Skornir Stoneheart — The Shadowshard

Ability Scores

STR

16

+3

DEX

10

+0

CON

15

+2

INT

14

+2

WIS

8

-1

CHA

18

+4

Combat

Armor Class: 18; Battered Plate Armor
Hit Points: 84; Hit Dice: 10d10
Initiative: +0
Speed: 25 ft.
Proficiency: +4
Passive Perception: 9

Attacks

Shattered Faith (Longsword)+71d8+3 slashing plus 1d8 necrotic

Hand Crossbow+41d6 piercing

Personality

Speaks in short, breathy sentences as if every word is a wasted resource. They often interrupt noble speeches with a dry, hacking cough and a request for the 'actual price.'

Ideal

Truth. The universe is a cruel, chaotic mess, and pretending it has a grand design is the ultimate sin.

Bond

The Shadowshard—a pulsing fragment of the altar they broke. It is their only anchor to the night they woke up.

Flaw

Cannot witness an act of faith without attempting to deconstruct or mock it.

Backstory

Skornir was once the 'Vigilant Eye' of the Glimmer-Deep, the most trusted champion of a subterranean sect dedicated to the Golden Vein—a divine promise of eternal prosperity. For a century, Skornir guarded the Deep-Reliquary, believing their holy oaths kept the dark at bay. That certainty vanished the night they found the 'Voice of the Vein' was no god, but a captive Shadow Demon fed by the life-force of 'ascended' gnome elders. When Skornir confronted the High Prelate, they didn't find a monster to slay, but a room full of their kin who knew the truth and chose the lie for comfort.

In a frenzy of disillusioned rage, Skornir shattered the Reliquary's altar. A jagged sliver of the tainted obsidian lodged in their palm, a physical manifestation of their broken faith. They didn't leave because they were banished; they left because the air of their home tasted like deceit. Now, Skornir wanders the lightless tunnels of the Underdark, a hollowed-out knight who trusts nothing but the sharp edge of their blade and the cold weight of the shard. They hunt the 'holy' and the 'pure,' not out of evil, but to see if their foundations crumble as easily as the Glimmer-Deep’s did.

Abilities & Actions

Fragment of the False Altar (Signature Item)

As a bonus action, Skornir squeezes the obsidian shard in their hand, taking 1d4 piercing damage. Until the start of their next turn, Skornir has truesight out to 30 feet and can see through magical darkness.

Bitter Retribution (Replaces Aura of Hate)

Skornir and any fiends or undead within 10 feet of them gain a +4 bonus to melee weapon damage rolls. This bonus represents the raw, chaotic spite Skornir projects into the world.

Smite the Delusion (3/Day)

When Skornir hits a creature with a melee weapon attack, they can expend a spell slot to deal necrotic damage. If the target is a Celestial or a creature currently under the effect of a 'bless' or 'heroism' spell, the damage increases by an additional 1d8.

Cynic’s Rebuke (Reaction)

When a creature Skornir can see within 30 feet makes an attack roll with advantage, Skornir can use their reaction to force the creature to roll without advantage, whispering a soul-crushing truth that rattles their resolve.

DM Notes

Sample dialogue: 'You speak of destiny like it’s a warm blanket. It’s a shroud, lad. And you’re already inside it.' Gesture: Skornir constantly picks at the skin around the obsidian shard embedded in their palm. Reaction: If offered a 'holy' healing potion, they will sniff it suspiciously and ask who had to die to bottle the hope. They only help the party if they can prove their quest isn't based on a 'prophecy.'