Merorem the Darkwind

The demand of Hell’s law goes beyond merely enslaving mortals to eternal torture. It pulls on every other institution of Law in the multiverse, demanding that they bow to the true Law of Tyranny. The laws of magic, the laws of war…and even the Law of Time.

The Gates of Hell (Dice Freaks)

Grimoire of Cosmic Entities Volume One By Eli Atkinson, William Church and Serge W. Desir, Jr.

Original Concept by Serge W. Desir, Jr.

Full netbook can be found on the following website

Dicefreaks d20 Community

Merorem is an extremely old arch-devil, although due to his time warping ways, none can be sure when exactly he appeared on the scene in Hell. Scholars place him in Hell as far back as Lucifer’s rule of Perdition, as a minor power in Avernus, leading a small army in the Blood War. The next references to Merorem place him in Cania, as a vassal of Mephistopheles, not long after Asmodeus had taken the throne of Hell. An incident with the traitorous pit fiend Astaroth there led to his estrangement from Cania, and Merorem disappeared from Hell’s history for eons. Not long after the Great Fall though, he resurfaced, with a new title, The Darkwind, and a new patron, Dispater. Since then, he has been a major power in Dis, holding a keep named Ebon Gale on the outskirts of the metropolis.

Merorem holds the portfolios of Wind and History within Hell. Both are fluid entities, constantly changing, full of chaos. Merorem seeks to end that chaos, to crush that change, to order the fluidness. His powers over time and history allow him to correct the mistakes of the past, to alter the present, and to ensure the future always holds a place for him. Heroes never born of a murdered mother, prophecies of hope left unspoken by their authors, this is the work of Merorem. There is nothing more important than furthering the tyranny of Hell to him. All Law everywhere must conform.

Merorem the Darkwind
Grand Duke of the Ebon Gale
“Prince of the Powers of the Air”
Nomad 15/Elocator 10
Large outsider (Abomination, Evil, Extraplanar, Lawful, Psionic)
Symbol	A silver hour glass on a black inverted triangle
Hit Dice	50d8 + 15d4 + 10d6 + 666 (1,186hp)
Initiative	+16 (+8 Dexterity, +8 Superior Initiative)
Speed	120 ft., Fly 240 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class	72 (-1 size, +14 deflection, +8 Dexterity, +34 natural, +6 profane), touch 38, flat footed 72
Base Attack/Grapple	+63/+83
Attack	Paradagrim +84 melee (2d6+22 and 2d4 negative levels 19-20/x2) or claw +78 melee (4d6+16+1 vile) or Eternal Regret +76 ranged (1d6+21+1 Constitution and Fleshgrinding 19-20/x2 and teleportation)
Full Attack	Paradagrim +84/+79/+74/+69 melee (2d6+22 and 2d4 negative levels 19-20/x2) and claw +76 melee (4d6+8+1 vile) and 4 wings +76 melee (3d6+8+1 vile) or Eternal Regret +76/+71/+66/+61 ranged (1d6+21+1 Constitution and Fleshgrinding 19-20/x2 and teleportation) or 2 claws +78 melee (4d6+16+1 vile) and 4 wings +76 melee (3d6+8+1 vile)
Space/Reach	10 ft. / 10 ft.
Special Attacks	Call devils, call servants of the wind, Dark Winds, diabolical aura, dimension spring attack, flanker, opportunistic strike +6, psionic powers, Presence of Hell, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities	Abomination traits, accelerated action, arch-devil qualities, Blindsight 500 ft., capricious step, damage reduction 30/epic, good and silver, Darkvision 60 ft., Diabolical Prowess, dimension step, divine immunities, immunity to fire and poison, nondetection, regeneration 18, resistance to acid 30 and cold 30, see in darkness, scorn earth, Spell Resistance 79, telepathy 1,000 ft., Temporal Mastery, transporter, Winds of Time
Saves	Fort +48, Ref +47, Will +54
Abilities	Strength 43, Dexterity 26, Constitution 28, Intelligence 40, Wisdom 40, Charisma 39
Skills	Autohypnosis +85, Balance +16, Bluff +79, Concentration +87, Diplomacy +95 (+101 with evil creatures), Disguise +72 (+80 when acting in character), Escape Artist +71, Forgery +75, Gather Information +84, Hide +62, Intimidate +79 (+85 against evil creatures), Jump +61, Knowledge (Arcana) +88, Knowledge (psionics) +101, Knowledge (religion) +88, Knowledge (the planes) +88, Listen +80, Move Silently +71, Perform (oratory) +79, Psicraft +101 (+109 when addressing power stones), Sense Motive +85, Spellcraft +83, Spot +80, Survival +16 (+24 on other planes), Tumble +76, Use Magic Device +72 (+80 using scrolls), Use Psionic Device +87 (+95 using power stones), Rope Use+8 (+16 involving bindings)
Feats	Burrowing Power, Combat Expertise, Corrupt Spell-like Ability B, Craft Psionic Weapons and Armor, Craft Universal Item, Dark Speech B, Delay Power, Flyby Attack, Improved Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (wings), Improved Sunder, Malign Spell Focus, Maximize Power, Multiattack, Psionic Meditation, Quicken Power, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (destruction), Power Attack, Sidestep Charge, Vile Natural Attack, Violate Spell-Like Ability, Violate Power
Epic Feats	Craft Epic Universal Item, Epic Evil Brand B, Epic Manifestation, Epic Skill Focus (Bluff), Spell Stowaway (time stop), Spell Stowaway (wish), Superior Initiative
Environment	Dis, Second of the Nine Hells of Perdition
Organization	Solitary (Unique)
Challenge Rating	53
Treasure	Quadruple Standard
Alignment	Lawful Evil

