Soorgim [Labyrinth Lord]

Soorgim
No. Enc.: 2d4 (up to hundreds...)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 90' (30') [cannot swim]
Armor Class: 6
Hit Dice: 1+1
Attacks: 1 (fist or Weapon)
Damage: 1d4 or by weapon
Save: F1
Morale: 7

Reeking yellow-hided pseudo-reptiles, the Soorgim are a matriarchal species who have mastered the fine art of manipulating their egg-clutches to produce a traditionally-defined range of drone-like offspring whom they then sell off to the highest bidder as indentured mercenaries.

Soorgim have sulfur-based blood and their brains are split into two distinct nerve plexi, one in the head that primarily processes sensory input, and another at the hips that mostly controls movement. They likewise have two hearts, located towards the top-center and bottom center of their torsos, with each heart dedicated to one of the brains. In extreme situation a Soorgim can live with only one heart functioning, or one brain intact, but their fellows will most often eat them before they can recover. The most common solution for nearly anything is to eat it, as far as the Soorgim are concerned. They have no medicine, no medics, no healers, and never use healing spells or potions. Those who get severely wounded tend to get eaten. Those who lag behind get eaten. Those who disobey orders get eaten. Those who incur the wrath of their immediate superiors get eaten.

Fodder wield spears or pole-arms. Sergeants wield battle-axes or flails. Officers wield two-handed swords or flame throwers. All wear the same, distinctive green-hide leggings & bracers with padded leather torso-armor. The leather is rumored to be derived from former opponents, devoured competitors, or previous comrades. Soorgim special units are rarely encountered away from the Egg Pools or Matriarchal Entourages.

Soorgim units that sustain serious damage in combat will sometimes suffer catastrophic casualties from within as the less injured members of a group will devour the wounded, often in the midst of combat. All a Soorgim needs is to fail their morale check and they go into a feeding frenzy.

They only take prisoners when directly ordered to do so and are supervised by a strong officer--otherwise the Soorgim are likely to devour anyone unfortunate enough to be captured by them.

Soorgim react to gunpowder as though it were an aphrodisiac. They can consume prodigious amounts of the stuff before collapsing into a transformational torpor in which several of their number will shift gender to female and the Soorgim will begin a frenzied, vulgar mating ritual.

The Matriarchs who control the egg-clutches of the Soorgim take a very dim view of those units who descend into such states and will seek to exterminate these rogue elements with extreme prejudice, even going so far as to hire non-Soorgim mercenaries to hunt them down and extirpate each and every last one of the transgressors. The Egg-ristocracy will abide no other female Soorgim and they are quite ruthless and vindictive, and effective. Unlike most of the units they sell-off to the other species...