Matan'sa
Sa'har Knight Thalendir (a.k.a. Moon's Shadow)
The Darklands. A lake of lava glowed ominously in the darkness. A small, lizard-like creature basked on a rock by the shore, soaking up the heat. A bubble broke the surface of the molten stone. The lizard turned its head, curious but not alarmed. It had seen this before. But then a second bubble broke, and a third. More followed. The lizard blinked rapidly, tongue flicking out to taste the air. The surface of the lava bulged and parted as something began to rise. The lizard darted into the shadows.
An orb emerged, trembling as lava dripped off it. Transparent walls held the molten stone at bay, but not the searing heat. Inside, it was a blast furnace, enough to incinerate anything. Yet something survived within, something that summoned and held the orb aloft. The orb drifted to the shore, settled on the rocks, and vanished.
The lizard peeked out from behind a stone, baffled. It couldn’t fathom what it saw. Few could. There should have been nothing standing there. Only ash, perhaps some bone. But there stood a man, or what was left of one. Raising a blackened arm, cracks formed in his flesh, revealing glowing embers beneath. Invisible tendrils snaked out into the darkness, unseen until they ensnared the lizard. Its life essence drained, leaving a tiny corpse that vanished in a flash of heat and light. The life was just enough to give Matan’sa the strength to scream.
He closed his eyes, the flaming orbs disappearing behind charred lids. Anger, hatred, and pain consumed him. They held him together, fueled by endless suffering. The voice had been right. All those nights in meditation, fighting the truth the mysterious entity had shown him. It had told him Khaylin Cirdanas, his master, his friend, would betray him. The elf would choose his people and his wife, Empress Ardura, over his Azlanti apprentice. One day, Khaylin would kill Matan’sa.
He nearly did.
Matan’sa found Khaylin meditating at the umbral temple. He confronted him, accusing him of treachery. Matan’sa wouldn’t be killed in his sleep like an ailing pet. No, he would show Khaylin who the true master was, even if he was just an Azlanti.
Khaylin looked shocked. He said demonic forces were poisoning everyone’s minds—first Empress Ardura, now Matan’sa. He pleaded for reason. But Matan’sa wouldn’t be swayed. If he was ever going to return to the light, Matan'sa had to go over Khaylin’s dead body. So he lifted a mighty cudgel and attacked.
They fought through the temple. Matan’sa slammed his warhammer into Khaylin’s chest, sending him through a wall. Matan’sa followed, expecting to find Khaylin’s crumpled body in the rubble. Instead, Khaylin stood waiting, bloody and broken but alive. He reached out with a telekinetic hand and hurled Matan’sa into the lake of lava. Matan’sa screamed before his body hit the molten slag but raised his own barrier. Even as he burned, he cursed Khaylin’s name, disappearing beneath the slag. He tapped into something beyond the akashic flow to survive.
Matan’sa opened his eyes. He was alive. He was whole. And no matter how long it took, he would not stop until Khaylin Cirdanas was dead.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Matan'sa, known in Elven as "Moon's Shadow," was originally named Thalendir. He is one of the few Azlanti permitted to undergo and survive the Elven attunement ritual of the Sa'har Order, thereby becoming a Sa'har Knight.
