Eyes of Rho and Kal

“It's a distressingly common assumption that the creatures outside of our own reality are hostile and malicious, bent on our destruction or subjugation. This xenophobic line of thought neglects to think that among the infinite variety such beings must possess, they also surely possess an infinite variety of attitudes towards other life.”

            Erdew Wochen, monster researcher

Stories abound of unknowable eldritch entities and the unstoppable, existential threat they pose to mankind. Surely, though, there must be other such entities of less malevolent dispositions. Beings that are benevolent, indifferent, or merely curious. The latter describes the entities known as Rho Xie and Kal Dii. There relation, if any, is unknown, but they interact with the physical world in a similar way: Creating “eggs” of sorts of their own flesh, they project these eggs into the physical world where they “hatch” into simulacrums of this world's life-forms, though they are often rather imprecise in their mimicry, hinting at their lack of understanding. Still psychically tethered to their progenitors, these “eyes” are driven to live, discover, and explore this world so that their creator may experience it through them, though they still possess their own independent minds. The biggest difference between these two lies in how they go about gathering data on the world's inhabitants so as to best imitate them. Eyes behave similarly to the creatures they imitate, but tend to be more curious and inquisitive. Eyes of Kal in particular tend to be rather reckless as well. They are also typically unaware of their true nature, genuinely believing themselves to be members of the species they imitate.

Eggs and Eyes of Rho: Eggs of Rho typically enter this dimension in the vastness of space, before descending upon a planet, halting their descent with some manner of telekinetic force. Roughly five feet in diameter and rubbery in consistency, they typically are guided towards landing in places of intense mental activity; academies, laboratories, and the like. After landing, the egg begins to radiate a telepathic compulsion to those near it, inspiring them to watch over it, and above all else, not damage it. From there, they incubate, psionically scanning the life-forms surrounding them, gauging their physiology and psychology. This incubation period typically lasts about six months, shorter in areas dense in mental activity and longer in areas sparse in it. Afterwards, most of the egg dissolves into inert goo, leaving behind a young adult specimen of what the egg determined to be the most prominent species in the area. This creature is referred to as an Eye of Rho. Their mind and body are designed to best imitate what the egg judged to be the average of said species, though it is prone to error (see below,) and the Eye is typically born knowing all “common knowledge” of those around it. 

 Eggs and Eyes of Kal: Eggs of Kal, on the other hand, typically enter the world already on the ground, seeking moderately occupied areas. Similar in size to an Egg of Rho, the Eggs of Kal have a more gelatinous consistency. They also emit a telepathic “pacification field,” like Rho's, but with a difference. They also telepathically draw creatures to touch it, at which point they are absorbed and digested by the egg. They will search out creatures that have a “dominant” role in the region, and attempt to psychically enthrall them as a “keeper” of itself. These keepers are driven to protect the egg from those it cannot control, as well as luring in more “prey.” While Eggs of Rho gather data through psionic area scans, Eggs of Kal can only gather this data through consumption. When it is ready to hatch, the Egg absorbs its keeper. The keeper's mind is used as a base in for the newborn Eye of Kal, and while it lacks the keeper's memories, it tends to keep its base nature, and possibly its very soul. Like an Eye of Rho, an Eye of Kal attempts to mimic the dominant species in the area based on the data they've acquired.

Errors: The Eggs are far from perfect in their ability to analyze life-forms of this world, and the Eyes birthed by them typically possess errors, marking them as something unnatural, or at least abnormal. These abnormalities are typically present at birth, but roughly one in five Eyes will instead develop them later in life. Almost all Eyes possess some form of psychic power. Consult the tables below to see how a given Eye deviates from the average specimen of their mimicked species:

Physical Abnormalities 

01-35 No abnormality 

36-90 The Eye possesses 1d6 physical traits not normal for the mimicked species, taken from other species the Egg analyzed or from their progenitor themselves (see below) 

91-95 The Egg splits, creating two Eyes. There is a 50% chance that both Eyes are identical upon birth 96-100 The Eye is a perfect physical clone of a specific analyzed individual

Mental Abnormalities 

01-75 No abnormality 

76-90 The Eye possesses the vivid memories of many different analyzed creatures, and struggles to differentiate them from its own 

91-95 The Eye possesses 1d3+1 different personalities, each with their own identity. They are likely aware of each other, but not necessarily 

96-100 The Eye is a perfect mental copy of a specific analyzed individual, and believes itself to be said individual 

 Abnormal traits of Rho Xie

Black, bald, rubbery skin

Skin covered in fleshy “scales”

Tentacles grow from head and/or back

Extra eyes that can be anywhere on the body

Beaked face

The Eye's “true self” is a levitating, one-eyed, tentacled creature dwelling in its skull in place of a brain. Should the body die, they may break free of the skull and live on in this form.

