Herald

Herald

(Creature)

Type

Outsider
(herald)

CR

15 (usually)

Alignment

Same as its deity

Adjective

Heraldic

Images of heralds

Source: Inner Sea Gods, pg(s). 274

A herald is the incarnate embodiment of a deity's will. These unique creatures are often sent as messengers or to assist the followers of a god. Their appearance on Golarion is rare in the extreme, and they only ever do so with the express permission of their divine patron. Certain devout worshipers of a god may summon them using powerful spells (such as greater planar ally), but, even then, they only appear by divine consent, and only to those who are held in the highest favor or whose need is truly great. Heralds are unique individuals, as opposed to a god's divine servitor race.

Current Divine Heralds

Below is a list of known current heralds and their divine patrons:

• Ai: a mysterious veiled trumpet archon who left Heaven to become Sivanah's herald for unknown reasons.
• Anwigasi: half-celestial coatl herald of the empyreal lord Winlas.
• Arcanotheign: Nethys' herald appears as a cloud of black and white magical energy shaped like a woman.
• Ashkaelae's Brood: Hanspur's herald is not a single entity, but as a hive mind swarm of waterlogged rats.
• Basileus: the herald of Asmodeus is the ultimate expression of law without mercy or recourse.
• Bloodbloat: a colossal mosquito-like blightspawn that looks just as disgusting as its master Ghlaunder.
• Book of Servants and Scholars: a codex archon who collects the most insightful interpretations of his patron Gruhastha's holy text.
• Button Fellow: Chaldira Zuzaristan's herald, a talking ragdoll that often comforts those that have fallen on hard times with promises of luck.
• Courage Heart: a former Galtan ranger, executed by a final blade as a Chelish collaborator and rescued by Milani to become her herald.
• Emperor of Scales: the herald of Ydersius used to be the first emperor of the serpentfolk empire.
• End's Voice: appearing as a cloaked, floating figure, Groetus' herald visits Golarion to witness calamitous death in its various forms.
• Falling Star: a celestial hawk companion of Ketephys that serves as his herald alongside Meycho.
• First Blade: Gorum's herald is an enormous swarm of weapons and shields which takes a form similar to an iron golem.
• Galfrey: Former Crusader Queen of Mendev, Galfrey was chosen as Iomedae's new herald after the fall of the Hand of the Inheritor during the Fifth Mendevian Crusade.
• Grand Defender: the herald of Torag appears as a dwarf-shaped iron golem clad in formidable armor.
• Gravedragger: Zyphus' herald, a mass of grave dirt and bones, likes to murder innocents in creative ways.
• Great Elder Iuu: Minderhal's herald looks like an ancient stone giant.
• Grim White Stag: this enormous stag with tree branches instead of antlers is said to stand around 30 feet at the shoulder. It serves as Erastil's herald.
• Guardian Blaze: a six-winged, four-taloned phoenix serving as Feronia's herald.
• Hebdanke: the youngest daughter of Gyronna was eaten by her mother and became her herald.
• Kelpie's Wrath: Besmara's herald is a living, haunted pirate ship that sails the oceans of Golarion as easily as it traverses the Ethereal or Astral Plane.
• Hruet: a half-celestial buggane raised by Magrim that became his herald upon coming of age.
• Jaesh the Crocodile: a werecrocodile tricked by Grandmother Spider to serve as her herald.
• Kanantik: a coatl and powerful manifestation of Kazutal's protection, known for numerous heroic acts.
• Kronoroth: an ancient white dragon with a burning hatred against metallic dragons who displays her victims' heads on her body and serves as Dahak's herald.
• Lady of the Green Crescent: a hare that washed Tsukiyo's face and protected him between his death and resurrection, and was rewarded with transformation into a kirin and Tsukiyo's herald.
• Latten Mechanism: Brigh's herald is a living siege engine that prefers research to battle.
• Lawgiver: a massive construct of steel and gold, this servant of Abadar batters down all those who stand in the way of civilization's continued ascent.
