Order of the Ashwalker

A recent order but from an ancient being of light and death who survived in almost all the great battles thus far in history. Since the Ascension of the first mortal to godhood till the shattering of the lands, the beings that have wandered the bloodied and barren remains of these battlefields, hunting whatever remains before the ash settles and the battle is written up in history books. They do not burn, they endure. 

These "Hunters" have hunted monsters for so long, they've forgotten where the horror ends, and they begin. Once protectors, now legends of these ashen haired beings whispered by firelight. Ashwalkers patrol the edges of the known world and the boundaries of death—dragging monsters back into the grave where they belong. They are archivists of grief, guardians of endings, and protectors of the last spark. Where others see loss, they see what must be remembered—and what must never rise again.

Formed from broken legacies and sealed pacts, Ashwalkers carry their scars in silence. They don’t hunt for justice, nor vengeance. They hunt because if they didn’t, no one else would. 

 

Ashwalker Techniques

You gain proficiency in the Survival skill and one additional language of your choice.

You also learn to craft and utilize Ashwalker Tools during a long rest. You may prepare a number of tools equal to your proficiency bonus. Each tool can be used once before requiring a long rest to craft again.

Ashwalker Tools:

• Monsterbane Oil. (Bonus Action)
  Apply to a weapon. The next hit deals extra Hemocraft die damage and suppresses all damage resistances (not immunities) for 1 round.
• Warding Brand. (Free Action to activate)
  You inscribe a glowing glyph (grey and foglike in color) on an object during a short rest. While within 10 ft radius:
• You and allies have advantage on saving throws against fear, charm, and possession.
• Lasts 1 hour.
• The glyph has AC 20 and 10 HP, and only magical damage can destroy it.

Binding Thread. (Action)
You hurl a blessed thread to restrain a creature. It must succeed on a Strength or Dexterity saving throw (target’s choice) against your Hemocraft DC, or become restrained. While restrained, it takes your rite damage each time it is damaged. The effect ends at the end of your next turn.

Rite of the Veinbound

You gain a unique crimson rite option: Rite of the Veinbound, an Ashwalker-exclusive rite.

• Your rite damage becomes magical force damage. While active, your weapon emits a soft, hollow gray glow, like a black flame (White Light Saber or the Dark Saber).
• When you hit a creature with your rite-enhanced weapon, you instinctively sense its true nature—gaining knowledge of the creature’s type and one of their resistances or vulnerabilities (if any).
• Additionally, once per turn, when you deal rite damage to a creature, you can force the creature to make an INT save against your Hemocraft DC, on a fail, it cannot regain hit points or benefit from regeneration until the start of your next turn. Saves from this effect on a Successful save.

~The moment of contact reveals a “truth” — a flicker of memory, shadowed form, or soul echo that only the Ashwalker perceives.

Bane Mark

You gain an additional use of your Brand of Castigation, and your brand is further empowered with the following enhancements:

• The first time you hit the marked creature on each of your turns; you deal an additional Hemocraft die of rite damage.
• If the marked creature attempts to use the Disengage action while within 30 feet of you, it must first succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Hemocraft DC. On a failure, the action is wasted.
• The marked creature cannot become hidden from you, or invisible to you, while within 100 feet.

You may only brand one creature at a time. Marking another creature ends the previous mark.
Additionally, when a branded creature is reduced to 0 hit points, you regain 1 expended use of your Blood Maledict.

~The mark is invisible to others, but the Ashwalker sees it as a faint tether of ash or a blackened scar trailing behind the creature.

Blood Curse of Severence

You gain a unique blood curse:

When you activate your blood curse (no extra cost), you can sever a creature’s tether to its magical or extraplanar source. Choose one:

• Cursed Seal: The creature has disadvantage on all attack rolls (Weapon or Spell) and concentration checks for 1 round till the end of your next turn.
• Exile Thread: If the creature is from another plane, they must succeed a Charisma saving throw against your Hemocraft DC or be banished until the end of their next turn (no concentration required).

Amplify: The effect lasts for 1 minute without concentration. In addition, the cursed target cannot teleport for the duration.

 

You can use this blood curse once per short rest. It does not count against your total known blood curses.

Hollow Steps

When your Rite of the Veinbound is active, your presence becomes unnaturally muted. You move as if the world itself forgets your existence for a moment.

• You gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and
• Creatures have disadvantage on opportunity attacks made against you.

~ As you move, your steps leave no sound, no heat, and no breath. Some say even the wind forgets to rustle near an Ashwalker in motion.

Legacy Unbroken

When you strike down your quarry marked by either Blood Curse or Bane Mark, others feel the weight of your unbroken resolve.

When a creature affected by your Blood Curse is reduced to 0 hit points, all enemy creatures within 30 feet must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Hemocraft DC or become weakened by dread until the end of your next turn:

• They become vulnerable to the damage they take till the end of your next turn.
• Their movement speed is halved until the end of their next turn.
• They cannot take reactions until the end of their next turn.

A creature that succeeds on this saving throw becomes immune to this effect for 24 hours.
You can use this feature once per short rest

~A wave of silence rolls out from your strike. The shadows themselves seem to recoil.

Hunt Beyond Names

You have hunted for so long, nothing escapes your grasp — not shape, spell, or story.

• When you hit a creature with an active rite, you ignore all resistance and damage reduction.
• When you reduce a creature branded by your “Brand of Castigation” to 0 HP with your rite, you can use your reaction and brand another creature within 60 feet as a free use of Brand of Castigation.

You gain proficiency in all saving throws.

~Your memory is enough. Once you've seen a creature bleed, no illusion, magic, or veil can hide it again.