Merorem’s one weakness is the Princess Glasya. She has woven enchantments beyond mere magic into his mind, and torments him shamelessly. His lust for her drives him to a frenzy, and yet somehow he has managed to keep this knowledge from Hell at large. His current liege, Dispater, would likely destroy him were he to show such a lack of control, or perhaps from jealousy. Even more ominous is the Princess’ father, King Asmodeus. The Darkwind knows all too well he cannot afford to risk his position for a base coupling, and yet in her presence, all logic vanishes. Her power and aura is intoxicating to him in ways that words cannot adequately describe. He longs to make her his own, to use her until she is no more, and to make her suffer the desires that torment his own being. It is a state beyond mere lust. Hellish love would be a more adequate description, although the twisted and evil passion of Merorem would hardly be classified as “love” by an outsider.

Merorem has multiple relationships throughout Hell. He is, of course, on excellent terms with the Dukes of Dis, and does not hesitate to assist them when he can. The Courts of Avernus also welcome him, for his reputation as a warrior has not faded with time. As a power before the institution of the Dark Ministry, he carries a degree of stature that few of the current soldiers of Hell can claim. He aids Abigor on occasion with information from impending battles, which is a resource more valued than troops at times. His own penchant for creating weaponry gives him a rapport with Malphas, although even he admits that the Duke’s talents far exceed his own in that area. Mammon‘s courts are left alone by Merorem, who has little use for any form of material wealth. Belial and Fierana both arouse Merorem, yet he will not partake in their “pleasures.” To do so would eliminate his base of established allies, and so he refrains. The courts of Leviathan and Malbolge offer even less than Minauros’ to the Prince of the Power of the Air, and so are rarely dealt with by him.

Merorem’s relationship with Beelzebub is many layered. On the surface, the two are enemies, for Merorem is allied with his primary foes. When one digs deeper however, a relationship of mutual interest is found. Never directly, of course, but through agents of agents, the two have been allies nearly since the Fall. Merorem has shown Beelzebub two possible futures that interest the Lord of the Seventh very much. The first is that of the Lord of the Flies sitting on the Serpent’s Throne, his former beauty restored. The second is even more incredible. Beelzebub, Virtue of the Seventh Heaven, Master of Perfection. It is possible that Merorem may have played a role in the Great Fall, although this is speculation at best. No one knows just how long Merorem has been in contact with the Fallen Seraph, but that could be the first step in solving the mystery that is this alliance.

Merorem has had tense relations with Mephistopheles since his pupil Diabolus destroyed his largest library in a Chaos poisoned rampage. Although since then they have mended the rift, the two do not share the same camaraderie that they do with Dispater. The Cold One’s lust for learning is often temporarily sated by Merorem’s offerings, for the Darkwind can bring forth the knowledge of the past, present or future. Still, this one sided artnership does nothing for Merorem’s ambitions, and so the two remain in a state of cool professionalism when dealing with each other.

