Thursday, August 23, 2018

Classifying Monvesian Creatures: Anachronisms, Doubles, Thoughtforms

Three new creature types were created for Monvesia in order to associate one creature type with each transitive plane as its daemon.  While several creatures were reclassified into these types, several more still need to be created.  In this post I will review the various creatures that can and will fill the ranks of these types.

Image result for modron march
NOTE:  Three races from the Eberron campaign setting could find their way into Monvesia through these creature types:  Warforged as mortal modrons or inevitables; changeings as doppleganger descendants; or even kalishtar as embodied thoughtforms.

  Anachronisms

The list below includes creatures from throughout the history of the game--not just those presented for 5th Edition.
  • Clockworks
    • * Anhydrut [anachronism] {construct (inevitable)}
    • * Kolyarut [anachronism] {construct (inevitable)}
    • The Lord of Blades [anachronism (warforged)] (?) EBB
    • Marut [anachronism]
    • Modron, Duodrone [anachronism]
    • Modron, Monodrone [anachronism]
    • Modron, Pentadrone [anachronism]
    • Modron, Quadrone [anachronism]
    • Modron, Tridrone [anachronsism]
    • * Modron Hierarch, Decaton [anachronism] {construct} (100)
    • * Modron Hierarch, Nonaton [anachronism] {construct} (81)
    • * Modron Hierarch, Octon [anachronism] {construct} (64)
    • * Modron Hierarch, Septon [anachronism] {construct} (49)
    • * Modron Hierarch, Hexton [anachronism] {construct} (36)
    • * Modron Hierarch, Quinton [anachronism] {construct} (25)
    • * Modron Hierarch, Quarton [anachronism] {construct} (16)
    • * Modron Hierarch, Tertian [anachronism] {construct} (9)
    • * Modron Hierarch, Secundus [anachronism] {construct} (4)
    • * Modron Hierarch, Primus [anachronism] {construct} (1)
    • * Quarut [anachronism] {construct (inevitable)}
    • * Varakhut [anachronism] {construct (inevitable)}
    • Warforged [anachronism (warforged)] (?) EBB
    • Warforged Collosus [anachronism (warforged)](?) EBB
    • Warforged Titan [anachronism (warforged)] (?) EBB
      • Warforged could be a hybrid of modron tehnology and materials freely available in Monvesia--binding them to the Mortal Plane.  But why would they have been created?
    • * Zelekhut [anachronism] {construct (inevitable)}
  • Others
    • Slaadi (?)
      • I could find a place for the slaadi as another group of anachronisms--nightmares from an alternate past or unrealized future.  Until I find a motivation or use for the species, however, I will not definitively tie them to Eternity.

In mimicry of the chicken-egg egg quandry is the modron-inevitable quandry:  which one came first?  Some say it was the inevitables who were separated from their home and created the modrons to serve them; others say it was the modrons who created the inevitables.  Two two mechanoid races exist in a rigid, hierarchical structure that recognizes the Primus as its head.  In this hierarchy, the inevitables appear to serve an intermediate role between the modron hierarchs and the base modrons.

These clockwork beings are not the only inhabitants of Eternity--for every race and creature that could have existed does exist somewhere among the crossing streams of time.  Others must have become trapped in Eernity.  As the nature of the Legacies, archdaemons of the plane, is explored in more detail the other creatures may become apparent.  While the modron Primus is the most powerful of its kind, it is still not counted among the archdaemons.

Doubles

  • Bodak [double (grotesque)]
  • Changeling [double (reflected)] EBB
  • Doppelganger [double (shapechanger)]
  • Luecrotta [double (grotesque)]
  • Mimic [double (shapechanger)]
  • Nilbog [double (reflected)]

The near region of Infinity, commonly called Per Speculum, is teeming with non-specific life, waiting to change its form to resemble who- or whatever may peer into a reflective surface.  This is, in part, a defense mechanism--no one can attack or enslave them if there is no proof that they exist.  Mimics act in opposition to this "rule," however: for they can be noticed whenever an extra item appears in a reflection.

Grotesques are doubles that have been transformed in an attempt to mimic a distorted reflection--the bodak a grotesque humanois and the luecrotta a grotesque quadruped.

Reflecteds are mortals (native inhabitants of the Mortal Realm) who have been altered by a connection with Per Speculum.  The most common of these is the otherworldly human changeling.  Goblins have also been affected by Per Speculum, but not as drastically (or cinematically) as humans; goblins warped by this plane become nilbogs.  In a way, reflected are the opposite of grotesques.

The most powerful doubles are the Deep Reflexions, and they have become the archdaemons of Infinity.

Thoughtforms

  • True Thoughtforms
    • * Egregore [thoughtform] {celestial or aberration}
    • Inspired [humanoid (human) (otherworldly)] EBB
    • Kalashtar [humanoid (human) (otherworldly)] EBB
    • * Servitor [thoughtform] {construct} "Astral Construct"
    • * Tulpa [thoughtform] {celestial or aberration}
  • Thoughtform-Kin
    • Allip [thoughtform]
    • Astral Dreadnought [thoughtform (titan)]
    • Berbalang [thoughtform]
    • Eidolon [thoughtform]
    • Quori, Hashalaq [thoughtform] EBB
    • Quori, Kalaraq [thoughtform] EBB
    • Quori, Tsucora [thoughtform] EBB
  • Taintspawn
    • Dolgaunt [thoughtform (taintspawn)] EBB
    • Dolgrim [thoughtform (taintspawn)] EBB
    • Grey Render [thoughtform (taintspawn)]
    • Oblex Spawn [thoughtform (taintspawn)]
    • Oblex, Adult [thoughtform (taintspawn)]
    • Oblex, Elder [thoughtform (taintspawn)]
    • Sorrowsworn, The Angry [thoughtform (taintspawn)]
    • Sorrowsworn, The Hungry [thoughtform (taintspawn)]
    • Sorrowsworn, The Lonely [thoughtform (taintspawn)]
    • Sorrowsworn, The Lost [thoughtform (taintspawn)]
    • Sorrowsworn, The Wretched [thoughtform (taintspawn)]
The taintspawn are a subset of thoughtform that are not native to the Dreaming. They have been detailed in another post.
As with dragons, a distinction has been drawn between true thoughtforms and thoughtform-kin.  True thoughtforms are conscious manifestations of a mortal's (or group of mortals') will or sense of self.  They are created by the living.  Thought-kin result from the actions and thoughts of the living.  Taintspawn are a class of thoughtform-kin that have arisen from the Taint.

A class of unique and powerful egregores called Muses are the archdaemons of their kind.

Edited Nov 13/14, 2019; Nov 21/22, 2019; Nov 29, 2019.

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