Dearg Due (DAH-ruhg DU-ah)
"Scorned and abused, justice came swiftly with a hunger unquenchable."
While tales of the progenitor of these creatures are little more than myth and legend, they persist and thrive within the new world that followed the blighting of the land. Gathered in a small coven upon the peaks of the Barren Ridge, they scheme and hold secret congress, intent upon influencing the world in ways incomprehensible to the finite mortal mind. Those that venture into their domain are seldom seen again, though for a price, they have been known to grant a boon of power for those they find worthy.
Basic Information
Anatomy
These creature are created from humanoid stock, and are nearly indistinguishable from their host species unless they opt to expose their true nature. THey maintain an allure of attractiveness and an air of power about them, adding to their allure of their presence to mortals.
When they do opt to reveal their nature, their appearance shifts as their guise falls away. Eyes that glow with a soft warm light and elongated fangs framed by near-perfect skin lines with veins of violet and black, a result of exposure to the Void energy. They move at blinding speeds, and hide within their frames an unnatural strength and endurance. They are able to endure most physical harm without showing signs of injury, and are impervious to pain.
Ecology and Habitats
The Coven at Deireadh an Chroí remains the only standing community of these creatures, and they seldom venture from it, relying instead upon their agents and servants to go out into the world to seed their plots and find victims for their appetites and debauchery. Deireadh an Chroí is a place of extreme cold and high altitude, making it a deadly environment for the living. Since they are unaffected by both cold and the lack of oxygen where they maintain their fortress, it remains a perfect location for them to remain in hiding. These creature need a regular supply of fresh human blood, and maintain this by keeping a small herd of enthralled humanoids trapped in the depths of the caverns below their tower. These stock are resupplied when needed by the servants of the primary coven.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Human blood remains the only source of sustenance they require, and they can exist in any habitat. The remain susceptible to sunlight, and direct sunlight will destroy one of these creatures if left exposed to it. Luckily for them, there are only a few remaining places where the sun still shines directly, and they avoid these locations if at all possible.
Behaviour
The Dearg Due are devious and hyperintellignet manipulators. They are evil creatures with no concern for the suffering of the living, seeing them as beneath their concern beyond the effect they have on the world at large. They are lovers of art and music however, and can be swayed into a more amicable encounter on occasion if entreated by a talented artisan.
Additional Information
Social Structure
The Dearg Due are a matriarchal society, and the Coven itself is ruled entirely by female elders. They work in a unified manner, though some internal bickering does occur. The younger members of their coven, women and men alike are treated well, but expected to fulfill the role of a servitor, and there is little or no tolerance for insolence. Those unwilling to fall into line are destroyed by the elders quickly and usually in front of a gathering of the entire coven as a reminder of the hierarchy in play.
Average Intelligence
These creatures have had lifetimes to amass a wealth of knowledge, and are extremely intelligent.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
They have the uncanny ability to see perfectly in the dark up to 120', and have advantage on all perception checks as a result of their other senses being heightened as well. To add to this, they have the ability to sense the living within a 60' radius of their location.
Civilization and Culture
Major Organizations
Scientific Name
Undead
Origin/Ancestry
Humanoid
Lifespan
Immortal
Geographic Distribution
Related Organizations
Related Ethnicities
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