...The Ancient Witch Queens of Amatradigor took their elite palace-guard from the ranks of the Kthoim. Of course, they also knew the secrets of the Mauve Trapezoid and how to bind these entities to their service with various runes and unsavory pacts. Such knowledge has since been long lost or forgotten, but occasionally there are unsubstantiated reports of spell-bound Kthoim standing guard over strange tombs or certain unhallowed palaces within long-dead cities, but so far nothing has come of any such traveler's tales. So far...
From The Third Azure Scroll of Parlavak
Kthoim
Keepers of the Wyrd
Minor Servitor Species Devoted to Various Unnameable Powers Probably Best Left Unnamed
No. Enc.: 1 (1d4)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Movement: 90' (30')
Armor Class: -2
Hit Dice: 10
Attacks: 2 (weapon/special)
Damage: 3d6/special
Save: F10
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: IV,VI...
XP: 120
The Kthoim are void-warped humanoid molluscs who serve a host of ruthless alien masters with unpronounceable names. They wait deep within the interstitial voids between the Known Planes for the Call of those who would open the way for them.
In combat a Kthoim wields a terrible +2 bastard sword that inflicts 3d6 damage and on any modified attack roll of 20 the target must Save or have one random limb severed (can include the head).
A Kthoim will sometimes forgo an attack with their dread sword in order to spew a viscous green phlegm upon any severed limbs within 15' of them. After 1d4 turns, Kthoim-phlegm will have reduced the severed limb so treated into a shapeless protoplasmic mass that takes on a life of its own as a 1HD Blobling (Al CE, Move 30' (10'), AC 8, HD 1, ATK 1, DMG 1d4, SV F1, MRLE 5, Hoard Class: nil, XP 6). This amorphous mass is mindless, ravenous and autonomous, and the limb so lost is non-recoverable, though it could possibly be replaced. Bloblings created in this manner are under the mental control of their Kthoim masters, but they are only capable of obeying very simple commands.
A Kthoim will sometimes forgo an attack with their dread sword in order to spew a viscous green phlegm upon any severed limbs within 15' of them. After 1d4 turns, Kthoim-phlegm will have reduced the severed limb so treated into a shapeless protoplasmic mass that takes on a life of its own as a 1HD Blobling (Al CE, Move 30' (10'), AC 8, HD 1, ATK 1, DMG 1d4, SV F1, MRLE 5, Hoard Class: nil, XP 6). This amorphous mass is mindless, ravenous and autonomous, and the limb so lost is non-recoverable, though it could possibly be replaced. Bloblings created in this manner are under the mental control of their Kthoim masters, but they are only capable of obeying very simple commands.
Unlike many otherplanar beings, Holy/Unholy Word does not send them back to their unnamed realm in-between the planes. Instead these types of spells inflict damage upon the Kthoim at a rate of 1 point of damage per level of the caster.
Summon Brethren: All Kthoim possess the ability to Summon one additional Kthoim after successfully inflicting 60 hit points of damage in battle. The Kthoim's attempt to summon reinforcement is automatically disrupted if they take damage before they can complete the elaborate summoning process (2d4 turns). They reduce that time by 1 turn for every Kthoim already successfully summoned...so things can get out of hand quickly if they are not stopped soon enough.
The Eighth Contingent
Certain ancient scrolls warn that every eighth Kthoim summoned forth is a Fighter/Magic-User wielding both a sword and a staff that blasts minds or withers flesh. [Stats as above, except 12 HD (Fighter 6th/Magic User 6th), Save as 12 HD Cleric, Morale 11, and spell-casting capabilities as 6th level magic user with 18 INT, XP 1200. The Kthoim-Staff is a Chaotically-aligned +2 weapon, has 3d6 charges, and functions either as a Staff of Striking or a Staff of Withering, depending on the whims of the Kthoim wielding it. These staves are often very intelligent and will always attack any non-Kthoim that tries to wield them without first ascertaining the stave's name, usually through some form of divination or identification spell.]
They Make Wastelands of Worlds...
On those worlds where the Kthoim have successfully conquered large domains, as soon as the Kthoim consolidate their hold over their new territories, they enslave any survivors and set them to work erecting a suitably huge and powerfully fortified tomb-redoubt for the Lich-Lord whom their Unnameable Masters have selected to oversee these blasted and ruined places. Each Lich-Lord is progressively more insane than the others, but few non-Kthoim could ever hope to tell the difference.
To Call Forth These Beings...
The Eighth Contingent
Certain ancient scrolls warn that every eighth Kthoim summoned forth is a Fighter/Magic-User wielding both a sword and a staff that blasts minds or withers flesh. [Stats as above, except 12 HD (Fighter 6th/Magic User 6th), Save as 12 HD Cleric, Morale 11, and spell-casting capabilities as 6th level magic user with 18 INT, XP 1200. The Kthoim-Staff is a Chaotically-aligned +2 weapon, has 3d6 charges, and functions either as a Staff of Striking or a Staff of Withering, depending on the whims of the Kthoim wielding it. These staves are often very intelligent and will always attack any non-Kthoim that tries to wield them without first ascertaining the stave's name, usually through some form of divination or identification spell.]
They Make Wastelands of Worlds...
On those worlds where the Kthoim have successfully conquered large domains, as soon as the Kthoim consolidate their hold over their new territories, they enslave any survivors and set them to work erecting a suitably huge and powerfully fortified tomb-redoubt for the Lich-Lord whom their Unnameable Masters have selected to oversee these blasted and ruined places. Each Lich-Lord is progressively more insane than the others, but few non-Kthoim could ever hope to tell the difference.
To Call Forth These Beings...
The Kthoim are summoned by way of the Mauve Trapezoid or by use of the spell 'Calling Forth the Kthoim' (an uncommon variant of a VIth level Summoning Monsters spell that opens the way for only one of these creatures...which is often more than enough). This spell has been banned and stricken from most reputable spell-books, but every now and then an archaic copy of it surfaces on some tattered old scroll some adventurer recovered from a dismal delve.
Mauve Trapezoid
Cold, oily mauve stone faceted into an irregular trapezoid and set to levitate above an ornate bronze bowl cast or carved with a spiraling pattern of overlapping waves or ridges that seem to move slowly of their own accord. The Mauve Trapezoid radiates Fear in a 30' radius and has an INT, Willpower, Ego equivalent to a +2 magic sword. It has 2d4 random magical powers in addition to its primary power which is to serve as the focus for opening a Gate into the Interstitial Void between universes. This gate function can be operated by anyone willing to sacrifice 3d6 hit points to the eldritch mechanisms within the bowl. Such a Gate will only remain open for 1d4 turns, after which there is a 30% chance of the item teleporting away. The ancient words of power for commanding and controlling this item have been lost, but if it is true that the Tombs of the Witch Queens have been found, then it may be possible to barter with one of the mummified rulers of ancient Amatradigor for the secret knowledge necessary to operate the Mauve Trapezoid...if one were foolish enough to trust such a being in the first place.
I have to say, a lot of your posts like this are a bit too weird for me, well beyond the reading interest. But this one has a lot of very cool stuff in it, including the artwork. The Mauve Trapezoid is very creepy-cool.
ReplyDeleteThese look like pretty tough customers. The art is great. Love those frilly weapons and armor. I think my eye is starting to get trained to this style too. That mollusk has cloven hooves, doesn't it?
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