Vildeis

Vildeis
(Deity)
Titles	The Cardinal Martyr
Realm	No fixed abode
Alignment	Lawful good
Areas of Concern	Devotion Sacrifice Scars
Worshipers	Martyrs, obsessed, paladins, zealous crusaders
Edicts	Sacrifice yourself in pursuit of good, champion noble causes, scar your body
Anathema	Joke or laugh about injustice, sacrifice others in your place, indulge in luxury
Cleric Alignments (1E)	LG NG CG LN N CN LE NE CE
Domains (1E)	Destruction, Good, Healing, Law
Subdomains (1E)	Archon, Martyr, Rage, Resurrection
Cleric Alignments (2E)	LG NG CG LN N CN LE NE CE
Domains (2E)	Duty, pain, sorrow, zeal
Favored Weapon	Dagger
Symbol	Scarred gold breastplate
Sacred Animal	Eagle
Sacred Colors	Red, white
Source: Chronicle of the Righteous, pg(s). 27

Vildeis
(Creature)
Type	Outsider (angel, extraplanar, good, lawful)
CR	28
Environment	Any (Heaven)
Alignment	LG NG CG LN N CN LE NE CE
Source: Bestiary 4, pg(s). 92

Vildeis, the Cardinal Martyr is an angel empyreal lord fanatically dedicated to the eradication of all evil everywhere. Other goodly divine beings may rail against the sins of the wicked, but none has devoted themselves as wholeheartedly to its destruction than Vildeis. Driven by her abhorrence of evil, Vildeis relentlessly pursues a crusade across the planes, unable to find rest or enjoy any comforts until all evil is utterly destroyed, seeking no material rewards for so doing.

History

It is said that when Vildeis first emerged from Heaven and learned of the existence of evil in the Great Beyond, she tore out her eyes so that she would no longer see its foul touch throughout existence.

Home

Mercilessly driven by her cause, Vildeis forgoes a permanent home and endlessly travels the Great Beyond, searching for evildoers to kill. Legends across the planes speak of her sudden appearance single-handedly turning fights in favour of the good. Those who seek to encounter Vildeis must follow rumours of her passing.

Appearance

For another meaning of "Cicatrix", please see Cicatrix.

Vildeis appears as a brutally scarred human woman, each scar shaped like a symbol representing one of her sacrifices, clad in miles of bloodstained bandages. Her empty eyes are covered in crimson ribbons, and she flies with a pair of large red wings. Vildeis possesses a magical curved dagger called Cicatrix that is never far from her, and which she uses to carve scars on others, infusing them with her zeal. Those that stand near her hear a cacophony of screams, originally uttered by martyrs across the Great Beyond.

Cults

Vildeis is worshipped by the most zealous and incorruptible crusaders, priests, and judges, who view her as an unattainable exemplar. A harsh mistress, Vildeis demands her followers to strictly follow her tenets and utterly commit themselves to the fight against evil, giving up families and material wealth, and expecting only one reward: sacrifice in the service of good. Those who give their lives might rest in this reward, but the most faithful and talented can serve once again as Vildeis' servants. If they fall out of favour (which happens often), they are expelled from Vildeis' cult but encouraged to do good under less strict masters.

Vildeis' warpriests outnumber both clerics and inquisitors. They dutifully follow her dogma to eradicate evil and heal those who have suffered at its hands, as each good person she saves is another committed to the fight against evil.

Self-mortification, though not mandatory, is commonly practiced by Vildeis' most devout followers. Those who wholly embrace scarification are known as scar seekers.

References

For additional resources, see the Meta page.