Azata, Brijidine

Family: Azata

Medium celestial (azata), chaotic good

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 218 (19d8+133)
Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	20 (+5)	24 (+7)	15 (+2)	18 (+4)	22 (+6)

Damage Immunities cold
Damage Immunities fire, lightning
Condition Immunities petrified
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Celestial, Infernal, truespeech
Challenge 17 (18,000 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Flaming Body. Creatures that hit the brijidine with a melee attack take 3 (1d6) fire damage. Creatures that grapple or are grappled by the brijidine suffer 21 (6d6) fire damage.
• Heat Stone. Any stone affected by the brijidine’s spells heats up for 1 minute, dealing 3 (1d6) fire damage to any creature ending their turn within 5 ft.
• Innate Spellcasting: The brijidine’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
  • At will: flaming sphere, heat metal, meld into stone, stone shape
  • 5/day each: conjure elemental (fire elemental only), flame strike, wall of stone
  • 3/day each: earthquake, firestorm, heal, wall of fire
• Magic Resistance. The brijidine has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The brijidine makes two longsword attacks.
• Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, 5 ft. reach, 1 target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage. Targets hit by this attack also take 7 (2d6) fire damage.
• Lava Blast. Ranged Spell Attack: +11 to hit, range 30/120, 1 target. Hit: 56 (16d6) fire damage.

ABOUT

Brijidines are passionate, powerful azatas attuned to the powers of earth and fire. They love basking in volcanoes, writing poetry, tending to sick creatures, and pursuing spicy recipes. The quickest way to befriend a brijidine is to present her with a fireproof copy of an exotic poem or a bag of rare peppers. Though their power is tied to primal destruction, they are quick-witted and love clever wordplay, whether in a sonnet or a dirty limerick. A brijidine stands 5-1/2 feet tall and weighs 150 pounds.

Fiery Wrath. The brijidine sees fire as a form of purity, a marked difference from its classical association with devastation and destruction. To a brijidine, the existence of hellfire is the rankest blasphemy, and while many azatas look to the demons of the Abyss as their greatest enemies, it is among the devils of Hell that most brijidines find focus for their anger. The fact that devils are immune to fire, the brijidine’s greatest strength, frustrates and angers these azatas all the more, forcing them to become far more imaginative and creative in their tactics when facing such foes.

Azatas are a race of celestials native to the plane of Elysium, where the pursuit of freedom and goodness is paramount.

Azatas are champions of these concepts, great bards, knights, and explorers who roam the planes in search of good folk in need of their help. Frequently described as the most elven or fey-like celestials, azatas nevertheless often have strange, inhuman shapes or can take elemental or eldritch forms, though all are created and nourished by the influx of goodly mortal souls. Like most celestials, they cannot reproduce with each other in the mortal fashion, and often tryst with mortals who prove charming and good spirited. Azatas dally frequently with their own kind, being quick to seek out feelings of love, joy, and companionship, but rarely feel bound or exclusive to merely one lover, regardless of its race.

Azatas can speak with almost any creature because of their truespeech special ability.

Wanderers. Azatas rarely stay in one place for long and prefer the thrill of motion and discovery to creature comforts. Most azata “settlements” are little more than a collection of tents around a landmark, gathered over the course of a day to share news, stories, and perhaps good-natured duels, and then packed up again a few days later. Such temporary settlements are colorful and have a celebratory atmosphere, as azatas are quick to greet any of their kind as old friends. Although few can predict when and where an azata community might arise, some groups of azatas gather in cycles for traditional festivals and reunions. Such gatherings typically take place at a time of mystical consequence, such as on the evening of the lunar equinox, or during less predictable times, such as upon the wedding of two seers, and always in a place of pristine or stunning natural wonder. All azatas fundamentally know when and where the closest or next gathering of their people might occur, and while none are required or even expected to attend, all are welcome. These gatherings do not preclude more permanent azata holdings and communes, however, and the heights of Elysium endlessly ring with the songs of azata choirs.

Knights Errant. Most azatas have some knightly or courtly title, such as duke, countess, or prince, apparently hereditary, perhaps from a celestial monarchy long abandoned and forgotten. Azatas do not exploit these titles to exert influence over each other, instead using them for personal identification or a bit of self-importance. They are deadly and resolute foes of evil, fearless and clever in battle. They are driven by a crusading nature and feel bored when forced to stay in one place too long.

This tendency also means they are unlikely to agree to serve mortals for an extended period of time, preferring to arrive, get the job done, and move on to some other quest or challenge. As much as they seek to spread the cause of freedom and joy, azatas realize that they cannot enforce such virtues throughout the multiverse. Without darkness there can be no light, and without struggle there can be no victory.

Understanding this, these celestials remain removed from the majority of mortal conflicts, preferring to act as advisors in such situations rather than champions, granting goodly mortals ownership over their own triumphs. In cases where the forces of evil act overtly, however, and intrude upon mortal worlds, azatas are quick to rally to defend such realms and aid those who have no hope of defending themselves.

Azatas generally work together, but their powerful personalities and strong sense of individual freedom often see them disagreeing on how best to handle a particular situation. While both parties have the greater good at heart, these arguments can fester and grow into long-lasting grudges. In cases where a single azata is convinced his way is right, he might even enter a sort of self-imposed exile, abandoning the support of his kin so he can launch a oneazata crusade against the cruelties of the multiverse.