Library of Alexandria back to Cheopia

New Features

Khepri: Long ago, the Khepri were just a race of mindless planar vermin from Acheron. They existed, as their earthly counterparts (Scarab beetles) do, by blundering around and living in the spoils and excrement of other creatures. This was so from time immemorial until one day fate led one of these verminous interlopers into the hatchery of a formian hive. While plundering the nursery, eating eggs, and spoiling everything in sight, the Khepri chanced upon and devoured a large supply of the gel used to feed the larvae that were destined to become formian taskmasters. Her subsequent transformation resulted in the birth of the first Khepri overmind. Though not a hive insect by nature, this khepri, now possessed of high intelligence, mind dominating powers, and the lawfulness inherent in her home plane, began to govern her offspring into an orderly whole. Offspring of the Khepri overmind are still mindless vermin individually. In order to propagate her (new) kind, the Overmind must gather a force sufficient to successfully raid a formian fortress and acquire more of the taskmaster birthing gel (no easy task). And so the great enmity between the formians and the khepri came to be. The khepri are always seeking inexperienced young creatures capable of great advancement to subvert to their cause. Humans are ideal. All Khepri: Hive Mind (Ex): All Khepri and thralls within 5 miles of the overmind are in constant communication. If one is aware of a particular danger, they all are. If one in a group is not flat-footed, none of them are. No khepri in a group is considered flanked unless all of them are. Immunities (Ex): Khepri have full racial immunity to poison and disease. Resistances (Ex): All khepri have fire, acid, and sonic resistance 5 when not in flight due to a thick, resilient carapice. Khepri Spawn: Khepri Spawn - Small Vermin Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp) Initiative: +1 (Dex) Speed: 20'; Fly 30'(poor); Burrow 10' AC: 16 (+1 size, +1 Dex, +4 natural) Attacks: Bite +2 melee Damage: Bite 1d4+1 Face/Reach: 5 x 5 ft./5 ft. Attacks: Swarm, Sandsculpt Qualities: Hivemind, Darkvision Saves: Fort+3, Ref+1, Will-2* Abilities: Str13, Dex12, Con13, Int -, Wis 6, Cha 9 Skills: Spot -2, Listen +2, Climb +6*, Hide +6, Move Silently +3 Feats: Improved Grab Climate: Desert & Underground Organization: Hive or Swarm CRating: 1/2 Treasure: None individually, hive as Overmind Alignment: Always lawful neutral Advancement: 2 HD; 3-4 HD (Medium) Immunities (Ex): As vermin, kheprispawn are immune to most mind-influencing effects other than the hivemind's dominance. Skills: Kheprispawn receive an additional +8 racial modifier to the climb skill. Feats: Kheprispawn may use improved grab on a creature up to one size category greater than their own. Sandsculpt (Sp): When burrowing, kheprispawn exude a resin that hardens the sand into a very thin sheet of sandstone (hardness 6). This keeps tunnels from collapsing behind them. They can also secrete another enzyme to neutralize the resin, returning the stone to normal sand. When directed by an intelligence (see khepri overmind), the kheprispawn can deposit layer upon layer of this 'sandstone' to form basic structures such as platforms, bridges, or entire building complexes. The spawn need great numbers or a lot of time to build anything large, and must have access to a water supply roughly equal in volume to the structure built. Breaking it back down to normal sand is much easier. A single kheprispawn can reduce a 5x5 area one foot deep to normal sand as a full round action. Swarm (Ex): In the absence of the hivemind, spawn revert to instinctive behavior - - scurrying around or flying off. If more than six individuals are present and one is harmed, the spawn may swarm. Each individual takes to the air and visciously attacks any non-kephri (including slaves or thralls) nearby. Airborn, the swarming khepri lack some of their resistances and two points of armor, but have additional strength and stamina identical to that granted by barbarian rage. Once a swarming khepri bites an opponent, it attempts to fasten on with all six legs using its improved grab ability. The overmind can purposely cause the spawn within an area to swarm, but cannot then command them intelligently until it has run its course. Khepri Slave: When the khepri overmind dominates an individual, it must dedicate a considerable part of its attention toward keeping that individual's will