Azata, Lyrakien

Family: Azata

Tiny celestial (azata), chaotic good

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 27 (6d4+12)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
5 (-3)	19 (+4)	14 (+2)	14 (+2)	17 (+3)	20 (+5)

Skills Performance +7
Damage Resistances cold, fire
Damage Immunities lightning
Condition Immunities petrified
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages all
Challenge 2 (450 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Innate Spellcasting. The lyrakien’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
  • At will: dancing lights, detect evil, detect magic, freedom of movement (self only), minor illusion (sound only)
  • 1/day each: confusion, cure wounds, minor illusion
  • 1/week: commune
• Traveler’s Friend (1/Day). All creatures who hear a lyrakien’s performance for 1 minute ignore the effects of 1 level of exhaustion until their next long rest. This ability does not affect creatures with 6 levels of exhaustion.

ACTIONS

• Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, 5 ft. reach, 1 target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
• Starlight Burst (Recharge 5-6). All creatures in a 5 foot radius must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 radiant damage. Lawful creatures take an additional 1d6 radiant damage. Evil creatures take an additional 1d6 damage.

ABOUT

Lyrakien are divine musicians and messengers, mainly in the employ of deities of travel and natural wonders. They love to explore and visit beautiful places, especially locations with excellent views of rainbows, moonlight, and the stars.

Whimsical and joyous, they love contests of song, dance, and knowledge, and keep journeys happy by distracting their companions from weary feet and stale food. Mortals who please them with excellent tales and new songs may be rewarded with elaborate maps, forgotten shortcuts, or rambling directions to hidden locations that hold lost magic.

Lyrakien are light-hearted creatures, but they are very protective of breathtaking natural locations. Often called “glistenwings” by gnomes and halflings, lyrakien are frequently mistaken for fey—while they are generally friendly with true fey, their origin is the plane of Elysium. Like other azatas, they grow restless if they stay in one place too long.

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.