Archon Species in Ravnica: The Overlord | World Anvil
BUILD YOUR OWN WORLD Like what you see? Become the Master of your own Universe!

Archon

The Archons stand as unwavering sentinels of Ravnica's ideals.
 

Table of Contents

 

Overview

In the vast cityscape of Ravnica, the Archons stand tall and elegant as envoys of White mana itself. These mysterious beings, associated primarily with the Azorius Senate, embody the ideals of order, justice, and protection. Their presence is marked by the gleam of polished armor, and their faces are perpetually obscured by helmets or hoods, shrouding them in an air of mystique. Where angels are viewed with wondrous awe, Archons are viewed with an uneasy anxiety. These ageless beings bring with them an iron fist of law and order and ferocious retribution that very few others are capable of delivering.
Archons are distinguished by their regal stature, standing taller than most other races. Clad in intricate armor adorned with symbolic representations of white mana, they radiate an aura of purity. Many Archons radiate a gleaming light from their skin, further obscuring their form from under their armor. Those that do not, appear in various shades similar to a Human. Their faces are perpetually obscured by hoods or armor, or even by the radiating glow of Mana from their bodies.
Archons dispense justice with extreme prejudice. Their undying loyalty to keeping the peace have cost them the privileged of goodwill among most civilians, and even those whom with they are allied. Angels, who are born from the same White Mana, are the easiest to get along with, so long as the Angel shares the same ideals. Archons also share the same deep hatred of Devils and Demons that Angels carry.
Newly born Archons become metaphysically linked to majestic winged-mounts. Archons use these creatures not only for swift travel across Ravnica but also as companions in battle. These mounts, with celestial origins, symbolize the unity between Archons and the forces of white mana. A mount lost in battle is a deep wound that the Archon is slow to recover from.
 

Archon of Coronation by Antonio José Manzanedo

An Archon of Heloid.

Archon of Valor's Reach by Gabor Szikszai

Primary Mana Alignment

White

Stats

STR
3d6
CON
3d6
DEX
3d6
POW
1d6+12
CHA
1d6
SIZ
2d6+13
INT
2d6+6
  Hit Locations
1d20 Location
1-3 Right Leg
4-6 Left Leg
7-9 Abdomen
10-12 Chest
13-15 Right Arm
16-18 Left Arm
19-20 Head

 
 

Free Skills

Customs +40
Language: Angelic +40
Language: Common +40

Speed

Ground Movement 6 Meters (20 Feet)

Special Rules

Soul-Bonded Mount
Manifestation of Mana
Linked to Mana
Brilliant Radiance
Holy Resistance
Incapable of Lying
Racial Passion: Hate of Demons and Devils

Languages

Archons can speak, read, and write Angelic and Common. Angelic, when spoken fluently, sounds as if the individual is singing a song.

Society and Culture

Archons are typically solitary beings. They are born at irregular intervals at seemingly random points of Leylines and have never truly formed or assimilated into any one culture or group. They are birthed as an adult with all the current knowledge they need to do their duty. Archons mostly work with the Azorious Senate, acting as arresters and guards for the guild and espouse a rigid sense of justice and deal ruthless punishment to those who break the law. Loyalty to the guild is almost incidental, as their true loyalty lies with its ideals. To them, no one is above law and order, and even a higher ranking official who steps out of line may find themselves facing the wrath of the embodiment of justice.
It is exceedingly rare to find an Archon in the company of others. The lack of most mortal needs doesn't put them into a place of making friends. In most cases they work with Angels to fulfill a specific mission before returning to their duties. Archons are not monotonous, unfeeling machines, however. While their goals tend to be single minded, their personalities can vary as much as any other individual.
Archons are mostly warriors, fighting battles with a chosen melee weapon atop their mount. More rare are Archons who utilize ranged weapons and magic within their skillset, though there is nothing stopping them from choosing those as a primary means of combat. Archons that do use magic must avoid spells and gods that could be deemed as evil, such as the spell Heart Seizure, or the worship of the god Mogis. Worshiping gods may seem beneath the Archon, as their purpose is to serve White Mana which predates and supercedes any of the gods. Though using a god's power to further their goals is not unheard of.
 

