Cacanaugh

Description

The man is both dashing and roguish, wearing a sterling outfit of mail and weapons, which suggests a refined martial training, yet with no indication of military hierarchy. His features are smooth and refined, his hair blond with a shock of auburn red – yet his twinkling eyes seem to conceal an air of barely restrained mischief.

The Cacanaugh is among the more powerful of the Fey, with predilections and abilities that make them terribly menacing to most humanoid settlements, unintentionally of course. They are creatures obsessed with fame, adoration, and the approval of a society or culture. Among the capricious fey, many of which possess extensive magical powers, any such adulation is as scarce as an elven coal-miner.

Invariably, Cacanaugh are irresistibly drawn to those creatures that can and will give them the praise they rightly deserve – mortals. And mortals typically revere no one so much as the person that has saved them from great peril, and if no such peril is immediately in evidence, the Cacanaugh has no qualms about creating it. Their preferred tactic is to find a rural village where a wedding is imminent; and if the bride is a comely lass, the Cacanaugh will use his shadow conjuration ability to menace the settlement with horrific monsters, totally disrupting the ceremony. They prefer only to kill those who seem armed and capable, so that the people will be ever more desperate for defenders. The comely mortal bride is spirited away by the magical phantasms, usually without inflicting much harm to the groom. But the Cacanaugh has no regrets over mortals accidentally slain by its faux onslaughts; their deaths only make the people appreciate a hero all the more.

Clever illusions will create a false prison of deadly dangers to hold the bride in place whilst the Cacanaugh presents himself as the salvation of the people. They have little use or interest in money, but they enjoy beautiful gifts; and most of all, they yearn for the adulation of the populace. The refusal of money for their services often further endears them to the people they have threatened. Soon enough, the damsel will be 'rescued', then charmed, then the Cacanaugh will use its lure of the fey ability to ensure the love of the mortal female. Children born from the inevitable union are always Cacanaugh. Even if all goes well, and the bride is safely returned, she will lose all interest in her husband, and waste away with tragic yearning for her fairy lover, who may or may not return.

Combat

The Cacanaugh prefers to use summoned minions for heavy fighting, and will always use shadow conjuration to disrupt a wedding ceremony. He may cast alter self, to disguise himself as some orc, or some despicably ugly warlord. After a comely mortal bride is safely in hand, it will use its song of secrecy ability to create illusions in the terrain both to hinder the woman's escape and to confound pursuers.

When pressed by meddlesome adventurers that do not recognize his true glory, the Cacanaugh will attempt to dominate his enemies should they close in. He will employ a variety of deceptive spell-like abilities such as invisibility and confusion from afar. If these measures fail, he wades into melee, for his longsword can be used for his Wis. drain attack, lowering the will saves of his enemies. He will then attempt to dominate a weakened enemy again, all the while singing a glorious ballad of valor and courageous victory. Should this tactic fail, he will attempt to flee for the fairy creature has no true desire to perish in battle.

Domination Gaze (Su): The Cacanaugh can attempt to dominate any humanoid within 30 feet as a standard action. The DC to resist is 24. This is a supernatural ability.

Lure of the Fey (Su): Once a target, usually a comely mortal woman, has been dominated, the Cacanaugh can make a touch attack, imposing the Geas/Quest effect on a female target. While there is normally no save for the spell, the Cacanaugh can only use it on those that he has dominated. Most often, the Cacanaugh gazes deeply into the woman's eyes (using dominate person), then inflicts the Geas/Quest with a kiss while promising his eternal devotion. The command is usually open-ended, such as: 'Love me forevermore,' or perhaps: 'Forsake your husband and family for me.' The Geas may make impossible demands upon the mortal; and more than one rescued bride has rejected her husband, withering away from the effects of the spell in furtive yearning for the fey's affection. Female rangers and druids are in great danger from such a creature, who will certainly attempt to compel female enemies to fall in love with him to save himself. This supernatural ability can be used 1/day.

Song of Secrecy (Su): The Cacanaugh can sing an enchanted melody as a free action. Those that fail a DC 24 will save will be subject to the effects of Major Image, and will perceive whatever terrain the Cacanaugh desires. If affected, the voice of the fey will be disguised as some ambient sound appropriate to the illusory setting. The Cacanaugh will pretend to be a villainous creature, capture a maiden, and use this ability when traveling to ensure that she will not know her way back to the village. This supernatural ability can be used at will, to a range of 150 feet.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will–confusion, disguise self, dominate person, false vision, freedom of movement, invisibility, mass hold person, mislead, nondetection, polymorph any object, screen, shadow conjuration, song of discord 1/day, summon nature's ally IV 1/day. Caster level 14th.

Wis. Drain (Su): The Cacanaugh may make a touch attack, or use his longsword to drain 1d4 Wis. points from an opponent that fails a DC 24 will save. This drain is permanent unless reversed with a restoration spell or effect.