Altraloth

An altraloth was a yugoloth of any type (from lesser yugoloths such as mezzoloths to greater yugoloths such as ultroloths) that had been transformed into a unique being by a ritual known only to the night hags.

Abilities
Altraloths were changed little mentally, but their physical forms often changed dramatically and they gained powers far in excess of the rest of their kind. After they had paid off their debt to the hags, they often rose to become the rulers of their kind.

Creation
To begin the ritual, a cauldron was filled with water from the River Styx and with soul larvae, and a fire was built underneath that must be kept continually burning throughout the ceremony (often, fire mephits were used). The yugoloth was sealed within the cauldron using wax derived from larva slime. The cauldron was magically warded and the hags chanted arcane words for a full day for each alteration made; some of these chants were said to have taken a month or more to complete. They must willingly give a portion of their life force in order to empower the altraloth.

After the chanting and the giving of life, the water must be kept boiling for another 6–36 months while the yugoloth absorbed the magic. At the end of this time, the cauldron exploded violently, spraying caustic larva juice, amnesiac water, and razor-sharp shards of cauldron all around the area. Emerging from the wreckage was an altraloth, a unique champion of the night hags and of the yugoloth race.

The ritual was not foolproof, and many things could go wrong during the process. Minor interruptions would merely add another day. If the temperature in the cauldron ever fell below boiling, the yugoloth would die and the night hag's expenditure of effort and their own life would be for nothing. Even if all went according to plan, there was still a small chance of spontaneous abortion, ending in the same explosion but with the yugoloth dying.

The resulting altraloth was bound to its night hag creators for the duration of its contract. If it attacked its mistresses, it suffered wracking pain. If one of its mistresses died for any reason before the contract was complete, the altraloth would also die, giving it strong incentive to protect its creators.

Known and Rumored Altraloths

 * The General of Gehenna, either an altraloth or an unenhanced ultroloth.
 * Anthraxus, an ultroloth transformed by the hags to rid themselves of an order of paladins.
 * Bubonix, believed to have once been an arcanaloth.
 * Xengahra, a yugoloth whom the hags shaped into a form resembling a solar.
 * Charon, once a marraenoloth and still resembled others of his kind.
 * Typhus, once a mere mezzoloth, but later resembled a 12-foot-high mezzoloth with a hunched back and a limp.
 * Taba's true form was unknown, because she was a master shapeshifter.

Appearances

 * Novels : Relentless