At the conflux of the Elven Planar Veils lies and organic crystalline form often called the Benighted Pleomorphic Prion from Beyond. Described enigmatically by mad sorcerers as "the primal form of the nth-dimensional hyperprion, the ur-proteinaceous infections particle from the realm of Platonic solids," the Benighted Pleomorphic Prion from Beyond is mindless, and its only agenda (inasmuch as it can be said to have one) is to propagate itself. It is only through a random confluence of happenstance that it self-organized the symbolism necessary to reach humanoid minds, potentially acting as a memetic infection in the same fashion that standard prions cause physical disease. Communing with the Benighted Pleomorphic Prion from Beyond requires a week-long ritual in a place of great bloodshed - abattoirs and battlefields are ideal - involving the consumption of cattle, pig, and sheep brains, though other common herd animals can be substituted.
Invoke Patron check results:
| 12 - 13 |
the Polypeptide Prince of Palsy has heard the caster's prayers and released the first emanation! A creature of the caster's choice is struck with palsy, taking a -2d penalty to all actions for the next round. |
| 14 - 17 |
The Archon of Amygdalal Amyloids bestows the second emanation upon the caster. The caster's unsteady and unpredictable gait grants a +10' bonus to speed and +1d6 Agility for the next hour. This extra Agility may be spellburned as normal. |
| 18 - 19 |
The Peptidyl Pleomorph of Pain unleashes the third emanation on all the caster's enemies. The caster and their allies are unaffected, but all other creatures within 60' must make a Fort save vs the spell check or be struck by a terrible and sudden wasting illness, taking a -2d penalty to all actions and 1d6 damage each round for 1d6+CL rounds. |
| 20 - 23 |
The Ribosomal Regent of Ruin induces the fourth emanation upon a chosen foe. A creature of the caster's choice within line of sight must make a Fort save vs. the spell check or be dominated as misfolded proteins accumulate within the brain. The creature is dominated for 1d4 turns, but is under the control of the Benighted Pleomorphic Prion from Beyond, not the caster. It is predisposed to assist the caster and follow her commands, but likely has its own agenda and may wander off on its own to complete it. |
| 24 - 27 |
The Protean Protein of Pandemonium sends the fifth emanation to assist the caster. An amino acolyte arrives in the following round, chaotically attacking the caster's enemies. It remains for one hour. |
| 28 - 29 |
The Monstrous Macromolecule of Malconformation sends the sixth emanation to assist the caster. An amyloid abomination arrives in the following round, chaotically attacking the caster's enemies. It remains for one hopur. |
| 30 - 31 |
The Proteopathic Particle of Perversion sends the seventh emanation to assist the caster. A prion proxy arrives immediately, attacking the caster's enemies. It remains for 2d6 rounds. |
| 32+ |
The Odious Oligopeptide of Obscenities sends the eighth emanation to protect the caster. An amyotrophic avatar arrives immediately to attack the caster's enemies. It remains for 2d6 rounds. |
Patron Taint: Benighted Pleomorphic Prion from Beyond
When patron taint is indicated for the Benighted Pleomorphic Prion from Beyond, roll 1d6 on the table below. When a caster has acquired all six taints at all levels of effect, their is no need to continue rolling any more.
| Roll |
Result |
| 1 |
The caster begins scratching involuntarily, apparently as some manner of nervous tic. If this result is rolled a second time, the caster also suffers from trichotillomania, the compulsory pulling out of hair, resulting in bald patches atop the head and in any prevalent body hair. If this result is rolled a third time, the caster's persistent scratching has opened lesions on the skin. These wounds are not infectious, but they are unsightly and mark the caster as potentially diseased. |
| 2 |
The caster becomes permanently fatigued, taking a -1d penalty to initiative rolls. If this result is rolled a second time, the caster stops dreaming entirely, subsisting only in blackness until morning arrives. If the result is rolled a third time, the caster abandons sleep entirely. The caster is now immune to sleep effects, and gains the benefit of a night's rest by performing only light activity. If the caster is at full health and has retained memory of all spells, he functions with no sleep whatsoever. |
| 3 |
The caster gains a tendency to laugh at inappropriate times. If silence or tact is paramount, the caster mush make a DC 5 Will save to stifle this inappropriate laughter, but otherwise suffers a -1 penalty to relevant Personality checks while interacting with others. Conversely, enemies gain a +1 bonus to any rolls made to perceive the caster, as the caster's laughter announces their presence. If this result is rolled a second time, the laughter requires a DC 10 Will save to stifled, and the penalty increases to -2 to Personality checks and a +2 to enemies' perception checks. If this result is rolled a third time, the caster's nearly constant laughter requires a DC 15 Will save to stifle, and the appropriate penalties increase to -3 and +3. |
| 4 |
The caster experiences difficulty swallowing and develops a noticeable speech impediment. If this result is rolled a second time, the caster experiences rapid weight loss over the coming days, permanently losing 1 point of Stamina and potentially decreasing their Fort save and hit points if this change results in a lower Stamina modifier. If this result is rolled a third time, the caster suffers from an extreme loss of appetite, allowing him to survive on half as much food as other creatures, potentially consuming one day's rations every two days. |
| 5 |
The caster gains noticeably tremors in his head neck. IF this result is rolled a second time, the caster's whole body is wracked by small but persistent tremors, and the caster permanently loses 1 point of Agility. If this result is rolled a third time, the caster's tremors become so violent that they gain a permanent -10' penalty to speed. |
| 6 |
The caster becomes incapable of processing plant matter, instead only able to subsist on fungi and meat (the caster can consume plants suffused with prion proteins, but the difficulty of identifying such fare makes it an unrealistic food source). Any food that the caster cannot assimilate is violently regurgitated within 2d8 minutes, causing 1d3 hit points of damage in the process. If this result is rolled a second time, the caster becomes incapable of eating any food that is not mammalian in origin, and the brains of such creatures are preferred delicacies (the judge may determine if some manner of eldritch beast is close enough to the typical mammal to apply. Dragons probably are not, but owlbears might be). If this result is rolled a third time, the caster becomes completely cannibalistic, only capable of eating the meat of their own species to survive. |
Patron Spells: Benighted Pleomorphic Prion from Beyond
The nth-dimensional hyperprion grants three unique spells, as follows:
Spellburn: Benighted Pleomorphic Prion from Beyond
The Benighted Pleomorphic Prion from Beyond can hardly be said to perceive its charges' requests at all, instead manifesting as symbolic crystallographic resonance within the form of the petitioner. When a caster utilizes spellburn, roll 1d4 and consult the table below or build off the suggestions to create and event specific to your home campaign.
