Skin of Evil - Armus

The desert heat beats hard on the half elf. Attempting to break its very will to continue, but continue it must. What at first he believed to be a shadow on the horizon has been following him for hours now, and often seen where no shadow had any right to exist.

As he crests the next dune, he turns to see that it has gained much ground on him. Only 2-3 hundred yards separated the two. Panic strikes, and he bolts. Running in the oppressive desert heat is dangerous at best, but the unnatural darkness following him is no friend. Reaching the bottom of the dune, he cuts left, then casts Invisibility. The map had shown an oasis and settlement 5 or 6 miles to the east. That is where he'll go.

It's been a few hours now. No sign that the shadow had detected his deception, and the town comes into sight from around a dune. Relief falls over him. Night is coming fast, and the air is cooling and natural shadows form in the wake of the buildings. The half elf could do for a rest. His determination carries him into town, but exhaustion hides from him the stillness. The town is dead silent. All too late the half elf notices it in the center of the town. The Shadow. Large and pitch black upon the ground An unseen force begins pulling him along the ground, and a deep, gurgling voice erupts inside his head. "WHAT DO YOU FEAR LITTLE MAN?! WHAT TORTURES YOU IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT!? I WOULD KNOW IT!"

The half elf screams as a man-like form rises from the coal black ichor. Much to Armus' delight.

Eldritch Horror What is created when good gods purge their darkness and evil? Skins of Evil are created. The purged darkness coalesces in the hollier realms, only to find itself falling from the light and grace it knew oh so briefly. Most end up on the Earthly planes, unable to make it into the depths of Hell despite their utter darkness. Beings created in such a way, must always carry with them a spark of the divine.

It is this dichotomy that drives them to their sadistic ends. Seeking to punish and torture all, good or evil, for the very choice of fate that they take for granted. Hate and resentment drive a Skin of Evil.

Lifeless Barrens Where one of these beings falls, death for all around is soon to follow. The Skin will quickly seek out, torture, and kill any and all sentient life first, followed by lesser beasts, and finally any and all plants that reside in a region. As boredom grows, so does the Skin's range, and in a matter of centuries, whole deserts will have grown up where lush forests once stood.

Timeless Nightmares Time means nothing and everything to a Skin. They do not age, do not get sick, but they are always aware of the existence that was denied them. They will live on hating and killing everything for eternity if allowed.

Ignored by Gods, Angels, Devils, and Demons Beings of the Divine, or Damned cannot, or will not act to hinder or assist a Skin of Evil. It is largely unknown if this is a conscious act, or if some nature of the Skin prevents it. What is known, is that no Skin of Evil will tolerate another Skin within its territory. Fights between two Skins are extremely rare, but a pursued or new skin may find itself unwittingly within the another's territory. When this occurs, the stronger ALWAYS wins.

Minor Skin

When minor deities undergo a purging of their darkness, a Minor Skin is formed. Little more than a full cup in size, these Skins of Evil poses little of the prowess that their full fledged brethren, but pursue their hatred of all things living in other sadistic ways.

A favorite is physically entering, and possessing a stronger creatures mind, and using it as a vehicle of destruction. Bodies controlled by Minor Skins typically wear out quickly, or are destroyed. If destroyed by Nature Magic, or Light Magic, the Skin is destroyed as well. However, Minor Skins are quick to jump ship if they fear their demise approaching. Typically, these creatures are ambush

Minor Skin Tiny monstrosity, Chaotic Evil Armor Class 11 or AC of infected host

11 or AC of infected host Hit Points 22(1d4 + 2) or HP of infected host

22(1d4 + 2) or HP of infected host Speed 2 ft. or Speed of infected host STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 5 (-3) 15 (+2) 10 (0) 24 (+7) 14 (+2) 1 (-5) Condition Immunities Divine, Poison, Physical

Divine, Poison, Physical Senses Blindsight 60ft

Blindsight 60ft Languages All - Telepathic

All - Telepathic Challenge 2 (450 XP) Telepathy. For up to 200ft, a Minor Skin can project its thoughts into another creature's mind, and Feed on a creature's emotions.

Possession. If allowed to invade the body/mind of a living person or animal, the Skin assumes control of the host. It takes 3 Failed CON contests for a Minor Skin to take control.