A Vodoni enforcer is a lycanthropic warrior from the Vodoni Empire in the Spelljammer campaign setting.[1]
"The wolflike raiders penetrated deeply into illithid space: raiding, looting, destroying... but strangely taking no large number of prisoners."
- Chronicles of the Dark Fist, Vol XII, Scroll VII[2]
Overview[]
Vodoni enforcers are horrific lycanthropic half-man, half-wolf beast-warriors, with a taste for blood and without care for any living thing. They are magically-created werewolves who have been infected with a special Vodoni strain of lycanthropy by their creators, the Vodoni breeders.[1] Numbering in the tens of millions, the enforcers are the scourge of the Twelve Spheres.[3]
Description[]
Vodoni enforcers resemble wolf-like humanoids who take on a decidedly rabid appearance whenever they go into a blood rage.[1]
Behavior[]
At the height of the full moon during every cosmic moon cycle (i.e. 30 standard days), the enforcers lose complete control. At this time, they are often let loose upon uncooperative worlds. This naturally occurring blood rage lasts until dawn breaks, and during this time an enforcer will attack other enforcers. The enforcers themselves refer to this period as "shore leave".[1]
Combat[]
Enforcers are superb fighting machines, honed to battle for glorious honor and their very existence. They are usually armed with a magical longsword with a +1 enhancement bonus and equipped with chain mail and a shield.
At the beginning of any battle, there is a good chance that an enforcer will choose to abandon its weapons and rely on its claws and vicious bite. By taking the more violent and bloody road to victory, the enforcer will quickly become even more wolf-like in appearance and manner, until they go utterly berserk - known throughout the Empire as the Vodoni "blood rage".
Any enforcer who successfully bites an opponent will go into a blood rage - known as "tasting blood". As this point the warrior is completely out of control: abandoning their weapon and any pretense at defence, the enforcer relies purely on hand-to-hand combat, increasing in speed, power and damage inflicted with their caws and bite. An enforcer's blood rage will last for 10 minutes after the last time they tasted blood. Instinctively, enforcers will not attack other enforcers, but will mawl any vanquished foes if there are no longer any living enemies to fight.[1]
Society[]
"The most notorious breeder pits in the Imperial City were, not surprisingly, hidden under the palace tower itself. Here, those unfortunate enough to cross Vulkaran and survive were subjected to procedures too horrific to describe here."
- Chronicles of the Dark Fist, Vol XXXIX, Scroll III[4]
Enforcers are made, not born, in the horrid pits of the Undercity below the Imperial City on Vulkaran in Vodonispace. Human victims are abducted and then infected with lycanthropy (usually during the full moon feasts of the Imperial City) before being taken to the Undercity. At this point Vodoni lycanthropes are nearly mindless, and extremely vicious. The strongest are selected for "testing", which involves swallowing a virulent poison. Successfully withstanding the toxin results in them becoming a loyal Vodoni enforcer; failure means death.[1]
Creating a Vodoni enforcer[]
The Vodoni strain of lycanthropy is particularly virulent in that the victim is nearly mindless and vicious unless further treated. The chances of contracting lycanthropy is the same as the more common form, though cure disease is ineffective against this particular strain.[1]
To create more enforcers, Mongrelle and her breeders abduct human citizens, infecting them with lycanthropy (usually during the full moon feasts in the Imperial City) and then "recruiting" them into the Undercity, where the feral creatures feed and breed, fight and grow stronger. At this point Vodoni lycanthropes are nearly mindless, and vicious in the extreme. Only the strongest are selected for “testing” and recruitment as enforcers. The stronger the subject when they take “the test” the better, for “the test” involves swallowing a virulent poison. Surviving the effects of the poson results in the creation of a loyal Vodoni enforcer; failure means more dead meat in the Undercity.[5]
To successfully cure an enforcer of their lycanthropy, a neutralize poison spell must first be cast on them, since the substance remains in their blood as long as the victim is alive. Then a remove curse must be cast at the appropriate time, followed by a heal spell to restore the victim to full sanity.[5]
Vodoni conqueror[]
Vodoni Imperial conquerors,[6] or more simply Vodoni conquerors,[7] are ogre-sized wolf-creatures similar in appearance to Vodoni enforcers, except they are larger and much more powerful.[8] The next step in enforcer evolution, these monsters can inflict significant damage and can go into a blood rage at will.
Currently the conquerors serve as Emperor Vulkaran's secret elite bodyguards, but a few have been deployed on special missions. Naturally, the Emperor has decided to devote more of his Empire's resources to producing more of these ultra-powerful warriors for his legions, and intends on eventually replacing the enforcers with conquerors as the lesser warriors die over the normal course of events.[1]
Vodoni dreadnought[]
Tentatively referred to as Vodoni dreadnoughts, the Vodoni breeders intend on creating a new "super-race" of Vodoni conquerors, possibly with inherent spellcasting abilities and complete control of their blood rage.[9]
Signature Spelljammers[]
Vodoni enforcers serve as marines and crewmen onboard most Vodoni warships, including Vodoni Hunter-killers, Werewolves and Nightwolves.
Appendix[]
Gallery[]
External Links[]
- Lycanthrope article at the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
- Lycanthrope article at the Eberron Wiki, a wiki for the Eberron campaign setting.
- Vodoni enforcer 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 Grant S. Boucher, SJA4 Under The Dark Fist, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Vodoni, Enforcer entry, page 62
- ↑ Grant S. Boucher, SJA4 Under The Dark Fist, 1991, (TSR Inc.), sidebar, page 6
- ↑ Grant S. Boucher, SJA4 Under The Dark Fist, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Introduction, page 3
- ↑ Grant S. Boucher, SJA4 Under The Dark Fist, 1991, (TSR Inc.), sidebar, page 42
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Grant S. Boucher, SJA4 Under The Dark Fist, 1991, (TSR Inc.), chapter 5: The Great Assault, page 42
- ↑ Grant S. Boucher, SJA4 Under The Dark Fist, 1991, (TSR Inc.), chapter 3: Reconnoitering, page 24
- ↑ Grant S. Boucher, SJA4 Under The Dark Fist, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Vodoni conqueror sidebar, page 47
- ↑ Grant S. Boucher, SJA4 Under The Dark Fist, 1991, (TSR Inc.), chapter 6: Crescendo, page 46
- ↑ Grant S. Boucher, SJA4 Under The Dark Fist, 1991, (TSR Inc.), event 3: The Emperor's New Spheres, chapter 6: Crescendo, page 50