Cuprilach Rilmani
Philosophy: Correct the Balance by infiltration and assassination
Caste: Investigator-Assassin
Alchemical Metal: Copper
Cuprilachs are the shadowy whispers in the night, the unseen hands that flit through the dark corners of the planes. These coppery skinned, lithe beings are the rilmani’s answer to the subtle knife, the silent arrow that seeks the heart of imbalance with a deadly precision.
Imagine a creature so adept at disguise, they could be standing right next to you, wearing the shape of your closest chum, and you’d be none the wiser. They’re the unseen agents, the masters of subterfuge, and they move through the multiverse with a grace that belies their deadly purpose. A cuprilach could be anyone—the barkeep who pours your ale, the scholar who shares your thirst for forbidden lore, even the lover who shares your bed. Their true form, a sight rarely beheld, is a testament to their nature: gaunt, copper-skinned, and altogether alien.
Their mission? To correct imbalance with a whisper, a nudge, or, when necessary, a blade. When the scales of neutrality tip too far in one direction, and a single soul or cabal stands as the fulcrum, the cuprilachs are dispatched. They weave through the fabric of societies, unseen and unheard, until they’re ready to strike. And strike they do, with a precision that leaves no ripple in the pond, no trace of their passing, save for the sudden vacancy they leave in their wake.
But don’t mistake them for mere brutes in the shadows. Oh no, these beings are artists of deception, virtuosos of performance. They spin lies and fabricate identities with the ease of a bard spinning tales, each one calculated to bring them closer to their quarry. And when the moment comes, when the imbalance is poised to be corrected with a single, swift stroke, the cuprilach emerges from the shadows, a harbinger of retribution in the name of Balance.
To think of them as mere assassins is to underestimate the depth of their commitment and the breadth of their skills. Think of them instead as the unseen guardians of the equilibrium, willing to plunge into the depths of darkness so that the multiverse may rest easy in the subtle light of neutrality. Under the direction of the aurumachs, they act without hesitation, without remorse, for they are the embodiment of the rilmani’s cold, unyielding dedication to the middle path.
- Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix II [2e] p89 here
- Fiend Folio [3e] p142
- Morte’s Planar Parade [5e]
Source: Jon Winter-Holt. Canonwatch: The rilmani have changed a lot between 2e and 5e D&D, not least in terms of their appearance. I must confess I don’t like the futuristic robo-android-look of rilmani that 5e has introduced, I think it’s anachronistic compared with the rest of the setting, and 5e rilmani look more like golems than an outsider race. And obviously the lumpy blobs of 3e were dreadful. So I’ve reimagined them closer to the 2e form; humanoid, clearly metallic themed, androgynous, more planescapey, and I’ve tried to make each caste look more distinct from each other too. Please let me know what you think!
