4E in Golarion: The Avenger
NOTE: I am not a good writer. This is really just a chance for me to create some fun, Golarion-themed articles for 4E material. If it makes you curious about some of the 4E material, that's great. If it reaffirms your hatred of 4E, well, I'm not a good writer. Sorry. 
All the same, I hope you enjoy it, and I might even create an alternate cleric with abilities similar to those of the 4E avenger class if there's demand for it.
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In Golarion, avengers are rarely heard of--which is just how they like it. Devoted warriors in service to their gods, avengers are not afraid to employ stealth, sudden ambushes, and other tactics deemed dishonorable or even outright blashpemous by paladins. To an avenger, these are merely a means to an end, and as instruments of their god's will, the ends always justify the means.
The origin of the avenger is as much of a mystery as they are. Most scholars agree that they originated somewhere in the Keleshite Empire, but others point even further east to hidden monasteries in Vudra or even Tian Xia. Or perhaps they do not have an earthly origin, instead being divinely inspired by one or more deities. It is even possible all three are true to some degree.
Avengers combine divine power with swift and silent blades, making them powerful assassins and infiltrators in service of their church. Despite their utility (or perhaps because of it), these churches rarely announce the existence of these holy slayers, oftentimes even to their own clergy. They are a potent tool and important weapon of their church, and in many cases a source of pride, but open proclamation of their existence would only forewarn their enemies and potentially turn public opinion against them.
The majority of avengers in Golarion follow Sarenrae, learning their skills in secret temples in Katapesh, Qadira, Osirion, and Thuvia. It is believed that these avengers have been responsible for the deaths of several prominent tyrants throughout the history of Golarion, most notably the satrap of Osirion in 2253, but this has never been confirmed. The Cult of the Dawnflower is silent on these accusations, but many people swear to having seen mysterious visitors in dark cloaks paying a visit to a local temple shortly before some petty tyrant's head is found on the ramparts, facing the brilliant light of dawn.
Several other churches have avengers as well. Calistria's Order of the Silent Sting doles out vengeance against the church's many (often perceived) enemies, while a group of former slaves turned into slave liberators, known as the Unbroken Chain, raise their blades in honor of Cayden Cailean. Norgorber is whispered to have in his service a flock of avengers, though if these silent killers have a special name, no one alive other than them knows of it. Other faiths may have cadres of avengers at their disposal, particularly those that lack orders of paladins.
Of special note is the rumor of Red Mantis assassins displaying powers strangely similar to those of the avenger. While avengers in service to Achaekek would not be out of the question, most people find the Red Mantis to be frightening enough without adding the potency of divine magic to the mix.
Sample Organization: The Flowers of Midnight
"Even in the darkest night, the flowers of hope can bloom. We cultivate those blossoms of light by culling the weeds of tyranny and oppression."
The Flowers of Midnight is a sect of the Cult of the Dawnflower, a group of avengers in service to Sarenrae who hunt the forces of evil and darkness. Utilizing the shadows to keep their activities hidden until the time to strike, the Flowers of Midnight turn their enemies' strengths into a liability.
The Flowers of Midnight were founded sometime around the year 2200 AR; only the current Grandmaster knows their full history and origins. Their most notorious success was the assassination of the Satrap of Osirion in 2253, an act that reaffirmed the power of the Cult of the Dawnflower in Osirion and let the Padishah Empire of Kelesh know that none of their designated rulers were safe. From that time until Osirion's liberation from foreign rule, no less than seventeen sultans met their end at the blades of the Flowers of Midnight. In fact, the Flowers of Midnight are as devoted to Osirion as they are to Sarenrae, and work to defend their beloved homeland from whatever influences seek its subjugation or downfall.
Members of the Flowers of Midnight are mostly avengers, with a handful of clerics filling out the roster. Members favor training in the skills of Acrobatics, Athletics, Heal, Perception, Religion, and Stealth, though some act as information-gatherers and train in Intimidate and Streetwise. They specialize in assassination, eliminating church enemies and cruel oppressors, as well as threats to Osirion. Sometimes, their activities lean more towards retrieving something, whether an object sacred to the church that has been stolen or an ancient Osiriani artifact for the museum in Sothis.
