Orthos, Sovereign of the Howling Dark
Ancient and unknowable, Orthos gives its summoners the power to sense what they cannot see, to fool the sight of
others, and to turn their breath into wind that can speak or scour flesh from bones.
Legend: Orthos might well be the original vestige—the fi rst being to break the boundaries and see past the window of reality to the nothingness beyond. Pact magic texts always mention this entity, and persistent explorers can find its seal represented in art or architecture on most planes, as well as in the ruins of many ancient civilizations. Binder scholars have a thousand theories about Orthos’s origins, but none is more than mere supposition. All agree that Orthos is inestimably old, and it has long since shed whatever form and persona it might once have had, becoming an alien and distant being. In deference to its great age and the hallmark of its appearance, binder scholars have dubbed Orthos the Sovereign of the Howling Dark.
Special Requirement: You must summon Orthos within an area of bright illumination.
Manifestation: When Orthos begins to manifest, a breeze seems to pass over the summoner, but it ruffl es nothing except the summoner’s hair and clothes. The breeze intensifi es, becoming a cold wind, and a low whistle emanates from the vicinity of Orthos’s seal. Directly over it appears a black speck—a mote of shadow like a blind spot in the observer’s vision. The whistle becomes a moan that slowly rises in pitch and volume, eventually transforming into a howl as the darkness spirals outward, opening like the pupil of some great cat’s eye with an explosive rush of wind. The howling grows so loud that it pains the ear while the seemingly nonexistent wind buffets the summoner. Then it stops. In the sudden silence, an unseen,
unheard, yet palpable presence slides out of the black aperture and hovers heavily over the seal. Though not detectable by any sense, Orthos is eerily extant, and its presence can be felt by even the dumbest of beasts. The vestige says nothing; its summoner can only plead her case and hope that Orthos does not impose its influence.
Sign: You always seem to be buffeted by a breeze that no one else can feel, even when you’re indoors. The eerie wind makes no noise, but it tousles your hair and belongings, frequently changing direction.
Influence: While influenced by Orthos, you are averse to darkened areas and loud noises. Although you can endure such conditions, they give you a sense of panic and make you short of breath. Orthos requires that you always carry an active light source with a brightness at least equal to that of a candle, and that you not cover it or allow it to be darkened for more than 1 round. Additionally, Orthos requires that you speak only in a whisper.
Granted Abilities: Orthos gives you blindsense, displacement, and a breath weapon that you can use either as a weapon or to deliver messages.
Blindsight: You gain blindsight out to 30 feet.
Displacement: At will, you can surround yourself with a light-bending glamer that makes it diffi cult for others to surmise your true location. Any melee or ranged attack directed at you has a 50% miss chance unless the attacker can locate you by some means other than sight. A true seeing effect allows the user to determine your position, but see invisibility has no effect. You can suppress or activate this ability as a standard action.
Whirlwind Breath: As a standard action, you can exhale a scouring blast of wind in a 60-foot cone. Your whirlwind breath deals 1d6 points of damage per binder level you possess. Every creature in the area can attempt a Reflex save to halve the damage, and must also succeed on a Fortitude save or be knocked prone and moved 1d4×10 feet away from you (or just outside the cone, whichever is a shorter distance). Once you have used this ability, you cannot do so again for 5 rounds.
Whispering Wind: At will as a standard action, you can send a message on the wind as though using the whispering wind spell (caster level equals your effective binder level).
