Ajaga
"Stand ready, ye beasts and birds and things that slither -- let only Ajaga draw first blood with his own metal fang -- and then [Conan] is yours -- yours to devour!" -- Roy Thomas: "The Long Night of Fang and Talon"
Physical Appearance: Ajaga is a tall, proud man. His features and posture reveal him as the son of a chieftain and his look betrays his self-confidence. He has an air of predatory malice about him. He wears little clothing, normally a loincloth, a few ornamental bracelets and his headdress, which resembles the head of a black panther.
Background: Ajaga is the son of a tribal chieftain and was renowned as a great hunter and warrior of his people. An unsuccessful attempt to overthrow his father and make himself chief resulted in Ajaga and a few warriors loyal to him being exiled from their tribe. In their wandering they came upon the abandoned ancient city of Abombi, which Ajaga decided to make the capital of his own kingdom.
On the peaks of Abombi, Ajaga first made contact with the being called Jhebbal Sag and learned from him the secrets that made him the king of beasts. When Jhebbal Sag had walked the earth eons ago, animals and men had spoken the same language, and Jhebbal Sag now shared the secret of the language (as well as other powers) with Ajaga. Using his new powers and recruiting a larger band of ruthless human followers, Ajaga's reputation soon grew as he started raiding the surrounding tribes to make them respect and fear him.
Ajaga, now calling himself the Beast-King, wished to set himself up as the ruler of the Black Coast in the name of Jhebbal Sag and discredit the she-pirate Bêlit whom the tribes considered a goddess. To this end he spread death and destruction and kidnapped many hostages to use against the tribal chiefs. Ultimately Ajaga was defeated by Bêlit and her lover Conan, and Abombi was again abandoned.
Role-Playing Notes: Ajaga desires power and will go to any means, no matter how despicable to get it. He firmly believes himself to be the prophet of a god and that Jhebbal Sag has chosen him to become a great ruler of men and beasts alike. His Leadership feat and special powers has enabled him to attract a number of fanatical followers to aid him in his conquest (such as the warrior brothers Krato and Beeya), though they view his relation with Jhebbal Sag with fear and doubt. Despite his levels in cleric, Ajaga cannot cast any traditional spells. His magical powers are limited to those listed above. In this respect he resembles a Sorcerer (as per the PHB) more than a true cleric. Like most people of the Black Kingdoms, Ajaga is an illiterate and cannot read any written tongue.
Ajaga, the Beast-King of Abombi
Male Kushite Bbn8/Clr2
Hit Dice: 7d12+29 plus 2d8+6 (83 hp)
Initiative: +2 (+2 Dex)
Speed: 40 ft. (30 ft. if wearing heavy armor)
AC: 13 (+2 Dex, +1 shield)
Attacks: Shortspear +13 melee; or +12 ranged
Damage: Shortspear 1d8+3
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Chosen of Jhebbal Sag
Special Qualities: Rage 3/day, Fast Movement, Uncanny Dodge (Dex bonus to AC, can’t be flanked), Chosen of Jhebbal Sag
Saves: Fort +12, Ref +4, Will +6
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 14
Skills: Climb +7, Handle animal +10, Intimidate +10, Intuit direction +5, Jump +5, Wilderness lore +8, Swim +5
Feats: Cleave, Power Attack, Leadership, Track, Weapon Focus (shortspear)
Climate/Terrain: Abombi, Black Kingdoms
Organization: Unique
Challenge Rating: 10
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: n/a
Advancement: By character class
Equipment: After becoming the Beast-King, Ajaga carries little possessions with him. He always wears the panther's head headdress that symbolizes his report with Jhebbal Sag. He sometimes carries the spear and shield of a tribesman warrior. On special occasions he also has special equipment, such as his Horn of Bone (see text).
Combat: After becoming the Beast-King, Ajaga rarely engages in personal combat. He prefers to let his beasts and loyal warriors dispatch his enemies with him directing the battle. If sufficiently threatened, he will fight back expertly with his spear. Ajaga is extremely self-confident and believes his connection with Jhebbal Sag will make him victorious despite any obstacles.
- Rage (Ex): Three times per day, Ajaga can work himself into a blood frenzy. During a rage, he gains +4 Str, +4 Con and a +2 morale bonus on Will saves. He also gain an extra 2 hit points per level. During the rage he gets an AC penalty of 2. A fit of rage lasts for 8 rounds. See the full description in the PHB.
- Fast Movement (Ex): When wearing no armour, light armour or medium armour, Ajaga's speed is increased by 10 ft.
- Uncanny Dodge (Ex): Ajaga retains his Dex bonus to AC even when flat-footed or attacked by an invisible foe. A rogue of four or more levels higher than Ajaga can still flank him.
- Chosen of Jhebbal Sag (Su): Ajaga is a chosen prophet and priest of the entity Jhebbal Sag and has partaken in this beings ancient wisdom. This takes the form of several distinct powers:
- Language of Beasts: Ajaga can Speak with Animals (as per the spell) at will. He cannot use this ability if stunned, immobilized or if his speech is in any other way impaired. If he spends one full round talking to whatever animal(s) he chooses, he can command them to do his bidding. Each animal is entitled to a Will save to resist the effect (DC 20). Animals that make the save are free to take whatever action they wish, but are still unable to harm Ajaga if the Symbol of Jhebbal Sag is present. Commanded animals will perform any task assigned to them by Ajaga, even suicidal ones. Controlled animals kept near Ajaga will defend him against attack in any way they can. They are still limited by their intelligence when it comes to how complicated tasks they can perform, however.
- The Call of Jhebbal Sag: Once per day, Ajaga can call a number of animals to him using a simple instrument, the Horn of Bone. The animals that respond are animals or dire animals (only predatory creatures respond to the call, no save) and will come to Ajaga as fast as they can. The call can be heard in a 1 km radius. Each call summons 3d12 HD of animals.
- The Symbol of Jhebbal Sag: This arcane symbol, when properly written, has the power to hold any "natural" animal at bay. This includes animals, beasts, vermin and (at the DM's discretion) possibly other creatures as well. Animals can do no harm to the being who has created the symbol and most cannot even approach it. If damaged in any way, the symbol's power vanishes.
- The Eyes of the Wild: As long as Ajaga keeps any controlled animal within arm's reach of himself, he gains the Alertness feat for free as per a familiar (PHB page 51). Neither he nor his animals gain any of the other benefits of a "normal" familiar/master relationship, however.