Monks of an Insect God

INSECTOID MONK (#12/31, #71/365) [OOTP IV]

SKILL: 7

STAMINA: 8

ATTACKS: 1

WEAPON: Staff or Club

ARMOUR: Light Armour

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Ruins, Dungeons, Towns, Towns (Sewers)

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 1-3

TYPE: Insect/Humanoid

REACTION: Unfriendly-Hostile

INTELLIGENCE: High

Followers of the various insect gods - Hmurresh, Ymphos, Hammurabi and Vurgothrax, to name but a few - whose religious fervour and piety earns them the deity's blessing, will find themselves gradually mutating into a sort of insect-humanoid hybrid - the INSECTOID MONK. These shuffling, chittering horrors are known from such places on Titan as the Black Abbey of Lupravia and Shakuru, City of Beggars, and take the form of a heavily robed and shrouded figure with the head of a Giant Insect. To determine the type of head, roll on the following table:

Roll Head Type Effects

1. Cockroach, +1 Attack, Small Bite

2. Mantis, +1 Attack, Large Claw

3. Beetle, +1 Attack, Small Bite, Medium Armour

4. Maggot, +1 Attack, Large Bite

5. Weevil, +1 Attack, Small Claw, Heavy Armour

6. Moth, +1 Attack, Small Bite, can Fly

Insectoid Monks spend their days in prayer and contemplation to their chosen god, as well as indulging in corrupt rituals, experiments and practices designed to further the cause of insects everywhere, whether that be creating weird mutants like the Moth-Men (see Return to the Pit, p.134), or contaminating local farms, orchards and apiaries. They are suspicious of outsiders and will defend themselves with clubs and staves if attacked. Leading a cell of Insectoid Monks will be an INSECTOID ABBOT (SKILL 8 STAMINA 16, 2 Attacks); roll on the table above to determine the type, however note that the the process of mutation has been accelerated, and the Abbot will now resemble a very large-sized Giant Insect of its type, lurking in a slimey pit in the centre of its lair.

Insectoid Monks welcome similar creatures into their cloisters, including Droug, Weevil Men and Mantis Men, but they are sworn enemies of both the Spider King Arhallogen and Xoromik the Ant Goddess, and will attack followers of those demigods on sight.