| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Quickleaf |
Posted - 17 Mar 2022 : 04:06:55
There's an "abyssal merchant" called High Stakes Hurluu that Ed Greenwood wrote about in Dragon #421, which I'd like to use in an upcoming game session in a trading city in the Abyss. However, Mr. Greenwood often drops in strange characters who defy easy description in game terms, and I'm trying to wrap my head around how to interpret this NPC in terms of game mechanics. It may end up being impractical/undesirable to stat him up, but thought I'd check with ye sages of Candlekeep first...
The artist for the Dragon article, Noah Bradley, posted his painting on https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/1bm5am/my_painting_for_high_stakes_hurluu/, describing it as a painting of High Stakes Hurluu – it looks like an ocularon from the 3e Fiend Folio (https://i.somethingawful.com/u/elpintogrande/october10/fiendfolio/fiendfolio_ocularon.jpg), however those are not shapeshifters or illusionists, and Hurluu seems to change his appearance.
I'm curious how you would interpret what this guy is? And how might you stat him?
quote:
The most colorful and widely known of the currently successful Abyssal traders is the garrulous, jovial, toad-ugly man who calls himself High Stakes Hurluu (though he never participates in gambling games, or wagers on outcomes; his only gambles are investments). Always eager to make a friend or a new trading deal, Hurluu is a roaringly amiable figure rapidly growing in legend.
No one but Hurluu knows what he truly is, but he can transform his body into at least three forms: the short, burly, wart-covered human trader most folk in the Realms see; a naga-like, human-headed snake of great length and mottled gray-green hue; and a floating or flying, many-eyed and many-tentacled body that can fight several foes at once . He wears or carries some sort of magic item that can teleport him away from a confrontation that goes badly, and he has escaped several “certain” death traps.
Hurluu deals—unscrupulously and with raw good humor—in everything. As he often says, “No deal too large, and none too small!” He is usually found lurking in a tavern, a festhall, or a seedy club in Waterdeep, Athkatla, Westgate, Suzail, or Selgaunt. He cultivates street gangs and thieves’ guilds to be his allies if things go wrong, and he has caches and hiding places arranged in his five favorite trading cities—not to mention complicated escape plans.
Hurluu is infamous across the Realms for unleashing a menagerie of monsters to maraud in the streets of Athkatla when the beasts’ owner tried to doublecross him in a trading deal.
He’s also known for hiring a succession of young and beautiful escorts to pose as his offspring, who distract clients with their charms (influencing the clients into making deals that benefited Hurluu more than themselves).
When a cabal of Sembian traders tried to have Hurluu eliminated, the jovial trader poisoned many Selgauntans by tainting casks of wine that were bound for the homes of the cabal members . . . and many other clients in the city of Selgaunt.
If someone amuses him—even a foe trying to do him ill—Hurluu will regard the source of amusement as delightful entertainment, to be goaded or even aided, so that the “jester” might survive to entertain him in the future. On the other hand, he has casually murdered folk who get in his way, and he takes glee in framing passing adventurers for his misdeeds.
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| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Eldacar |
Posted - 18 Mar 2022 : 17:11:21
quote:
Originally posted by Gelcur
You know my second choice was Malaugrym but then I too thought:
quote:
Originally posted by bloodtide_the_red
It's always a Malaugrym.
Remember: it isn't paranoia if they are always Malaugrym! |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 18 Mar 2022 : 15:46:10
Hmmm, many tentacled and many eyed being one of the shapes, you make the mistake of assuming the tentacles have eyes at the end. It could be a demonic version of deepspawn. They have eyes encircling their round part of their bodies and tentacles for attacking. Maybe even Ed's "got it wrong".... because sages sometimes are..... and rather than it being a shapeCHANGER.... it's a "spawn POSSESSOR"... In other words, it can create a naga or human "spawn" and then remotely "control" it, speak to its mind, have it say what he wants, enact his mannerisms, etc.... Then if that spawn that its working THROUGH dies, it makes another.
On that idea, making a "fiendish deepspawn" kind of makes a bit of a conundrum, since they don't mate in the normal means. Could make for a good story to explain HOW it got changed. For instance, did IT get possessed by a demon and somehow consume the demon's spirit that was possessing it? We've had some discussions here about "does a deepspawn create souls".... so like I say, it could get kind of twisted of an explanation.
Part of me also says it might be interesting if this being had ties to Phalse (From Azure bonds... beholder like fiend, but with mouths instead of eyes on its tentacles). |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 18 Mar 2022 : 15:31:43
I'd make him the offspring of some unique fiend. So a half-fiend, with the shapechanging and teleporting being innate and inherited from the fiendish parent. |
| Gelcur |
Posted - 18 Mar 2022 : 14:13:41
You know my second choice was Malaugrym but then I too thought:
quote:
Originally posted by bloodtide_the_red
It's always a Malaugrym.
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| bloodtide_the_red |
Posted - 18 Mar 2022 : 03:13:49
How about a Half Demon Dark Naga. Would fit.
But knowing Ed.......he is likey a Malaugrym. It's always a Malaugrym. |
| Gelcur |
Posted - 17 Mar 2022 : 11:42:51
Personally if I were statting him up I'd start with a Slaadi. He fits well in that niche and chaos can explain away whatever doesn't. Maybe he has a special insight into chaos that gives him an edge into especially risky ventures but not ones of short duration. He can predict chaos by being one with it or something. |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 17 Mar 2022 : 05:29:56
Abyssal. From the Abyss.
Could be anything, as long as it's Chaotic and it's Evil. Fiends come in countless forms, many follow normal patterns, just as many are abnormal variants. And the Abyss is inhabited by creatures other than fiends. And all but the lowest are capable of polymorphing or shapeshifting their forms.
This character's most well known appearance and abilities are roughly outlined. They could be added to any sort of fiend template. He seems middly-powered - if he was a weaker fiend then all his fame and wealth and magics would attract nasty attention - if he was stronger then some sort of higher-tier fiend would subjugate or destroy him.
He could have the ability to travel planes. Or he could be stuck (imprisoned? exiled? hiding?) on the Realms.
He could be an agent of some greater evil. A spy, a scout, an assassin, an entertainment.
He could be a liar. Exaggeration, elaboration, fabrication, whatever it takes to take his gold.
From the description, I'd say that if you're unwilling to create a unique writeup then just apply the weirdness to a Rakshasha. Maybe one which isn't entirely sane. |
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