• Menotherian: this giant wasp-shaped servant of the goddess Calistria is the embodiment of her lustful passions, love of trickery, and burning vengeance.
• Meycho: a celestial dog companion of Ketephys that serves as his herald alongside Falling Star.
• Mother's Maw: appearing as a flying skull the size of an ogre, the herald of Urgathoa is always surrounded by flies and drips blood and maggots wherever it goes.
• Night Monarch: the herald of Desna most often takes the shape of a beautiful butterfly or moth with a 40-foot wingspan.
• The Old Man: the herald of Irori appears as a bald, aged man who moves with an unearthly grace and has incredible strength.
• Orogenus: an adult silver dragon, easily recognisable by his spectacles, serve Apsu as his herald.
• Personification of Fury: Gozreh's herald takes the shape of a massive elemental which seems to be a combination of air and water.
• Prince in Chains: appearing as a massive, skinless wolf the size of a house, the herald of Zon-Kuthon is covered in animated chains which constantly readjust, keeping him in constant pain.
• Seven-Eyes: Nivi Rhombodazzle's die and herald, who blesses luck upon those that carry him but guarantees that any roll made with him will be fair.
• Shinonome: a celestial sky dragon that serves Shizuru loyally but not blindly.
• Spirit of Adoration: Shelyn's herald takes the form of a winged human or elf whose eyes glow with the fire of love threatened.
• Stabbing Beast: this servant of Norgorber is shaped like an enormous, black scorpion-like creature which sometimes takes a humanoid form.
• Steward of the Skein: Pharasma's heralds are actually two linked ghaele-like creatures, one brilliantly white and blue, the other clad in flaming orange darkness.
• Sunlord Thalachos: the goddess Sarenrae's herald appears as a four-armed, winged humanoid figure with platinum skin. Two of its arms hold flaming scimitars, while the others carry a longbow. The Sunlord is always surrounded by a halo of doves.
• Tarrasque: the ultimate engine of destruction, Tarrasque is the current herald of Rovagug, although other of its spawn have served in this capacity in the past.
• Tenth-by-Third: herald of the primordial inevitable Otolmens, and a dogmatic creature even by the standards of inevitables that cannot stand chaos.
• Thais: appearing as a 15-foot tall angelic woman with five feathered wings, the herald of Cayden Cailean was once a mortal courtesan.
• Watcher Surmios: the astral deva who led the soul of Kurgess to Nirvana and vouched for his ascension to godhood.
• Welcoming Faces: Alseta's herald is a construct-like outsider consisting of smiling masks tied together.
• Yethazmari: this creature serves as the herald for the demon goddess Lamashtu. It appears as a jackal-bodied monstrosity, with bat-like wings, smoldering eyes, and a viper for a tail.
• Zyrruthys: the herald of Achaekek, an enormous intelligent mantis who is often mistaken for his god.

Former Heralds

Even though heralds are divinely appointed, they are not immortal. Sometimes, a herald is replaced without dying first. Below is a list of these individuals:

• Arazni: this former herald of Aroden was slain in 3823 AR during the Shining Crusade by the Whispering Tyrant. She was raised as a lich by the ruler of Geb and later escaped and ascended to become the Goddess of unwilling undeath.
• Hand of the Inheritor: This former herald of Iomedae was a golden-skinned angel whose head was surrounded by a halo of blades. He was captured and tortured by the demon lord Baphomet during the Fifth Mendevian Crusade.
• Iomedae: after passing the Test of the Starstone in 3832 AR, Iomedae became Aroden's herald, replacing the slain Arazni. She served him loyally in this capacity until his death in 4606 AR.
• Kohal: this herald of Sarenrae was killed by the citizens of the Ninshaburian city of Gormuz during the Age of Anguish.
• Onamahli: an asura rana and former herald of a goddess of beauty.
• Shieldwarden Olhondias: the herald of the dead goddess Acavna, who survived his patron and now resides with rogue outsiders in the city of Basrakal.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.