Nerra

Some scholars maintain that the common belief that mirrors simply reflect light is wrong—in truth, they allow the viewer to gaze into a reality that exists alongside the one they know. That reality is known as the Plane of Mirrors.

The rulers of the Plane of Mirrors are the creatures known as nerras. Enigmatic and contrary by nature, nerras lurk the eternal hallways of the Plane of Mirrors, observing activities on the Material Plane by looking through any of the countless mirrors that serve as conduits between the two planes.

All nerras look like normal humanoids, but they have skin with a perfectly mirrorlike smooth surface.

Nerra occasionally cross the border between the planes to kidnap individuals on the Material Plane. It has been theorized that they are planning an invasion of the Material Plane.

Sometimes nerras wander the Planes, gathering information and infiltrating a variety of organizations. They monitor the activity of a wide range of people. These are usually, but not always, individuals in positions of power. After a while, they try to capture the individual and bring him or her onto the Plane of Mirrors.

Nerras speak Common plus their own language. Their language is not particularly pleasant since it sounds like glass being scored by a rock. Over time, most nerras learn the language of the particular race that they spend the most time observing.

Combat

Nerras are accomplished and sneaky fighters that use ambush and cover to bring down their opponents. They prefer to lurk on the Plane of Mirrors and surprise an opponent by leaping out of a mirror. If a nerra is planning on kidnapping a victim, it uses weapons and techniques that capture or cause subdual damage.

When killed, a nerra shatters into a thousand mirrorlike shards. After about 10 minutes, these shards turn into pools of quicksilver before fading away into nothing.

Mirror Jump (Su): Nerras can move through mirrored and reflective surfaces at will. This effect is similar to shadow walk, but the nerra travels along the Plane of Mirrors. As a standard action, the nerra must touch a mirror or other highly reflective surface. The nerra then exits from another mirror that is no farther than 1 mile away.

If a nerra touches a regular mirror, the mirror jump happens automatically. A nerra can also touch a highly reflective surface, such as a polished metal shield or armor. This surface must be clear glass, a still pool of water, or shiny metal. There is a 30% chance that the surface is reflective enough for the nerra to make the mirror jump. However, a nerra can only enter a nonmirrored surface⁠—​it can return only through a normal mirror.

If another mirror is not within the range of the mirror jump, the nerra must wander the Plane of Mirrors and exit through another random mirror portal.

Reflective Spell Resistance (Sp): A nerra has a special type of spell resistance that causes any targeted spell it successfully resists to bounce off and reflect back at the caster. The caster becomes either the spell’s target or the point of origin for the spell’s effect, as appropriate. In addition, nerras are immune to gaze attacks, and such an effect is reflected back to its origin.

Shard Weapon Specialty: All nerra receive a bonus Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat with at least one shard weapon. Many also gain a bonus Weapon Focus feat for one or more types of shard weapon.

Sonic Vulnerability (Ex): All nerras have vulnerability to sonic energy damage.

Shard Weapons

Nerras employ swords and daggers that are made out of the substance of the Plane of Mirrors. They resemble shards of a broken mirror that have been set into a shiny hilt. Despite their fragile appearance, shard weapons are incredibly tough, deadly, and razor-sharp. Shard weapons leave terrible wounds that bleed incessantly.

Shard weapons are +2 wounding weapons. In the hands of someone without the appropriate Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat, the weapon is awkward (−4 penalty wielder’s on attack rolls) and contributes only its enhancement bonus, not the wounding ability, on any attacks made with it.

Nerra Society

Nerras are contrary by nature, and they balance on a knife’s edge of different morality and ethics. They strive to maintain a neutral outlook, but see themselves as inherently superior beings to those that gaze into their mirror portals.

Sillits are the leaders of the nerras, but they rule through necessity more than for the sake of power. Individual varoots and kalareems can wield considerable power and even eclipse a sillit over time. Most, however, defer to the rule of the sillits with no qualms.

Creating devious schemes, Nerra replace kidnapped individuals with mirror replicas. The mirror twins are the first wave and act as sleeper agents for the moment when the nerras can launch a massive force of their own. Regardless of their alignment, mirror twins defer to the rule of nerras.

Certain nerras observe a particular grouping of mirror portals, called constellations. Constellations are mirrors that have something in common⁠—​created by the same owner, made from the same source, or created in the same place. Because time is static in the Plane of Mirrors, a nerra can watch entire generations pass by and learn a tremendous amount about them.

