Koylith

Koylith

The Koylith, also known as “Dusty Death,” are a haunting and peculiar type of undead, unique to the darker corners of the multiverse where necromancy and elemental forces intertwine. These beings are born from the remnants of creatures that have met their end through the Tendrils of Dust spell, a potent and chilling form of magic that leeches life away, leaving nothing but dust in its wake.

In appearance, Koylith retain the visage they had in life, only dessicated and dried with skin stretched over bone. To the casual observer, they might seem just a step away from the living, but for the constant, swirling aura of dust and smoke that clings to them like a shroud. This dusty haze is a telltale sign of their unnatural existence, a visual echo of the spell that gave them their macabre rebirth.

But make no mistake, cutter, Koylith are far from living. They are mindless, devoid of the thoughts, feelings, and memories that once defined them. They exist solely as instruments of their creator’s will, bound to serve until they are released from this twisted semblance of life.

The true horror of the Koylith, however, lies in their fate should their creator perish. Without the sustaining will of their master, the Koylith’s existence is abruptly severed. They collapse, their forms disintegrating into nothing more than piles of dust. In this, they mirror the spell that birthed them, becoming in death as they were in creation: just dust on the wind.

COMBAT: The koylith attack by creating a small could of dust around the target causing it 1-10 points of damage. They can also burrow the ground and spring from it, but it can be done only in soft ground, such as mud or sand. They suffer half damage from all piercing and slashing weapons, as they are quite elastic.

They have a unique ability to assume a form of swirling dust, attacking their opponents by enveloping them. In this form they can fly at the same speed as they walk.

In addition to the normal undead immunities they are immune to spells of dust and earth, except the Dusting spell, and they become slowed if attacked with water or ice spells. Dust spells that would otherwise cause damage will instead heal them by the same amount.

When destroyed they turn into a small heap of dust.

HABITAT/SOCIETY: These unnatural creatures have no society. Ruled by their creators will they have no will of their own.

ECOLOGY: They have no part in the ecology, like all undead. It was noted by one mage that using the dust left when they die in the casting of dust-based spells inflicts a -1 to saves or increases duration by one round if no save is allowed. The Dust Seller usually has some of this noxious stuff available for purchase.

Source: Itzhak Even