Monster: Eradicator Scout

Eradicator Scout

This entity is composed of a crystal sphere surrounded with a pair of whirling hoops made of strange metal, with a number of smaller, seemingly unconnected pieces of crystal and metal hovering below.

CR 5; XP 1,600
LN Large Construct
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., lifesense; Perception +8

Defense
AC 18, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (+1 Dex, +8 natural, –1 size)
hp 52 (4d10+30)
Fort +1, Ref +4, Will +1
DR 5/adamantine; Immune cold, construct traits; Resist acid 10, electricity 10, fire 10
Weakness vulnerable to sonic

Offense
Speed fly 20 ft. (perfect)
Melee slam +9 (2d6+9)
Ranged 3 force bolts +4 touch (1d10 force)
Statistics
Str 22, Dex 12, Con —, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +4; CMB +11; CMD 22 (can't be tripped)
Feats Lightning Reflexes, Point-Blank Shot
Skills Fly +15, Perception +8; Racial Modifiers +4 Fly, +4 Perception
Languages eradicator comm 1 mile
SQ homing signal, limited starflight

Ecology
Environment any (Material Plane only)
Organization solitary
Treasure standard (pieces of crystal and exotic metals)

Special Abilities

Eradicator Comm (Ex) An eradicator scout can communicate with other eradicators within 1 mile.

Force Bolt (Ex) An eradicator scout can fire up to three bolts of crushing force with a range of 60 feet. Eradicator's force bolts are natural attacks that require ranged touch attack to hit.

Homing Signal (Ex) After detecting signs of its quarry, an eradicator scout can reassemble itself into a homing beacon for other eradicators. It takes 1 week of modifications before the FTL signal emission is started. An eradicator scout reassembling itself or sending the signal can't leave its space, hovering a few feet above ground, though it can defend itself and attack with its force bolts normally. Each month the signal is sent there is 1% chance that a battle group of eradicators receives it and follows it to attack the planet from which it was sent. While the signal is not magical, creatures with telepathic or prophetic abilities, wild animals, and various psychically sensitive individuals all around the planet feel dark foreboding, sense of incoming danger and might experience nightmares of impending doom.

Starflight (Ex) An eradicator scout can travel vast distances in space, typically taking 3d20 months to travel between planets in a solar system, or 3d20 years to travel between stars.

Eradicators are remnants of an ancient war, war long forgotten, and yet never finished. Who fought whom and over what remains an unanswered riddle. All that remains are ancient weapons continuing their missions of destruction. Eradicators travel between the worlds and cleanse regions according to some inscrutable logic. They might be reacting to traces of their master's enemies, though no one knows for sure what they are. Could they be getting false positives by confusing other races and their achievements for influence of long-gone foes?

When an eradicator battle group receives a homing signal from an eradicator scout, there is 10% chance it's already within the same solar system and arrives after 3d20 months, and 90% chance it's further away and needs to traverse the interstellar distances, taking 1d10 × 3d20 years to arrive.

Planar NPC: Sweet-Venomous-Whispers

Sweet-Venomous-Whispers

This enormous black and green serpent has two viper-like heads, long and sinuous body and a pair of membranous wings.

CR 13; XP  25,600
CN Huge Dragon (extraplanar)
Init +8; Senses blindsense 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, true seeing; Perception +24

Defense
AC 28, touch 12, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +16 natural, –2 size)
hp 175 (13d12+91); fast healing 10
Fort +16, Ref +14, Will +16
Defensive Abilities all-around vision, twisted mind; Immune paralysis, poison, sleep; Resist acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, fire 20

Offense
Speed 30 ft., fly 120 ft. (average), swim 30 ft.
Melee 2 bites +22 (2d6+11 and poison), tail slap +18 (2d6+5 and grab)
Special Attacks breath weapon (60-ft. cone or 120-ft. line, 12d6 damage, Reflex DC 22 for half, usable every 1d4 rounds), constrict (2d6+5)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 13th; concentration +18)
Constant—true seeing
At will—mass suggestion (DC 21)

Statistics
Str 32, Dex 18, Con 22, Int 19, Wis 19, Cha 21
Base Atk +13; CMB +26 (+30 grapple); CMD 40 (can't be tripped)
Feats Alertness, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (Bluff), Toughness, Weapon Focus (tail slap)
Skills Acrobatics +17, Bluff +27, Fly +16, Knowledge (arcana) +20, Knowledge (nature) +20, Knowledge (planes) +20, Linguistics +20, Perception +24, Sense Motive +24, Spellcraft +20, Swim +19
Language Abyssal, Aklo, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Draconic, Dwarf, Elven, Giant, Ignan, Infernal, Sylvan, Terran
SQ compression, hold breath

