Cult of Beauty Fashionistas Gone Bad, Llaza. A motto for many Llazans could be "Do nothing unless you do it to excess". Amongst the idle rich there are those for whom fashion and maintaining the right appearance are paramount. Collectively these have become known as The Cult of Beauty after an article in the gossip pamphlet published anonymously as The Pink Slipper. A typical group of so-called Beauty Cultists would be Lok Tangashi and his friends who call themselves the Birds of Paradise. Lok is a scion of the powerful and respectable Tangashi merchant clan, the apple of his mother's eye and the despair of his father, Jinko Tangashi. He is a tall and devastatingly handsome young man with raven hair and melting brown eyes (and he knows it!). He likes expensive clothes and cheap women. He also enjoys poetry, drinking and sword fighting and is pretty good at all three. He and the other Birds - bored, rich, young men and women - have little to do but indulge their slightest whim. Amongst the fashionable young things, however, are those who have taken their quest for salacious pleasures coupled with physical perfection just that bit too far. For some, it is a matter of hiring in a magician to alter their appearance, or even using the techniques of Obrenajan surgery to produce more permanent results. But in the worst cases, the informal title of "Cult" has become sinisterly appropriate, with rumours of members who use magic to steal the appearance of others, or who kill those whom they consider an affront to physical perfection. Using the Cult of Beauty There are two levels of the "Cult" given here. At one level, such as Lok and his friends, they are bored rakes-about-town who may pick a fight with PCs, or befriend PCs and then pick a fight with other dangerous people. They can be used to add colour, humour and annoyance in equal proportions. The extremists, however, are a more sinister group. Rumours of murders and strange tales of faceless bodies being pulled from the Anhoi may reach the ears of the PCs, leading them to a foe that is dangerous due to its connections to the rich and powerful more than its ability to fight. Typical Beauty Cultist, human Ari2: CR 1; Medium Humanoid (human); AL CN Abilities Str 10 (+0), Dex 11 (+0), Con 9 (-1), Int 12 (+1), Wis 8 (-1), Cha 13 (+1). Initiative +0; Speed 30 ft. Armour Class 11 (+1 armour) touch 10, flat-footed 11 Saves Fortitude -1, Reflex +0, Will +2 Hit Dice 2d8-2; hit points 7 Base Attack/Grapple +1/+1 Melee Unarmed +1 (1d3 nonlethal) Melee Sword cane +1 (1d6) Special Attacks None Special Qualities None Skills: Appraise +6, Bluff +8, Intimidate +8, Knowledge (fashion) +9, Perform (poetry) +6 Feats: Persuasive, Skill Focus (knowledge: fashion) Languages: High Imperial, Low Imperial. Possessions: Sword cane (as rapier), fashionable pentesh (as padded armour), fashionable clothing Lok Tangashi, human Ari2/Ftr2: CR 3; Medium Humanoid (human); AL CN Abilities Str 12 (+1), Dex 14 (+2), Con 10 (+0), Int 13 (+1), Wis 8 (-1), Cha 16 (+2). Initiative +2; Speed 30 ft. Armour Class 13 (+2 Dex, +1 armour) touch 12, flat-footed 11 Saves Fortitude +3, Reflex +2, Will +2 Hit Dice 2d8+2d10; hit points 20 Base Attack/Grapple +3/+4; Combat Expertise (+/-3), Improved Feint (Bluff +11 as move action) Melee Unarmed +4 (1d3+1 nonlethal) Melee Sword cane +5 (1d6+1) Special Attacks None Special Qualities None Skills: Appraise +6, Bluff +11, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (fashion) +6, Perform (poetry) +10 Feats: Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Persuasive, Skill Focus (perform: poetry), Weapon Finesse Languages: High Imperial, Low Imperial. Possessions: Sword cane (as rapier), fashionable pentesh (as padded armour), fashionable clothing Mask of Face Stealing This plain, white mask resembles a theatrical mask but if placed on a person's face it takes on the semblance of that person. The victim is left with a vague outline of a face, like a simplistic representation of their features. The mask can then be considered charged and if placed upon another person's face it imparts its features to that recipient and reverts to its plain form. The mask can hold a face indefinitely. The process of face stealing causes 1d4 points of Charisma damage to the victim and transfers those points to the recipient. The transferred face fades from the recipient at the rate of 1 point of Charisma per day, until they return to their original Charisma and thus their original appearance. The mask is designed to steal beauty, not necessarily physical appearance so the GM may wish to limit its use to creatures with a Charisma of 10 or more, or those deemed as attractive in some form. Since the relation between the Charisma score and physical beauty is flexible this is open to interpretation. The mask will only work on humanoids and does not impart any supernatural qualities based upon appearance. To apply it in a combat situation requires a successful Pin attempt whilst grappling. The cultists usually use it on unconscious victims. Faint transmutation; CL 3rd; Craft Wondrous Item, steal face; Price 12,000gp. Steal Face Transmutation Level: Sor/Wiz 2 Components: V, S Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target: One creature Duration: 1 day/level Saving Throw: Will negates Spell Resistance: Yes By means of this spell the magician can steal the face of another being and replace his own with the stolen face. The victim suffers 1d4 Charisma drain, and the magician's Charisma increases by a like amount. Only the face of the magician changes, not his height, voice or other attributes. He gains a +5 bonus to Disguise to imitate the victim only. It is a physical change, however, not an illusion and so cannot be detected by means used to penetrate a disguise self spell, for example. The victim's face becomes blurred and indistinct until she recovers from the Charisma drain. This spell only works on creatures of the same type as the caster. If the caster is a humanoid, for example, it will only work on other humanoids. (c) 2007 The Creative Conclave. Contact us.

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