Korvaks

Korvaks are alien invaders from another dimension entirely. Although humanoid in general size and proportions, they are profoundly inhuman in appearance and biology. Their ability to disguise themselves as humans makes them particularly dangerous infiltrators, allowing them to enter human society, gather information, acquire positions of influence, and undermine governments and other institutions from within.

Most Korvaks are approximately 6 feet tall, although the largest individuals can reach 7 to 9 feet. They possess towering, slender frames and move with an eerie, unnatural fluidity.

Their bodies are covered in a glossy, midnight-black exoskeleton composed of a bizarre combination of polarized silicon and chitin. The surface gleams like wet oil. Prominent skeletal, rib-like structures surround their narrow torsos. Their long, spindly limbs end in hands tipped with razor-sharp claws.

A Korvak's massive, elongated skull extends far behind its shoulders. The front of the skull is completely smooth and featureless, with no visible eyes or other sensory organs, yet a Korvak can track its prey with uncanny precision. Its mouth is located beneath the skull and contains metallic-looking silver teeth covered in thick, translucent slime.

A long, heavily segmented tail extends from the rear of the body. The tail is serpentine in appearance and ends in a heavy, serrated blade or sting. The damage inflicted by the tail varies according to the Korvak's color.

Korvak Traits

The following abilities are common to all Korvaks.

Hit Dice: d10. Base Attack Bonus: Equal to total Hit Dice. Saving Throws: Good Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saves. Skill Points: 6 + Intelligence modifier per Hit Die, minimum 1 skill point per Hit Die. A Korvak receives four times this amount for its first Hit Die. Natural Armor: A Korvak's natural armor bonus is equal to its Hit Dice minus 1. Senses: Darkvision 60 feet and low-light vision. Immunities: Korvaks are immune to magical sleep effects and paralysis effects. Energy Resistance: Korvaks possess energy resistance appropriate to their color. The resistance scales with Hit Dice. The exact progression is not currently established, but lower-HD Korvaks possess relatively modest resistance, while more powerful individuals can possess substantially greater resistance. Damage Reduction: Korvaks possess damage reduction that scales with Hit Dice. The exact progression and bypass requirements are not currently established. Marstalbin, a 33-HD Rainbow Korvak, possesses DR 10/Epic. Spell Resistance: Korvaks possess spell resistance that scales with Hit Dice. The exact progression is not currently established. Lower-HD Korvaks appear to have spell resistance in the teens. Marstalbin possesses SR 40. Weapons and Armor: Korvaks are proficient with their natural weapons, all simple weapons, and any weapons specifically mentioned in their individual descriptions. They are not proficient with armor. Biology: Korvaks eat, sleep, and breathe.

Natural Attacks

A Korvak possesses the following natural attacks:

• 2 claws: 1d6 damage each.
• Bite: 1d6 physical damage plus 1d6 acid damage.
• Tail sting: 1d4 damage plus additional damage based on the Korvak's color.

Detect Thoughts (Su)

All Korvaks possess detect thoughts as a supernatural ability. It functions exactly as the spell, but is supernatural rather than a spell or spell-like ability.

Frightful Presence

A Korvak possesses Frightful Presence that activates whenever it attacks, charges, or sheds its human facade and bursts into its true form.

The ability has a radius of 30 feet for every 10 Hit Dice. The save DC is:

DC 10 + 1/2 Korvak's Hit Dice + Korvak's Charisma modifier

A creature that succeeds on its saving throw becomes immune to that Korvak's Frightful Presence for 24 hours.

A creature with 4 Hit Dice or fewer that fails its save becomes panicked for 4d6 rounds.

A creature with 5 Hit Dice or more that fails its save becomes shaken for 4d6 rounds.

Korvaks are unaffected by the Frightful Presence of other Korvaks.

Frightful Presence is suppressed while a Korvak is in human form. It immediately becomes active when the Korvak emerges from its human facade.

Cocoon

Korvaks possess a biological transformation ability that allows them to assume a completely human appearance.

A Korvak can enter a cocoon and remain within it for 1d6+6 days. During this process, its natural spikes and other protrusions reshape while actual human skin grows over its body. When the process is complete, the Korvak emerges appearing completely human.

The transformation is entirely biological and nonmagical. Magical detection, including true seeing, does not reveal the Korvak's true nature while it is in human form.

The resulting human appearance has several consistent characteristics:

• The Korvak always has blonde hair.
• It can choose a male or female appearance.
• Its hair does not grow long.
• Korvaks generally favor male identities because they are easier to maintain and disguise.
• Human skin produced by the cocoon does not bleed.

