Umber hulks are often encountered as slaves and bodyguards of the neogi in the Spelljammer campaign setting.[2][3][4]
Overview[]
Umber hulks are powerful subterranean predators whose iron-like claws allow them to burrow through solid stone in search of prey.[3] At some point, the neogi began enslaving umber hulks to serve as personal servants, bodyguards and elite troops. Subsequently, they have become central to neogi society, and ownership of an umber hulk, known as a "lord-servant", has become a signifier of rank and status. Every mature neogi owns at least one personal umber hulk slave, which it values as its most treasured possession.[5]
Description[]
Umber hulks are extremely large and powerfully built creatures, standing nearly 8 feet tall and over 5 feet wide. They are incredibly strong, with muscles bulging beneath their thick, scaly hides; however, due to their bulk they are slow and awkward. Their powerful arms and legs are tipped with great iron-like claws that can rip through solid stone. They have no necks to speak of, but their heads feature a wide maw with rows of triangular teeth and 8-inch mandibles capable of biting through any hide or bone. An umber hulk's tough hide is black but lightens to a yellowish-gray or burnt-brown hue on their head and bellies, while its mandibles and claws are ivory colored.
Umber hulks have two pairs of eyes, one set on the outside of their flat heads and the other in the middle of their foreheads. The eyes on the outside are white with black irises, while the other pair in their foreheads are purple with yellow or amber irises. The creatures do not have a nose, but instead breathe through gill-like structures located on their nearly non-existent necks, possibly as a result of a previous aquatic existence. Umber hulks can therefore eat and breathe at the same time.[3][1]
Umber hulks are reasonably intelligent and have developed their own spoken tongue, known as "hulkish", which is fairly easy to learn and understand as it only conveys limited information. However, hulkish is difficult to speak as umber hulks produce sounds that are impossible for humanoids to replicate. Hulkish is a very direct, brutal tongue as befits their nature, and is supplemented through the use of various grunts, hisses, and gestures for added emphasis, as well as mouth, mandible, and eye movements.[6]
Behavior[]
Umber hulks are very destructive creatures that will always attempt to destroy what they cannot use if left to their own devices. They are wanton killers whose sense of self-preservation does not always take precedence over their bloodlust, and they will almost immediately attack any creature they deem weaker than themselves.[1]
Combat[]
For all of their ferocity, umber hulks are intelligent combatants. They often use their burrowing abilities to ambush passing creatures and subterranean prey, and even utilize planned cave-ins and dead-end tunnels to their own advantage. Umber hulks can use their powerful mandibles to deliver a vicious bite, but prefer to use their powerful claws and great strength to rend their opponents, and have been known to kill their foes in a single attack, literally ripping them in two.[1]
However, an umber hulks most devastating attack is its ability to afflict opponents with confusion (as per the spell). Umber hulks have two sets of eyes, and any creature with even the slightest hint of intelligence may instantly become befuddled should they meet their gaze, often attacking companions or standing dazed as the umber hulk advances. Other umber hulks are immune to this effect, which appears to be generated by the pair of eyes located in the creatures forehead. A victim afflicted with confusion will often recover within a few minutes, assuming they haven't been eaten.[1] The outer pair of eyes provide an umber hulk with the ability to see in the dark up to 90 feet.[3]
Fortunately, umber hulks are slow and ponderous, and have poor balance in wide open spaces. Umber hulks never fight to the death unless cornered (which is rare, since they can dig through stone). If hard pressed, an umber hulk won't hesitate to cause a cave-in and then dig its way to freedom.[3]
Society[]
In wildspace, umber hulks are usually encountered as slaves owned by the neogi. Each mature neogi has one or more umber hulk slaves, known as "lord-servants", which are counted among its most treasured possessions.[5] They are trained and conditioned from birth to accept enslavement, and once claimed, an umber hulk will serve its "small master" as a combination of bodyguard, manservant, and a useful set of hands.[2]
In their natural environment, umber hulks are usually solitary hunters, using their claws and great strength to good advantage in the subterranean areas they haunt. The area surrounding an umber hulks underground lair is usually crisscrossed with numerous tunnels, making it difficult for other creatures to find the lair itself. Some of the tunnels are dead ends, while others lead back to their points of origin in very roundabout fashion. An umber hulk will know the layouts of such tunnels intimately, and will use them to outflank its victims.[1]