Merorem’s true goals however, are neither the conquest of Princess Glasya, nor his advancement in Hell or its politics. Although Time itself has bowed to Merorem’s diabolical might, he is not yet its master. There are entities more powerful than he, who share his ideal of an ordered history, with no divergence from its course. Chief among these are Paradox, the Axiom of the Temporal Flux, and Eth, Seraph of the Heavenly Timetable. These cosmic powers are both Merorem’s allies and his prey. It is only a matter of time before the Darkwind has learned all he needs to dominate the Temporal Storm, and upon that very hour, he will seize their omnipotence for his own.

Merorem appears as a dignified and beautiful humanoid male of about 9 feet in height. Two small horns curve around from his temples like those of a ram. His hair is black, salted with gray at the sides. His eyes are a dull orange, but glow fiercely when he is angered. His black skin appears as if made from Obsidian, glossy in its darkness. Two pairs of bat wings extend out of his back, and his fingers end in iron sharp claws. When he smiles, his mouth reveals a pair of elongated canine teeth, like the fangs of a viper. A forked tongue completes his devilish appearance. He wears noble outfits when appearing in public, regal finery that shows off his perfect appearance.

Combat

Merorem always has foresight cast on his person, and so is never surprised or flat-footed. That said, he rarely fights without a reason to do so, preferring to use diplomatic and oratorical skills. Should eloquence fail the day, and there be no reason not to just teleport away, the Darkwind will immediately manifest temporal acceleration, and use his exceptional maneuverability to keep a step ahead of his foes. For foes that he recognizes as being of no real concern, he will use his lesser powers to grind them under his heel.

The Darkwind seems to be able to sense more powerful foes, though, and against such he opens with his Presence of Hell, followed by calling on the Dark Winds. From the midst of this, Merorem manipulates the time stream as necessary, using spell-like abilities and heavily augmented psionic powers with cold precision.

Call Devils (Sp): As a standard action Merorem can call devils. He may attempt to call up to three times a day, 18 Lemures, 9 Osyluths or Bearded, 7 Erinyes or Hamatulas, 6 Cornugons or Gelugons, or 3 Pit Fiends.

Unlike outcast arch-devils, Merorem does not suffer any penalties in calling devils. Since these devils are called, they have the ability to summon other devils as their descriptions allow. Due to his connections with Dis, he often calls Erinyes erinyes, although if combat is at hand he calls upon Gelugons, who recognize him as an ally of Dispater and Mephistopheles.

Call Servants of the Wind (Sp): Thrice per day, as a standard action, Merorem can call upon his association with the wind, and bring forth fiendish creatures of the air to aid him. He may call 7 elder air elementals , 9 greater air elementals, or 18 lesser air elementals at a time. He may also call one Lawful Evil chicimec, however this uses two of his three uses of this ability.

Dark Winds (Su): Mastering the power of the winds is a goal Merorem seeks to achieve, as they embody the spirit of change, his greatest enemy. 3/day he may unleash the full fury of his dark mastery, which expresses itself as a blast of pure darkness accompanied by hurricane force winds. This attack lasts for 14 rounds, dealing 7d8 points of vile damage per round to all within 60 feet of Merorem. During this time, he may focus these winds as a move-equivalent action, dealing 14d8 points of vile damage in a 90-foot cone. Those caught within the bounds of the winds are affected by a heightened (6th level) blindness effect (Fort save DC 58 negates). The save to resist the effects of the winds themselves is DC 58. The further effects of the hurricane force winds are for the DM to determine, but loose debris and objects are likely to be caught in the gale and hurled about.

If Merorem utilizes this power outside of the normal time stream (such as whilst under the effects of a time stop), each focusing of the dark winds is delayed until a re-entry into the normal time stream, meaning that multiple blasts of wind can tear through an area all at once. Deities and cosmic entities are able to ignore the effects of such temporal manipulation, unless Merorem succeeds on an opposed rank check.

Diabolical Aura (Ex): Merorem’s Diabolical Aura can be ignored on a successful Will save DC 58.

Psionic Powers (nomad): Power points/day: 503.

