Hūdū

Shadow Sentinels

The shadowy Hūdū stalk the Twilight Realm like nurses on a battlefield, answering the calls of the wounded. The Hūdū do not follow the cries of injured soldiers, but are drawn instead to rifts in the Skein.

Physiology

The Hūdū are nearly invisible to those without mage-sight. To others, they appear as featureless anthropoid silhouettes of varying size. When encountered indoors, they tend to scale to available space. Outside, the Hūdū can tower over buildings and reach across city blocks. Physically, the creatures are immaterial and able to pass through physical objects with ease. The Hūdū appear to respect basic Vorbìdrū magics, and will skirt those wards when present. Whether the Hūdū are incapable of crossing the wards, or obey them for some other reason is unclear.

Despite their incorporeal nature, the Hūdū are capable of interacting with the physical world. While unable to lift or manipulate solid objects, the touch of the Hūdū inflicts damaging cold and triggers a Lost Moment. Lost Moments can be fragments of memory, pieces of a dream, or some scene that has not yet happened. Whatever their content, Lost Moments transport a person’s consciousness from the Waking World and pushes it elsewhere. In the Waking World the subject is left senseless and inanimate until the Lost Moment has passed. Cold injuries resemble frostbite and send tremors through the bodies of warm-blooded subjects.

“The cold seized her bones and set her teeth to violent chattering. Turning on a heel, she saw the assailant for the first time, towering over her, swinging a long shadowy hand. As the hand came down everything went dark for the Taládan. Tressta stood in a tranquil courtyard, the smell of flowers wafting through the warm air. Nearby, a fountain of crystal water tumbled down across the marble form of Amra holding a bouquet of marble flowers. It was warm and peaceful there. Somewhere beyond the courtyard walls music was playing, an old tune that she remembered from her childhood in Evermið. Sitting beside the fountain, Tressta found it easy to forget her troubles.” – Village on the Edge of Death

Psychology

It is not known whether the Hūdū are sentient. They have not exhibited an ability to communicate. They seem to be wary when faced with weapons, wards, or other dangers that can affect them but whether this amounts to a survival instinct is unclear. The Hūdū are attracted to breaches in the Skein which they will try to remedy with resolute purpose.

Culture

Most Hūdū travel alone. When large breaches are present, numerous Hūdū have been known to swarm to fill the gap.

Language

Unknown.

Magic

In addition to their freezing touch and ability to temporarily transport victims’ consciousnesses, the Hūdū have two unique abilities. They are able to find and trace silver paths from breach to invader. They are also able to repair rents in the world Veils by merging with the fabric. It is this last ability that has led some to believe that the Hūdū are not sentient, but rather counteractants i.e., antibody-like manifestations that are generated when injuries to a Veil occur. While the Hūdū do not appear able to affect the silver paths themselves, once the invader is killed, their path fades and the breach may be repaired.

Characters

Hūdū are not appropriate player characters.

Template

The basic template for Hūdū characters is 291 CPs. This template includes:

Advantages

  • Absolute Direction (BASp34) 5
  • Doesn’t Breathe (BASp49) 20
  • Doesn’t Eat or Drink (BASp50) 10
  • Extra Arms: Long (BASp53) +2 351
  • Higher Purpose (Protect the Veils) (BASp59) 5
  • Hyperspectral Vision (BASp60) 25
  • Injury Tolerance: Diffuse (BASp47) 100
  • Innate Attack: Toxic (Cold) 2 (BASp62) 192
  • Insubstantiality (BASp62) 403
  • Invisibility (BASp63) 364
  • Magic Resistance +3 (BASp67) 6
  • Permeation: Very Common (BASp75) 20
  • Unfazeable (BASp95) 15

1 BASp53 Extra Arms, Long, No Physical Attack; 20 pts (Base) +200% (Effective SM +2) -50% (No Physical Attack) = 35
2 BASp47 Innate Attack; 8 pts (2d Toxic) +40% (Affects Substantial) +20% (Hazard, Freezing) +100% (Side Effect, Lost Moment) -25% (Melee Attack, 1 or 2) = 19
3 BASp62 Insubstantiality; 80 pts (Base) -50% (Always On) = 40
4 BASp63 Invisibility; 40 pts (Base) -10% (Substantial Only) = 36

Total = 336 CPs

Disadvantages

  • Easy to Kill 5 (BASp134) -10
  • Hidebound (BASp138) -5
  • No Fine Manipulators (BASp145) -30

Total = -45 CPs

Options

There is little apparent variation between Hūdū.