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An Allura is a creature from the Spelljammer campaign setting.[1]

Overview[]

The allura are a race of monstrous reptilian parasites who prey on unsuspecting spelljammer crews, feeding on the emotions caused by tension, excitement and fear. The allura manipulate their victims through judicious use of their magical abilities until they drain them of all emotion.

Description[]

Not much is known about an allura's true form, but they are apparently reptilian humanoids. The allura use their limited shapechange ability to disguise themselves as the same humanoid race as that of their victims. Spells and devices that pierce through illusions cannot reveal the allura's true form. The allura prefer to assume the form of a beautiful female humanoid, wearing ornate clothing and exquisite jewellery.[1]

Personality[]

According to legend, the allura are immortal, and to stave off ennui they are constantly seeking to evoke stronger and stronger emotional responses from their victims to feed on by exposing them to escalating levels of danger, thus providing the allura with new experiences. If an allura is unable to feed on new emotions every four months, their appearance degenerates until they can no longer maintain their disguise, revealing their true reptilian form. While in this state, the allura try to hide from view until a ship comes into range. They then provoke their first victim into fighting with a fellow crew member. Draining the resulting emotions allows the allura to regain their shapechange ability and to assume an appropriate form.[1]

Combat[]

Allura feed on the emotions created by tension, excitement and fear through the use of certain magical abilities, including charm person, sleep, friends, suggestion, demand, clairaudience, clairvoyance, delude and mass suggestion. However, their most important ability is to automatically detect all life within 500 feet via their innate ability, detect life.

When allura detect a spelljamming ship close by, they quickly use clairvoyance to locate the helmsman on the vessel, and then use demand to lure them to the allura's current location. Once the vessel is within sight, the allura pretend to be shipwreck survivors or escapees from a slave ship, assuming a suitable guise. Once they board the ship, the allura quickly and surreptitiously take control of key personnel with their spells. Those crew members who manage to resist the allura's spells are disposed of via more conventional means.

Once the allura have gained control over most of the crew, they begin to feed, usually by creating illusions to evoke strong emotions. One story goes that some allura convinced the crew of a dragonship to attack a neogi deathspider, and though the dragonship was destroyed, the allura fed well.

After two weeks, the surviving crew become listless and drained by the allura's emotional vampirism. The allura then incapacitate the now-useless crew and abandon them on some nearby asteroid. Because the allura are unable to power a helm they allow the ship to drift through wildspace while waiting for their next victims.[1]

Society[]

Allura form nomadic groups that stay together their entire lives, moving from ship to ship.[1]

Signature Spelljammers[]

None. Allura are unable to power a helm. Instead they move from spelljammer to spelljammer, feeding on the crew of their current vessel before moving onto the next.[1]

Appendix[]

External Links[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Scott Davis, MC9 Monstrous Compendium Spelljammer Appendix II, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Allura entry
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