Fantasy NPC: Abbot Serenity

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Abbot Serenity

The abbot is an older, balding man, coated in a burgundy frock, with a thick gold chain worn around the neck.

CR 3; 800 XP

LE Medium Undead

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +10

Defense
AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+2 deflection, +2 Dex, +1 natural)

hp 32 (5d8+10)
Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +6

Defensive Abilities as long as the abbey stands; Immune channel energy, undead traits

Weakness can't cross running water

Offense
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

Melee 2 slams +6 (1d6+3) or shillelagh +6 (2d6+5)

Ranged thrown book or mug +5 (1d4+2)

Special Attacks 

Spell-Like Abilities (CL 5th; concentration +7)

Constant—greater magic fang, shield of faith

At Will—speak with dead (CL 20th, concentration +22, monks and postulants only)

Statistics
Str 14, Dex 14, Con —, Int 19, Wis 15, Cha 15

Base Atk +3; CMB +5; CMD 19
Feats Skill Focus (Perform [oratory]), Skill Focus (Profession [administration]), Skill Focus (Stealth)

Skills Bluff +10, Climb +10, Diplomacy +10, Knowledge (religion) +12, Perception +10, Perform (oratory) +10, Profession (administration) +10, Sense Motive +10, Stealth +13

Language Common, Duc, Infernal; speak with dead

Notable Gear magic rod (acts like shillelagh), monastery's resources

As Long As The Abbey Stands (Su) If reduced to 0 or less hit points or otherwise destroyed, Abbot Serenity's body turns into dust and his spirit flees, inhabiting and reanimating one of the mummified monk's bodies within the crypts beneath the abbey within 1d4 rounds. Abbot Serenity wearing a new body suffers –2 penalty to all ability and skill checks, and to attack and damage rolls for the next 24 hours. There are hundreds of suitable cadavers remaining so going through all of them might be tedious prospect. As long as he is within the boundaries of the monastery grounds, Abbot Serenity is immune to channel energy damage and effects and can't be commanded or controlled.

Face Of The Order (Su) Abbot Serenity visage is a potent illusion that masks his frame, alignment, and undead state, requiring true seeing or effect of similar potency to see through.

Speak With Dead (Sp) Abbot Serenity can use speak with dead (CL 20th) to communicate with a corpse of any dead monk or postulant that spent at least a month within the monastery. He often interviews corpses before they are embalmed to learn useful or interesting secrets and juicy gossip.

Abbot Serenity is the head of monastery dedicated to the memory of Saint Ivor The Serene, who lauded contemplative pursuit of serenity and detachment from burdens of mundane as the way of life. Seekers of peace and sanctuary are welcome to the monastery, leaving their past and old names behind, though being able to contribute to its daily operations, either by donation or work is expected—the monastery won't maintain by itself.

While the monastic rule stresses contemplation and detachment, it says nothing about ascetism. In fact, part of the teachings note that excess attempts at denial of mundane needs are as dangerous to pursuit of enlightenment and internal peace as overindulgence in pleasures of flesh, if not more. The monks, at least those who are ranked as donators, spend their time in pleasant, though not excessive comforts, contemplating gardens, works of art, and reading scholarly (and not so scholarly) texts, free of worries of mundane life. Those who could not donate have to contribute part of their time working in gardens, kitchens, baths, and laundries, but at least have security regarding their place to live and food.

The monastery is sort of coeducational, with wings for men and women, and intermixing during the day hours. Some dalliances and nightly trysts are expected but at the same time they are supposed to be kept discreet and excessively passionate relationships are frowned upon as disturbing the harmony of the place and its inhabitants.

The dead monks are embalmed and interred in the crypts beneath the monastery—officially as a reminder for the rest of the monks to enjoy their limited lives. In truth, the crypts are the whole purpose of the monastery in the first place, keeping a steady supply of new bodies for the Abbot Serenity to inhabit, once the old one fails or is destroyed—for he is actually Ivor The Serene himself, and his secret was learning how to attune to other people living according to regimens he oversaw and take over their bodies once they are dead and embalmed according to certain strict procedures. His goal is quite simple—maintain his continuous existence, provide him with live entertainment of petty dramas taking place in his monastery (he is not above peeping and eavesdrop on his subordinates from secret passages that riddle the complex), and keep a flow of wealth to maintain this whole scheme. While he wants to keep a certain modicum of drama for own amusement, he doesn't want any big problems that would attract undue attention or worse torn the community apart, however, so he might step in and engage in damage control if need be.