Protean, Azuretzi

Azuretzi Creature5

CN Small Monitor Protean

Senses Perception +11; darkvision, entropy sense (imprecise) 30 feet

Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Protean

Skills Acrobatics +11, Arcana +11, Athletics +9, Deception +13, Performance +13, Stealth +13, Survival +11, Thievery +13

Str +2, Dex +4, Con +4, Int +4, Wis +2, Cha +4

Entropy Sense (divination, divine, prediction) As akizendri.

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AC 22; Fort +11, Ref +15, Will +11; +1 status to all saves vs. magic

HP 75, fast healing 2; Weaknesses lawful 5; Resistances precision 5, protean anatomy 8

Protean Anatomy (divine, transmutation) This creature’s vital organs shift and change shape and position constantly. Immediately after it takes acid, electricity, or sonic damage, it gains the listed amount of resistance to that damage type. This lasts for 1 hour or until the next time the protean takes damage of one of the other types (in which case its resistance changes to match that type), whichever comes first. It is immune to polymorph effects unless it is a willing target. If blinded or deafened, it automatically recovers at the end of its next turn as new sensory organs grow to replace the compromised ones.

Spell Pilfer [reaction] Trigger A creature with an active spell effect within 30 feet of the azuretzi fails to resist another azuretzi’s Mocking Touch; Effect The azuretzi attempts to counteract one ongoing spell effect on the target creature with a Thievery check. If it is successful, it transfers the ongoing spell effect to itself. The creature then becomes temporarily immune to Spell Pilfer for 24 hours.

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Speed 25 feet, fly 25 feet, swim 25 feet; freedom of movement

Melee [one-action] jaws +15 (chaotic, finesse, magical), Damage 2d10+4 piercing plus 1d6 chaotic

Melee [one-action] claw +15 (agile, chaotic, finesse, magical), Damage 2d8+4 slashing plus 1d6 chaotic

Melee [one-action] tail +13 (chaotic, magical, reach 15 feet), Damage 2d12+4 bludgeoning plus 1d6 chaotic and Grab

Divine Innate Spells DC 22; 4th dimension door; 3rd crisis of faith, dispel magic, shatter; 2nd hideous laughter; 1st detect alignment (at will, lawful only); Constant (4th) freedom of movement

Constrict [one-action] 1d12+4 bludgeoning, DC 22

Mimic Form [two-actions] (concentrate, divine, polymorph, transmutation) As Change Shape, but an azuretzi can assume the specific form of a Medium or smaller creature it Seeks with a successful DC 25 Perception check. It can return to its true form as a free action. It can retain access to only one exact appearance at a time.

Mocking Touch [two-actions] (abjuration, divine) Requirement The azuretzi is not currently using Mocking Touch on a spell; Effect The azuretzi mocks a creature’s magical ability with a touch. The azuretzi must attempt a Thievery check against the target’s Will DC.

Critical Success The azuretzi chooses one spell of up to 3rd level that the target creature has available to cast. The azuretzi gains that spell as a mock divine innate spell, and it can cast that spell once as an innate divine spell using its own DC and spell attack. It must do so before 24 hours pass or the mock spell is lost. The creature touched cannot cast the mock spell until the azuretzi casts it first or the 24 hour period passes, whichever comes first.

Success As critical success, but the azuretzi has 1 hour to cast the mock spell before it is lost, and the creature touched can cast the spell normally.

Failure As critical success, but the azuretzi must cast the mock spell before the end of its next turn or it is lost, and the creature touched can cast the spell normally.

Critical Failure Mocking Touch has no effect.

About

Azuretzis are sinuous, serpentine creatures with dagger-sharp teeth, covered in brilliant blue scales with mottled purple and pink highlights that shimmer in a pareidolic approximation of leering, laughing faces.

The Maelstrom’s chaotic forces spawn these small proteans from a variety of sources: physical mating between older azuretzis, the paradoxical promotion of bestial naunets, and possibly from mortal petitioners, though azuretzis may just be confusing putative mortal memories with experiences gained from games of mimicry. Never expect azuretzis to operate by any rational, self-consistent rules.

Azuretzis represent the humor of chaos, particularly in the form of mockery and parody via exaggerated mimicry, twisting a target’s features into a laughingstock.

Azuretzis form mock choruses in emulation of their more powerful kindred, aping the shifting philosophies of proper choruses. While mischievous or outright malevolent to hostile or lawful creatures, they interact amiably with chaotic creatures, who run the risk of being promptly followed-willingly or not-by a serpentine gaggle of self-appointed understudies.