Protean, Izfiitar

This serpentine monster has six arms and is crowned by a halo of ever-changing symbols.

ECOLOGY

Environment any (Maelstrom)
Organization solitary or chorus (2–3)
Treasure double

While the keketar proteans hold vague ideological sway over their kind’s infinite choruses, the izfiitars loom above them, cardinals among the slithering clergy. Aloof and distant even compared to the keketars, izfiitars rarely venture beyond the Maelstrom’s deepest reaches, content to divine the will of the plane’s unknowable dualistic godhead, the Speakers of the Depths.

Bound to a single chorus, izfiitars are and yet are not distinct from the keketars who pay them obeisance, leading many to speculate that they are essentially elevated keketars, chosen for reasons unknown and propelled along a path of apotheosis either by the Maelstrom itself or by one of the so-called protean lords. Yet their position remains paradoxical, befitting the Maelstrom’s rejection of stability and consistency. Not every chorus contains an izfiitar, while some contain multiple, and the size and influence of any given chorus is entirely independent of their presence.

Although smaller in size than keketars, izfiitars have monstrous physical attacks and stupendous magical powers.

They wield a more powerful version of lesser proteans’ warpwave, as well as abilities that bend reality and alter probability, focused on the proteans’ desire to return all of reality to the freedom of pure, unbound chaos.

Herald of The Speakers

Among the izfiitars, those termed Heralds of the Speakers wield greater power and authority than their kin and take a more direct hand in guiding the choruses than the much more distant protean lords. Each Herald of the Speakers is effectively a unique being; they often have additional Hit Dice or levels in a particular class (typically cleric or oracle), the advanced creature simple template, and possibly unique powers granted by their dualistic and inscrutable divine patron. Listed below are three sample unique abilities of Heralds of the Speakers, but these examples are by no means the entirety of the strange powers they might wield.

Planar Transposition (Su)

The Herald’s connection to the fabric of the Maelstrom that underlies every other plane of reality provides it a considerable ability to influence its surroundings even while on other planes. As a standard action once every 1d4 rounds, the Herald can suppress one planar trait or add one of the Maelstrom’s planar traits to an area equal to one 10- foot square per Hit Die it has. Alternatively, the Herald can effectively shift the area in a 90-foot radius centered on itself into the Maelstrom, swapping a corresponding region of the Maelstrom onto its current plane and choosing whether to move creatures or leave them in place. Creatures can resist being transported by succeeding at a Will save (DC = 10 + half the Herald’s HD + the Herald’s Charisma modifier).

Reality Flaunt (Su)

The Herald can selectively ignore or redirect a spell or spell-like ability once every 1d4 rounds as an immediate action. The Herald can choose to buck the laws of reality and ignore such an effect by attempting a Wisdom check (DC = the caster level of the spell or spell-like ability). If the Herald exceeds the DC by 10 or more, it can choose to redirect any targeted effect to a new target of its choosing within 60 feet.

Voice of the Speakers (Su)

The Herald of the Speakers has additional spell-like abilities (20 spell levels’ worth of 1st- to 4thlevel spells usable at will and 20 spell levels’ worth of 5th- to 8thlevel spells usable three times per day).

All selected spells must come from the cleric spell list, the Chaos domain, or the Protean subdomain.