Earthfall and the Sa'har Order
When the Sa'har Order foresaw the impending Earthfall, the elves faced a critical decision. Most chose to flee to Sovyrian, their homeland. However, others sought refuge elsewhere. The Sa'har Order had established temples across and beneath the Inner Sea region. Many, led by Sa'har General Descimus, fled to a temple in the Mwangi Expanse.Journey to the Darklands
Matan'sa joined his master, Khaylin Cirdanas, in leading the elves to the umbral temple in the Darklands. As Earthfall blotted out the sky, Khaylin and his wife, Princess Ardura Tor'lyn, believed they had made the right choice. Over the years, demonic corruption and the influence of Rovagug’s power twisted the elves into drow. Empress Ardura's transformation into a drow only made it harder for Khaylin to resist the dark forces.Corruption and Betrayal
Matan'sa urged Khaylin to reject the dark influences. Khaylin struggled against not only his wife’s sway but also the demon lords seeking to corrupt him. Unbeknownst to Matan'sa, the Dark Queen was also manipulating him, sowing seeds of doubt and resentment. She convinced Matan'sa that the drow would never accept him because he was Azlanti, a constant reminder of their lost connection to the sunlight and their abandonment.Confrontation and Transformation
Matan'sa, consumed by hatred, confronted Khaylin, accusing him of plotting his assassination. Despite Khaylin's denials, Matan'sa attacked. Their battle raged through the Darklands, culminating in Khaylin casting Matan'sa into a pool of lava. Fueled by sheer hatred and willpower, Matan'sa rose from the molten stone, his body charred but intact. Despite the excruciating pain, he returned to the umbral temple.Imprisonment
Upon his return, Matan'sa found the drow in the midst of an uprising against Empress Ardura and Khaylin. The wizard Urthadar ambushed Matan'sa, trapping him in a pocket dimension bound within a battle axe. For thousands of years, Matan'sa endured searing pain, cursing Khaylin's name.Trapped in the Axe
After his initial confrontation with Khaylin, Matan'sa found himself trapped within a battle axe, displayed in a collector's case. The collector, Lasdolon, sensed the weapon's power but was unsure of its nature. Through the weapon, Lasdolon began communicating with Matan'sa, promising to help him escape. The curse binding Matan'sa to the axe required it to be filled with souls to break. Lasdolon, cunning and ruthless, would display the axe and then use it to kill, collecting the souls required. Once satisfied, he'd return it to the display. The cycle continued until the axe was stolen by a Shoanti barbarian named Ella.Release and Alliance with Lasdolon
In the Vault of Jel'va, amidst a battle against the common enemy, the wizard Urthadar, Ella attempted to decapitate Urthadar’s corpse. This act fulfilled the final requirement to unleash Matan'sa, now the Void Knight of the Twilight Empire. Once freed, Matan'sa fled with Lasdolon. Away from immediate danger, Lasdolon convinced Matan'sa that they had a shared goal: obtaining Khaylin’s chakram, Spiritbreaker. Lasdolon needed the weapon's hidden power, while Matan'sa sought the information it held—the location of Khaylin’s sanctuary.Reign of Terror
Matan'sa began killing targets as per Lasdolon's needs, honing his skills in the process. He suspected that by obtaining Spiritbreaker, he could draw out Khaylin. To this end, he started attacking allies of the Guardians of Golarion, hoping to catch them off-balance and force a confrontation. Tracking them to the Thorn's End stronghold, Matan'sa launched an attack as they recovered from an intense battle. Recognizing the chakram, Spiritbreaker, in Rooker Shango's possession, he revealed his involvement in its creation before disappearing into its pocket dimension.Final Confrontation
The Guardians pursued Matan'sa into the dimension within Spiritbreaker. Guided by Rha’gi, a spirit guide within the chakram, they ventured into a lava-filled cavern. At the cavern's end, a fortification surrounded a column of fire. Within it bobbed a black bastard sword etched with purple runes—the Claw of Tharzduun. Matan'sa, intent on claiming it, stood before the column. In the ensuing battle, Telith Nordhof managed to grab the blade, pulling it from the flames. As he fell, the others decapitated Matan'sa, ending his vengeful quest.Mental Trauma
Matan’sa is driven by vengeance. He blames Khaylin Cirdanas for "turning against him", for burning his body, and for the thousands of years of suffering while trapped within a battle axe.
A wise philosopher once said, "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you." Matan’sa walked that slippery slope and not only became a monster but with the void flowing through him for ten thousand years, the abyss gazed into him and loosened his grip on reality. He wants Khaylin to die, slowly, and Matan'sa wants to be the one to do it.
Species
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Former apprentice to Khaylin Cirdanas.
Circumstances of Death
Killed by the Guardians of Golarion within the discworld of Spiritbreaker
Children
Height
6' 5"
Weight
230 lbs
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