Male and female umber hulks are externally indistinguishable, being equal in both size and ferocity. However, female umber hulks are much rarer than males. Little is known about umber hulk reproduction, but once they've mated, the male and female will go their separate ways. The female will bear live young a year after mating, producing up to three hulklings. The young develop rapidly and are able to move about and defend themselves in short order. The mother is especially dangerous during this time, as she will hunt down and kill as much food as possible to feed her young, who eat voraciously. After two years, the young umber hulks learn to hunt at their mothers side. Those that have survived this long are considered mature adults in every respect. After a few more months, the young will leave, and the mother may start another litter. Male umber hulks live an average of 50 years; while females can live up to 75 years.[1]
It is unknown whether groundling umber hulk's have a society of their own, though it is rumored that there may be entire cities of these beings underground, with tunnels that radiate out like threads in a spider's web. If true, this would explain much, for umber hulks seem to disappear or spring up in a region at will and always take great care in hiding their tunnels behind them.[3]
Umber hulks usually prey on other subterranean creatures, like ankhegs and small purple worms, and have developed their array of devastating attacks to deal with these powerful foes. In fact, some claim that umber hulks will sometimes allow themselves to be swallowed alive by purple worms for the sheer thrill of tunneling out and slaying the worms.[1]
Vodyanoi[]
Vodyanoi are aquatic predators who live in deep bodies of fresh water and are closely related to umber hulks. They physically resemble their cousins, except they only have two eyes and therefore lack the ability to confuse opponents. Their hides are green and slimy to the touch, but beneath this are thick and knurled. Their claws are webbed, allowing them to swim effectively. Vodyanoi prey upon all manner of creatures but prefer human flesh. They can rend the hulls of small vessels and frequently sink or overturn small boats. Once per day a vodyanoi can attempt to summon up to 20 electric eels.[3]
Vodyanoi can be found throughout the Known Worlds, and are native to Nehzmyth in Krynnspace.[7]
A variety of particularly vicious and oversized saltwater vodyanoi is rumored to exist, but this is currently unconfirmed.[3]
Uses[]
The hide of an umber hulk is extremely tough and damage resistant, and is used by some underground races, notably kobolds and goblins, to make armor and shields. Though they wouldn't dare to attack a living umber hulk, these humanoids harvest the hides from hulks that have died from disease, old age, or passing adventurers. They also use the hard mandibles as hand-held weapons, and use the claws in the manufacture of spiked clubs and maces.
The eyes from an umber hulk's forehead are used by spellcasters and alchemists to create potions and magical inks, and can often be sold for a profit.[8]
Notable Umber hulks[]
- Orik was the personal slave and bodyguard of Master Coh, leader (overmaster) of the neogi community onboard the Spelljammer.[9]
- Spinesnapper was the personal slave and bodyguard of the Free Neogi merchant captain and ambassador, Griktha.[10][11][12]
Signature Spelljammers[]
Umber hulks are enslaved by the neogi and as such can be found on any of their ships, including the mindspiders and the mighty deathspiders.
Appendix[]
Gallery[]
External Links[]
- Umber hulk article at the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
- Umber hulk article at the Eberron Wiki, a wiki for the Eberron campaign setting.
- Umber hulk article at the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Wiki, a wiki for official Dungeons & Dragons content from 2nd edition AD&D.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Tony Jones, "The Ecology of the Umber Hulk", Dragon Magazine #152, December 1989, (TSR Inc.), page 10
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jeff Grubb. AD&D Adventures in Space; Lorebook of the Void, TSR, Inc., 1989, Neogi entry (pp.83–84)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Tim Beach et al, Monstrous Manual, 1993, (TSR Inc.), Umber Hulk entry, page 352
- ↑ Tony Jones, "The Ecology of the Umber Hulk", Dragon Magazine #152, December 1989, (TSR Inc.), pages 10, 11 and 13
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Jon Winter, "The Ecology of the Neogi", Dragon Magazine #214, February 1995, (TSR Inc.), page 56
- ↑ Tony Jones, "The Ecology of the Umber Hulk", Dragon Magazine #152, December 1989, (TSR Inc.), page 11
- ↑ Jean Rabe, SJR7 Krynnspace, 1993, (TSR Inc.), Nehzmyth chapter, pages 58-59
- ↑ Tony Jones, "The Ecology of the Umber Hulk", Dragon Magazine #152, December 1989, (TSR Inc.), pages 11-12
- ↑ Jeff Grubb, The Legend of Spelljammer, Captains and Ships, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Personalities of the Spelljammer, pages 62-64
- ↑ Grant Boucher, SJA4 Under The Dark Fist, 1991, (TSR Inc.), chapter 2: Strange Bedfellows, page 15
- ↑ Grant Boucher, SJA4 Under The Dark Fist, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Appendix B: Non-Player Characters, page 54
- ↑ Dale "Slade" Henson, War Captain's Companion, War Captain's Guide, 1992, (TSR Inc.), chapter 3: Spacefleets of the Void, page 22