Stygian Memory

Stygian Memory (by Tom Bubul)

MMCA

Aeshar
Aasimon, Arthurea
Aasimon, Twilight
Aasimon, Soul Child
Ash Child
Ash Witch
Butterfly, Spire
Cogspawn
Concordanach
Dimensional
Dragon, Limaxian
Ember Hulk
Ethereal Swimmer
Faery, Stair
Forgetful Snapper
Guardinal, Ardeidal
Golem, Gear
Halato
Ispi
Ixnae
Koylith
L'Zoir
Malakin
Mephit, Shadow
Minion of Chaos
Mock
Moigno, Imaginary
Moigno, Rational
Phileet
Pyroead
Scarling
Scurpyon
Slaad, Rogue
Stithid
Stygian Memory
Symmetrian
Tanar'gre
Tanar'ri, Dracor'ri
Tanar'ri, Kah'Lesar
Taster
Tem'mat
Termite, Jewel
Valkarthi
Wasp, Bytopian
Waurac
Worm, Pentranomeker

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CLIMATE/TERRAIN:

Lower Planes, the Styx
The Stygian Memory can't be seen;
it's a creature existing only in the aural regions.
Voilá! has captured the distinctive sound of
and recorded it in this mimir.
It should be safe to listen to without fear of possession,
but he makes no promises, and would like to make it clear
he cannot be held responsible for any harmful consequences.

Sod the danger, let me hear it
(stygianmemory.wav, 312K)

FREQUENCY:

Very rare

ORGANISATION:

Solitary

ACTIVITY CYCLE:

Any

DIET:

None

INTELLIGENCE:

Low (6-7)

TREASURE:

None

ALIGNMENT:

Neutral

NO. APPEARING:

1

ARMOUR CLASS:

0

MOVEMENT:

Fly 18 (A), Swim 12

HIT DICE:

3 +_5

THAC0:

15 (see below)

NO. OF ATTACKS:

1

DAMAGE/ATTACK:

1d10

SPECIAL ATTACKS:

Inhabit mind

SPECIAL DEFENCES:

Invisibility, silence 15' radius, +1 weapons needed to hit

MAGIC RESISTANCE:

None

SIZE:

None (see below)

MORALE:

13

XP VALUE:

2,000

"After 4 weeks in Pandemonium, our wizard Naphis went barmy and dove into the Styx to clean his memory of the chaos and horror we had so far encountered. He knew he'd come out of the dirty water with the smarts of a little kid, but he didn't care. He just couldn't take it. After seeing 6 of your best friends dismembered and eaten, he had to forget it somehow. He did, but the memory remains... elsewhere."

-- Winking John, Master Thief and Explorer

When a cutter that's witnessed such horror and sadness willingly jumps in the Styx to clean his brain, then the conditions for a Stygian Memory form.... a magical being of pure sound, the same sounds of horror and evil that drove the sod to take a dip in the black waters. The memory then flies about the lower planes, and swims through the Styx, looking for a new head to inhabit... and a new mind to torture.

COMBAT: The Memory enters combat whenever it finds a mind it thinks it can inhabit... preferably that of someone who shares the profession of it's original owner. It attacks by creating a sonic blast of some sound contained in itself, usually that of crying or screaming, dealing 1d10 points of damage to everything in a 30' radius. When making such an attack, all non-magical armour and bonuses to AC due to high dexterity are ignored. Note that this sound is directly implanted into the mind, and deafness doesn't protect from it. They cause Silence 15' radius at will, and for combat purposes are considered under the influence of an Invisibility spell at all times.

A memory can also try to inhabit someone's mind. To do so, it needs only make a successful sound attack, directed at a particular target. The target then makes a saving throw versus death, a failure indicates the Memory has gotten inside their head. From inside, it wraps itself into the poor sod's subconscious, and causes constant nightmares of it's contained memories during sleep. This causes it's host to lose sleep and awareness. Healing through rest only works at half speed. Saving throws suffer a -1 penalty. Melee attack rolls suffer a -1 penalty to hit, missile attacks a -2 penalty to hit. Spells have a 20% chance to fizzle. The only way to rid oneself of a Stygian Memory is a Wish, Limited Wish, a psionic Psychic Surgery, or the same way it's original owner got it out: a bath in the Styx.

HABITAT/SOCIETY: Stygian Memories are completely independent of one another, and aren't even aware of any other Memory's existence. They live mostly on the banks and in the waters of the Styx... searching constantly for the odd adventuring band or the group riding by on a marraenoloth's skiff.

ECOLOGY: Winking John, on the nature of the Stygian Memory:

"When poor Naphis dove in the water, his memory rose up and came for me. After fighting the thing off, I did a little research on them, as I've never seen... rather, heard, quite a thing in me life. Turns out, they don't reproduce, and are only created when someone that has a lot of magic in them takes a willing dive in the Styx, so there's probably only a limited number in existence right now. Also, they seem to never attack 'loths, but I've read of instances where abishai have got their brains possessed... I figure they'd have no effect on a tanar'ri, but I don't know for sure."

"Anyway, I talked to some Guvner sod a little ways back. He claims that the things don't mean no harm, but have to inhabit a mind to survive. He claims they can't live outside of a body for more than a few months. He also claims that they can leave at will, in hopes of entering a better mind, but I think that's a bunch a screed. What Guvner who knows what he's talking about talks for free? Anyway, I don't know... trust him if you like, he might've knowed what he was babbling about."

[Author's note: The sound was made from the crying on the "Spin Spin Sugar" track of the Sneaker Pimp's "Becoming X" album. The background comes from the track "6 Underground" on the same album. The laughter at the end comes from the track "Vit Drowning" on the Future Sound of London's "Dead Cities".]

