Silthilar

The silthilar are an unusual form of colonial intelligence found only in the most tangled and remote forests of the world. They are all that remains of a proud and ancient race of sylvan creatures that had mastered the art of grafting and shaping living flesh to suit their own needs. Their world crumbled eons ago when their research unleashed a terrible magic plague. Silthilar wizards, in an act of desperation, worked a powerful spell that separated their minds from their failing bodies. The spell shattered their minds into millions of tiny motes of flesh and bone, each of which served as a vessel for a single piece of silthilar lore. Alone, a single piece of flesh or bone was nothing more than quiescent lore, but together, the particles formed a powerful hive mind capable of organizing thousands upon thousands of similar particles into a single entity.

Today, the silthilar exist as these hive-mind swarms. In their new form, the silthilar are free to pursue their research and experiments without fear of disease or old age. Fortunately, their curiosity about the flesh is tempered by their respect for life. With the notable exception of rogue swarms, most silthilar restrain their research to volunteers who seek out the silthilar to enhance their own bodies.

A silthilar swarm that is at rest or performing research appears as a roiling cloud of green particles. Up close, a single particle appears as a tiny sphere of fleshy tendrils and bony spines, no more than half an inch in diameter and often much smaller than that.

Unlike other swarms, a silthilar swarm can organize itself and transform into a solid shape that closely approximates that of their original body, although one without distinguishing features. In this form, a silthilar is roughly human-sized and shaped, with eight long, thin limbs arranged in a radial pattern around the body in two rings of four. Its four lower extremities end in tiny hands, each with four fingers extending in a radial pattern from the palm, that wield kukris. (When a silthilar assumes swarm form, it stores these weapons in an extradimensional pocket.) Its upper arms are arranged in a similar manner, and each ends in a long, thin spine that serves as a natural weapon. A silthilar’s head is a roughly spherical mass of hundreds of thin tendrils.

Silthilar speak their own language, and their high intelligence allows them to speak many other languages as well. All languages are considered bonus languages for silthilar. Their voices have a distinct buzzing to their otherwise airy tones.

A silthilar swarm’s attacks depend on its current shape. As a swarm, it prefers to simply engulf enemies and scour away at exposed flesh, dealing 2d6 points of damage to any creature whose space it occupies at the end of its move. In its coalesced form, a silthilar attacks more conventionally; it can use its kukris or its spines with great finesse, although it can only bring four natural weapons to bear in a single round (either the four kukris or the four spines, but not some of each).

Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a silthilar in swarm form in its square is nauseated for 1 round; a DC 17 Fortitude save negates the effect. Even with a successful save, spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a swarm requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills requiring patience and concentration requires a DC 20 Concentration check. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Infestation (Su): A silthilar can infest any living creature it strikes with its claws or its swarm damage. A creature so struck must make a DC 17 Fortitude save or take 1d4 points of ability damage selected randomly from Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Warp Flesh (Su): As a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, a silthilar in swarm form can focus its attention on a single living creature that shares one of its squares. The target must make a DC 19 Fortitude save or be transformed into an entirely different creature. This effect is identical to polymorph any object (caster level 9th), except that it can only change a living creature into another living creature. A silthilar does not deal normal swarm damage or cause distraction on a round in which it warps flesh. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Coalesced Form (Su): As a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity, a silthilar can switch from its swarm form to its solid form. Retrieving its weapons from their extradimensional pockets is a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A silthilar does not regain lost hit points when it changes form. It can remain in either form as long as it likes.

In its coalesced form, a silthilar is treated as a Medium aberration with a space/reach of 5 feet/5 feet. It loses its +8 size bonus to its Armor Class and attack rolls, but gains a +8 natural armor bonus from the dense plates of hardened bone and chitin that cover its body. It retains the swarm subtype and all the traits associated with that swarm with the exception of its swarm attack and distraction ability. As a swarm of Fine creatures, it is not subject to extra damage from critical hits and retains its immunity to weapon damage. If a silthilar is struck with a physical attack, it must make a Concentration check (DC 10 + the number of points of damage dealt by the attack) or revert immediately to swarm form and be nauseated for 1d4 rounds.

Immortality (Ex): A silthilar does not age, nor can it be harmed by effects that cause magical aging.

Many silthilar gain class levels (often as wizards). A silthilar gains the benefits of increased Hit Dice, base attack bonuses, saving throw bonuses, and skill points from its class levels in both of its forms. It can use class features and spellcasting abilities only in its coalesced form; these abilities are suppressed while the creature is in swarm form.