Ferrante
| Saint Ferrante | |
|---|---|
| General info | |
| Home: | Kingdom of Thalland (currently Bastion of Faith) |
| Alignment: | Chaotic evil |
| Gender: | Male |
| Species: | Human death knight |
| Class: | 20 hit die Antiprophet |
| Dates | |
| Age: | 800+ |
Saint Ferrante is a legendary hero whose true nature is a carefully kept secret of the Heironean church.
Description
Ferrante's current physical form is described as a mass of "greenish ooze," (BoF.40) as he is currently held in stasis. If released, the ooze take the form of a seven feet tall, undead human. In his accursed form, his face is a blackened skull covered in burnt flesh, and his eye sockets glow a deadly green hue.
Relationships
Ferrante's half-brother was Kahabros, a powerful servant of Hextor who led the army of the Medegian Bladelands into battle.
Ferrante also had a companion called Onwald Sidney.
Home
A native of the Kingdom of Thalland, Ferrante lived before the dawn of the Kingdom of Aerdy.
History
Ferrante is said to have been the foremost of his era's champions of Heironeous. Some of his legendary adventures include decapitating one of the heads of the Two-Headed Hound of Sthalash, hacking coils from the body of the Endless Wyrm, and defeating the spells and temptations of the tyrant Kahabros. His deeds are chronicled in the Book of Penitence, a well-known holy text among the Heironeans. The parables in the book describe how a strong will can vanquish temptation and evil thoughts.
Members of sects that venerate Ferrante as a saint often believe that Ferrante was the original servant of Heironeous, the first prophet and first saint of his church. This is untrue; Arnd of Tdon precedes him by centuries, for example.
According to the Book of Penitence, in his final days Ferrante journeyed across the Solnor Ocean on a great crusade, and was never seen again. Most of the faithful believe he battles still somewhere, upholding the will of Heironeous with his every breath.
A Heironean temple known to some as the Bastion of Faith keeps a hidden document that they call the Secret Doctrine, which they share with an inner circle known as the Fellowship of Penitence and with no one else. The Secret Doctrine is The Original Book of Penitence, a unique unexpurgated version of the holy text. This secret version of the book explains that Ferrante's actual physical remains lie entombed in the catacombs beneath the temple. Even this tome, however, has over 100 missing pages clutched unbeknown to anyone now living in the hands of Ferrante's companion Onwald, who lies buried in the same catacombs. In the hidden (and protected from ethereal access) subreliquary where Onwald is buried is also the key to the glowing crystal casket where Ferrante lies entombed.
The truth is that Ferrante did fall prey to the temptations of Kahabros, and despite his previous goodness became corrupted into evil. Heironeous struck his former servant down with a bolt of glory and sealed him away in the casket himself; as a result, nothing but the key or the will of Heironeous himself can open it.
If Ferrante were to be released, he would be revealed as a death knight so terrible that even Heironeous could not destroy him (probably because Hextor's will to sustain his unnatural existence counterbalanced Heironeous's desire to see him eliminated; however, a mortal could tip the balance and destroy Ferrante). Ferrante can sense worshippers of Heironeous within a 10 mile radius, and is consumed with the desire to destroy every last follower of Heironeous in existence.
Bibliography
- Cordell, Bruce R. Bastion of Faith. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 1999.
- Reynolds, Sean K. "Core Beliefs: Heironeous." Dragon #354. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2007.