Horseman, Szuriel

This blond woman’s pitch-black eyes weep tears of blood, and a massive pair of raven’s wings spreads from her shoulders.

Szuriel CR 28

XP 4,915,200
NE Medium outsider (daemon, evil, extraplanar)
Init +13; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect good, true seeing; Perception +46
Aura frightful presence, (120 ft., DC 36), unholy aura (DC 28)

DEFENSE

AC 46, touch 35, flat-footed 37 (+4 deflection, +9 Dex, +11 natural, +12 profane)
hp 676 (33d10+495); regeneration 20 (deific or mythic)
Fort +30, Ref +31, Will +32
Defensive Abilities apocalyptic resurrection, fire shield (warm shield), freedom of movement; DR 20/epic, good, and silver; Immune ability damage, ability drain, acid, charm effects, compulsion effects, death effects, disease, energy drain, petrification, poison; Resist cold 30, electricity 30, fire 30; SR 39

OFFENSE

Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)
Melee Lamentation of the Faithless +58/+58/+53/+48/+43 (2d6+36/17–20), 2 wings +46 (1d6+9 plus energy drain)
Special Attacks energy drain (1 level, DC 36), eruptive arrival, fury of the forsaken
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 28th; concentration +38)

Constantdetect good, fire shield (warm shield), freedom of movement, true seeing, unholy aura (DC 28)
At willastral projection, blasphemyM (DC 27), desecrateM, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, shapechange, spiritual weaponM, telekinesisM (DC 25), unhallow, unholy blightM (DC 24)
3/dayblade barrierM (DC 26), fire stormM (DC 28), incendiary cloud (DC 28), plane shift (DC 27), summon daemon, quickened telekinesisM (DC 25)
1/daymeteor swarmM (DC 29), time stopM, wishM

M Szuriel can use this ability’s mythic version in her realm.

STATISTICS

Str 46, Dex 29, Con 40, Int 29, Wis 30, Cha 31
Base Atk +33; CMB +51; CMD 86
Feats Blinding Critical, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Critical Mastery, Flyby Attack, Greater Weapon Focus (greatsword), Greater Weapon Specialization (greatsword), Improved Critical (greatsword), Improved Initiative, Mounted Combat, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (telekinesis), Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge, Staggering Critical, Weapon Focus (greatsword), Weapon Specialization (greatsword)
Skills Acrobatics +45, Bluff +46, Fly +49, Intimidate +46, Knowledge (arcana, engineering, history, religion) +42, Knowledge (planes) +45, Perception +46, Ride +45, Sense Motive +46, Spellcraft +42, Stealth +45, Use Magic Device +46
Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Infernal; telepathy 300 ft.
SQ corrupted flames, Horseman traits, warmonger

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Corrupted Flames (Su)

Channeling the fury and sorrow of those devoured within the boundaries of her domain, Szuriel’s touch corrupts the very essence of fire. Any spell-like ability or supernatural effect used by Szuriel that normally causes fire damage deals half of that damage as fire damage and half of it as profane damage that is not subject to energy resistance or fire immunity.

Eruptive Arrival (Su)

When Szuriel uses any teleportation effect, she can create a pyroclastic detonation upon arrival as a swift action. This creates a blast of fire that deals 20d6 points of fire damage to all creatures within a 30-foot radius (Reflex DC 41 half). Szuriel can selectively omit creatures from this effect as she chooses, though she rarely does, enjoying the carnage and death of even her own allies. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Fury of the Forsaken (Su)

As a standard action once per day, Szuriel can instill all non-daemons within a 60-foot radius of herself with a mind-twisting rage and lust for blood.

Affected creatures gain a +4 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution and a –2 penalty to AC, and they are compelled to attack the nearest creature regardless of any previous allegiances. A creature can resist this effect with a successful DC 36 Will save; otherwise, it persists as long as Szuriel remains within line of sight. When the effect ends, an affected creature becomes fatigued. This is a mind-affecting compulsion effect and does not stack with barbarian rage, the rage spell, or similar effects. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Warmonger (Ex)

Szuriel is proficient with all weapons, and is treated as a 20th-level fighter for the purpose of qualifying for feats that require a minimum fighter level as a prerequisite.

