The Tome Of Drow Lore.pdf - RoseRed

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can before slaying those who resist. Incapacitated foes are
taken by the shangu to their homes, where they are used as
food and hosts for shangu in their worm stage.
Paralyse (Su): Three times per day, a shangu can attempt
to paralyse any one living creature within 30 feet. The
target must succeed on a DC 17 Will save or be affected
by this ability. A paralysed target remains conscious
but unable to act physically in any way. This effect lasts
for 1d10+10 rounds and may be removed with a remove
curse or freedom of movement spell. The save DC
is Charisma-based.
Terrify (Su): Meeting the gaze of a shangu is a
terrifying ordeal. Any creature that locks eyes
with a shangu must succeed at a DC 17 Will save
or become panicked for 1d6 rounds. This is a
vision-based mind-affecting fear effect. The save
DC is Charisma-based.
Society
The shangu were once no more intelligent than animals,
living in the Underdeep and confined to simple beasts
like the hulurn for use as hosts for their worm stage.
However, as more intelligent creatures came to inhabit
the Underdeep, they too became hosts for the animalistic
shangu, and the first intelligent devourers emerged from
their hosts. The transition from a mere predator
race to a race of empire builders was astonishingly
swift, so that at the time of the Sundering,
when the drow first encountered the shangu,
they had already become a highly structured,
strictly ordered society.
The shangu now live in large cities deep
in the Underdeep, venturing forth in large
bands to capture more potential hosts for
their young. They maintain large
stocks of slaves and captives to
act as potential hosts and raw
material for their flesh crafting,
and force aggressive breeding programmes
on these captives to produce the most intelligent vessels for
their offspring. Shangu eggs are commonly kept in wellprotected
gestation tanks in the centre of the city.
The fact that their intelligence is not an innate trait of their
race is something they have never forgotten, and the thought
of returning to an animal-like existence is anathema to
the shangu. Maintaining the acquired intellect they now
possess is central to the shangu mindset, a goal that informs
every action taken by the race. They can certainly still
use animals as the hosts for their young, but most shangu
would rather see the worm die than force the stupidity of
an animal upon one of their own. Therefore, the shangu
actively seek out the most intelligent races to use as
hosts. The drow, with their innate intellect, are considered
a nearly perfect host for shangu worms, and the devourers
hunt the dark elves endlessly for this reason, though the
innate spell resistance and other traits of the drow make
them exceedingly difficult and dangerous quarry. For
their part, the drow return the enmity of the shangu in full
measure, and hunt them just as mercilessly, though never
for capture.
The shangu have a natural gift for sorcery, and many
members of the race have embraced the arcane arts to
supplement their innate supernatural gifts. The great
strength of shangu also makes them excellent warriors,
and fighter is one of the most common classes to be found