If a Korvak is wounded while in human form, the injury may expose the underlying carapace. The human skin cannot be healed normally. To restore the damaged disguise, the Korvak must enter another cocoon and regrow its skin, requiring another 1d6+6 days.

Korvaks will often abandon an exposed identity entirely and create a new one, unless the damage was not sufficient to reveal their true nature.

A Korvak can voluntarily emerge from its cocoon before the transformation is complete, but doing so leaves the transformation incomplete and useless. It must return to its normal form and begin the process again.

A Korvak retains only a vague awareness of its surroundings while cocooned and is highly vulnerable during the process. Korvaks therefore prefer to use protected and concealed locations.

The transformation can also be interrupted by outside interference. If this happens, the incomplete transformation is lost and the Korvak must revert to its normal form and begin the process again.

Color Types

Most Korvaks are Black Korvaks. Other types develop distinctive colored veins running through their otherwise black carapace. Each color represents a different specialization.

Black Korvaks

Black Korvaks are the most common variety and represent the baseline Korvak form.

Their tail deals acid damage.

Green Korvaks

Green Korvaks possess veins of green running through their carapace.

Their tail carries poison rather than an energy damage type.

Green Korvaks also possess immunity to poison.

Their claws develop long, blade-like extensions that project backward from their hands. These blades inflict an additional 3d4 damage on every claw attack.

The blades are poisoned. Every successful claw attack requires the victim to make a Fortitude save against the same DC as the Korvak's tail poison:

DC 10 + 1/2 Korvak's Hit Dice + Constitution modifier

A creature that fails takes 1d6 points of Constitution damage, followed by another 1d6 points of Constitution damage as secondary damage.

Blue Korvaks

Blue Korvaks possess blue veins running through their carapace.

Their tail deals electricity damage.

Blue Korvaks also possess extraordinary magical ability. Each Hit Die functions as one wizard level for purposes of their spellcasting.

They retain the full Korvak combat chassis in addition to their spellcasting.

White Korvaks

White Korvaks possess white veins running through their carapace.

Their tail deals cold damage.

White Korvaks possess additional cold-based abilities beyond their tail attack. The complete details of those abilities have not yet been established.

Red Korvaks

Red Korvaks possess red veins running through their carapace.

Their tail deals fire damage.

Red Korvaks possess additional fire-based abilities beyond their tail attack. The complete details of those abilities have not yet been established.

Rainbow Korvaks

Rainbow Korvaks, sometimes called Rainbow Elites, are among the highest-ranking Korvaks. They always occupy positions of leadership within the Korvak hierarchy.

Their carapace contains veins of every Korvak color.

Rainbow Korvaks possess the combined abilities of the other Korvak types, including:

• The poison immunity and advanced claws of Green Korvaks.
• The wizard spellcasting of Blue Korvaks.
• The additional abilities associated with White and Red Korvaks.
• A tail capable of delivering acid, electricity, cold, and fire damage.
• Energy resistance against acid, electricity, cold, and fire.

Their poison immunity is inherited from their Green-derived abilities.

The exact numerical progression of their energy resistance has not been established.

Typical Hit Dice

Korvak Hit Dice are not fixed. Individuals can be considerably weaker or stronger than the typical examples below.

These values represent typical examples rather than fixed racial statistics. Korvaks can be scaled upward or downward as necessary.

Infiltration

The combination of their Cocoon ability and Detect Thoughts makes Korvaks exceptionally effective infiltrators.

A Korvak can spend years or decades establishing a human identity, gaining employment, acquiring wealth, building relationships, and eventually obtaining political or institutional influence. Because the human disguise is biological rather than magical, many forms of magical detection cannot reveal the deception.

Detect Thoughts allows a Korvak to learn information from the people around it and adapt its behavior accordingly.

Korvak infiltration can therefore be used as a precursor to open invasion. By establishing agents throughout human society, Korvaks can destabilize governments, sow chaos and anarchy, and weaken organized resistance before their true invasion begins.

The exact extent to which this strategy is used by individual Korvaks is a matter of Korvak society, hierarchy, and motivation rather than an inherent mechanical ability.

Marstalbin

Marstalbin is a Rainbow Korvak and an extreme example of the species' capabilities.

• Hit Dice: 33 HD
• Classification: Rainbow Korvak / Rainbow Elite
• CR: 30
• Damage Reduction: 10/Epic
• Spell Resistance: 40

Marstalbin's statistics demonstrate that Korvaks can develop far beyond the capabilities of their more common counterparts.