Malphas the Choral Cantor, a Fallen (Ascended-Fiendish Hybrid) Aasimar Paladin — D&D 5e NPC portrait
#0082

Malphas the Choral Cantor

"The Saint of Sterile Ash"

Male (He/Him) · Eternal (appears as a man in his late 40s)

Ability Scores

STR
18
+4
DEX
10
+0
CON
16
+3
INT
14
+2
WIS
12
+1
CHA
20
+5

Combat

Armor Class
18
Adamantine Plate
Hit Points
130
Hit Dice: 14d10+42
Initiative
+0
Speed
30 ft., fly 60 ft.
Proficiency
+5
Passive Perception
16

Attacks

The Gilded Scalpel (Longsword)+91d8+4 slashing plus 1d8 fire

Personality

Personality

Malphas speaks in a soft, melodic baritone that sounds like a lullaby. He is never angry; even when incinerating a crowd, he maintains a look of profound, paternal disappointment.

Ideal

Order. Chaos is a disease, and mercy is merely its most deceptive symptom.

Bond

The Lex Ultima—his iron scroll case. It is the ledger of a perfect world yet to be born.

Flaw

He cannot ignore a 'flaw' in his environment; if a chair is crooked during an interrogation, he must straighten it before continuing.

Backstory

Malphas once led the Hallowed Choir of the Seventh Heaven, his voice a literal balm that could seal wounds and inspire civilizations. For eons, he sang the praises of mercy, watching from above as the gods granted second chances to the undeserving. The breaking point was the Siege of Oakhaven. He watched a 'redeemed' warlord break his vows and slaughter ten thousand innocents in a single night of drunken relapse. While the other angels wept for the victims, Malphas looked at the bloody mess and felt nothing but a cold, crystalline disgust for the inefficiency of grace.

He descended not in rebellion, but in a search for a better scalpel. In the frozen wastes of Cania, he struck a bargain with the Archduke Mephistopheles: he would trade his celestial essence for the 'Logic of the Pit.' He remains an angel in his own mind—a gardener pruning a rotting orchard. He views the screaming of the damned not as suffering, but as the necessary friction of a world finally being polished into perfection. He carries a heavy iron scroll case containing the names of every soul he has 'corrected,' believing that by the time he is finished, the Prime Material will be as silent and orderly as a tomb.

Abilities & Actions

Requiem of the Sterile Sky (Recharge 5–6)

Malphas begins a celestial-infernal hymn. Each creature of his choice within 60 feet must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 45 (10d8) psychic damage and is Paralyzed by a vision of a world without life or sound until the end of its next turn. On a success, it takes half damage and is not Paralyzed.

The Thurible's Judgment

As a bonus action, Malphas swings his violet-glowing thurible. A 20-foot-radius sphere of suffocating incense appears centered on him. The area is heavily obscured for everyone except Malphas. Any creature that starts its turn in the area must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or take 14 (4d6) necrotic damage and be Poisoned until the start of its next turn.

Aura of the Iron Law

Malphas emanates an aura of freezing dread in a 30-foot radius. Any creature Frightened of Malphas that starts its turn in the aura has its speed reduced to 0 and takes 10 psychic damage. Additionally, Malphas is immune to the Frightened condition.

Smite of the Cold Star

When Malphas hits with a melee weapon attack, he can expend a spell slot to deal extra cold and fire damage. A 4th-level slot deals an additional 22 (5d8) damage, half cold and half fire, as the fires of Cania and the cold of the void merge.

DM Notes

Malphas will never initiate combat with a threat. He will offer the party a chance to 'submit to the ledger' and be cataloged. He constantly adjusts his sleeves and brushes invisible dust off his armor. Sample dialogue: 'Hush now, little soul. Your life was a chaotic smudge on a beautiful canvas. I am simply here to provide the eraser.'