subdued. Any creature of up to four hit dice with a size no greater than 'large' can be fully dominated. The overmind can actively attend to four such creatures simultaneously. Each time the overmind retains active control of a dominated creature for an entire day, the subject's wisdom score is lowered by 1 until a wisdom of zero is reached. Prior to reaching zero, the subject can be revived and his wisdom will recover over time (see temporary ability drain). While under active control, the dominated creature's will saves, etc... are not hurt by the wisdom loss. The balance of the subject's wisdom is supplemented (replaced) by that of the hive mind so that he/she can function normally while controlled. Creatures with more than 4HD can be dominated, but require constant attention and cannot be drained of wisdom. Such creatures are unsuitable for thralldom, and may be used cruelly, ransomed or simply destroyed Khepri Thrall: Once zero wisdom is reached, nothing but the overmind, a wish, or a miracle can restore the lost creature. At this point, the overmind begins rebuilding the subject creature into a willing servant. The subject's alignment changes to lawful evil, and lost wisdom begins returning at a rate of one point per day of active service to the master (this counts against the overmind's limit of four controlled creatures at any one time). Note that the alignment change may affect certain individuals quite profoundly. Paladins and good or chaotic clerics lose much ability. Barbarians and bards become ex-barbarians and ex-bards. Once all lost wisdom is restored, advancement is again possible. Such creatures now believe fully in the goals and agendas of the hive and can act independently as agents of the hive mind. They no longer count against the overmind's limit of four, but will willingly take direction from the overmind and have full access to the hivemind and its benefits when within five miles. Khepri Overmind: Khepri Overmind - Medium-Size Outsider (Lawful, Evil) Hit Dice: 6d8+12 (39 hp) Initiative: +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative) Speed: 40'; Fly 30'(poor); Burrow 20' AC: 18 (+3 Dex, +5 natural) Attacks: Bite +10 melee Damage: Bite 1d6+4 Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 10 ft./5 ft. Attacks: Sandsculpt, Dominate Person Qualities: Hivemind, Immunities, Resistances, Darkvision, Telepathy, SR 21 Saves: Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +8 Abilities: Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 19 Skills: Climb +13, Hide +12, Listen +12, Move Silently +12, Search +8, Sense Motive +12, Spot +12 Feats: Improved Initiative, Spell-Like Ability Focus (enchantment) Climate: Desert and underground Organization: Hive or Swarm CR: 7 Treasure: Standard Alignment: Always lawful evil Advancement: 7-9 HD (Medium-size);10-12 HD (Large) Dominate Person (Su): The Overmind can use dominate person on any creature as the spell cast by a 10th-level sorcerer (save DC 19), although the subject may be of any type and may be up to Large size. An overmind can dominate up to four slaves at a time, and may have any number of fully converted thralls as well. Telepathy (Su): The Overmind can communicate telepathically with any intelligent creature within 100 feet. Khepri Hive: A Khepri hive is usually sculpted from sandstone using the sandsculpt ability. Though filth doesn't bother the khepri, and there may be several 'unkempt' areas, the overmind recognizes that not all of her slaves and thralls share the khepri immunities to disease and poison. There is often a disgusting 'kitchen' where parts of many creatures (intelligent or otherwise) are preserved. There is usually some kind of treasure vault, because the intelligent overmind recognizes the value of coin. Hexagonal rooms and passageways are quite common. Being an insect, the overmind seems to be fascinated with the number six. Collapsing ceilings and pit traps abound because they are quite simply constructed, and the overmind can direct its spawn to trigger them easily enough. If there are many recent slaves or thralls, there will be sealed-off rooms used to contain them until such time as the overmind can mentally digest them four at a time. There is usually an egg vault, harmless larva roam freely about, and occasional cocoon sacks hang in various places.

---

Some Links

Ancient Egypt Legends and Beliefs Ancient Egypt - A Potpouri Empire of Sand - a D20 3E Site Bedouin Bedouins Hospitality Jewelry Falconry Sadu Weaving Arabian Horses