Eldan
2014-05-12, 04:48 AM
It started slowly. At first, we merely thought of it as tics and quirks, though they seemed to change every day.
Sometimes, after waking, he would stare at a random object for half an hour, seemingly fascinated, no matter how mundane it was. At other times, Sirnac would repeat simple motions, rapid twitches of a hand. Later, he'd murmur, as if to empty air, repeating single syllables over and over, as if trying them out.
When it got worse, we thought it was stress. It happens, sometimes, even to hardened veterans like Sirnac. They crack under the strain of the Shadow Vigil, unable to cope with all they've seen. Still, we kept an eye on him, of course.
After a week, he started screaming. Randomly, for hours at a time, with no memory afterwards as to what had happened. Of course, we immediately suspected possession and tried the usual measures. Protection circles did nothing. Neither salt, silver nor iron seemed to drive out the possessing creature. We turned to stronger magics of banishment, to no avail.
Then, Sirnac fell unconscious for a day. By then, we had placed him in a cell.
He awoke, suddenly. His eyes opening. We knew something about him was wrong. He did not talk much, anymore, but when he did, he seemed to repeat simple phrases, over and over. He would greet anyone he saw, in a quite friendly manner, as if he had just seen them for the first time. He would randomly twitch his muscles or drop things he was holding, as if every motion was strange to him. Sometimes, he would sit in a corner, drooling and unresponsive, at other times, he would stare at the most common objects as if fascinated by them, turning them over and over in his hands.
We were all sure, by this point, that the man we had known as Sirnac was gone. But then, it got worse...
-Fragment from a Witch Hunter's journal, sealed archives of the Inquisition
The Hollowing
The Hollowing is a condition that affects creatures that have come into contact with entities of the far realm, drawing the eye of certain entities of that realm most commonly referred to as the Watcher. Over subsequent days or weeks, they are slowly being pushed out of their own heads by an invading mind from that realm that is taking over their bodies, until they become nothing more than meat puppets, steered around by curious consciousnesses from beyond the veil of reality.
The hollowing functions much like a disease, but it is a mental one instead of a physical one. As such, the rules are different from those of other diseases:
Infection: It is unknown quite how one draws the eye of a watcher. The Hollowing seems to occur most commonly in those who have been near points where the Far Realm interacts with the Great Wheel or have made extensive contact with creatures influenced by the Realm in other ways. Still, the vector for the infection is entirely unknown. Neither creatures immune to disease (even supernatural disease) nor mindless creatures are entirely protected against the infection. Nothing but an exceptionally strong mind seems to help.
First Stage: Contact
During the first stage, the host creature's grasp on reality is getting weaker. Every day, they must succeed on a will save (DC 20) or suffer a single point of wisdom drain.
This wisdom drain can be healed as normal, halting the infection.
In this stage, a sense motive check with a DC of 25 minus the amount of wisdom drain the creature has already taken, reveals that the host is infected, but not by what.
A knowledge: the planes check (DC 20) made by anyone aware of the condition reveals its nature, but no details on further progression or possible cures. A DC 25 check reveals the further progression, including details on the second stage.
Second Stage: Influence If, at any point, the creature's wisdom falls below half it's normal value, from either the Hollowing's drain or any other source, the host enters stage two of the infection from then on. In addition to the wisdom drain, they must make a second will save (DC 15) once every 1d4 hours or whenever they are under stressful conditions, such as combat. If they fail, they are confused for 1 round.
In the second stage, a sense motive check of 15 reveals that something is wrong with the creature.
If at any point, the creature's wisdom is reduced to 0, it falls into a deep coma for 24 hours, then awakens into stage three.
Third stage: Establishment
In the third stage, the creature's original mind is driven out of its body. It is now effectively dead (and, indeed, its mind has moved on to the afterlife and can be found there). Instead, a mind from the Far Realm is establishing itself inside, slowing gaining control.
In this stage, the creature has its dexterity and wisdom reduced to 1 and it's alignment changed to Neutral. Every day, its dexterity and wisdom are increased by one point, until they reach the initial scores of the host.
Fourth Stage: Completion
In this stage, the creature gains the Watcher's Vessel template. Apart from that, the condition does not progress further.
Cure: Curing the Hollowing is difficult, as those spells that work against disease (cure disease, etc.), curses (remove curse, break enchantment) or possession (banishment, protection from evil) seem to have any effect.
Instead, the invading mind must be drawn out of the body in one of two ways:
If placed in total sensory deprivation, the invading mind will lose interest after 1d4 days and leave the host, ending the condition. How this is done must depend on the host creature's senses: creatures able to move must be restrained or paralyzed, those able to see placed in utter darkness, those able to hear in a silent space. Even more unusual senses must be cut off: creatures with tremorsense might be placed on an utterly unmoving surface, such as a wall of force, or suspended in midair.
If sensory deprivation is not available, effects that trap a soul or mind can be used instead: trap the soul or soul bind work, as would Thinnaun and similar effects. During stages one or two, the creature may make a charisma check (DC 20). If it succeeds, the invading mind is trapped, ending the condition. If the host creature fails, its soul is instead trapped, leaving the invader in control and moving the condition to stage three immediately.