Copyright 1999 by Tom Bubul

Aeshar Aasimon, Arthurea Aasimon, Twilight Aasimon, Soul Child Ash Child Ash Witch Butterfly, Spire Cogspawn Concordanach Dimensional Dragon, Limaxian Ember Hulk Ethereal Swimmer Faery, Stair Forgetful Snapper Guardinal, Ardeidal Golem, Gear Halato Ispi Ixnae Koylith L'Zoir Malakin Mephit, Shadow Minion of Chaos Mock Moigno, Imaginary Moigno, Rational Phileet Pyroead Scarling Scurpyon Slaad, Rogue Stithid Stygian Memory Symmetrian Tanar'gre Tanar'ri, Dracor'ri Tanar'ri, Kah'Lesar Taster Tem'mat Termite, Jewel Valkarthi Wasp, Bytopian Waurac Worm, Pentranomeker [an error occurred while processing this directive]	CLIMATE/TERRAIN:	Lower Planes, the Styx	The Stygian Memory can't be seen; it's a creature existing only in the aural regions. Voilá! has captured the distinctive sound of and recorded it in this mimir. It should be safe to listen to without fear of possession, but he makes no promises, and would like to make it clear he cannot be held responsible for any harmful consequences. Sod the danger, let me hear it (stygianmemory.wav, 312K)
	FREQUENCY:	Very rare
	ORGANISATION:	Solitary
	ACTIVITY CYCLE:	Any
	DIET:	None
	INTELLIGENCE:	Low (6-7)
	TREASURE:	None
	ALIGNMENT:	Neutral

	NO. APPEARING:	1
	ARMOUR CLASS:	0
	MOVEMENT:	Fly 18 (A), Swim 12
	HIT DICE:	3 +_5
	THAC0:	15 (see below)
	NO. OF ATTACKS:	1
	DAMAGE/ATTACK:	1d10
	SPECIAL ATTACKS:	Inhabit mind
	SPECIAL DEFENCES:	Invisibility, silence 15' radius, +1 weapons needed to hit
	MAGIC RESISTANCE:	None
	SIZE:	None (see below)
	MORALE:	13
	XP VALUE:	2,000

	"After 4 weeks in Pandemonium, our wizard Naphis went barmy and dove into the Styx to clean his memory of the chaos and horror we had so far encountered. He knew he'd come out of the dirty water with the smarts of a little kid, but he didn't care. He just couldn't take it. After seeing 6 of your best friends dismembered and eaten, he had to forget it somehow. He did, but the memory remains... elsewhere." *-- Winking John, Master Thief and Explorer* When a cutter that's witnessed such horror and sadness willingly jumps in the Styx to clean his brain, then the conditions for a Stygian Memory form.... a magical being of pure sound, the same sounds of horror and evil that drove the sod to take a dip in the black waters. The memory then flies about the lower planes, and swims through the Styx, looking for a new head to inhabit... and a new mind to torture. COMBAT: The Memory enters combat whenever it finds a mind it thinks it can inhabit... preferably that of someone who shares the profession of it's original owner. It attacks by creating a sonic blast of some sound contained in itself, usually that of crying or screaming, dealing 1d10 points of damage to everything in a 30' radius. When making such an attack, all non-magical armour and bonuses to AC due to high dexterity are ignored. Note that this sound is directly implanted into the mind, and deafness doesn't protect from it. They cause Silence 15' radius at will, and for combat purposes are considered under the influence of an Invisibility spell at all times. A memory can also try to inhabit someone's mind. To do so, it needs only make a successful sound attack, directed at a particular target. The target then makes a saving throw versus death, a failure indicates the Memory has gotten inside their head. From inside, it wraps itself into the poor sod's subconscious, and causes constant nightmares of it's contained memories during sleep. This causes it's host to lose sleep and awareness. Healing through rest only works at half speed. Saving throws suffer a -1 penalty. Melee attack rolls suffer a -1 penalty to hit, missile attacks a -2 penalty to hit. Spells have a 20% chance to fizzle. The only way to rid oneself of a Stygian Memory is a Wish, Limited Wish, a psionic Psychic Surgery, or the same way it's original owner got it out: a bath in the Styx. HABITAT/SOCIETY: Stygian Memories are completely independent of one another, and aren't even aware of any other Memory's existence. They live mostly on the banks and in the waters of the Styx... searching constantly for the odd adventuring band or the group riding by on a marraenoloth's skiff. ECOLOGY: Winking John, on the nature of the Stygian Memory: "When poor Naphis dove in the water, his memory rose up and came for me. After fighting the thing off, I did a little research on them, as I've never seen... rather, heard, quite a thing in me life. Turns out, they don't reproduce, and are only created when someone that has a lot of magic in them takes a willing dive in the Styx, so there's probably only a limited number in existence right now. Also, they seem to never attack 'loths, but I've read of instances where abishai have got their brains possessed... I figure they'd have no effect on a tanar'ri, but I don't know for sure." "Anyway, I talked to some Guvner sod a little ways back. He claims that the things don't mean no harm, but have to inhabit a mind to survive. He claims they can't live outside of a body for more than a few months. He also claims that they can leave at will, in hopes of entering a better mind, but I think that's a bunch a screed. What Guvner who knows what he's talking about talks for free? Anyway, I don't know... trust him if you like, he might've knowed what he was babbling about." [Author's note: The sound was made from the crying on the "Spin Spin Sugar" track of the Sneaker Pimp's "Becoming X" album. The background comes from the track "6 Underground" on the same album. The laughter at the end comes from the track "Vit Drowning" on the Future Sound of London's "Dead Cities".] Copyright 1999 by Tom Bubul