All the same, I hope you enjoy it, and I might even create an alternate cleric with abilities similar to those of the 4E avenger class if there's demand for it.
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In Golarion, avengers are rarely heard of--which is just how they like it. Devoted warriors in service to their gods, avengers are not afraid to employ stealth, sudden ambushes, and other tactics deemed dishonorable or even outright blashpemous by paladins. To an avenger, these are merely a means to an end, and as instruments of their god's will, the ends always justify the means.
The origin of the avenger is as much of a mystery as they are. Most scholars agree that they originated somewhere in the Keleshite Empire, but others point even further east to hidden monasteries in Vudra or even Tian Xia. Or perhaps they do not have an earthly origin, instead being divinely inspired by one or more deities. It is even possible all three are true to some degree.
Avengers combine divine power with swift and silent blades, making them powerful assassins and infiltrators in service of their church. Despite their utility (or perhaps because of it), these churches rarely announce the existence of these holy slayers, oftentimes even to their own clergy. They are a potent tool and important weapon of their church, and in many cases a source of pride, but open proclamation of their existence would only forewarn their enemies and potentially turn public opinion against them.
The majority of avengers in Golarion follow Sarenrae, learning their skills in secret temples in Katapesh, Qadira, Osirion, and Thuvia. It is believed that these avengers have been responsible for the deaths of several prominent tyrants throughout the history of Golarion, most notably the satrap of Osirion in 2253, but this has never been confirmed. The Cult of the Dawnflower is silent on these accusations, but many people swear to having seen mysterious visitors in dark cloaks paying a visit to a local temple shortly before some petty tyrant's head is found on the ramparts, facing the brilliant light of dawn.
Several other churches have avengers as well. Calistria's Order of the Silent Sting doles out vengeance against the church's many (often perceived) enemies, while a group of former slaves turned into slave liberators, known as the Unbroken Chain, raise their blades in honor of Cayden Cailean. Norgorber is whispered to have in his service a flock of avengers, though if these silent killers have a special name, no one alive other than them knows of it. Other faiths may have cadres of avengers at their disposal, particularly those that lack orders of paladins.
Of special note is the rumor of Red Mantis assassins displaying powers strangely similar to those of the avenger. While avengers in service to Achaekek would not be out of the question, most people find the Red Mantis to be frightening enough without adding the potency of divine magic to the mix.
Sample Organization: The Flowers of Midnight
"Even in the darkest night, the flowers of hope can bloom. We cultivate those blossoms of light by culling the weeds of tyranny and oppression."
The Flowers of Midnight is a sect of the Cult of the Dawnflower, a group of avengers in service to Sarenrae who hunt the forces of evil and darkness. Utilizing the shadows to keep their activities hidden until the time to strike, the Flowers of Midnight turn their enemies' strengths into a liability.
The Flowers of Midnight were founded sometime around the year 2200 AR; only the current Grandmaster knows their full history and origins. Their most notorious success was the assassination of the Satrap of Osirion in 2253, an act that reaffirmed the power of the Cult of the Dawnflower in Osirion and let the Padishah Empire of Kelesh know that none of their designated rulers were safe. From that time until Osirion's liberation from foreign rule, no less than seventeen sultans met their end at the blades of the Flowers of Midnight. In fact, the Flowers of Midnight are as devoted to Osirion as they are to Sarenrae, and work to defend their beloved homeland from whatever influences seek its subjugation or downfall.
Members of the Flowers of Midnight are mostly avengers, with a handful of clerics filling out the roster. Members favor training in the skills of Acrobatics, Athletics, Heal, Perception, Religion, and Stealth, though some act as information-gatherers and train in Intimidate and Streetwise. They specialize in assassination, eliminating church enemies and cruel oppressors, as well as threats to Osirion. Sometimes, their activities lean more towards retrieving something, whether an object sacred to the church that has been stolen or an ancient Osiriani artifact for the museum in Sothis.