Nerra Characters

The favored class of varoots is rogue. Kalareems’ favored class is fighter, and sillits are wizards. A nerra PC’s effective character level (ECL) is its class level plus the appropriate modifier: kalareem +6, sillit +18, varoot +3. Thus, a 1st-level varoot rogue has an ECL of 4 and is the equivalent of a 4th-level character. A nerra character’s spell resistance is equal to its class level + 12.

The statistics block below contains details for more than one type of nerra. Use the horizontal scrollbar below it to display the desired one or select from the links below that.

Kalareem • Sillit • Varoot

Kalareem ⬆️

While nerras are usually stealthy in combat, there are times when brute force is necessary. This special breed of warriors is called the kalareems, and they are ferocious warriors that fight with two shard swords. They are the chosen defenders of the Plane of Mirrors.

Kalareems look like bulky and muscular nerras. Instead of the smooth, naked form of varoots, they seem to wear mirrored armor that blends in with their natural form. They are quiet and taciturn, and they fight with fluid grace.

Kalareems lack the ability to use disguise self as other nerras, but they still reflect spells.

A kalareem can be summoned using a summon monster IV spell.

Combat

Kalareems move and fight with deadly accuracy, and they seem to flow more than walk. Kalareems prefer to soften up a target from a distance with their shard spray and will usually exhaust this option before moving into melee. Once in combat, they spin and twist in an acrobatic display, wielding their shard swords with deadly accuracy.

Shard Spray (Su): Three times per day, a kalareem can release a spray of mirrorlike shards from its hands that can flay flesh and cause massive lacerations. The spray is a 30-foot cone, and it deals 1d4 points of damage per level of the kalareem, up to a maximum of 5d4.

In addition, a wound resulting from a kalareem’s shard spray attack bleeds for an additional 2 points of damage per round thereafter. Multiple wounds from such attacks result in cumulative bleeding loss (two wounds for 4 points of damage per round, and so on). The bleeding can be stopped only by a successful Heal check (DC 10) or the application of any cure spell or other healing spell (heal, healing circle, or the like).

Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day⁠—​mirror image. Caster level 12th; save DC 11 + spell level.

Sillit ⬆️

Sillits are the leaders, planners, and schemers of the nerras. Unless urgent business takes them to the Material Plane, sillits rarely leave the safety of the Plane of Mirrors.

Physically, sillits look like other nerras. They have a humanoid shape covered with mirrorlike skin, and their faces are completely smooth. Unlike varoots or kalareems, sillits prefer to wear clothing such as fine silk robes of shiny black with large hoods.

Combat

Sillits do not like melee combat and engage opponents only if absolutely necessary. They make extensive use of their spell-like abilities and mirror jump ability to get out of situations that can be avoided, but they wield their shard swords with deadly accuracy if called upon.

A sillit can be summoned using a summon monster VI spell.

Shard Spray (Su): Three times per day, a sillit can release a spray of mirrorlike shards from its hands that can flay flesh and cause massive lacerations. The spray is a 30-foot cone, and it deals 1d6 points of damage per level of the sillit, up to a maximum of 5d6.

In addition, a wound resulting from a sillit’s shard spray attack bleeds for an additional 2 points of damage per round thereafter. Multiple wounds from such attacks result in cumulative bleeding loss (two wounds for 4 points of damage per round, and so on). The bleeding can be stopped only by a successful Heal check (DC 10) or the application of any cure spell or other healing spell (heal, healing circle, or the like).

Spell-Like Abilities: At will⁠—​disguise self, false vision, mirror image; 3/day⁠—​mislead. Caster level 16th; save DC 14 + spell level.

Varoot ⬆️

Varoots are the most common nerras to be found both on the Plane of Mirrors and the Material Plane. They are experts at spying, infiltration, and subterfuge.

In their natural form, varoots have a basic humanoid shape that is covered with a mirrorlike sheen that reflects everything around them. Their facial features are smooth and rather indistinct. Varoots wear clothing only when they are mimicking a target.

When wandering the Material Plane on one of their missions, varoots move about while under a disguise self effect, and they typically take the form of their target or someone close to them.

Combat

Varoots dislike getting into combat since they see it as a failure to be stealthy or deceptive enough. When they do have to fight, they prefer to create a mirror image to confuse their opponent or use disguise self to mimic an opponent’s ally.

Varoots wield razor-sharp shard weapons. A typical tactic involves striking with a shard weapon, then retreating for a few rounds while the opponent bleeds.

A varoot can be summoned using a summon monster II spell.

Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day—disguise self; 1/day—mirror image. Caster level 12th; save DC 13 + spell level.

Source: Fiend Folio, page 127. Changes applied as per the D&D^® v.3.5 Accessory Update. Appended “Nerra and Manual of the Planes” sidebar to “Nerra Society”.