Powers known:

1. burst, defensive precognition, detect psionics, force screen, offensive prescience;
2. concussion blast, dimension swap, evade attack, recall agony;
3. dispel psionics, energy burst, forced share pain, time hop;
4. aura sight, mindwipe, psionic freedom of movement, trace teleport;
5. anticipatory strike, catapsi, incarnate, teleport trigger, shatter mind blank;
6. inconstant location, psionic contingency, temporal acceleration;
7. decerebrate, divert teleport, psionic ethereal jaunt, psionic moment of prescience, ;
8. bend reality, mass time hop, psionic mind blank, recall death, ;
9. reality revision, timeless body, time regression, .

Manifester level 59th, save DC 34 + power level.

Epic Powers: Merorem can manifest up to 7 epic psionic powers per day.

Powers known: condemn, contingent true resurrection, dust in the wind, epic dispel magic, esoteric aegis, greater epic mage armor, summon phane, time duplicate, tyranny.

The Presence of Hell (Su): Merorem’s Presence of Hell has a 1,500-foot radius, and all effects are as those cast by a 69th level sorcerer.

Spell-like Abilities:

At will – animate dead, baleful polymorph, blasphemy, blur, charm monster, contingency, create greater undead, deeper darkness, delayed blast fireball, desecrate, detect chaos, detect good, Detect Magic, flame strike, greater dispel magic, greater invisibility, greater teleport, hallucinatory terrain, haste, Magic Circle Against Chaos, magic circle against good, mass hold monster, mirage arcana, persistent image, polymorph, power word stun, produce flame, pyrotechnics, raise dead, read magic, scrying, slow, suggestion, symbol of pain, time stop, unhallow, unholy aura, unholy blight, wall of fire.

3/day – destruction, firestorm, Foresight, meteor swarm;

1/day – hellball, wish.

All spells are cast as a 69th level sorcerer (save DC 33 + spell level).

Temporal Mastery (Su): No spell, power or similar effect dealing with time or movement can affect Merorem unless he chooses to allow it to do so. Furthermore, all such powers, spells or spell-like abilities activated within 90 feet of him require success on an opposed caster level check; failure means that Merorem assumes control of the power and can redirect it where he chooses.

Merorem possesses the ability to step through time, although he has little control over where he emerges. 1/ week, Merorem may transport himself and anyone he is touching through time. There is no save against this effect, but Merorem must succeed on a touch attack to take an unwilling creature. Magic and effects blocking astral travel have no effect on this ability, as Merorem and any travelers are moving through the Temporal Storm, not the Astral Plane.

Merorem chooses whether he is moving to the past or the future, and a point in time of no greater accuracy than a day. He immediately appears in that time, within d% millennia of his goal. Should he desire greater accuracy than this, he can sacrifice his future use of his ability to decrease the offset. By reducing his uses of the power to once a year, Merorem may appear within d% years of the goal. Reduction to once a century allows him to appear within d% days, and at his most accurate, Merorem can sacrifice his use of this power for a millennia and appear at the exact day he desires.

By taking a full round action, Merorem can produce a minor Temporal Step at will. This produces the effects of greater teleport but Merorem appears 1d10 rounds in the past or future. If he approaches within one mile of another one of his “selves” using this power, both are immediately stunned for 1 round, after which they have 1 round to separate to a less paradoxical distance. This effect is also impossible to block with effects such as dimensional anchor and the like.

Winds of Time (Su): As a result of his involvement with time and history, Merorem has a control over spatial and temporal magicks. Any spells that alter speed, the flow of time, or instantaneously transport material (including teleport and summon spells) with an origin or target located within 60 feet of Merorem are subject to his power. The caster must make an opposed caster level check against Merorem (caster level 69th) or have his spell retargeted as Merorem wishes. Regardless of the success of the level check, Merorem himself is immune to any hostile temporal magicks.

The Winds of Time also grant Merorem spell-like abilities not normally associated with arch-devils. He has access to contingency, Foresight, haste, slow, and time stop, as defined in his Spell-like Abilities section. Finally, Merorem may make minor tweaks in the time stream 6/day. Below are listed some common uses of this power.

Rewind: Merorem may cause time to flow backwards, essentially undoing the last round of actions.

Slow Time: Merorem may cause creatures within an area to be suffused with slow time. This affects an area with a 60-foot radius. All creatures within the area must make a Will save DC 58 or be held as per Hold monster. Those who make their save are treated as though affected by the slow spell, except their speed is quartered, and the penalties are at -6. Merorem is also affected by this slow time, should he remain within the area. The slow time dissipates after 14 rounds.

