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Hengeyokai

2018-10-13T19:36:07Z

2605:A000:110B:479:0:7A09:7113:64EC: added the 3.5 update

{{monstergirls}}

'''Hengeyokai''' are a category of monster (or "yokai") within Japanese mythology. Technically a subcategory of ''obake'' (shapechanging monsters), although the terms are often used interchangeably, hengeyokai is a generic title used to cover an array of monsters based on the idea of magical animals who can transform into human form, and often times into other shapes as well. The term is actually pretty rare, and more usually these critters are identified as "bakemono" instead. The term is real, and would translate from Japanese as something like "changing phantom", it's just not commonly used - but then, Japanese mythology can be a right clusterfuck to try and unravel.

The list of hengeyokai is pretty damn long, and this is more a collection of the species most obviously connected to this term. It's muddled somewhat because many individual yokai of assorted species can learn to shapeshift, but these species are known to have it as inherent abilities.

''[[Kitsune]]:'' Without a doubt the most iconic of all hengeyokai, the kitsune is a shapeshifting fox, often described as gaining multiple tails as its power increases. Cunning and seductive, but as likely to help humans as harm them, it has achieved a great deal of fame. A common myth-related saying suggests kitsunes tend to have seven different forms they can assume.

''[[Tanuki]]:'' As popular as kitsunes in its home country, the tanuki myths have had a hard time getting abroad, mostly because of a certain bowdlerization issue. See, the jolly and happy-go-lucky tanuki are considered symbols of good luck, which is most prominently manifested in their enormous ball-sacks. Ironically, although typically depicted as more oafish and goofy than the sleek, elegant kitsunes, tanuki are even better shapeshifters, able to assume eight different forms - which may not be accounting for the stories of them turning their scrotums into things like the shop around them or a palanquin with servants to carry them about. Add in that the real animal, commonly known as the "raccoon dog", was only native to East Asian and that this sometimes lead to translators referring to them as "raccoons" or "badgers", and they've had a hard time getting known, although since the 2000s that factor has basically gone away.

''Bakeneko:'' Shapeshifting cats are one of the most famous of the "lesser" hengeyokai. In fact, there are three different varieties of bakeneko at the least; the common bakeneko, who can be benevolent or malevolent as it sees fit; the two-tailed, almost always malevolent nekomata, who love to enslave, kill and eat people; and the kasha, particularly large and fiendish bakeneko who have a taste for corpse meat and are often servitors of hell. All varieties are known for having fire-creating and necromantic powers in addition to their shapeshifting.

''Mujina:'' are shapeshifting badgers, very frequently confused with tanuki in the stories, to the point it's hard to really define them. Like tanuki, they are said to be capable of eight different transformations, and they're supposedly very shy and reclusive, which makes them much more careful about not giving themselves away when they do decide to walk amongst humans. Ironically, this means that Japan's badger-spirits have an attitude closer to the typical D&D ''elf'', despite being more thematically associated with the dwarf.

''Itachi:'' Without a doubt the most obscure of the "true" hengeyokai, itachi are shapeshifting weasels feared for their potent non-shapeshifting magic, which includes hypnotising people to become their slaves and gathering in groups to create huge firestorms. They are said to be the masters of shapeshifting, attributed with wielding nine different forms. Their cousins the Kamaitachi, a trio of super-fast weasels who run around knocking people over and cutting them with sickles, are much more famous.

''Kawauso:'' A more obscure hengeyokai, the kawauso are jovial and friendly shapeshifting otters, who mostly take on human form to play tricks and buy booze.

''Sazae-oni:'' These aquatic hengeyokai are based are turban snails - a sort of spiky sea snail native to Japan - that learn to take on the form of beautiful women in order to lure victims to their doom.

''Jorogumo:'' These are the closest thing in Japanese mythology to a [[succubus]]; female spiders who assume the form of beautiful maidens in order to seduce and usually devour men. Their name literally means "whore spider" in its original format, although politeness means the modern version of their name is written with characters that translate as "entangling bride".

