Monster Monday: Indistinct Slug-Things

Indistinct Slug-Things
No. Appearing: 1d6 + 5 (10d10)
Armor Class: 16 (12)
Hit Dice: 1+1
Attacks: 2 (sting 1d6)
Morale: 5
Alignment: Chaotic

The Indistinct Slug-Things are an awful race that is believed by those few who know of their existence to have ruled the world eons beyond the memory of even the Antediluvian Age.  What these creatures call themselves is a mystery to those scholars that have been able to glimpse examples of their written language or hear their strange, bewitching song.  It is likely that the strange tinkling noises they use to communicate are beyond the capacity of the human tongue.

They appear at first to be only orbs of light, roughly six inches in radius.  Those who approach closer will see their faint, sluggish outline.  They are only completely visible during their song (see below), when their entire body glows horribly.  When singing, their AC is reduced to unarmored.

The Indistinct Slug-Things require a human slave in order to perform the rites required by their strange, inhuman gods.  To acquire these slaves, the Indistinct Slug-Things employ a horrible tinkling song that hypnotizes humans and other sapient creatures (Save vs. Magic or be mesmerized for 3d6 exploration turns).  After five such failed saves, the hypnotic effect lasts for 3d6 days.  Victims thus entrances are often sent back to human population centers to lure other unwitting dupes into the clutches of these terrible creatures.  While an individual slug-thing cannot carry the song longer than the typical range of human vocal chords, a group of 10 or more can project the song for up to six miles.  Humans who have been mesmerized for a period of days will also replicate the song in a horribly inhuman fashion.

The Indistinct Slug-Things also employ a number of strange technologies in order to restrain their victims.  The most common are shackles made from a strange, golden material that can neither be cut nor broken by any means known to man.  This metal is usually poured over the victim's wrist using an alien device thus far only found in the possession of these creatures.  After it is poured, it flows over the victims wrists and eventually forms the shape of the shackles.  They are rumored to have other technologies beyond humankind's current capacity, but they are so rarely encountered that this may or may not be true.

These creatures are only rarely found in the Desert of Demons.  Their lairs are underground 100% of the time and are usually strangely shaped mountains which are believed by some to have been constructed by them in the ages before the rise of man. Here they live in massive underground complexes - often larger than the size of their community would seem to warrant.  There will be young equal to 50% the total number of adults (HD 1/2).  The Indistinct-Slug Things are believed to be hermaphroditic and if they do possess separate sexes then both sexes participate equally in their attempts to capture human slaves.

Some scholars believe that the Indistinct Slug-Things are only the degenerate remnants of what would have been a far more formidable and psychically powerful race.  The Slug-Things are encountered rarely enough that fears that these more powerful creatures might be encountered are generally dismissed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inspired by A. Merritt's "The People of the Pit" with a tiny dash of "the Moon Pool."

I am aware that there is a module based on that story.