Abnormal traits of Kal Dii 

Purple, bald, rubbery skin

Patches of skin are replaced by geometric structures of unknown black metal 

Some joints are missing, replaced by empty space, with limbs/digits/etc floating near where they should be attached

Missing sensory organs, though senses still function normally

Golden metallic bands around parts of the body, either floating or attached to the skin

Extra arms or legs

Amulet of Shapechanging

Amulet of Shapechanging

“During my travels, I've often found magic items discounted at stores. Typically, this is innocent as any other sale or bargain, but when magic is involved, damaged, dubious, or poorly-made goods can go from merely useless to outright dangerous. One should always be skeptical of bargain bin magic.”

-Elric Hartson, monster researcher

Created by a renowned wizard specialized in the alteration of living creatures, the plainly named Amulet of Shapechanging is seen as a modern standard of transformative wear by adventurers. It earned this reputation through a balance of utility, power, and affordability. When invoked by the wearer, the amulet transforms them into any natural animal smaller than a large horse, chosen by the wearer. They gain all non-magical abilities of the animal, but cannot do anything the animal could not physically do. The amulet melds with the wearer's body while in use. This transformation lasts one hour, but can be ended early at the wearer's will. It can store up to three charges, with each transformation using a charge, and it recharges fully at dawn.

While the amulet is normally fairly safe and reliable, there are many flawed copies in circulation. Some believe these are inferior replicas, while others say they merely damaged or poorly made originals. In any case, these all share a few curious quirks. The most noticeable problem is that every morning, upon recharging, the amulet forcibly activates, transforming the wearer into a random animal native to the area they're in. This transformation cannot be ended by the wearer until it naturally expires. In addition, it's difficult to remove safely, delivering a powerful electrical shock to the wearer and anyone touching them if they try to remove it. Curse-removing magic can reliably but temporarily prevent the shock, allowing for safe and easy removal.

Pilferer's Paws

Pilferer's Paws

“Upon a cursory analysis, the gloves seemed quite useful, and while they would make much of my work easier, I simply couldn't bring myself to wear such comical gear. Upon getting them formally appraised, I realized this decision saved me much more dignity than I first thought.”

-Elric Hartson, monster researcher

These gloves, resembling plush, oversized tawny paws, were both created and designed by the eccentric gang of thieves known as the Gold Cats. Several sets were created, and much like the Gold Cats themselves, most are unaccounted for.

The paws are designed as a multi-tool for thieves. The retractable claws are enchanted to slice through glass and leather with ease, and while they lack conventional dexterity, the paw pads can magically adhere and detach to nearly anything, allowing the wearer to pick up objects, and climb almost any surface. Finally, the paws contain a hidden dimensional pocket, and any hand-held object can be teleported from the pads to this pocket, and vice-versa. The gloves have no power unless worn as a pair.

Not wanting their signature tools being used by just anybody, their eccentric leader had each set of gloves trapped with a peculiar curse. To disable the curse, the wearer must utter the password “mew” (“meow” seems to work as well) within three seconds of donning each individual glove. If this is not done, the curse will trigger if the gloves are worn for five minutes. The gloves will teleport out of the wearer's possession, returning to one of the attics or warehouses used as Gold Cat hideouts. At the same time, the former wearer will find that their hands themselves have become oversized paws, with an 80% chance of the paws being covered in fur. These paws only possess proper claws if the wearer did before, otherwise the claws are fairly dull. These paws possess no magical power, and almost no dexterity, though they are very soft and sensitive. The paws can be returned to hands via mid-power curse removal methods, but otherwise this effect is permanent.

The Cats use other pieces of iconic equipment, such as paw boots to improve stealth and cat-ear headbands that improve hearing, but only the gloves seem to bear an actual curse.

Pegetto's Marionette

Pegetto's Marionette

...A once beloved master puppeteer gave his final performance when he attempted to animate his creation with the blood of the living...Tearing free of it's marionette, it turned it's own strings on it's former master, leaving behind only this cursed whip...

A sinister looking crossing of sticks and a single stern, wooden rod, it strongly resembles a tool used by puppeteers, but with arcane, red symbols carved into it's central rod.. Only the wielder can see that it is an unearthly whip, with hair-thin silver strings that seem to defy gravity, curling up and unfurling at the behest of the wielder, each one too fine to behold by naked eye, outside of direct moonlight. It's handle is a tougher wood that is unknown to most craftsmen, and is speckled with dark red and burn marks. It is such an unusual weapon that it is difficult to wield, even those skilled in the use of whips find it unruly.