In stages three or four, removing the mind instead leaves the body alive, but comatose. The creature's soul must be found on the outer planes and brought back into the body. Resurrection magic works, as does an effect like Contact Other Plane or even physical travel to the creature's afterlife.
A Wish or Miracle can immediately remove the condition, even in the later stages.
Watcher's Vessel
Watcher's Vessel is an acquired template added to those who have been hollowed out completely, completing the last stage of the Hollowing.
Vessels may occasionally behave irrationally or strangely, but it is difficult to spot to those who weren't familiar to the host before infection. There is always something unsettling and strange about them and their goals are incomprehensible, but they are often able to mimic normal behaviour quite well.
The Vessel is identical to the host creature in every way, including size and creature type, except that it gains the following abilities:
Alien Mind: (ex) The creature is treated as mindless for the purposes of all spells and effects affecting it, though it keeps all its class features, feats and skill points. It can never profit from any morale bonus to any of its statistics, but also suffers no penalty from emotion-based negative effects such as Crushing Despair.
Faithless: (ex) The creature's alignment changes to neutral. If it had any divine spellcasting, it loses it. Furthermore, it may not cast any spells or use any spell-like with an alignment subtype or use a supernatural ability replicating those. The vessel has magic immunity (infinite spell resistance) to all effects, magical or supernatural, that have different effects based on the creature's alignment (such as a smite ability, or a spell such as Holy Word that targets all creatures not of a certain alignment).
Twisted: (ex) Spells, spell-like effects or supernatural abilities that target a certain creature type (including magical items such as bane weapons) have no effects on a Vessel. This does not include mundane abilities such as a ranger's favoured enemy, which work as normal.
Unsettling: (ex) The Watcher's Vessel makes creatures that interact with it instinctively uncomfortable. Animals, as well as other creatures with an intelligence of 1 or 2 have their initial attitude towards the Vessel worsened by one step. The vessel has a -4 penalty on all diplomacy check and an additional (stacking) -4 penalty towards all creatures who were closely familiar with the host creature before.
Additionally, once per day, the Vessel may reveal some of its true form. This is a supernatural ability that takes a standard action. All creatures able to perceive the vessel in any way (including unusual senses, such as scent, tremorsense or mindsight) must make a will save (DC 1/2 the Vessel's HD +the creature's charisma score) or be frightened for 1d4 rounds. Creatures that fail their save by ten or more points are instead confused for one round, then frightened for 1d4 rounds.
Anathema Diplomat
PrC, forthcoming
Sometimes, after waking, he would stare at a random object for half an hour, seemingly fascinated, no matter how mundane it was. At other times, Sirnac would repeat simple motions, rapid twitches of a hand. Later, he'd murmur, as if to empty air, repeating single syllables over and over, as if trying them out.
When it got worse, we thought it was stress. It happens, sometimes, even to hardened veterans like Sirnac. They crack under the strain of the Shadow Vigil, unable to cope with all they've seen. Still, we kept an eye on him, of course.
After a week, he started screaming. Randomly, for hours at a time, with no memory afterwards as to what had happened. Of course, we immediately suspected possession and tried the usual measures. Protection circles did nothing. Neither salt, silver nor iron seemed to drive out the possessing creature. We turned to stronger magics of banishment, to no avail.
Then, Sirnac fell unconscious for a day. By then, we had placed him in a cell.
He awoke, suddenly. His eyes opening. We knew something about him was wrong. He did not talk much, anymore, but when he did, he seemed to repeat simple phrases, over and over. He would greet anyone he saw, in a quite friendly manner, as if he had just seen them for the first time. He would randomly twitch his muscles or drop things he was holding, as if every motion was strange to him. Sometimes, he would sit in a corner, drooling and unresponsive, at other times, he would stare at the most common objects as if fascinated by them, turning them over and over in his hands.
We were all sure, by this point, that the man we had known as Sirnac was gone. But then, it got worse...
-Fragment from a Witch Hunter's journal, sealed archives of the Inquisition
The Hollowing
The Hollowing is a condition that affects creatures that have come into contact with entities of the far realm, drawing the eye of certain entities of that realm most commonly referred to as the Watcher. Over subsequent days or weeks, they are slowly being pushed out of their own heads by an invading mind from that realm that is taking over their bodies, until they become nothing more than meat puppets, steered around by curious consciousnesses from beyond the veil of reality.
The hollowing functions much like a disease, but it is a mental one instead of a physical one. As such, the rules are different from those of other diseases:
Infection: It is unknown quite how one draws the eye of a watcher. The Hollowing seems to occur most commonly in those who have been near points where the Far Realm interacts with the Great Wheel or have made extensive contact with creatures influenced by the Realm in other ways. Still, the vector for the infection is entirely unknown. Neither creatures immune to disease (even supernatural disease) nor mindless creatures are entirely protected against the infection. Nothing but an exceptionally strong mind seems to help.
