The various factions in the high city see to it that there are steps taken to make the mists not nearly so dangerous. There are postings of lantern wielding city guards, at most intersections, and patrolling most walkways and plazas. These call out at regular intervals, 'Man o' the Mist! Man o' the Mist! Patrol the city! Man o' the Mist!"
Needless to say, down in the low city, without the benefit of a series of guards, the safety at night plummets, and the possibility for a bad encounter skyrockets. The same is true of the farmland in the immediate area around the walls of the city. The walls themselves, and the multiple gates, are all manned by guardsmen equipped with lanterns, and huge lights lit, sort of like harbor light houses.
The mists, especially on nights when they are thickest, bring with them atypical threats to the population of Khomaes. There are several creatures that roam the mists, and seem to exist only in this weird, shrouded city.
The first are the Faceless Ones. These are creatures that appear as hairless grey humanoids, about four feet tall, that move silently. They are called faceless, but actually have depressions where their eyes should be, and curious ears (after a fashion). Most bizarre are their mouths, which appear to just open up, as slits in their otherwise smooth hairless orbs that are heads. These appear first as a thin line, and then open to reveal razor sharp teeth, often clotted with the gobbets of flesh and blood of their last victim.
The origin and motives of the Faceless Ones are unknown, but they appear to have a need to feed on humans and other humanoid creatures. They will appear, in small groups, out of the mist, often quite close, and always silently. Light does not reflect off their skin, and they (as with some other truly outre creatures, such as hooked horrors) appear completely invisible to both ultravision and infravision. Appearing out of the mists, usually at a range of 30 feet at the greatest, the Faceless Ones often come out in the low city, but occasionally in the high city. They appear in groups no larger than 4, and just as often, singly.
Num Appearing: 1 or 1d4
Alignment: neutral evil
Movement: Walk 120'
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 3d (18 h.p.)
Attacks: 1 bite
Damage: 1d6+1 (chance for drain, below)
Save: C3
Morale: 9
Treasure: None (may have dead victims nearby)
Special: Move completely silently, appear out of the mist (at ranges no greater than 30'). If a successful bite is made, then there is a chance for the Faceless One to drain some of the life energy out of the victim. If this occurs, it has two immediate effects. First, it drains 1d3 dexterity points. These will return at the rate of 1 per day, with rest, and 1 per 2 days with activity. Second, the bite causes the victim to make all saving throws as if they are 1 level lower for each point of dexterity they lose. It recovers at the same rate.
The next critter of concern, is one that lives at the very bottom of Dancer's Rift. This wretched nomad is known as the Bottom Dweller, but it is not known if there is one, or many. The Bottom Dweller lives at the bottom of the rift, where the low city no longer reaches, down and down. It lives around a curious, lightless pool that takes up much of the bottom of the rift, catching water from rains and runoff from the higher reaches of the city. In the wall of the rift, here as most of its depth, there are cave openings that stretch back into all sorts of stygian realms and unknown deep dungeons.
The size and ferocity of the Bottom Dweller make it a fearsome enough foe, but it has a curious third eye that makes it truly terrifying. The Bottom Dweller has a third eye,and some developed paranomal sense where it can predict small tactical movements and changes. Before the creature (or creatures) got stuck at the bottom of Dancer's Rift, it must have made a terrifically efficient hunter. Finally, there is another feature worthy of mention - the curious ability that gives the Bottom Dweller it's precognitive ability also projects a magical aura that disrupts the workings of magic.
Bottom DwellerNum Appearing: 1 (?)
Alignment: neutral
Movement: Run 90'
Armor Class: 3
Hit Dice: 8d (50 h.p.)
Attacks: 1 bite, 2 claws
Damage: 1d8+4/1d4+4/1d4+4
Save: F8
Morale: 9
Special:The Bottom Dweller, due to it's amazing precognitive sense, always goes first in combat. It is never surprised. This ability only applies to foes within 40' of the Bottom Dweller. Foes from further away, would roll for initiative, etc, normally. Within that same 40' range, the ability of the Bottom Dweller disrupts magic user based magic. All magic user spells (and all specialty school spells), as well as spell like abilities from creatures and items that mimic MU spells, must roll a 20 sider check, and get less than the caster's level (or hit dice, in the case of a creature; or wielder's level, in the case of a device) in order for the spell to work. In any case, the spell is expended, regardless of whether or not it works.
Finally, there is one more creature that is peculiar to the environment in and around Khomaes, and that is the Mist Walker. This ancient creature appears only when the mists are of a peculiar hue of yellowish-green, which happens only occasionally when the moons are just right. It is rumored that before the appearance of the Mist Walker, that there is always the faint sound of an eerie, solitary flute playing in the night - the sound of which is said to paralyze all but the most brave. This is curious, because on nights when the mist is thickest (such as the same conditions that might bring a Mist Walker), that sound itself is often dampened, and not much can be heard from more than 20 or 30 feet away, other than the loudest of sounds.
The Mist Walker is a huge creature, easily dwarfing a mammoth, or one of the great southern swamp creatures. Because of that it rarely appears within the city (although it has been known to be spotted in some of the larger plazas in high city, briefly appearing, lashing out, and then disappearing). Its appearances, however, often occur just outside the city walls, and among the agricultural lands outside the city. It lurks amongst the mists, appears (temporarily) lashes out to devour some victims, and then disappears back into the mists. It should be pointed out that these are not the Greater Mist Walker (detailed in a later posting), but rather the random young, from other planes, summoned here because of unknown reasons.
Num Appearing: 1 (always)
Alignment: neutral
Movement: Walk 70'
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 15d (95 h.p.)
Attacks: 1 mental lash
Damage: Level drain
Save: F10
Morale: special
Special: The Mist Walker will appear out of the mists, but not before all in the area have had a chance to hear the eerie flute playing. All must make a saving through vs. paralyzation, or be paralyzed for 2d4 rounds. The mental lash attack will attack all within 100' of the Mist Walker. All of those must make a save vs. spell, or lose 1d3 levels. The Mist Walker will continue this until it wanders out of range of anyone awake in the area. It, curiously enough, does not seem to have an effect on those that are sleeping, in a coma, or for some other reason are not awake.
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