Pegetto's Whip is a unique weapon. Each time the whip strikes a living target successfully, one of it's strings grips a limb, seizing control of it and weakening the victims strength and mentality, sprouting a new string for each limb the victim has . Each time the victim attempts to use bound limbs, their actions may be turned against them, allowing the whip wielder to corrupt that action in their favor. If all limbs on a target become bound; including it's head, the victim is transformed into a wooden puppet version of themselves, completely under the control of the wielder of the marionette, and taking every action to preserve the secret against their will, acting a pale facsimile of their normal self. They can be controlled from up to 50 yards away, even through multiple solid walls and floors, the strings tangible and visible only to the wielder and victim while this is in effect, the strings only becoming visible when to those who can see magic.

The victim appears as they normally would, unfettered, but the controller can manipulate them, speak through, and use them to fight, the victim painfully aware of their predicament, but unable to break their calm facade or tell anyone. While turned into a puppet, the magic of the whip makes them look normal, however their body takes on a puppets qualities, becoming hyper vulnerable to fire, & gaining an instinctive fear of open flame, insects and water. They cannot sweat or produce bodily fluids in puppet form, but appear to breathe normally. The puppet will also avoid the touch of others, as it's illusion cannot hide the texture of it's wooden body.

The control is only broken when the range between puppet and controller exceeds 55 yards , at the wielders will, or if the victim is submerged in water. Breaking the control in any manner leaves the 'puppet in a catatonic state for a half hour, unable to speak and wandering aimlessly as they regain control of themselves, however they will not be able to speak of their ordeal until the effects fully wear off. While a puppet, the victim does not need to eat, sleep or breathe, however they will act normally in order to preserve the wielder, who may force them to sleep at anytime, by simply closing their eyes, or forcing them to return to them. The whip's power is not without repercussion, as continued use drains the users life force until eventually nothing remains, but stronger users may use it from even further away with less harmful effects.

By Tavaer

Bleak Phoenix

Bleak Phoenix

Appearance: 
The bleak phoenix is quite large for a non-flightless bird, measuring an average of four feet long from beak to the base of their tail, with a proportionately impressive wingspan. They possess a raptoral appearance, with forward-facing eyes, sharp hooked beak, and even sharper talons. Lending to their name, their plumage is almost completely colorless, typically being stark white, though various shades of grey have been seen, and black birds have been reported. Their eyes are typically a pastel shade of yellow.


Abilities: 
The bleak phoenix is capable of generating a magical black fire, either shrouding themselves in it, or breathing a gout of it. This fire causes no burns, but drains the very life energy from those it touches, sustaining the phoenix. In addition, those who die in the presence of a bleak phoenix find that rather than moving on to the next life, their soul is actually transferred into a new body, the young of a species appropriate to the environment. This process is poorly-understood, but it is believed that this forced reincarnation also somehow sustains the creature. Those reincarnated in this process lose most of their memories, but retain a few hazy fragments, along with much of their prior personality.

Finally, as with most phoenixes, the bleak phoenix is notoriously difficult to truly kill. If its body is killed, it erupts in a dangerous conflagration of black fire. Within a day, the phoenix returns in an immaterial, spectral form, sooner if its death throes managed to drain life from others. In this spectral form, it is impervious to nonmagical harm, and even if killed again, will return again within a day. If it can gather the life energy equivalent to three adult humans, it returns to its physical form. While this spectral form is technically more powerful, it seems to bring the phoenix discomfort, so they rarely linger in it longer than necessary.

Behavior: 
The bleak phoenix is a rare but hardy creature, and can be found in nearly any non-enclosed environment. They live solitary lives, and while intelligent and capable of speech, they rarely interact with others save to feed off of their life energy.

Surprisingly, the bleak phoenix is not truly immortal. While their lifespan extends over five centuries, they eventually face final death. All bleak phoenixes reproduce asexually, laying a small clutch of one to three eggs when the end of their lives nears.They then seek out an equal number of individuals whose souls they deem exceptional, with the goal of reincarnating them as their own young.

Other: 
The origins of the bleak phoenix are still not perfectly understood, but their first recorded appearance occurred shortly after an incident in which much of a town was destroyed in a failed necromantic experiment.

Kushtaka

Kushtaka

Size: 4-6 ft tall
Weight: 170-250 lbs

Strength: Above Average
Agility: Very Good (In Water) Low (on land)
Health: Good
Intelligence: Above Average
Willpower: Very Good

Skills: Superior Language Acquisition

"...We were anchored far north of the trading port, the waters colder than the grave. After
dark, we kept hearing the sound of scratching along the hull of the ship, paired with odd
chattering, the noise warped through the wood, but almost sounding like children's laughter.
Strange fish, it had to be... just like captain said."

"For one week, Torrence was responsible for night watch, walking the decks looking
for icebergs and passing whales. Someone said they heard him talking to someone and
laughing, and found a few empty bottles of spirits lying about the next morning. The next
evening he was gone, clothes left behind... nothing but the frozen deep all around for miles. I
saw them in the waters when we reversed course, glassy-eyed cats in the black and blue,
watching us ...and giggling too."

