Anasteria

Anasteria (also known as The Outcast) is a Possessed witch in Fort Ikon Prison. She is the focus of The Aetherial Witch quest.

The player can choose to either to ally with her (giving them The Outcast faction quests), or to kill her, transforming her into a unique boss creature (and giving them access to a new dungeon within Fort Ikon Prison)

Family: Human

Genus: Witch

Lore
Not much is known about the enigmatic Anasteria, or why she knows so much about the Aetherials and their plans for humanity. She seemingly arrived out of nowhere, her hands raised high above her head as she approached the Legion forces in the north. She was immediately taken to the Inquisitor, who the Black Legion brass decided would be the most experienced in dealing with witches and sorcery. Before the Grim Dawn, witches would often be tried and burnt on the same day they were captured, their position in society beneath even that of occultists.

Anasteria was brought before Creed bound in chains. She could seldom lift a finger without a Legion Myrmidon reaching for his blade. Creed insisted upon calm. He too was cautious of this mysterious arrival, but he was willing to hear her out before condemning her to the noose. Anasteria spoke at length about all she had learned about the Aetherials through her premonitions and warnings from the bones.

What sparked Creed’s attention though was mention of an impending Aetherial attack upon a Legion camp out in the Asterkarn Valley. Creed motioned for the guards to deliver this information to Commander Lucius immediately. Perhaps Anasteria was lying, but if she was right then Legion lives were at stake. Creed was not willing to take that chance. An eldritch familiar was sent out at once to warn the scouts of the attack. Creed and Anasteria sat in silence, awaiting the result of her warning.

Within the hour, Commander Lucius himself entered the room to inform Creed of Aetherial forces pouring into the Asterkarn Mountains through a pass they had believed was too snowed in for anyone to cross. Thanks to Anasteria’s warning, the scouts were able to retreat in time. Creed and Lucius eyed the witch with curiosity, her mask hiding any indication of her reaction to the news. Creed ordered that Anasteria’s shackles be removed. If they were to continue talking, they would do so on equal terms.

Creed asked to be left alone with the mysterious witch. They talked for hours about the Aetherial plans for assimilating humanity, but when Creed’s questions got too specific, she would shrug and draw a blank. Her knowledge, it seemed, still had its limits. There were secrets about the Aetherials that even this witch did not know, or perhaps refused to share. Nevertheless, Anasteria was willing to help the Legion fight their powerful foe.

Creed emerged from the interrogation chamber with Anasteria in tow. He declared that no harm was to come to the witch under severe penalty. She carried valuable information that could save lives. The Commander scowled at her, not entirely comfortable with having such a pariah within his walls, but he respected Creed’s wishes. Anasteria, with her life secured, presented the Legion command with detailed information on Aetherial movement in the area, as well as where they planned to strike next. None could fathom how she came upon this information, but with her earlier warning proving all too accurate, they were not willing to take any chances.

Anasteria’s information proved to be eerily accurate at first, allowing the Legion to cripple Aetherial forces with unexpected attacks, or to retreat where the situation was hopeless. She had singlehandedly saved countless human lives, though hardly anyone in the Legion was willing to admit it. Over time, her knowledge became more spotty, until eventually the day came when she was wrong. The enemy, it seems, has adjusted their tactics.

With her knowledge spent, many in the Legion started calling for her swift execution, branding her an unnatural witch and a heathen, but Inquisitor Creed insisted that she had earned their trust and deserved to live, despite any predispositions the soldiers may have towards her kind. For now, Creed’s command seems to be respected; but how long will it be before someone in the Legion decides to take justice into their own hands? You arrive at Fort Ikon during a contentious time. What will Anasteria’s fate be? That may well fall upon you.

Quotes

 * What a marvel you are. They say that to become one with an Aetherial you must lose all that defines you, but it seems there is more to the mystery than rumor lets on? The Aether holds many secrets, but few are held from me. There are those who fear such power, but...that is why you're here. No?
 * I have great talent for manipulating the Aether, and I have dabbled in divination, which I suppose is where the superstitious soldiers draw their ire. Everybody claims they want to know the future, until they actually hear it. It is difficult to separate the bad from the good when so much pain awaits a mortal in their lifetime.
 * "Why would you betray your own kind?" - Player"
 * Before I turned upon my masters, I was tasked with conquering the northlands, starting with Homestead. But inhabiting a human has opened my eyes to an existence I had thought futile and temporary. Human lives, despite being so brief and ultimately pointless, are so rich and full of wonder. I have come to develop feelings for your species, a concept most Aetherials cannot even fathom. Ultimately, I see our domination of humanity as cruel. I could no longer contribute to your assimilation.
 * "What is an Aetherial really?" - Player
 * We were the servants of the primordial gods, but when our makers grew jealous of one another, we became soldiers in a cataclysmic war. Countless creations were eradicated by the ensuing conflict, countless millennia of our work erased in a flicker of godly anger. But none of that compared to the day one side chose to harness the darkness of the void in a desperate bid for victory.  The results were catastrophic and our masters were cut down or scattered to the far reaches of creation. And we, the most loyal servants, were banished to the Aether for the simple crime of serving without question.  There, stripped of our physical forms, we were forced to wander the emptiness of the stars for all eternity, the scars inflicted upon us by the void's minions still burning deep. That is until we encountered humans...
 * "What changed when you found us?" - Player
 * Human ingenuity...and greed. Your base desires to seek out power are only matched by your ability to adapt and manifest that power in impressive displays. It was the reckless actions of the first arcanists that drew us to this world and it was our whispers that taught your people how to first tap into the limitless potential of the Aether. All it took was a push in the right direction. We had to be patient, but eventually enough of us were able to breach the veil and take matters into our own "hands" and prepare for the Glorious Dawn that would see all Aetherials return to the physical realm. But our actions were not without consequence. Though Chthonian worship was not a new prospect on Cairn, desperate humans made willing allies for the powers of Ch'thon and so an old enemy has returned to haunt us and may well spell doom for us all. Even now as we slaughter one another, the void feeds upon the spilled blood and grows to envelop all of creation.

Abilities

 * Aether Field
 * Annihilation
 * Arcane Missile
 * Devastation
 * Enrage
 * Orbiting Aether

Reputation-Based Abilities
Anasteria will have two Ironside Hulks to back her at the beginning of the encounter. Anasteria will become Anasteria, Wrath of the Aether, with increased Health, Health Regen, Spirit and Resistances.
 * Despised Level: Minions of the Outcast
 * Hated Level: Wrath of the Outcast
 * Nemesis Level: Vengeance of the Outcast

Resistances

 * Level 4/5/5 Hero/Boss Resistances
 * Physical: 25%
 * Pierce: 25%
 * Fire: 15/20/25%
 * Cold: 15/20/25%
 * Lightning: 15/20/25%
 * Aether: 40%
 * Knockdown: 500%

Notable Drops

 * Grand Spoils
 * Magnificent Spoils (when Nemesis level)
 * Tainted Brain Matter


 * Outcast's Hood (Epic Helm): 3-5% Chance
 * Outcast's Secret (Legendary Helm): 15% Chance on Nemesis