Psurlon

Psurlons were worm-like aberrations with powerful psionic abilities, who lived in deserts and the deep Underdark, as well as in the Astral Plane.

Description
Similar to large earthworms, psurlons had long pink tubular bodies with two arms and two legs that were also long and tubular in shape, ending in sharp claws. Their entire bodies were marked with faint rings. In the place of a head, the creature's body ended in a circular maw filled with sharp teeth, surrounded by equally spaced visual organs capable of darkvision.

Psurlons typically wore no clothes, except for belts that served utilitarian or decorative purposes, such as carrying items.

Abilities
Powerful telepaths, psurlons could communicate with any creature out to a range of. Their innate psionic abilities rendered them immune to effects such as the sleep spell, as well as charm and hold monster effects. Their senses were well adapted to life in the underground darkness, allowing them to perceive vibrations, objects, and creatures out to a range of.

Personality
Psurlons were naturally distrustful and ill-tempered. Clever, cruel, and deceitful creatures, they hated all humanoids and went to great lengths to kill or drive them away from their domains. They also relished fomenting discord among other peoples, manipulating and deceiving leaders and occasionally helping furthering evil goals.

Combat
Despite being capable of using their claws and teeth, psurlons were not particularly strong physically, so they relied mostly on their psionic abilities during combat. They were capable of confusing and controlling their opponents via innate abilities such as mind fog, dominate person, suggestion, hold monster, and sleep, among others. More powerful psurlons could also cast disintegrate.

Society
Although typically solitary creatures, psurlons occasionally organized themselves in groups known as "clusters". Living in the deep Underdark, psurlon clusters kept large numbers of psionically dominated slaves and thralls. They were known for convincing goblinoids and gnolls into joining their ranks on occasion.

In the Astral Plane, psurlons waged war against the githyanki for dominance over the plane. They were comparable to the githzerai and mind flayers among the enemies of the githyanki, who kept constant watch against attacks from them in their fortress cities throughout the plane. Psurlons were among the few creatures that were respected by the illithids.

Psurlons were also found on the desert planet Athas, drawn into the planet through the strange environment that surrounded its crystal sphere known as "the Gray".

Psurlon religion paid homage to Mak Thuum Ngatha and shared many of the Far Realm entity's hostile goals towards the Prime Material plane.

Ecology
There were three varieties of psurlons. The most common were the average psurlons, a few of which evolved into elder psurlons after reaching a certain age. The transformation was typically followed by an increase in psionic prowess. In some cases, average psurlons undergoing the change transformed into giant psurlons instead, gaining immense physical strength, but no new psychic powers. In either case, they lost none of their intelligence and malevolence.

History
Some sages suggested that psurlons shared a common origin with Tharizdun, together with other extradimensional creatures such as aboleths, cloakers, and grells.

Psurlons originally inhabited a world in the Prime Material plane, where they first developed their psionic abilities to such a level of skill that it made it possible for them to change their own shapes. These initial experiments originated the first giant psurlons, while other transformed psurlons ended up destroying their original homeworld, forcing the survivors to flee into the Astral Plane.

Sometime in the 14 century DR, an army of psurlons attacked and destroyed the githyanki settlement of TorNav'roc in the Astral Plane, near the gateway that led into the plane from the Infinite Staircase.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Tales from the Infinite Staircase