L’zoir

L’zoir, or “ash wings”, are small insects native to the plane of Ash. They resemble large gray or red butterflys with twin stingers. They have a limited intelligence, and communicate by pheromone scent to each other.

COMBAT: They attack heat sources, and absorb nutritious heat through their stingers. They can sense heat up to 200 feet away, so under normal circumstances, they are never surprised. They absorb heat energy if both stingers hit, causing 1d6 hp loss, and the temporary loss of 1-3 points of Strength. Creatures that lose strength may recover this strength with a cure light wounds or resting one hour per point lost. Creatures reduced to Str 0 collapses unconscious.

Mortals have found that merely being in the immediate vicinity of the l’zoir causes damage from their constant drawing of heat energy. This causes 1 hp loss per ashwing within 5 feet, per round. They favour swarm tactics, and attacking their strongest foes first. Ashwings are extremely deadly if confronted in their hive, where they fight to the death. Cold sources deal +1 damage on each die to ashwings. If confronted with cold, ashwings must make a morale check.

HABITAT/SOCIETY: Ashwings have a low-level psionic connection between themselves. They have no concept of self, and willingly sacrifice themselves for the good of the greater hive. The communal strength of the connection provides MAC -2. If an l’zoir is affected by any telepathic power, the psionic connection between it and the others is severed, and the ashwing is truly alone for the first time. Reactions to such a thing are extremely unpredictable. Ashwing like shiny or hot objects, and most treasure should be such objects, such as flametongue weapons, for example.

ECOLOGY: Ashwing exist only to serve their hive, and the hive exists only to expand. L’zoir hives are great glowing embers riddled with small tunnels and air pockets. Such hives may (10% chance), hold mindless undead, which harmoniously coexist with the ashwing.

Also called glowbugs, l’zoir steal the heat from anything they can, and spend the energy creating the legendary glowstones. It is not known why. Various fiends and efreeti may think ashwing a culinary delight, but they would have second thoughts about attacking the hives. In order to power the hives, glowbugs store heat internally, and emit it into the glowstones.

VARIANTS: Warrior l’zoir defend each hive against attackers. They also direct worker ashwing in battle and other enterprises. Warrior ashwing can use tactics in combat and analyse the combat situation for the most favourable action. In the hive, warrior l’zoir never retreat, unless it is logically best for the hive.

CURRENT CHANT: L’zoir hives are notoriously dangerous, but one bubber by name of Antonius the Cunning claims to have lifted a glowstone from a hive’s centre, and all the ashwing died, instantly. He (of course) was the only survivor, but reliable witnesses claimed that he did have an enormous clear gemstone, emanating various coloured lights. Antonius hasn’t been seen in a few months, so it’s as likely he’s lost. Glowstones surely have intrinsic magical value to the Hive, and never has a Hive not had a glowstone.

Source: Lucas Berghaus