ECOLOGY

Environment any (Abaddon)
Organization solitary or mounted (Szuriel and the Red Horse)
Treasure triple (Lamentation of the Faithless, other treasure)

At first glance, Szuriel seems a triumphant, angelic figure.

With her ivory skin, flowing golden hair, flawless and powerful body clothed in a coil of unsullied silk, and wings the blue-black of a raven, she appears as a personification of glory from on high—a veritable goddess of war. Up close, however, this impression quickly fades. Mirrored and black as onyx, Szuriel’s eyes bleed constantly in crimson rivulets that run down her cheeks and fall to the ground.

When she deigns to smile, she reveals a mouth of jagged, razor-sharp fangs more befitting a shark or dragon than anything humanoid. Szuriel’s greatsword, Lamentation of the Faithless, has been wielded by every Horseman of War dating back to the first, and it is said to be the corrupted blade of an ancient and forgotten empyreal lord.

The Horseman of War was once a fallen mortal paladin.

After she was excommunicated for her sins, she became a conquering general and finally a ruling empress who slaughtered the followers of her former faith. Her own death came not on the battlefield but by an assassin’s blade, yet this merely opened the greatest chapter in her conquests by propelling her into Abaddon and, in time, the role of the Horseman of War.

Szuriel makes open mockery of all angels, playing upon their thematic elements in her warped, destructive interactions with mortals, awing both the misguided and those fully cognizant of her nature. Her cults often portray her not as a paragon of destruction, conquest, and genocide, but as promising righteous victory, with the souls of fallen soldiers elevated to paradise regardless of what horrific crimes they commit.

Szuriel’s armies represent the largest and most strictly organized force in Abaddon, but at any given moment, fully half of the Horseman’s armies are scattered throughout the planes in mercenary service to various Abyssal lords, archdevils, and whatever other forces purchase their services. Most times, that price is steep, as Szuriel demands living mortals or souls, or the right to consume those who fall upon the field of battle. When her armies march upon the mortal plane, they honor their commitments just long enough to make their “allies” complacent before engaging in systematic genocide.

Szuriel’s Cult

Szuriel is worshiped by those associated with every facet of war, including everything leading up to it and arising in its bloody wake. Arms dealers, looters, mercenaries, soldiers, and warlords worship the Angel of Desolation.

Szuriel also holds the allegiance of a significant number of the daemon-worshiping and daemon-created urdefhan race. The Seraph of Devastation is served by her deacon race of purrodaemons as well as carrion eaters, obcisidaemons, undead soldiers, war beasts, and warsworn. Szuriel’s unholy symbol is a pale hand and black sword, and the greatsword is her favored weapon. She grants access to the domains of Evil, Fire, Strength, and War, and to the subdomains of Blood, Daemon, Ferocity, and Tactics.

Lamentation of The Faithless (Major Artifact)

Slot none; CL 28th; Weight 8 lbs.; Aura overwhelming all

Szuriel’s weapon is Lamentation of the Faithless, a blackbladed +5 speed unholy greatsword. When using the blade to attack, Szuriel regains 1d6 hit points with each successful hit. If Szuriel presents her sword as a standard action, all creatures within 60 feet that view it are blinded and affected by crushing despair for 1d4+1 rounds unless they succeed at a DC 30 Will save. Creatures with the good subtype and divine spellcasters take a –4 penalty on this save. As a standard action, Szuriel can call the sword to her hand from any distance, including across planar boundaries.

DESTRUCTION

The sword shatters and sublimates if it is ever placed in the empty, walled garden at the summit of Heaven’s mountain by a risen, repentant fiend.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary 6 © 2017, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Robert Brookes, Benjamin Bruck, John Compton, Paris Crenshaw, Adam Daigle, Crystal Frasier, James Jacobs, Thurston Hillman, Tim Hitchcock, Brandon Hodge, Jason Keeley, Isabelle Lee, Jason Nelson, Tim Nightengale, F. Wesley Schneider, David Schwartz, Mark Seifter, Todd Stewart, Josh Vogt, and Linda Zayas-Palmer.

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