Archon Traits

 

Skills

Free Skills

Customs +40, Language: Angelic +40, Language: Common +40  

Standard Skills

Athletics, Brawn, Endurance, Insight, Ride, Unarmed, Willpower  

Professional Skills

Animal Handling, Courtesy, Intimidation, Language (Any), Lore (White Mana), Navigation (Open Skies), Streetwise

Alignment and Passions

Alignment: Lawful Good. Choose one or two from each. You start with the Honest Trait from Lawful.  

Lawful (INT+POW+30)

Calculating, Close-Minded, Hates Chaos, Ethical, Honorable, Judgemental, Obedience to legitimate authority, Organized, Reliable, Trustworthy.  

Good (INT+POW+30)

Admirable, Altruistic, Authoritative, Charitable, Compunctions against harming innocents, Hates Evil, Helpful, Kind.   Passion: Choose one or two from the following:
• Loyalty to the Azorious (If starting off within the Guild) (POW+INT)
• Hatred of Evil (POW+CHA)
• Hatred of Chaos (POW+CHA)
• Protect the Innocent (POW+CHA)
It serves a justice higher than the whims of the gods.
 

Special Rules

Age

Archons do not age. They never grow old and are effectively immortal, but can still be killed.  

Speed

Movement: 6 meters (20 feet).
Your mount's walking and flying speed depends on the creature you have chosen.  

Soul-Bonded Mount

An Archon begins life linked to a winged mount. Though they are separate beings, the Archon and their mount are of one soul. They can speak to each other telepathically, and can even see through each others eyes. The player chooses to start with one of the following animals. All of them have wings and are capable of flight. Lion, Felidar, Gryphon, Elk, Horse, Bull, or Eagle.  

Manifestation of Mana

Archons do not need to eat, drink or sleep.  

Linked to Mana

If the Archon's Lawful and/or Good score drop below its base level and changes alignment, the Archon suffers a permanent level of fatigue until the score is returned to at least its original level. This represents the link the Archon has to White mana and can stack for both codes, and for each level the code drops by to a maximum of 4 levels at Exhausted.  

Brilliant Radiance

Whether through the blinding aura that emanates from your body, or your mere stalwart presence, you can vastly intimidate your foes. Individuals you deem as enemies must make a Willpower check. Failing results in any intimidation roll you make to be one grade easier. Individuals who are Evil in alignment make their Willpower roll one grade more difficult. Your Intimidate score changes from INT+CHA to INT+POW.  

Holy Resistance

Archons are resistant to holy attacks, taking only half damage.  

Incapable of Lying

Archons are outright incapable of purposefully deceiving others. They cannot tell lies and must always tell the truth when they are speaking to others. This does not mean they are compelled to say anything if they do not wish. Giving faulty information when the Archon believes it to be true does not count as a lie. Archons may tolerate others lying near them if it to justify a greater good. Someone lying on the Archon's behalf may require a Lawful roll to tolerate, depending on what the lie is.  

Hatred of Demons and Devils

Archons share the same hatred of demons and devils that their Angelic siblings do. Born of Black Mana, these creatures are opposites of Archons in every way, and as such carry an ingrained trait of hatred towards them. Archons start the game with the Passion: Hatred of Demons and Devils. It starts at a base of (POWx2 + 40).  

Archon of Sun's Grace by Matt Stewart


 

Guild Affiliations

Azorious Peacekeepers

Archons are almost always within the ranks of the Azorius Senate. The ideals of keeping the peace and holding justice to the highest levels fall perfectly in line with the nature of the Archon. They serve as agents of the law, enforcing it and keeping the peace where they are needed. It is not common to find an Archon within the Azorious take the seat as a Judge or Lawmaker, and while they tend to be exceedingly competent at their job, the vast majority of them remain as fighters for the Guild. Archons are also known to work with the Boros on occasion, especially with Angels on particular mission where they're needed.

Unguilded Archons

Unguilded Archons are very rare. These Archons work as vigilantes or bounty hunters. They take a proactive approach to evil, seeking it out to deliver justice without the long bureaucratic red tape of any Guild to slow things down. Though not within a Guild's influence, they still follow the laws placed by the Azorius but may interpret the law in such a way to suit the greater good.


History

WIP

Comments

Please Login in order to comment!