Arcanotheign

Arcanotheign

(Creature)

Type

Outsider
(extraplanar, herald, incorporeal)

CR

15

Environment

Any (Maelstrom)

Alignment

Neutral

Source: The Thousand Fangs Below, pg(s). 82-83

The Arcanotheign is the herald of Nethys, the god of magic. She resembles an incorporeal black and white cloud of magical energy with a humanoid shape, although she can take on corporeal form as well.

Description

The Arcanotheign was created by Nethys in one of his rare lucid moments, and serves as his messenger and servant on Golarion. Despite being sent there on missions, she is still a creature of the Great Beyond, and often does not understand the peculiar habits of mortals. If tasked to hurt or harm someone, she will often stop to ask very personal questions of the target before carrying out her orders. In her natural incorporeal form, she is instantly recognizable by all intelligent creatures as a being of both divine and magical origins. She occasionally takes on a solid form, in which she appears as a grey-skinned woman just over seven feet in height who floats a few inches above the ground.

Personality

The herald is fascinated by the variety of mortal life and everyday experiences on the Material Plane, be it in the form of unique social conventions, strongly-flavored regional food, or potent flowers. Those who wish to get on her good side can offer her such experiences, even if they might seem too radical or unpleasant to others. She is also very interested in all kinds of animals, particularly orphaned ones. If the Arcanotheign spends any length of time on Golarion, she tends to collect small groups of stray animals and children near her. Nethys' faithful suspect that they are transformed by their proximity to the herald in some way, either by passing on strange mutations to their children, or by developing sorcerous powers. She is also fond of animating representations of animals made of earth, stone, or wood, most likely to pay respect to the creatures she has known in the past.

Because of Nethys' dual nature and near-insanity, the Arcanotheign is often given quite a bit of freedom to wander Golarion. She spends most of her time there searching for new experiences and sensations and contemplating her place in existence. This often leaves her quite lonely, and she welcomes interactions with others. She dislikes talking to those who have a personal agenda, which might explain her preference for spending time among animals and children.