Ecology
Environment any
Organization unique
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Breath Weapon (Su) Sweet-Venomous-Whispers left head can breathe a 60-ft. long cone of electrified frost, dealing 6d6 cold and 6d6 electric damage. Its right head can breathe a 120-ft. long line of burning corrosive oil, dealing 6d6 acid and 6d6 fire damage. A successful Reflex saving throw halves damage of either breath weapon. After using any of its breath weapons, Sweet-Venomous-Whisper has to wait for 1d4 rounds before using either again.

Sweet Poison (Ex) Bite—injury or ingestion; save Fort DC 22, frequency 1/minute for 5 minutes, effect 1d3 Wis, cure 2 consecutive saves. Creature affected by the sweet poison suffers from a vivid hallucinations and has a small chance of having a sudden flash of profound insight (1% chance per point of Wisdom damage suffered), though there is no way of discerning it from a hallucinated delusion. It acts as a mild hallucinogenic drug for evil outsiders with racial immunity to poison, as long as they are not immune to mind-affecting effects.

Twisted Mind (Ex) Sweet-Venomous-Whisper's mind is twisted like serpents' nest. It gains +4 racial bonus to Will saving throws and no know form of mortal magic can discern its lies from truth nor force it to tell the truth.

Sweet-Venomous-Whispers is a devious wyrm, sowing discord and chaos with its honeyed words. It uses (in)convenient truths, half-truths, and omissions as often as lies and deception, and it sometimes hides bits of valuable knowledge (if not wisdom) among it statements. Despite its sinister and twisted goals, the "Sweet Serpent", as it is sometimes called, is a very friendly and cordial entity, going as far as admitting that the truthful revelations its spread are intended to create discord and chaos. It also claims that its lies are spoken with higher purpose in mind and certainly there were instances where some of them brought (debatable) beneficial effects...

When speaking, it often uses both of its heads, switching between them in mid-sentence or speaking in unison. A few people who met Sweet-Venomous-Whispers claim that one head always lies and the other always speaks the truth, but there is no consensus which is which.

Monster: Hedgeknight

Hedgeknight

This bulky warrior has a hedgehog's snout and spines growing all over his body parts not protected by armor.

CR 6; XP 2,400
LE Medium Monstrous Humanoid
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., scent; Perception +12

Defense
AC 20, touch 11, flat-footed 19 (+6 armor, +1 Dex, +2 natural, +2 shield)
hp 68 (8d10+24)
Fort +5, Ref +9, Will +9
Defensive Abilities bloody spines; Immune curse, disease, fear

Offense
Speed 20 ft. (30 ft. base)
Melee longsword +13/+8 (1d8+4, 19–20/×2), and bite +7 (1d6+2) or 2 claws +12 (1d6+4) and bite +12 (1d6+4)
Special Attacks spiny roll
Spell-Like Abilities (10th; concentration +12)
At will—phantom steed (only one active at a time)

Statistics
Str 18, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 15
Base Atk +8; CMB +12; CMD 23
Feats Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack
Skills Intimidate +13, Knowledge (nobility) +9, Perception +12, Ride +12, Survival +12
Languages Common, Sylvan

Ecology
Environment temperate forests and hills
Organization solitary
Treasure standard (including mwk longsword, mwk chain mail, mwk large metal shield)

Special Abilities

Bloody Spines (Ex) A hedgeknight's spines are razor sharp. Any creature striking a hedgeknight with a natural weapon, non-reach melee weapon, or a melee touch attack, has to make a Reflex saving throw (DC 17) or suffer 1d4 points of piercing damage and 1d4 points of bleed damage. Creatures grappling with a hedgeknight or those that swallowed one, suffer the same damage once per turn (either when they initiate the grapple or when they start their turn already grappling with a hedgeknight) without a saving throw. When a hedgeknight fights defensively, uses total defense action, or uses Combat Expertise, the dodge bonus to AC bestowed by those actions increases saving throw DC of bloody spines. The saving throw DC is Constitution-based.

Spiny Roll (Ex) As a full-round action, a hedgeknight can roll up to twice his speed in a straight line, passing through enemy squares with ease. Each enemy whose square he passes, can either make an attack of opportunity, and suffer the hedgeknight's bloody spines damage, or forfeit an attack of opportunity and make a Reflex saving throw against bloody spines to avoid the damage.

