The Lithic Courts (for Esoteric Enterprises)

A page of earth-elemental monsters. Somewhat inspired by stuff from Veins of the Earth. Still WiP, but this is largely what they look like.

Envoy of the Lithic Courts

This is a being of the Lithic Courts deep in the earth, an elemental creature made of fine-veined crysteline conglomerates, lit from within by substratal fire. Appears like a mass of dull gems fused together in a shape like an elegant, upright-walking squid, the facets of crystal grinding over one another as it moves. Its voice is the shriek and shudder of stone moving tectonically against stone. It speaks slowly, deliberately and precisely. Its manners and movements are courtly and refined. It is a diplomat on important business, and has little time for creatures made of meat.

Lithic Envoy: 16 flesh (4 dice), 12 grit (2 dice). AC 16 (made of stone). Saves 9+.  2 slams (+3, d12 damage). Immune to cold, sickness, fire, poison, drowning and so on. Moves slowly. Double damage and auto-failed saves vs electricity.  Can ‘see’ perfectly by tremmorsense.

If in doubt, roll a d6 for the Envoy’s business. 1; declaration of war, 2; peace treaty, 3; ransom note, 4; offer of marriage, 5; invitation to court, 6; news of a great substratal disaster.

Flint Songbirds

Little conglomerations of flint shards, all delicate angles and barbs. A Lithic Envoy carries them in gilded cages, and in the event of a fight will release them to fight for him.  Their voices are like glitchy, metallic recordings of extinct songbirds, their behaviour like angry little lapdogs.

Fling Songbirds: 6 flesh (2 dice), 0 grit (0 dice). AC 16 (made of stone). Saves 14+.  Each round, d4+1 flint shards (+2, d4 damage). Immune to cold, sickness, fire, poison, drowning and so on. Double damage and auto-failed saves vs electricity.  Can ‘see’ perfectly by tremmorsense.

Seismic Knight

A sworn soldier of the lithic courts. It’s body a multi-segmented worm stood on end, with long grasping tendrils surrounding a circular maw.  The whole thing a single mass of magma, a black crust of solid basalt over a core of burning orange-yellow molten stone. The glow of igneous fires seeps through cracks in its basalt hide that split open as it moves and then slowly seal shut as the magma sets. Its mouth opens directly into the furnace that is its core. The air blurs around it from the blinding heat-haze, its voice is the roar of super-heated gasses escaping, its gaze a volcanic blowtorch.

Proud, chivalrous, disciplined.  Fights honourably, serves its masters with vigour.

Igneous Peon: 12 flesh (3 dice), 12 grit (3 dice). AC 16 (made of stone). Saves 9+. Maw (+3, d8 damage and 2d8 fire). Immune to cold, sickness, fire, poison, drowning and so on. Moves slowly. Double damage and auto-failed saves vs electricity.  Can ‘see’ perfectly by tremmorsense. Those nearby suffer 1 damage a round just from the sheer heat.

Can declare a single enemy its chosen foe and engage them in single combat. This foe is immune to the Seismic Knight’s heat aura. While engaged in single combat in this way, the knight and its foe get +5 to hit each other.

Igneous Peon

A lesser servant of the lithic courts, a rough elemental being made of shards of basalt and obsidian jammed crudely together into a shape resembling a starfish.

Obsequious and servile. Not very intelligent. Insists on using formal terminology for everybody and everything. Unthinkingly obeys any order given by a being made of stone, metal or other mineral matter; still looks down on those made of meat much like a king’s slaves look down on humble peasants.

Igneous Peon: 8 flesh (2 dice), 4 grit (1 dice). AC 16 (made of stone). Saves 12+. Slam (+2, d12 damage). Immune to cold, sickness, fire, poison, drowning and so on. Moves slowly. Double damage and auto-failed saves vs electricity.  Can ‘see’ perfectly by tremmorsense.

Exalted Lithic Noble

This is one of the lesser nobility of the Lithic Courts, a being made to rule from stone, darkness and magma. Its form is crysteline, a complex mass of interlocking gems and stone extrusions, with the dull glow of magma emanating from some core deep within. The whole thing is shaped much like a jellyfish, with a single mass of subtly-shifting gems forming the mantle that gives way to countless crystalline filaments and tendrils that trail below it.  It glitters and shines in the darkness.

Its voice is an echoing rumble, the lights within it flickering and throbbing alongside its words. It gestures languidly, with the mannerisms of one who is used to being unflinchingly obeyed.

In the true hierarchy of the earth’s deepest veins, it is a trifling lordling, but this close to the surface it outranks most other courtiers that will be encountered.

Lithic Noble: 20 flesh (5 dice), 16 grit (3 dice). AC 16 (made of stone). Saves 7+.  3 slams (+5, d12 damage). Immune to cold, sickness, fire, poison, drowning and so on. Moves slowly. Double damage and auto-failed saves vs electricity.  Can ‘see’ perfectly by tremmorsense. +4 to saves vs mind-control.

Can cast Shape Stone at will  each round, rather than attacking.

Elemental beings of stone given a direct order by a Lithic Noble must Save vs Stunning or obey without question.

Demographics of a Lithic Court

A lithic court encountered within a mile of the earth’s surface is an insignificant outpost.  There will be d4 Exalted Lithic Nobles, and this many Seismic Knights, that form the core of the court. Accompanying them  are 2d6 Igneous Peons of various servile positions, d6 Lithic Envoys and a flock of 26 Flint Songbirds.

Deeper underground, where solid rock gives way to hypercompressed magma, there are far more and far stranger beings than these. The lithic courts themselves are ruled by the Mantled  Lords And Ladies, beings of immense slow power locked in eons-long continental struggles, whose schemes exist on geological time-scales and who could level cities with a mere gesture.