Fast Time: Merorem may cause creatures within an area to be suffused with fast time. This affects an area with a 60-foot radius. Creatures within the area are treated as if affected by a haste spell, except that they receive two rounds worth of actions every round, and the bonuses are +6. This fast time lasts for 14 rounds.

Possessions: Merorem wields an adamantine +6 Souldrinking longsword named Paradagrim and four +5 Fleshgrinding cold iron Daggers of wounding and returning collectively called Eternal Regret. On a critical hit, these Daggers cast teleport on their target (no save), removing the victim 1d% x100 miles from his current location. He also wears a ring of greater spellstoring with a mage’s disjunction cast into it, and an amulet of moderate fortification.

The Darkwind also has the following contingencies always active on his person. If he ever suffers over 500 points of damage at one time, that damage is instead transferred onto a humanoid child. This affects as many humanoid children as it takes to absorb the damage. If Merorem is ever reduced to below 100 hp, a time stop spell is cast.

Summoning Merorem

Few are the mortals that have sought to summon Merorem, and so the lore surrounding such summons is difficult to come by. Such difficulties are further compounded by the fact that the Prince of the Powers of the Air, with his knowledge of the Temporal Storm, often knows ahead of time those that would summon him, meaning that those with whom he would prefer not to meet generally ever get the chance.

Those that have discovered the method to summoning Merorem to the Prime indicate that time is the key component – the invocants must supply gems encoded with temporal acceleration or time stop, with said gems set within the magic circles and activated simultaneously as part of the invocation. The total number of spell levels to be used should be no less than twenty-seven; for psionic powers, the total power points harnessed within the gems should be no less than thirty-three. A dollop of quintessence used at each of the cardinal points of the circles grants the summoner a +3 bonus on the summons. With the rite begun and the gems activated, a portion of the Temporal Storm is called into being within the circles. Bolts of temporal energy scatter throughout the circles and, if a summoning sanctuary is not in place, those within the immediate vicinity (99 feet) have a 30% chance of being hit by a bolt, aging 1d4 age categories in an instant (or reverting in age an equivalent amount; 50% chance of either). A Fortitude save DC 58 negates this effect.

The Temporal Storm quickly changes from apparent chaos to a more orderly cyclonic effect, and a calm grows at the center of it, though temporal energy bolts continue to scatter every few seconds. Within the eye of the storm a shadow grows, and a dark shape seems to fall from the sky as if from a great height. This shape smashes into the ground with tremendous force, rending the earth with its passage deep into the underground. From this pit a dark ichor rises, bubbling furiously. A part of the ichor is caught up by the wind, and a countercyclone begins. The temporal energy bolts dance about this counter-cyclone as it rapidly solidifies into the ebon form of Merorem.

At a gesture from his hand, the storm quietens, though it does not die. Merorem, with his knowledge and command over time, is usually cognizant of those that have summoned him, and will offer changes in their past or visions of their future as a means to distract them from their true goals and to ensure that any bargain entered into is on terms that suit him. Visions shown by The Darkwind are not illusions or mind-influencing effects; they are actual events that have been carried to him on the Temporal Stream that either never had the chance to occur (as a consequence of the summoner’s past actions) or events that have a possibility of occurring in the future if the summoner chooses the correct path. Often it is the case that those that treat with the Prince of the Powers of the Air are glad of the arrangement and some even feel they have done some noble deed by righting a previous wrong. Merorem does not care for motive, only for an ordered timeline that benefits Hell and him most of all; moreover, the souls of those that treat with him increase his power over the Temporalis Procellos.

Once the appointment has concluded, Merorem allows the Temporal Storm to return to its previous fury. He walks calmly through the winds to the center of the circles, raises his arms, and vanishes in a flash of vibrant purple temporal energy. Those not protected by a summoning sanctuary see the immensity of time in a single moment and are driven insane unless they succeed on a Will save DC 58; a successful save allows them to instantly forget what was seen. A pool of ichor remains at the center of the area, purple-black in color, and pulsing with a strange energy. The ichor can be used to create a potion which reverses the negative effects of one age category, although the blood of nine murdered children must also be incorporated for the potion to become potent. Needless to say any individual that successfully brews this potion (the Brew Potion feat is not required, although a Craft Alchemy DC 33 skill check is) becomes irredeemably Lawful Evil and forfeits his soul to Merorem, if such were not already the case.