Prince Colwyn - Heir of the Fire Mares

Male human Fighter 6 / Ranger 4

Hit Dice: 6d10+4d8+20 (78 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (+2 Dex, +6 armor, +1 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/+12
Attack: +1 longsword +14 melee (1d8+3/19–20)
Full Attack: +1 longsword +14/+9 melee (1d8+3/19–20) and masterwork dagger +12 melee (1d4+1/19–20)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Favored enemy (magical beasts +2), combat style (Two-Weapon Fighting)
Special Qualities: Wild empathy +6, endurance, track
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +6, Will +4
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 12
Skills: Climb +10, Handle Animal +8, Jump +10, Knowledge (nature) +5, Listen +9, Ride +10, Survival +9, Spot +9
Feats: Weapon Focus (longsword), Power Attack, Endurance, Two-Weapon Fighting, Iron Will
Environment: Any land
Organization: Solitary or with companions (4–8 allies of mixed classes)
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: Standard (plus the Glaive)
Alignment: Chaotic good
Advancement: By character class
Level Adjustment: —
Languages: Common
Possessions: +1 chainmail, +1 longsword, masterwork dagger, cloak, travel gear, signet of rulership, the Glaive

Physical Description:

Colwyn is a young man in his early twenties, standing just over six feet tall with a lean, hardened physique shaped by hardship rather than training halls. His dark hair hangs to his shoulders in loose, unkempt strands, often damp from sweat or rain, framing a face marked by equal parts resolve and exhaustion. His eyes are sharp and restless, carrying the weight of recent loss and the constant pressure of pursuit.

His armor is practical rather than ceremonial - a suit of chainmail worn from use, bearing minor damage, scratches, and signs of hurried repair. He moves with the alertness of someone who expects danger at any moment, his posture balanced between noble upbringing and battlefield instinct. Though clearly of royal blood, there is little softness left in him; whatever comfort once defined his life has long since been stripped away.

Lore:

Prince Colwyn is the heir to a divided kingdom, a man thrust into legend not by ambition, but by circumstance. On the day meant to unite rival realms through marriage, catastrophe strikes - his bride is taken, his allies scattered, and his world thrown into immediate chaos. From that moment forward, his life becomes a relentless pursuit across hostile lands and uncertain alliances.

Colwyn does not lead in the traditional sense. He gathers companions not through command, but through shared struggle. Thieves, warriors, mystics, and outcasts find themselves drawn into his path, bound not by loyalty to a crown, but by belief in his refusal to yield. He is not yet a polished ruler, nor a master strategist, but his persistence and clarity of purpose hold others together when reason alone would fail.

Central to his legend is the Glaive, an ancient weapon of unknown origin that responds not to strength, but to will. It is difficult to control, demanding focus and intent to guide its deadly path. In many ways, it reflects Colwyn himself - unrefined, unpredictable, but capable of extraordinary precision when driven by unwavering purpose.

Over time, Colwyn becomes something greater than his title suggests. His journey is not one of conquest, but of transformation. Through hardship, loss, and constant resistance, he evolves from a prince defined by duty into a leader defined by endurance, becoming a symbol of defiance in the face of overwhelming darkness.

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The Glaive

Aura: Overwhelming evocation and transmutation
Caster Level: 20th
Slot: —
Price: — (artifact)
Weight: 5 lb.

DESCRIPTION

The Glaive is a five-bladed, star-shaped throwing weapon of alien and ancient design, its edges impossibly sharp and its motion guided as much by thought as by physical force. Though it can be held in hand, it is not meant for conventional melee combat; its true function is revealed only when cast.

The Glaive functions as a +3 returning throwing weapon with a range increment of 40 feet. It ignores all forms of damage reduction except DR/epic and DR/—. On a successful hit, it deals an additional 4d6 points of force damage. This damage is not subject to resistance or immunity to energy types.

To wield the Glaive properly, the user must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom check as a full-round action to focus their intent before making an attack. On a failure, the Glaive veers off course and misses all intended targets, though it still returns at the end of the wielder’s turn. A creature specifically attuned to the Glaive gains a +4 bonus on this check.

When successfully cast, the Glaive may strike up to five targets, provided each target is within 15 feet of another in the chain. The wielder makes a single attack roll and compares it against each target’s Armor Class. Damage is resolved separately for each creature struck. A single creature cannot be struck more than once per throw.

As a standard action, the wielder may instead direct the Glaive against a single target. In this case, the Glaive gains a +4 insight bonus on the attack roll and ignores cover and concealment (except total cover). If the attack hits, the target must succeed on a DC 20 Reflex save or be staggered for 1 round.

The Glaive automatically returns to the wielder’s hand at the end of their turn, regardless of distance, provided it remains on the same plane. If separated across planes, it reappears in the wielder’s grasp at the next dawn.

If wielded by a creature with a Wisdom score lower than 10, the Glaive functions only as a masterwork throwing weapon and loses all supernatural properties.

LORE

The Glaive is not a weapon forged in any traditional sense. Its origins lie beyond mortal craft, drawn from a place where form and intent exist as one. Legends speak of a mountain that was not truly stone, but a manifestation of cosmic force - a place where fire burned without fuel and shapes could be called into existence through will alone. From this place, the Glaive was taken, not created.

Its unusual structure has long puzzled scholars and mystics alike. Five blades, perfectly balanced and rotating in flawless harmony, yet never losing cohesion or direction. Those who have witnessed its flight often describe it not as a thrown object, but as something released into motion, as though it already knows its path before it leaves the wielder’s hand.

Throughout recorded history, the Glaive appears only in times of great upheaval. It does not remain tied to bloodlines or kingdoms, nor is it passed through inheritance. Instead, it finds individuals - often those standing at the threshold of transformation - and binds itself to their struggle. It serves not merely as a weapon, but as a catalyst, marking the moment where a person must rise beyond themselves or be consumed by failure.

Many have sought the Glaive, believing it to be a tool of ultimate power. Most have failed. The weapon does not respond to ambition alone; it demands clarity of purpose and strength of will. Those who attempt to command it without understanding find it slipping from their control, its power inaccessible. In this way, the Glaive acts as both instrument and judge.

CONSTRUCTION

Requirements: Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, telekinesis, blade barrier, greater magic weapon, limited wish
Cost: — (artifact)

From Krull (1983)