Weekly Wonders - Archetypes of the Ancients Volume IV - Ys

The Original City of Sin!

Plumbing ancient ruins in search of long-forgotten secrets and the power of lost civilizations is nothing new to adventurers. Few fantasy settings are without some lost civilization from ages before, which boasted magic or technology far more advanced than anything seen today. But if you’re going to go after mythical cities from bygone eras, you may as well go after the best of the best. Each installment of Weekly Wonders: Archetypes of the Ancients takes a single real-world mythological city, lost continent, or hidden kingdom and provides six archetypes specifically designed to invoke the themes and elements that that place is known for.

This book focuses on the city of Ys. The legend of Ys is a tragic tale, describing how a shining and beautiful city fell to sin and debauchery, until finally the devil, in the guise of a red knight, visited the city and tricked its princess into opening the floodgates during a massive storm, causing the entire city to become buried beneath the waves. This book includes the following archetypes:

• The order of the red knight, a cavalier order with supernatural powers who sow the seeds of corruption wherever they pass.
• The faustian pact psychic discipline, for psychics whose powers come from deals with the devil.
• The dawnslayer, a slayer archetype that focuses on seduction, using their wiles to let down an opponent’s guard and then striking when they are most vulnerable.
• The devil summoner, a summoner archetype that specializes in summoning fiends, and whose eidolon is more powerful than normal, but carries a tainted and manipulative bond with the summoner.
• The seeker of Ys, a swashbuckler archetype that provides just the right mix of seduction, archaeology, and strong swimming skills needed to seek out the lost city.
• The disguised devil, a vigilante archetype that is actually possessed by a devil, which takes over whenever he transforms into his vigilante identity.

Whether you're about to embark on an archaeological campaign (such as the official Paizo adventure path dealing with seeking out the secrets of a lost and ancient civilization), or you just want to play a character with a connection to the ancient past, this book has lots of tantalizing options to offer. Even GMs can get in on the fun, as several of the archetypes here are perfect for NPCs tied to mythical places as well, and can make for exciting and memorable encounters.