healing Factor”). |
| Magical Resistance | Provides a bonus of +3 to save against all magic spells and enchantments. |
| Sight of the Unseen | Enables its owner to ‘See the Invisible’ as per the spell; always active. |
| Flight of the Gryphon Knight | Flight: Wingless The impressive ability to fly without any apparent means of propulsion. Bonuses In Flight: The character can hover several inches above the ground during combat in order to use his full bonuses. Speed 200 mph (321 km), plus 20 mph (32 km) per level of experience. + 1 attack per melee. + 2 to strike. + 2 to parry. + 4 to dodge when hovering or flying under 80 mph/128 km. + 6 to dodge when flying around 90 mph (144 km) or faster. + 4 to damage for every 20 mph (32 km) of flight speed. + 40 to S.D.C. Current Speed: 360 MPH |
| Endurance of the Gryphon Knight | Healing Factor: Recovers 3 S.D.C. every 10 minutes (18 per hour)! / Recovers one hit point every 15 minutes (4 per hour). / Special superhealing: Can instantly regenerate 4D6 hit points x2 per day (24 hour period). Does not fatigue, whatsoever! Resistant to drugs, toxins, and poisons. When the character doesn’t save against them, their effects (duration , penalties and symptoms) and damage are a mere one-third normal. No scarring when healed. Broken bones heal completely, without any sign of having ever been broken, at a rate 10 times faster than normal. This means a leg fractured in several places will be completely healed in about 8-10 days instead of 11-15 weeks. This power provides incredible recuperative abilities and immunity to disease. Bonuses: + 2d4 to the P.E. attribute (8). + 2d6 + 6 to the Hit Points (12). + 25 to S.D.C. + 20% to save vs coma/death (this is in addition to the P.E. bonuses). + 3 to save vs magic, poison and toxins (this is in addition to the P.E. bonuses). + 3 to save vs psionic attacks. |
| Powers Granted by Ashmadiel only while held as a Sword: | Must make contact with Ashmadiel in its sword form to draw upon these powers. |
| Sight of the Passing Flame (Acq. Level 6) |
Supervison: Thermal Vision: Seeing the heat generated by a person or a machine is a natural part of this character’s vision when they are holding Ashmadiel. Seeing heat signatures lets the super being see recent footprints (less than 10 minutes old), warm vehicle engines (less than 20 minutes earlier), whether a gun has been recently fired (within the last 10 minutes) and similar things. They can also “see” shapes of heat sources from electronics and ovens, to people and pets, through solid walls which are not shielded against heat loss. He can also tell approximately how long ago a motor or device has been used by seeing the level of heat (cool, warm, hot). Base Skill: 70+2% Current: 80% Range: 100 feet (30.5 m) + 10 feet (3 m) per level of experience. Current: 190 ft (95 ft in city). Range is reduced by half in the city, due to the amount of background heat generated. |
| Powers Granted from Ashmadiel: | Must make contact for one minute every 72 hours to continue to draw upon these powers. Even if not in physical contact. |
| Shape-shift into smaller form: | The enchanted item can shrink and change its form, assuming a shape that can be easily carried and/or concealed by the owner; i.e., a sword could transform into dagger or arm band or vambrace until needed. If worn next to the skin, the shrunken item will still confer any powers dependent on contact with the wearer. |
| Artifact Supernatural Strength: (counts for three power options out of the seven total) |
The wielder or wearer of Ashmadiel sees their P.S. attribute raised 1D4+4 (7) points and become supernatural. Furthermore, the character never feels fatigued, needs only three hours of sleep per day, is +2 to save vs poison and +6 to save vs disease. Three times per 24 hour period, the character can summon his inner strength and endurance to gain a magical Natural A.R. of 10 and an additional 100 to S.D.C. (M.D.C. in Rifts® and other mega-damage worlds). This super endurance can only be maintained for one minute (4 melee rounds) per level of the character’s experience. NOTE: When the Inner Strength portion of the power is active there is a glowing aura about them in the shape of a humanoid Gryphon! The effect is purely for visual flavor. The weapon magically increases the hero’s strength to the equivalent of the Major Super Ability of Supernatural Strength. Can carry 300 (PS: 29 – 8,700lbs.) times P.S. in pounds and can lift 500 (PS: 29 – 14,500lbs.) times. HtH Damage: 2D6 damage + PS Attribute bonus (Can exempt PS Bonus if a Pull Punch roll is made), 4D6 damage + PS Attribute bonus on a full strength punch, or 1D4X10 on a power punch (counts as two melee attacks). |
| Battle Armor | Battle Dress: As part of the power, the character appears in a full suit of armor (character’s choice on type). The armor has 200 S.D.C., regenerates 1D6 S.D.C. every two melees (30 seconds) and has an A.R. of 16. If the armor is destroyed it completely regenerates in 24 hours. The outfit Garrick is summoning currently looks like the “Heavy Armor” from a fantasy MMORPG he plays with one of the guys from work. |
| Spits Fire: | The fiery blast can appear as a fire ball or bolt of flame that shoots out from the weapon. It can be used as often as the champion has attacks per melee (each blast counts as one melee attack). As a magical energy blast, it will affect supernatural beings, creatures of magic and those who are normally invulnerable. Damage: 5d6 if the wielder is Principled, 4d6 if Scrupulous, or 3d6 if Unprincipled. Range: 300 feet (91 m). |
| Tongues: | The ability to understand and speak any language at will, same as the spell. Range: Self or others by touch. Duration: Five minutes per level of experience. Saving Throw: None The magic enables the character to perfectly understand and speak all spoken languages at 98% proficiency, including elemental and alien tongues. |
POWERS NOTE: To anybody else it is an ordinary weapon of superior craftsmanship, without any magical properties. The only exception is when the weapon’s champion willingly lends it to someone for a specific purpose, like protecting an innocent from danger or evil forces. Under this circumstance, the borrower can draw upon the six powers of the Enchanted Weapon and use them as is necessary in fulfilling his or her noble mission. Its champion can continue to draw on the powers that transform him into a superbeing even though the two are apart, but he or she cannot transform back into their normal, mortal identity without the weapon. Furthermore, if separated for more than 72 hours, the character will automatically return to his ordinary human form and the weapon becomes inert (seemingly powerless). Until the two are reunited (or the mortal killed), both are powerless.
Picture of sword by AZ_Rune Art!