First Stage: Contact
During the first stage, the host creature's grasp on reality is getting weaker. Every day, they must succeed on a will save (DC 20) or suffer a single point of wisdom drain.
This wisdom drain can be healed as normal, halting the infection.
In this stage, a sense motive check with a DC of 25 minus the amount of wisdom drain the creature has already taken, reveals that the host is infected, but not by what.
A knowledge: the planes check (DC 20) made by anyone aware of the condition reveals its nature, but no details on further progression or possible cures. A DC 25 check reveals the further progression, including details on the second stage.
Second Stage: Influence If, at any point, the creature's wisdom falls below half it's normal value, from either the Hollowing's drain or any other source, the host enters stage two of the infection from then on. In addition to the wisdom drain, they must make a second will save (DC 15) once every 1d4 hours or whenever they are under stressful conditions, such as combat. If they fail, they are confused for 1 round.
In the second stage, a sense motive check of 15 reveals that something is wrong with the creature.
If at any point, the creature's wisdom is reduced to 0, it falls into a deep coma for 24 hours, then awakens into stage three.
Third stage: Establishment
In the third stage, the creature's original mind is driven out of its body. It is now effectively dead (and, indeed, its mind has moved on to the afterlife and can be found there). Instead, a mind from the Far Realm is establishing itself inside, slowing gaining control.
In this stage, the creature has its dexterity and wisdom reduced to 1 and it's alignment changed to Neutral. Every day, its dexterity and wisdom are increased by one point, until they reach the initial scores of the host.
Fourth Stage: Completion
In this stage, the creature gains the Watcher's Vessel template. Apart from that, the condition does not progress further.
Cure: Curing the Hollowing is difficult, as those spells that work against disease (cure disease, etc.), curses (remove curse, break enchantment) or possession (banishment, protection from evil) seem to have any effect.
Instead, the invading mind must be drawn out of the body in one of two ways:
If placed in total sensory deprivation, the invading mind will lose interest after 1d4 days and leave the host, ending the condition. How this is done must depend on the host creature's senses: creatures able to move must be restrained or paralyzed, those able to see placed in utter darkness, those able to hear in a silent space. Even more unusual senses must be cut off: creatures with tremorsense might be placed on an utterly unmoving surface, such as a wall of force, or suspended in midair.
If sensory deprivation is not available, effects that trap a soul or mind can be used instead: trap the soul or soul bind work, as would Thinnaun and similar effects. During stages one or two, the creature may make a charisma check (DC 20). If it succeeds, the invading mind is trapped, ending the condition. If the host creature fails, its soul is instead trapped, leaving the invader in control and moving the condition to stage three immediately.
In stages three or four, removing the mind instead leaves the body alive, but comatose. The creature's soul must be found on the outer planes and brought back into the body. Resurrection magic works, as does an effect like Contact Other Plane or even physical travel to the creature's afterlife.
A Wish or Miracle can immediately remove the condition, even in the later stages.
Watcher's Vessel
Watcher's Vessel is an acquired template added to those who have been hollowed out completely, completing the last stage of the Hollowing.
Vessels may occasionally behave irrationally or strangely, but it is difficult to spot to those who weren't familiar to the host before infection. There is always something unsettling and strange about them and their goals are incomprehensible, but they are often able to mimic normal behaviour quite well.
The Vessel is identical to the host creature in every way, including size and creature type, except that it gains the following abilities:
Alien Mind: (ex) The creature is treated as mindless for the purposes of all spells and effects affecting it, though it keeps all its class features, feats and skill points. It can never profit from any morale bonus to any of its statistics, but also suffers no penalty from emotion-based negative effects such as Crushing Despair.
Faithless: (ex) The creature's alignment changes to neutral. If it had any divine spellcasting, it loses it. Furthermore, it may not cast any spells or use any spell-like with an alignment subtype or use a supernatural ability replicating those. The vessel has magic immunity (infinite spell resistance) to all effects, magical or supernatural, that have different effects based on the creature's alignment (such as a smite ability, or a spell such as Holy Word that targets all creatures not of a certain alignment).
Twisted: (ex) Spells, spell-like effects or supernatural abilities that target a certain creature type (including magical items such as bane weapons) have no effects on a Vessel. This does not include mundane abilities such as a ranger's favoured enemy, which work as normal.
Unsettling: (ex) The Watcher's Vessel makes creatures that interact with it instinctively uncomfortable. Animals, as well as other creatures with an intelligence of 1 or 2 have their initial attitude towards the Vessel worsened by one step. The vessel has a -4 penalty on all diplomacy check and an additional (stacking) -4 penalty towards all creatures who were closely familiar with the host creature before.
Additionally, once per day, the Vessel may reveal some of its true form. This is a supernatural ability that takes a standard action. All creatures able to perceive the vessel in any way (including unusual senses, such as scent, tremorsense or mindsight) must make a will save (DC 1/2 the Vessel's HD +the creature's charisma score) or be frightened for 1d4 rounds. Creatures that fail their save by ten or more points are instead confused for one round, then frightened for 1d4 rounds.
Anathema Diplomat
PrC, forthcoming