The Kaorti Ubercyst

Random Encounters
The Kaorti Ubercyst
(Bonus Epic Encounters)
By Darrin Drader

The Mind Flayer Thrall

When a creature is converted to a thrall by a kaorti, the fiendish template is applied. The kaorti of the ubercyst collect these creatures and use them to guard the cyst. In most cases these creatures immediately forget about their previous existence and serve the kaorti mindlessly. However, 2% of the time, a transformed creature retains the knowledge of its previous identity. Of those, a few transform in unexpected ways. If the kaorti become aware of these instances, the creatures are normally destroyed. In a few instances, if the creature is particularly powerful or it sees an advantage in serving, it is allowed to live, though it is watched closely until it has gained the trust of the cyst.

Il'Isk'aeurr is a mind flayer who was captured by the kaorti, forced to reveal as much strategic information as it knew, and then transformed into a thrall. It was one of the few creatures that retained memories of its prior existence, although it had witnessed the transformation of other creatures by the time the kaorti transformed it, so it knew to behave as though it was completely under the control of the kaorti.

Shortly after his transformation, Il'Isk'aeurr snuck past the guards and returned to the Underdark. When it returned to its own kind, it was viewed as an outsider and a threat. The transformation had altered its appearance enough that the mind flayers decided that Il'Isk'aeurr was no longer a member of their species and they cast it out.

Defeated, Il'Isk'aeurr returned to the ubercyst and pleaded with the kaorti to allow it to join their cyst as a member and serve their kind. They reluctantly agreed and over the following years it gained their trust. Ultimately Il'Isk'aeurr's intelligence and cunning proved to be a benefit to K'tral'sk, and it became one of the kaorti leader's most trusted advisors. Today Il'Isk'aeurr is hated by the other kaorti leaders, which is one of the factors K'tral'sk attributes to his longevity as a leader. The kaorti leader has arranged the power structure in such a way that if he is killed, Il'Isk'aeurr will become the next ruler, and the Guardians of Gloom and Despair will act to serve him and protect his position. Eventually, when his own lifespan is drawing to a close, K'tral'sk plans to have the mind flayer thrall killed so that he will not actually inherit the leadership of the ubercyst. Il'Isk'aeurr anticipates that this may be the case and plans to kill K'tral'sk himself and then blame the murder on one of the kaorti who would oppose his succession.

Il'Isk'aeurr: Male fiendish kaorti thrall mind flayer Sorcerer 11; CR 21; Medium aberration (extraplanar); HD 8d8+24 plus 11d4+33; hp 120; Init +8; Spd 30 ft.; AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 13; Base Atk +11; Grp +11; Atk +15 melee (1d4, tentacle); Full Atk +15 melee (1d4, 4 tentacles); SA extract, improved grab, mind blast, psionics, smite good; SQ cold resistance 10, damage reduction 10/magic, darkvision 60 ft., fire resistance 10, spell resistance 25, telepathy 100 ft.; AL LE; SV Fort +8, Ref +9, Will +17; Str 10, Dex 18, Con 16, Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 24.

Skills and Feats: Appraise +6, Bluff +16, Concentration +24, Craft (metalworking) +13, Diplomacy +13, Hide +13, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (arcana) +12, Knowledge (arcana) +20, Knowledge (the planes) +6, Listen +15, Move Silently +12, Sense Motive +8, Spellcraft +13, Spot +15; Alertness, Combat Casting, Dodge, Eschew Materials, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Weapon Finesse.

Extract (Ex): If Il'lsk'aeurr begins his turn with all four tentacles attached and makes a successful grapple check, he automatically extracts the opponent's brain, instantly killing the creature. This power is useless against constructs, elementals, oozes, plants, and undead. It is not instantly fatal to foes with multiple heads such as ettins and hydras.

Improved Grab (Ex): Il'Isk'aeurr must hit a Small, Medium, or Large creature with its tentacle attack. He can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If he wins the grapple check, he establishes a hold and attaches the tentacle to the opponent's head. Il'lsk'aeurr can grab a Huge or larger creature, but only if he can somehow reach the foe's head. If he begins his turn with at least one tentacle attached, he can try to attach his remaining tentacles with a single grapple check. The opponent can escape with a single successful grapple check or an Escape Artist check, but Il'lsk'aeurr gets a +2 circumstance bonus for every tentacle that was attached at the beginning of the opponent's turn.

Mind Blast (Sp): This psionic attack is a cone 60 feet long. Anyone caught within this cone must succeed at a Will save (DC 21) or be stunned for 3d4 rounds.

Psionics (Sp): At will -- charm monster (DC 21), detect thoughts (DC 19), levitate, planeshift, suggestion (DC 20) Effective caster level 8th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Smite Good (Su): Once per day, Il'lsk'aeurr can make a normal melee attack to deal +19 points of extra damage.

Sorcerer Spells Known (6/8/8/8/7/5; save DC 17 + spell level): 0 -- arcane mark, daze, detect magic, disrupt undead, flare, ghost sound, mage hand, read magic, resistance; 1st -- mage armor, magic missile, ray of enfeeblement, sleep, true strike; 2nd -- glitterdust, minor image, resist energy, scorching ray, see invisibility; 3rd -- dispel magic, fireball, fly, tongues; 4th -- greater invisibility, ice storm, stoneskin; 5th -- cloudkill, feeblemind.

Bringing the Parts Together

The mind flayer rarely leaves the cyst, though he might if there's a larger problem involved. Perhaps the captive that K'tral'sk is dealing with requires special attention -- especially if it's another mind flayer!

Coming in Part 4 of the Ubercyst

Take a look at the thruock.

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