| Roll |
Spellburn Result |
| 1 |
The caster is wracked with spasms and crippled with palsy, leaving them clumsy and weakened (expressed as Stamina, Strength, or Agility loss). |
| 2 |
The Benighted Pleomorphic Prion from Beyond expresses its boundless desire to spread. The caster may choose one willing companion to take the stat loss in his stead. For each point of spellburn, the chosen companion loses 1d3 ability score points. If any of the target's abilities drop to 0 in this fashion, the target dies. NOTE: an autopsy reveals holes in the target's brain, and the target's corpse becomes an environmental reservoir of prion proteins, potentially causing further infection. |
| 3 |
The caster is wracked with a bout of hideous, gibbering laughter resulting in a terrible seizure. In addition to the normal options, the caster may spellburn points of Personality, as well. |
| 4 |
The Benighted Pleomorphic Prion from Beyond demands a service from the caster. The caster may spellburn up to 10 points of ability score loss without taking an action or damage. If the character manages to grind the brains of a mammal and slip it into the feed of the same species of mammal within the next 24 hours, the caster takes no spellburn (a farm or other large-scale operation is preferable to maximize the spread of prion infection, but as long as the caster does this to at least one animal, it is acceptable. The caster's own horses will do nicely if no other animals are available, as will the caster's companions...). Otherwise, the caster takes the full 10 points of spellburn, distributed across the caster's ability score as the judge sees fit. |
Demons of the Benighted Pleomorphic Prion from Beyond
Amino Acolyte (type I demon, BPPB): Init +1; Atk Tendril Slam +4 melee (1d8 plus 1d4 Agility drain; DC 14 Fort AC 14; HD 4d12; MV 30' or Swim 30'; Act 1d20; SP demon traits; SV Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +5; AL C
An amino acolyte is a whitish mound of ropy tendrils, roughly the size of a man, that moves as a single unit like a slime or ooze. They exist only to inflict the palsy exemplified by their proteinaceous master. If a creature is slain by an amino acolyte, that creature's corpse becomes an environmental reservoir of prion proteins, potentially causing further infection.
Amyloid Abomination (type II demon, BPPB): Init +2; Atk Tendril Slam +8 melee (1d8 plus 1d4 Intelligence drain; DC 16 Fort AC 16; HD 6d12; MV 30' or Swim 30'; Act 2d20; SP demon traits; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +7; AL C
An amyloid abomination is a ruddy, pinkish mound of ropy tendrils, roughly the size of a man, that moves as a single unit like a slime or ooze. They exist only to inflict the palsy exemplified by their proteinaceous master. If a creature is slain by an amyloid abomination, that creature's corpse becomes an environmental reservoir of prion proteins, potentially causing further infection.
Prion Proxy (type III demon, BPPB): Init +3; Atk Tendril Slam +10 melee (1d10+4 AC 18; HD 10d12; MV 40' or Swim 40' or Fly 40'; Act 2d20; SP disease, spell (+8 spell check): paralysis, demon traits; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +9; AL C
Prion Proxies are multicolored, crystalline, ropy horrors the size of grizzly bears. Any creatures wounded by prion proxies must make a DC 18 Fort save or contract a terrible disease. The disease manifests as lost of coordination and muscle definition in 1d8 weeks, resulting in a -2 penalty to Strength, Agility, and Intelligence. Each day thereafter, the creature must make the same Fort save or lose and additional point of Strength, Agility, and Intelligence. If any of these abilities reaches 0, the creature dies. Its body is similarly infected by this wasting illness, potentially infecting anything biting it, eating its corpse, or consuming matter that grows upon the spot where it dies. The disease lasts until cured by magical means, and its lingering effects in the environment can be eliminated in the same fashion.
Amyotrophic Avatar (type IV demon, BPPB): Init +4; Atk Tendril Slam +12 melee (1d12+4 AC 20; HD 14d12; MV 40' or Swim 40' or Fly 40'; Act 2d20; SP Prion curse, spells (+8 spell check): paralysis, ray of enfeeblement, demon traits; SV Fort +7, Ref +4, Will +12; AL C
Amyotrophic avatars are massive, prismatic, tendrilled, ropy entites roughly the size of houses. Any creatures wounded by amyotrophic avatars must make a DC 20 Fort save or become afflicted by the prion proxies, except that it manifests in 1d6 days, and when such a creature dies, an amino acolyte erupts from its corpse.
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