Radiant Oath
"A Light in the Shadows"
The Society’s mission doesn’t intrinsically involve acts of altruism, heroism, and sacrifice, yet in many areas Pathfinders are known for thwarting evil, lending a helping hand, and representing their organization as upstanding folk. While the Vigilant Seal and the Envoy’s Alliance both take on some of these responsibilities, the members of the Radiant Oath found that those factions didn’t work hard enough toward the goals that some of its members cherished most. In Year 1, Valais Durant banded these like-minded individuals together into the minor faction known as the Radiant Oath, and now, these altruistic agents fight to see that the Society’s benevolence extends beyond incidental assistance. Those who join the Radiant Oath swear simple vows to assist others, expanding on these promises the more they serve the faction.
Faction Leader: Valais Durant
No stranger to peril, Valais Durant (LG female aasimar ritualist) set out for Numeria after earning her wayfinder and distinguished herself in covert operations there and in Ustalav. When the Society needed agents to investigate the possible misdeeds of Venture-Captain Thurl, she volunteered, directing her practiced senses to uncover his crimes. Unfortunately, she fell prey to his guardians and magic, ultimately being transformed into an amalgam of demonflesh. She fought off her new form’s abyssal influence long enough to return to the Society, and there she sought to restore her mortal form. Her journey took her as far away as Heaven, where with other Pathfinders, she uncovered a ritual to remove the demonic corruption safely. The ritual exceeded her greatest expectations. Rather than restoring her human body, Heaven granted her a celestial form.
Even though she’s still adjusting to her new body and celestial connection, Valais is committed to helping others as the Society helped her. Rather than crushing her spirit, her exposure to dark rituals and demonic whispers has taught her what’s at stake if evil prevails, granting her the strength to defeat fiends and assist the vulnerable in equal measure. Her supernatural powers don’t blind her to her own biases, though. Valais knows that her own perspective of justice and benevolence is but one of many the world over, so she recruits faction members of diverse backgrounds to spread good in their own ways while respecting the sensibilities and values of unfamiliar cultures.
Objectives: Unlike its spiritual predecessor, the Silver Crusade, which threw itself forcefully at the most significant threats and villains, the Radiant Oath emphasizes acts of kindness, compassion, and redemption. However, when dire evils threaten the world, the members of the Radiant Oath are ready to combat it. By consistently promoting the cause of good and building the faction’s reputation, the Radiant Oath strives for greater influence in the Society to direct its resources toward just causes.