NPC

Talaris Wavebreaker

Male Locathah Cavalier (Wave Rider) 1 · Guardian of Black Glass Peak

Talaris Wavebreaker is a young but respected patrol-rider from the locathah communities guarding Black Glass Peak. He rides Skyrender, a reef-bred hippocampus trained to thread narrow volcanic channels, slip between sea stacks, and launch sudden charges through violent currents. Talaris is blunt, suspicious of surface folk, and furious at the organized pirate crews stealing sacred obsidian from Black Glass Peak.

Level 1 Character Sheet

Talaris Wavebreaker — CR 1

Male locathah cavalier (wave rider) 1
NG Medium humanoid (aquatic)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +5

Defense

AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16
(+6 breastplate, +2 Dex)

hp 14 (1d10+4)

Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1

Offense

Speed 20 ft., swim 40 ft.

Melee coral trident +4 (1d8+3)

Ranged harpoon +3 (1d10+2)

Special Attacks challenge 1/day

Statistics

Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 13

Base Atk +1; CMB +4; CMD 16

Feats Mounted Combat; Teamwork Feat Precise Strike

Skills Handle Animal +5, Knowledge (nature) +4, Perception +5, Profession (sailor) +5, Ride +8, Survival +5, Swim +11

Languages Aquan, Common

Class Features & Order

Wave Rider: Talaris is proficient with simple and martial weapons and light and medium armor, but not shields. His mount feature is replaced by Seafaring Companion, granting Monstrous Mount at 1st level, limited to a hippocampus mount. Skyrender is presented as a reef-runner breed of hippocampus.

Challenge 1/day: As a swift action, Talaris challenges one target. He gains bonus damage against that target equal to his cavalier level. At 1st level this is +1 damage.

Tactician 1/day: Talaris can grant his teamwork feat to nearby allies for a short time. His default choice is Precise Strike, representing coordinated spear-work alongside Skyrender and allied swimmers.

Order of the Waves: Talaris is built to thrive underwater. His order rewards exploration beneath the sea, improves underwater navigation, and later makes current-assisted charges terrifying.

Mount — Skyrender

Skyrender — Juvenile Reef-Runner Hippocampus

N Medium magical beast/aquatic mount

Init +3; Senses low-light vision; Perception +5

AC 15; hp 11; Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +1

Speed swim 60 ft.

Melee bite +3 (1d6+2)

Tricks attack, come, defend, down, guard, heel, seek, stay

Description: Skyrender is a reef-bred hippocampus with dark blue-green scales, pale fin-edges, and a long ribboning tail strong enough to pivot through violent current. Locathah riders use such mounts as patrol beasts near Black Glass Peak, where narrow volcanic channels make larger mounts difficult to maneuver.

How to Play Talaris

Use him as a mobile underwater striker. Talaris should not stand in place and trade blows. He identifies a vulnerable pirate diver, sahuagin scout, or abyssal labor boss, challenges that target, then uses Skyrender’s speed to strike from an angle.

Charge lanes matter. Underwater, his best attacks happen when terrain creates lanes between rocks, coral, sea stacks, or wreckage. Let him line up a current-assisted charge, spear the target, then sweep past rather than remain surrounded.

Keep the mount alive. Mounted Combat lets Talaris use Ride to negate one hit against Skyrender. If the enemy targets the mount, Talaris should protect it aggressively; Skyrender is his battlefield identity.

At 1st level he is not yet a devastating charger. Talaris is good underwater now, but his signature mounted charge engine comes online over several levels: Ride-By Attack at 3rd, Spirited Charge at 5th, Order of the Waves movement benefits at 2nd, and Current’s Rush at 8th.

Underwater Mounted Combat Notes

Core Charge Package

Rule / Ability	Effect	When It Matters
Mounted Charge	Skyrender provides the movement; Talaris attacks at the end of the charge. Standard charge modifiers apply unless a class feature changes them.	Best when there is a clear underwater lane through reefs, sea-stack gaps, wreckage, or current tunnels.
Charge	Normally grants +2 on the attack roll and imposes –2 AC until the start of Talaris’s next turn.	Useful immediately at level 1.
Challenge	Adds cavalier level to damage against the challenged target.	At level 1 this is only +1, but by level 14 it becomes +14 damage per hit against the challenged target.
Cavalier’s Charge	At 3rd level, Talaris becomes much better at mounted charges, gaining improved accuracy and avoiding the normal AC penalty.	This is when he starts feeling like a true underwater shock rider.
Ride-By Attack	Allows Talaris to charge, attack, and continue moving.	Essential underwater. He can strike and glide past instead of ending beside the enemy.
Spirited Charge	Doubles melee damage on a mounted charge, or triples it with a lance.	Use a piercing polearm or lance-equivalent if allowed underwater; otherwise trident remains the thematic default.
Current’s Rush	At 8th level, Order of the Waves grants +2 attack when charging with a current and bonus damage based on current speed.	Perfect in the Razored Labyrinth, where violent currents become terrain weapons.

Recommended Underwater Charge Math

Level	Typical Charge Situation	Result
1	Mounted charge with trident against challenged foe.	Attack is strong for level 1, but damage is still modest. Use mobility, not brute force.
3	Cavalier’s Charge online.	Talaris becomes accurate on mounted charges and safer after committing.
5	Spirited Charge online.	Mounted charge becomes his primary damage spike.
8	Current’s Rush online.	Charging with the current becomes his signature tactic: current direction, map position, and battlefield setup now matter.
11–14	Challenge damage is high; Spirited Charge doubles the weapon-damage package.	Talaris can threaten major underwater lieutenants, pirate captains, and Darklands beast-handlers with decisive opening charges.

