Information
Title / Office Holy Emperor of the Western Empire; Supreme Prelate of [[Imperial Rite - Pantheon Faction The Holy Seat / Imperial Rite of Aroden Seat of Power The Holy Palace, Temple District, Ptolus Ancestry Human Role / Class Level 15 High Cleric of Aroden / Theocratic Statesman Primary Allies Prince Kirian Ylestos (Son & Prince of the Church), The Holy Guard, House Haishe of Oceanside Key Rivals Commissar Igor Urnst, Council of Coin, Empress Lasha Itomas (Caer Glaverius), Emperor Skluud Ne’Klosh (Caer Kurgas)
👑 Overview: The Holy Emperor in Exile
Holy Emperor Rehobath Ylestos is the spiritual titan and political lightning rod of the eastern Western Empire. As the supreme pontiff of the Imperial Rite and the self-proclaimed rightful sovereign of the Lion-Guarded Throne, Rehobath embodies the supreme convergence of imperial state dogma and personal ambition.
Unlike the decentralized, trans-national Order of Light beloved by common folk across Eraedal, Rehobath’s faith is rooted in the chauvinistic, state-sanctioned religion of the Western Empire, anchored to the slumbering—or dead—god Aroden. By drawing on ancient Azlanti ley-line anchors and imperial relics to manifest undeniable miracles and Heal fonts, Rehobath fiercely rejects the heresy that Aroden is dead, demanding absolute submission to the divine destiny of the human Empire.
When the ancient capital of Caer Itom fell to the Cyclopean Vanguard and barbarian hordes in 702 IA, Rehobath refused to view the calamity as mere military defeat. Instead, he declared the sack of Caer Itom to be divine chastisement against centuries of aristocratic decadence and imperial impiety. Gathering his most loyal prelates, paladins, and treasuries, Rehobath journeyed east to the coastal metropolis of Ptolus, where his son, Prince Kirian Ylestos, had maintained a permanent high ecclesiastical seat since 682 IA.
Upon his arrival, Rehobath took up residence within the newly consecrated Holy Palace in the Temple District and proclaimed Ptolus as the Holy Capital of the Western Empire. He crowned himself Holy Emperor, seeking to co-opt the popular Order of Light into his holy war-chest and declaring all other claimants—including Empress Lasha Itomas in Caer Glaverius and Emperor Skluud Ne’Klosh in Caer Kurgas—to be heretics and traitors to the realm.
⚖️ Political Maneuvers in Ptolus
Though Rehobath commands immense spiritual authority and the fanatical devotion of thousands across the Tarldet Plains and Oceanside, his supremacy within the city walls is far from absolute:
- The Standoff with Dalenguard: Secular rule within Ptolus is fiercely maintained by Imperial Commissar Igor Urnst, who commands the eight-hundred-strong City Watch and imperial legionnaires. Urnst treats Rehobath with icy diplomatic decorum, acknowledging his holy rank while firmly rejecting any church decree that would seize civic authority, violate the city’s anti-slavery laws, or conscript citizens into foreign crusades.
- The Financial Chokehold: The merchant oligarchs of the Council of Coin view Rehobath’s ambitions with deep suspicion. While they gladly accept the influx of wealthy church pilgrims pouring into the city through the Bay of Ptolus, they resist paying direct imperial tithes into his holy war-chest.
- The Agrarian Shield: Rehobath’s most reliable territorial backing comes from the neighboring province of Oceanside. The agrarian lords of House Haishe revere the Holy Emperor and willingly tithe food shipments to sustain the Holy Palace, hoping that the Holy Emperor’s presence will shield them from the ravages of the Three-way Civil War.
⚔️ Pathfinder 2e Remaster Mechanics
REHOBATH YLESTOS CREATURE 15
UNIQUE | MEDIUM | HUMAN | HUMANOID
Perception +28
Languages Common, Celestial, Imperial High Prustan
Skills Diplomacy +30, Religion +31, Society +27, Deception +26, Intimidation +28
Str +2, Dex +1, Con +3, Int +3, Wis +6, Cha +5
Items +2 Greater Resilient Imperial Vestments, +2 Greater Striking Crozius of the Golden Dawn (Heavy Mace), Holy Ring of the Lion-Guarded Throne
AC 36; Fort +26, Ref +24, Will +30
HP 245
Divine Ward (Reaction) Trigger: An ally within 30 feet is targeted with a spell or attack; Effect: Rehobath raises his hand, granting the ally a +2 status bonus to AC and saves against the triggering effect.
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] Crozius of the Golden Dawn +28 (magical, shove), Damage 3d8+8 bludgeoning plus 2d6 spirit
Divine Prepared Spells (DC 38, attack +30)
8th—Divine Decree, Sunburst, Moment of Renewal
7th—Divine Vessel, Energy Aegis, Regenerate
6th—Blade Barrier, Heal (x3), Spirit Blast
5th—Breath of Life, Divine Wrath, Command
4th—Holy Light, Silence, Sound Burst
3rd—Crisis of Faith, Heroism, Sanctified Ground
2nd—Clear Mind, Dispel Magic, See the Unseen
1st—Bess, Sanctuary, Sure Strike
Cantrips (8th)—Daze, Forbidding Ward, Light, Read Aura, Shield
Domain Spells (3 Focus Points, DC 38)
Commanding Presence [one-action]
Touch of Law [one-action]
Signature Relics:
- Crozius of the Golden Dawn: A masterwork gold-and-adamantine scepter blessed by the high priests of Aroden, capable of channelling blinding holy light and shattering unholy wards.
- The Lion’s Mantle: Woven from cloth-of-gold and blessed threads of celestial silk, warding the wearer against death effects and planar corruption.
🎭 Persona & Roleplaying Guide
- Voice & Tone: Deep, resonant, and effortlessly commanding. Rehobath speaks not as a supplicant to power, but as the living conduit of divine right. His words are measured, elegant, and laced with absolute certainty.
- Core Motivation: To unify the fractured Western Empire under the benevolent, disciplined rule of the Imperial Church, restoring moral purity and driving out demonic and monstrous incursions.
- Deepest Fear: The insidious corruption of the Galchutt and the Old Ones slumbering beneath Ptolus. Though he publicizes the city as a sacred sanctuary, his private prayers are filled with dread over the dark vibrations radiating from the deep subterranean chambers beneath the Spire.
🧭 Story Hooks for Adventurers
- The Commissar’s Leverage: Commissar Urnst hires the party to discreetly investigate a shipment of ancient church relics recovered from Dwarvenhearth destined for the Holy Palace, suspecting that the artifacts are tainted with chaos magic from the sleeping Galchutt.
- The Pilgrimage Escort: Agents of the Holy Seat recruit the party to safeguard a convoy of high-ranking church envoys travelling from the Sea of Scarlet Waters through the monster-haunted Scarlet Mountains to Ptolus.
- The Inverted Pyramid Parley: Rehobath requires a neutral, deniable intermediary to deliver an ultimatum to the arcane masters of the Inverted Pyramid regarding their clandestine experiments in the undercity.