Corruptors of fate, or simply corruptors, were yugoloth assassins that specialized in inflicting suffering and death. Creatures of ill-omen, the destiny-twisting daemons lurked silently in the shadows until striking, accompanied by the sound of rolling dice.[1]
Description[]
Corruptors of fate were 5 ft (1.5 m) tall, corpulent creatures, although faster than their paunchy 200 lb (91 kg) bodies would suggest. Given that both males and female had bosom-like rolls of fat, most assumed them to be female, although there was apparently enough of a difference that someone with a good eye could tell males and female apart. In contrast to their chubbiness, a corruptor of fate's skin was a sickly shade of yellow and was stretched tightly across their skulls, giving them the appearance of being gaunt when looking only at their faces.[1]
Most wore black-studded leather armor, though their clothing did little to hide their smell. Despite all yugoloths smelling faintly of brimstone, a corruptor of fate's biological body odor was strong enough to make a substantial difference when tracking it, but to most the smell was only really noticeable when they started physically exerting themselves. Other disturbing traits included their luridly glowing eyes and the minor sound of rolling dice that accompanied them wherever they went, a telepathic illusion they couldn't control and which like their smell was only noticeable if they did something like fighting.[1]
Personality[]
Corruptors of fate were interesting fiends since their evil qualities were at least partially influenced by nurture, or rather lack thereof, as well as nature. Though they already had a desire to kill, this homicidal feeling was honed through their abusive upbringing, the torment they suffered at the hands of others leading them to feel a deep-seated hatred towards all other beings, especially other corruptors of fate. The exception to their loathing was constructs and undead, preferably intelligent ones like wraiths, or even shadows.[1]
They were fundamentally self-centered, learning from a young age that if they didn't look after their own needs then no one else would, and they had a strong self-preservation instinct. However, they were also a mercantile servitor race that was happiest when working under others. They took their assignments extremely seriously and while they weren't above occasionally breaking rules or double-crossing their leaders, particularly if they stood to profit from doing so, they weren't the kind of beings to take power for themselves.[1]
Abilities[]
As their name would imply, corruptors of fate had the power to manipulate luck, specifically using their necromantic abilities to spread jinxes and misfortune to those around them. The cursed touch of a corruptor of fate, or anything they were holding, had about a half chance to leave the target so plagued by bad luck that they couldn't properly perform certain actions. Conversely, those who tried to attack corruptors of fate regularly missed, and even successful assaults seemed less effective against them than they should have been, a result of their unluckiness protecting them from others. A corruptor of fate's mere glance was dangerous, capable of harming and bringing temporary ill-fortune to those that met the gaze of their evil eye.[1]
Combat[]
Mentally, ordinary corruptors of fate were as capable as the average human, although they favored the use of cunning tactics. Having been raised in an environment where hiding ones presence was essential, the merits of stealth were essential to their method of fighting, and they frequently trained not only as rogues but as assassins. Their pragmatic outlook and survival instinct led them to retreat when obviously outmatched, with intent to come back shortly with some new advantage like reinforcements. They invested their resources into gaining armor and weapons, such as shortswords and shortbows, as well as a few potions, assassins typically carrying a few vials of their favorite poisons.[1]
Society[]
The normal life of a corruptor of fate was a series of gristly violence and unfortunate events. They normally grew up under the patronage and stewardship of a powerful yugoloth, anyone higher than the status of commander, but who exactly that was changed as political upheavals went underway. Their mercenary careers started as soon as they became adults, the patron giving them their first assignment. Usually this would be to kill one of the patron's rivals, success indicating the young adult was skilled enough to become an assassin and failure normally ending in death and the application of a more experienced corruptor.[1]
A corruptor wasn't always aware of the why they were told to target certain individuals, but would take them out nonetheless. Aside from their routine assassination assignments, corruptors of fate were also called upon to "warn" a patron's rivals or rebellious minions, a warning typically being a near-fatal strike that left the target cursed. Other tasks involved them retrieving important items, kidnapping specific individuals or guarding an important site, such as a leader's home or a portal to another plane.[1]
Whether doing this alone or in a group, the tasks assigned to them by their patron were designed to be challenging and sating to the corruptor, or at least frequent and time-consuming enough to keep them busy. Corruptors were known to abandon their patrons, take bribes, and play both sides for their own gain. Those that went rogue might find other types of fiends, creatures like mind flayer or immoral lords of the Material Plane to serve under, and though they had a preference for evil employers they weren't picky.[1]
Corruptors of fate could be summoned using the planar ally or summon monster VI spells, but despite being yugoloth planar mercenaries they didn't have the ability to plane shift, and so any inter-dimensional transport had to be arranged by their employer.[1]
Religion[]
On rare occasions, corruptor of fates became clerics but they didn't receive their divine powers from the worship of a deity. Instead, they had faith in their racial philosophy of spreading murder and misfortune.[1]
They typically chose from the Death, Evil and Luck domains, although those from Faerun also had access to the Fate and Hatred domains.[1]
Language[]
Corruptor of fate names were typically negative in nature, synonymous with disaster or corruption. Examples included Malefactor, Malfeasance, Malice, Malign, Misfortune, Calamity or Twisted Fate.[1]
Ecology[]
Corruptors of fate were Gehennan natives but also known to inhabit Banehold, go on raids in Hammergrim and enter the Prime Material Plane through portals.
For about a week each year, adult corruptors, for the only times in their lives, sought out others of their kind, returning to Gehenna to mate. Corruptors had no maternal emotions, and so infants were left in a Gehennan crèche, a combination nursery and orphanage for the abandoned children, run by the yugoloth leader that would become their first patron. The young corruptors would be raised by constructs or undead slaves, the closest thing to a maternal figure in their lives, that dealt with only their most basic needs, protected them from external threats, and occasionally stopped fights if their charges might end up killing each other, a relatively easy task given their immunity to the youths' necromantic abilities.[1]
Corruptor newborns had the basic body proportions of their adult counterparts, their fatness being a natural bodily feature and unrelated to their levels of consumption. Their childhoods were difficult and painful, older corruptors tormenting their weaker siblings or any other vulnerable creatures and their guardians being, at best, ambivalent to their fates. The young corruptors fostered their hatred but learnt to avoid notice and take care of themselves before reaching maturity at ten years old and leaving the crèche to begin their mercenary careers.[1]