Kushtaka loosely resemble large Anthropomorphic Lutrine animal, near the size of an adult
human, They are covered in a coat of waterproof brown fur of prized rarity. They have glowing
sickly-green eyes, and similarly colored spines growing from the sides of their skulls and ridges of
luminescent, spiny fins down their backs and arms. Similar fins spring out from both sides of their
large rudder-like tail capable of bashing of stabbing like a dexterous pole-arm. These features allow
them to move with unparalleled humanoid grace under the water, tucking in both arms and
swimming in an intricate dance, their fins opening to make them resemble large glowing predator of
the water and ward off larger creatures. Vibration sensitive whiskers grow form their snouts, which
are filled with razor sharp fangs.

Kushataka use their aquatic prowess to hunt fish and dolphins, and even sharks, but solely
for fun, using their massive fangs to drink the blood from these creatures in groups. During sunlight
hours, they lie in stasis, wrapping themselves among the sea weed trailing up from below. They
adorn themselves with treasure from the sunken deep, both for fashion and to lure unwary travelers
to their doom. They are not above hunting humans for sport; but they may simply help or hinder
those they come across, tormenting stranded seafarers or even taking them back to land without
harm. Why is not known. These are deceptively playful creatures; their behavior a far cry from
other kinds of undead, saving a lost sailor one day, feeding upon them the next, or even
transforming them into more Kushtaka like themselves with a draining bite beneath the waves.
They are capable of regenerating any injury or wound when out of sunlight much like a typical
vampire, so long as they have fed recently and are submerged in moving water. Dirty, still water
stymies their healing factor, while being away from the water too long will severely weaken them.
Blessed Water has no visible effect upon these creatures. Cold temperatures do nothing to them at
all, but not because of their fur, which when skinned offers no warmth or insulation, chilling it's
wearer to death.

They are capable of speaking any language known by a sentient they have tasted the bodily 
fluids of, using this and their illusory magic to fool victims into believing they themselves are a
playful, hapless otter, inviting them to join them beneath the waves, before they transform them into
another Kushtaka. Avoid staring into their eyes as they can enthrall the unsuspecting, much like
vampires. It is said they look favorably upon those who offer them gold or trinkets in exchange for
safe passage, honoring these deals for life, if not a means to gain the trust of nearby victims by
donning a human form, and wearing their baubles.

By Tavaer

Mercurial Lion

Mercurial Lion
By Tavaer

Size: 4-5 feet long
Weight: 150-200 lbs

Strength: Above Average
Agility: Average
Health: Poor
Intelligence: Very Poor
Willpower: Poor

Skills: Assorted Projectile Fire Magic, Exceptional Balance, Perfect Memory.

“...The night of the raid, Liev went ahead of us, wanted the gold for himself! I got there only to meet those two leery carved lion statues from before sitting outside the temple; too heavy to steal of course... and in the central room there was another lion statue, one that wasn't there when we scouted the ruins...and in it's jaws were Liev's tools!” 

Mercurial lions are magical sentries of stone created by the ancient royal wizards of a long forgotten imperial court in a land lost to demons. While they always watch over revered temples sites & hallowed temples, they are not to be confused for the similar celestial creature. While resembling large cats, they have cracked stone skin, fiery eyes and regal manes of jade and similar decorative materials, with veins of mercury throughout. They are always made and sold in pairs. In order to preserve the alchemy that animates them, each lion actively avoids falling into bodies of water or lava.

While on guard, they do not patrol, but instead rest like grounded gargoyles, typically near the entrance, often giving some sort of visual clue about whether or not the structure is open to the public, such as bared fangs or closed eyes. They are much slower than real lions but just as agile, building into a devastating charge capable of shattering stone, although they will not risk harm to the structures they guard, returning stolen relics when found. Mercurial Lions move noticeably slower over icy and wet terrains, and will avoid mud altogether. They will avoid being submerged in water at all costs.

They cannot repair themselves, however they can create new guardians by turning the flesh of enemies to stone with a petrifying breath at close range, and reshaping solid victims into new lions of stone, animating them and other stone creatures with spray of soot and mercury from within. Lions created through these means have no manes or other ornamentation.

In combat, their range is not to be underestimated, employing multiple types of fire against enemies: A basic fireball that will explode on contact with enemies and burn at the flesh, a blue fireball which burns at the magical energies of it's target and saps the ability to focus, and a black fireball that destroys healing ability with temporary necrosis. At close range they may just breath a gout of fire or a blinding billow of ash and soot.

They have a strong resistance to magic, but can be crushed by appropriate force, and a skilled warrior user may be able to turn their fireballs against them.

Oddly enough they are startled by loud noise and bright lights when outside of the places they secure. It is possible for a thief to deter them temporarily with fireworks or flashing lights temporarily, however they will renew the chase until destroyed.