Archon, Shadow

Beneath the cowl of its dark cloak, this shadowy, humanoid figure has menacing red eyes.

Shadow Archon (CR 8) XP 4,800 LG Medium outsider (archon, extraplanar, good, lawful) Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., detect evil, low-light vision, see invisibility; Perception +21 Aura aura of menace (DC 16) --- AC 22, touch 14, flat-footed 18 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +8 natural) hp 103 (9d10+54) Fort +9, Ref +9, Will +9; +4 vs. poison Defensive Abilities shadow blending; DR 10/evil; Immune electricity, petrification; SR 19 --- Speed 30 ft. Melee longsword +15/+10 (1d8+6/19-20), slam +10 (1d6+2); or 2 slams +15 (1d6+4) Special Attacks purgatory gaze, sneak attack +2d6 Spell-Like Abilities (CL 9th; concentration +12) Constant—blur (self only) (2nd), detect evil (1st), see invisibility (2nd) At will—darkness (2nd), dispel magic (3rd), greater teleport (7th) (self plus 50 lbs. of objects only) 3/day—mark of justice (4th) (DC 18), mirror image (2nd), silence (2nd) (DC 16) --- Str 22, Dex 17, Con 22, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 19 Base Atk +9; CMB +15; CMD 28 Feats Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Intimidate) Skills Acrobatics +13, Climb +11, Disable Device +13, Escape Artist +13, Intimidate +16, Perception +19, Sense Motive +11, Stealth +21; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception, +8 Stealth Languages Celestial, Draconic, Infernal; truespeech --- Environment any (Heaven) Organization solitary Treasure standard (longsword, other treasure) --- Purgatory Gaze (Su) Gain one negative level if creature has the evil subtype, 30 feet, Fortitude DC 18 negates. The save DC is Charisma-based. Shadow Blending (Su) Attacks against a shadow archon in dim light have a 50% miss chance instead of the normal 20% miss chance. This ability does not grant total concealment; it just increases the miss chance.

Noted for their darkly indistinct appearance and gruff manners, shadow archons are the guerrilla warriors of their people. Possessed of single-minded determination, shadow archons lead lonely, dutiful lives. Their sole purpose is to lurk behind enemy lines, eliminating and terrorizing soldiers who willfully fight in the service of evil. Like shadowy ghosts, they appear from nowhere and vanish just as quickly, striking hard and fast in between.

While shadow archons deploy primary in war zones, defending righteous kingdoms that face overwhelming odds, a few are known to target particularly heinous criminals from time to time. That being said, shadow archons are never vigilantes; they never take the law into their own hands, and eliminate only those threats that legitimate authorities have declared deserving of such extreme measures. Likewise, a shadow archon that is mistakenly sent after an undeserving target will cease hostilities the instant it sees evidence that its quarry is not deserving of its wrath.