Skuz

Skuz were one of the most powerful, and terrifying, undead found on Toril.

Description
Skuz appeared as the slimy coating usually found on the top of stagnant or swamp water. Their body consisted of rancid, stagnant water, rotted plant-matter and the liquefied remains of corpses. Skuz were able to transform itself into a humanoid shape, as well as other forms.

Abilities
Skuz had the innate ability to duplicate the effects of the animate dead, create water, control water, gaze reflection, major image, suggestion, transmute dust to water and watery double spells.

Skuz had a natural immunity to all fire-based effects and spells. Due to the nature of its body structure, skuz had a significant resistance to edged weapons. It was vulnerable to water-based effects and spells such as lower water, and it was killed instantly if the raise dead spell was cast upon it.

Skuz were extremely attuned to vibrations in water. It was capable of detecting any creature in water, up to away.

Behavior
Skuz maintained a strong connection with the Negative Energy plane. This connection resulted in skuz despising all living creatures, and were thus consumed by a desire to seek revenge on the living.

Combat
Skuz lured a target to the water by taking the form of a humanoid,d often a child, and pretended it was drowning. Once the target was close enough, the skuz lashed out with powerful tentacular pseudo-arms, grasping its target and dragging them into the water. The skuz held onto its target until they drowned.

Ecology
Skuz were solitary creatures but tolerated each others presence in the same body of water. Skuz occasionally worked together to lure in a large amount of prey. Once a body of water became too crowded with other skuz, a skuz would drag its slimy body from the water and slowly drag itself to another, skuz-free pond or swamp.

Skuz hoarded the items from victims, from armor to jewelry. They were stored at the bottom of their pond or swamp. When more than one skuz inhabited the same body of water, the one with the largest treasure hoard was the most respected and unofficial leader. The remains of humanoids drowned by skuz reanimated to become a new skuz.

Diet
Being undead, Skuz didn't need to eat or drink. Instead they gained their sustenance from the positive energy absorbed from their victims.

Habitats
Skuz could be found in stagnant ponds or swamps in warmer climates, close to humanoid settlements. The pond or swamp in which a skuz lived was completely devoid of all life and was avoided by animals.

Skuz were known to inhabit the Surmarsh swamp in Thay, the Mere of Dead Men , the Akhlaur Swamp, the Vast Swamp, the Farsea Marshes, the River Umber and along the coast of the Easting Reach.

Beyond the Prime Material plane, skuz could be found in the Domains of Dread.

Relationships
Skuz were despised and shunned by creatures with an affinity with nature. Centaurs and swanmays were known to form hunting parties whose sole purpose was to kill any skuz they encountered.

Usages
Since it doubled the duration of water-based spells, the slime that remained after a skuz was killed was used as a material component for these spells.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Dungeon #73: "Mere of Dead Men: Eye of Myrkul"