During the Mage Wars, foolish wizards attempted to summon the Great Old One Tnkata, which was also called “The Eternal Hunger.” Tnkata, a mountain-sized mound of flesh surrounding a huge fanged maw, attempted to devour its summoners even before it fully emerged into Midgard. Desperate wizards sacrificed themselves to break the summoning and hurl the Hunger from Midgard. The resulting magical explosion ripped chunks from Tnkata’s flesh and scattered them across reality. These chunks retained a bit of the intellect and power of Tnkata and became the Flesh of Tnkata.
This vaguely humanoid-shaped blob of rubbery flesh seems to be eternally moaning through its grossly oversized maw.
Flesh of Tnkata “The Eternal Hunger” CR 1
XP 400
CE Medium outsider (chaotic, evil, extraplanar)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +3
DEFENSE
AC 13, touch 11, flat-footed 12 (+1 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 13 (2d10 +2)
Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +4
DR 5/cold iron; Immune mind-affecting effects; Resist acid 5, fire 5
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee 2 claws +2 (1d4), bite +2 (1d8 plus grab)
Special Attacks swallow whole (1d8 acid damage, AC 11, 1 hp)
STATISTICS
Str 10, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10
Base Atk +2; CMB +2; CMD 13
Feats Improved Natural Attack (bite)
Skills Bluff +2, Escape Artist +3, Knowledge (the planes) +1, Perception +3, Stealth +3
Languages Aklo
ECOLOGY
Environment any (Realms Beyond)
Organization unique hive mind
Treasure none
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Absorption (Su) As a full round action, four or more Flesh of Tnkata can merge together by horribly distending their mouths and swallowing each other. Four combine to create an 8 HD creature, eight create a 16 HD creature and sixteen create a 32 HD creature. (See below for quick build statistics.)
Alien Anatomy (Ex) Flesh of Tnkata are alien, and their internal organs are beyond the knowledge of mortals. Flesh of Tnkata are immune to critical hits, precision damage, and flanking.
Bud (Su) As a full round action, Flesh of Tnkata can bud off smaller versions of themselves. A Large Flesh of Tnkata can bud 1d2 Medium versions of itself. A Huge Flesh of Tnkata can bud 1d2 Large or 2d4 Medium ones, and a Gargantuan Flesh of Tnkata can bud 1 Huge, 2d4 Large, or 2d6 Medium Flesh of Tnkata.
Hive Mind (Su) Each Flesh of Tnkata is part of a greater whole and shares the thoughts of all others. Flesh of Tnkata act on the same initiative and cannot be surprised unless all present are surprised. Flesh of Tnkata are immune to mind-affecting effects.
CR 6; Large: Init +0; hp 68 (8d10+24); AC 17 (touch 9, flat-footed 17) ; Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +7; Melee 2 claws + 12 (d6+2), bite +12 (2d6+5), swallow whole 2d6 acid (AC 14, hp 7); CMB +14, CMD 24; Skill Points +30 (–1 Dex-based skills); Feats add Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, and Vital Strike; Special Abilities fear aura (30 ft. DC 15), fast healing 5
CR 12; Huge: Init –1; hp 168 (16d10+80); AC 23 (touch 7, flat-footed 24) ; Fort +15, Ref +4, Will +11; Melee 2 claws + 24 (d8+5), bite +25 (2d8+10; 19-20 x2), swallow whole 2d8 acid (AC 17, hp 17); CMB +28, CMD 37; Skill Points +40 (–1 Dex-based skills); Feats add Awesome Blow, Improved Crit (bite), Improved Vital Strike, and Weapon Focus Bite; Special Abilities DR 10/cold iron, fast swallow (Ex), fear aura (30 ft. DC 21), replace fast healing with regeneration 5, Resist acid/fire 10, SR 26
CR 20; Gargantuan: Init +3; hp 400 (32d10+224); AC 30 (touch 6, flat-footed 31); Fort +25, Ref +10, Will +19; Melee 2 claws + 43 (2d8+7), bite +44 (4d6+14; 19–20 x2), swallow whole 4d6 acid (AC 20, hp 40); CMB +50, CMD 59; Skill Points +80; Feats add Cleave, Critical focus (bite), Great Cleave, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Weapon (claw), Improved Sunder, Greater Vital Strike, Staggering Critical, Special Abilities DR 10/cold iron and good, fear aura (30 ft. DC 30), lifesense (Su) 60 ft., regeneration 10, Resist acid/fire 20, SR 42
Habitat and Society
Flesh of Tnkata exist only to eat and rejoin with Tnkata. They eat any organic matter they encounter but prefer the flesh of sentient creatures. Because of their hive mind, they know what each is experiencing and use this information to locate each other. Fortunately for the inhabitants of Midgard, their limited intelligence has made locating each other difficult, and they are often distracted by their overwhelming desire to eat. Some arcane researchers believe if enough Flesh of Tnkata are absorbed into each other, Tnkata itself will return to Midgard.
Tactics
Each Flesh of Tnkata attempts to devour any organic matter it encounters without much thought of tactics. In the absence of food, and for the limited amount of time each day they are sated, Flesh of Tnkata attempt to find each other by following the clues provided by their alien hive mind.
As I sit and *ruminate* on this moast refeshing and grisly terrible, one wondres what happenes when a mobbe of buddes are then en-eaten and absorb’d by the very beast wot spawned them. Mine minde’s eye distends upon rigour’d thoughts of Ourobouratic replenishings and wider calumny perpetrated upon stringent masters of Midgard. Forfend Master Franke, I fear the Pett’s Scale. Most indescribably delicious pennings do you jot. Phantastic!!!
Thanks Morgan! I was certainly in a “Pettish” mood when I wrote this. I believe we were working on the Wasted West at the time, great inspiration for horrors from beyond. I’m glad that feeling came through.
While I like this most horrific and hungry creature, should not the budding ability be limited in some way? Otherwise once you have a large Flesh of Tnkata undisturbed, you are 16 rounds (or less) from a gargantuan one! And then that gargantuan one spawns another one of the same size (by spitting out medium ones that combine) at the rate of one every three rounds (roughly).
Not to worry. Perhaps it needed to be specifically said that a FoT can only bud the specific amount stated in total. Thus a Large FoT can bud only 1 or 2 total medium FoT. It can’t bud again until it reabsorbs those. I can see how this could be confusing. I had originally planned to have the creature’s hit dice go up and down with budding and absorption but I wanted to keep it simple.
Suffice it to say the buds are more like tempory summoned creatures. They don’t affect the FoT hit dice when they separate from the main creature and they don’t cause it to grow when reabsorbed.
PS has anyone noticed that this guy is a “bit” (hint, hint) of a shout out to an old forgotten realms monster that I remember from the “Curse of the Azure Bonds” book and game line.
Fair enough, I figured that was the intent but as written . . . it was worrying.