Hedgeknights are fearless creatures cursed to roam the wilderness in the monstrous form that resembles cross between a human and a hedgehog, seeking martial challenges. They are usually aloof, cruel, and yet show a twisted sense of honor, keeping their word and giving their enemies fair chances in combat assuming they are returned the favor. They have no compunction about mercilessly slaying or crippling opponents that showed to be dishonorable or when outnumbered.

Some of the hedgeknights still seek the cure for their affliction, sometimes a truly heroic honorable deed, sometimes a true love, sometimes a willingly blessing of an ancient hag. A lot of hedgeknights enjoy their existence, though, or lost the hope of reversing it, and have little motivation to end their curse.

Many hedgeknights grow more skilled at combat, with levels in cavalier, fighter, ranger, or slayer classes, though a rare Lawful Good hedgeknight can become a paladin.

A typical hedgeknight is approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and weights about 220 pounds, plus armor.

Short Story: Come On Inside

Do not endanger the infrastructure of the metropolis.
Do not interfere with affairs of other residents uninvited.
Do not overstep boundaries of consent received during the interaction.
Infractions will result in restricted resource access, suspension of id, and finally in Lazarus purge and exile.

Metropolitan Code

A silvery shape waited at the station when they left the trolley. "Welcome to the metropolis Gamma, first time visitors. We hope your time here will be enjoyable."

Jess stared at the androgynous but faceless metallic shape in surprise. T-Key hissed "Behave!" before turning toward the figure. "Sorry... Are you... Eh... A PSI?"

"I am—and this pronoun is used to adhere to the standards and simplicity of human communication—an avatar for the information network of the metropolis. I am not Post-Singularity Intelligence in the strict sense, though I am derivative of PSIs' actions and functions. I am here to provide you with basic information necessary for your stay in the metropolis..."

"How do you know we need information? We might..." Jess straightened up.

"You were scanned and found to be prime humans, in accordance with the templates fitting the Independists. There are no records of your prior presence in this metropolis and you lack traces of your prior visits in any other metropolis. The balance of isotopes pinpoints your origins to Lincolnsville settlement, which fits the route of the trolley you came in. Not to mention that the trolley recorded you boarding it at Lincolnsville's depot. This is sufficient information to warrant giving you basic orientation. You wouldn't want to be expelled from the metropolis almost immediately, would you?"

T-Key was surprised "Expelled?! I... We thought you can do anything you like in metropolis! And... And you are supposed to take anyone who comes!"

"To a degree, yes. Things are never that simple, however. There are three restrictions you must follow within the metropolis. You can't endanger the metropolis itself, its structures, its processes, its resources. It would be foolish to threaten the branch you are sitting on..." The guide chuckled "Humans have a long history of being terribly foolish when it comes to endangering means of their own existence, though I digress here. You can't violate privacy of others. That one is simple to follow, though. The privacy fields—I believe you didn't encountered them in Lincolnsville—provide necessary protection for one's privacy when one does not want to be interfered with. See those opaque bubbles moving there? Those are residents within their personal privacy fields. They will prevent you from entering their personal space or bothering in any way. Finally, when you do interact with anyone, you are not allowed to do to them anything they haven't agreed to."

Jess blinked "That sounds simple..." He looked a bit disappointed "I... It's not what we expected, I think."

The figure moved and tilted head a bit. "You expected something clearly more different from the Independists' norms, weren't you? You are relying on a lot of assumption and expectations of your culture. Let me rephrase this in a way stressing the difference between metropolis and Lincolnsville. You can do to other people anything they explicitly consented to. Between the safety of the metropolis and the twin pillars of other residents' privacy and consent you can do anything you like."

T-Key and Jess looked at each other for a moment... "Anything?" Asked T-Key. Jess reached and hesitantly took her hand. "Anything" answered the guide "If you wish to stay, I advise getting a neurocom installed. It will connect you to the communication and information network, and will allow you to establish privacy field and answer all of your questions. You might consider visit to Lazarus facility for a backup or Promethean treatment, though the later makes you ineligible for back ups and neurocoms. You'd need to rely on external terminal for network access."

They felt overwhelmed yet excited "Lazarus... Promethean?"

"Oh, those are prevailing, though mutually exclusive solutions to human fragility..." The guide continued explaining while they listened. Other residents of the metropolis moved around them, covered by their privacy fields, or exposed, while the newcomers walked deeper into the city...