Why He Thrives Underwater

Native swim speed: Talaris is not fighting the water; he belongs in it.
Mounted mobility: Skyrender’s swim speed lets him choose the angle of engagement.
Reach and piercing weapons: Tridents, lances, and harpoons fit underwater mounted combat better than slashing weapons.
Order of the Waves: His order specifically rewards underwater exploration, underwater challenge defense, and later current-assisted charges.
Terrain control: Narrow reef channels and volcanic vents become charge lanes rather than obstacles.
Action economy: Skyrender moves while Talaris attacks, challenges, directs allies, or uses mounted feats.

Encounter Use

Talaris should accompany the party during sea-stack investigations, Black Glass Peak patrols, submerged ambushes, and later undersea scouting near the Razored Labyrinth. He should not follow the party through long inland arcs such as Ninshabur unless the route remains maritime. His role is strongest when the battle space includes open water, currents, reefs, wrecks, or vertical movement.

Recommended Advancement Through Level 14

This progression keeps Talaris focused as an underwater mounted charger, scout, and anti-pirate shock rider. It assumes he remains a single-class cavalier with the Wave Rider archetype and Order of the Waves.

Level	Key Gains	Recommended Choice	Notes
1	Challenge, Tactician, Seafaring Companion	Mounted Combat; Precise Strike	Baseline mounted defense and allied teamwork.
2	Order ability: Waverider	—	Improves underwater performance; if both rider and mount have swim speeds, Skyrender becomes faster.
3	Cavalier’s Charge	Ride-By Attack	Charge, strike, and continue past the target. This is essential underwater.
4	Expert Trainer	Ability +1 Str	More damage, better mounted melee.
5	Banner	Spirited Charge	Signature damage feat. Talaris now hits hard on charges.
6	Bonus Feat	Power Attack	Use carefully; best against lower-AC targets or when charging with bonuses.
7	Greater Tactician approaching	Weapon Focus: trident	Keeps his thematic weapon reliable.
8	Order ability: Current’s Rush	Ability +1 Str	Current-assisted charges become a defining tactic.
9	Greater Tactician	Improved Critical: trident	Stronger threat profile against pirate champions and abyssal officers.
10	Bonus Feat	Mounted Skirmisher or Trick Riding	Choose based on campaign rules emphasis; mobility and mount defense both matter.
11	Mighty Charge	Critical Focus	Combines well with later charge-critical effects.
12	Demanding Challenge	Ability +1 Str	Challenge damage becomes a serious threat.
13	—	Greater Weapon Focus: trident	Reliable accuracy for high-level underwater threats.
14	Bonus Feat	Improved Initiative or Mounted Shield	Initiative helps him claim charge lanes before enemies scatter.

Alternative Feats

Feat	Why Take It
Pressure Adept	Excellent if Talaris begins operating at great depths before level 15.
Aquatic Combatant	Useful if your table emphasizes underwater combat penalties and aquatic weapon restrictions.
Improved Initiative	Great for securing the first charge lane in chaotic underwater ambushes.
Bodyguard / In Harm’s Way	Turns him into a protector for Shulassa or vulnerable party members during underwater scenes.
Extra Tactician	Useful if you want Talaris to function more as a squad leader than a pure charger.

Mount Advancement Notes

Skyrender should remain a hippocampus mechanically, but the “reef-runner” breed can gain visual and narrative upgrades as Talaris advances: obsidian-streaked barding, scarred fins, current-sensing whiskers, and training to hold position in violent volcanic channels. At higher levels, Skyrender should be treated as a trusted veteran mount rather than replaceable equipment.

Suggested Gear

Coral trident or masterwork trident: signature melee weapon.
Harpoon: ranged control tool against fleeing divers and pirates.
Medium armor adapted for swimming: avoid heavy armor; Wave Rider does not use shields.
Saddle, exotic military, aquatic: required for serious mounted underwater combat.
Obsidian-inlaid banner pennant: visible campaign identity when riding near Black Glass Peak.
Potions or charms of pressure adaptation: useful before the deep-sea descent.

Campaign Role

Where Talaris Appears

Talaris first becomes relevant after the Kridorfrost bridge investigation leads the party toward Kridorn and rumors of organized obsidian theft at Black Glass Peak. He is not a permanent land-travel companion. Instead, he becomes a recurring maritime ally.

Best Story Uses

Escort through sea-stack channels near Citadel Allatro.
First-person witness to pirate raids at Black Glass Peak.
Guide during the return to the locathah village near Black Glass Peak.
Mounted underwater support in battles against pirate divers and obsidian miners.
Scout during the party’s later return to the Razored Labyrinth with the underwater map.
Emotional voice of the locathahs when outsiders treat obsidian as a resource instead of sacred stone.

Personality

Talaris is direct, proud, and hard to impress. He assumes surface folk are greedy until proven otherwise. He respects courage, loyalty to one’s people, and competence underwater. He has little patience for elaborate diplomacy but will risk his life for anyone who defends Black Glass Peak without seeking to profit from it.

Battlefield Quote

“The current has already chosen your grave. I only deliver you to it.”