''Tsuchigumo:'' Like the jorogumo, these are shapeshifting spiders, but tsuchigumo are more powerful, ambitious and politically minded. The other big difference is in the species; jorogumo are based on golden orb-weavers, whilst tsuchigumo are based on purseweb spiders.

''Unagi-hime:'' Among the more obscure hengeyokai, these are female eels who assume human form in order to interact with humans, often to beg for their assistance in battling other yokai who want to claim their homes.

==/tg/ Relevance==
Beyond being natural monsters to try and include in games with more of an oriental theme, hengeyokai have appeared in two different roleplaying games.

===[[Dungeons & Dragons]]===
First introduced in the very first edition of [[Dungeons & Dragons]] via the "Oriental Adventures" splatbook, the D&D hengeyokai is treated as a singular race divided into sub-races based on which animal forms it can take. This is perhaps the laziest way to handle it, because hengeyokai actually covers a wide variety of different animals who just happen to have "assume human form" as a common trait, but it seems fairly cemented in tradition: D&D has had the hengeyokai appear according to this formula in every edition from 1st to 4th, and they're absent only in 5th edition so far.

Precisely what animal forms of hengeyokai have been availible have varied depending on the edition:
* In 1st edition, appearing in the 1e Oriental Adventures, the hengeyokai species available were Carp, Cat, Crab, Crane, Dog, Drake, [[Kitsune|Fox]], Hare, Monkey, [[Tanuki|Raccoon Dog]], Rat and Sparrow.
* In 2nd edition, the hengeyokai received an informal update in the [http://www.lomion.de/cmm/hengeyok.php Kara-tur Monstrous Compendium], which updated all of the 1e subraces. Their ranks were then bolstered by [[Dragon Magazine]] #266, which added more races to the lineup: Badger, Dolphin, Falcon, Frog, Lizard, Lynx, Octopus, Owl, Panda, Turtle and Weasel.
* In 3rd edition, under the 3e Oriental Adventures, a new lineup appeared that blended elements of both of the previous lists: Badger, Carp, Cat, Crab, Crane, Dog, [[Kitsune|Fox]], Hare, Monkey, [[Tanuki|Raccoon Dog]], Rat, Sparrow and Weasel.
* In 4th edition, hengeyokai were again relegated to [[Dragon Magazine]], with the lineup of volume #404 starring the Badger, Carp, Cat, Crab, Crane, Dog, [[Kitsune|Fox]], Hare, Monkey, [[Tanuki|Raccoon Dog]], Rat and Sparrow.

As for their stats... for those relating to the Fox and Raccoon Dog hengeyokai, check out the [[Kitsune]] and [[Tanuki]] pages, since these are basically genericized depictions of both races.

====AD&D 1e PC Stats====
::Ability Score Minimum/Maximum: Strength 12/18, Dexterity 9/18, Constitution 12/18, Intelligence 12/18, Wisdom 12/18, Charisma 12/17
::Class & Level Limits: Shukenja 8, Kensai 6, Bushi Unlimited, [[Wu jen]] 9
::Movement Value: 12'
::Shapeshifting: A hengeyokai can change form once per day per level; once it has exhausted this ability, it must remain in its current form until the next day. Changing form takes a full round to complete, and all armor & equipment is left behind when it transforms. Spells that reveal illusions do not affect a hengeyokai in its animal or human forms.
:::Animal Form: A hengeyokai in animal form can only speak the hengeyokai and animal languages in this form. It cannot use weapons, armor or equipmient, nor can it cast spells. In animal form, its maximum hitpoint value is halved (round up); damage from one form carries over and it cannot assume animal form if this would leave it with 0 or less hit points. If reduced to 0 HP in animal form, the hengeyokai is slain outright. It gains certain other traits in animal form dependent on its subrace. All hengeyokai have infravision 120 feet in animal form.
:::Bipedal Form: Now appearing as a humanoid animal, the hengeyokai retains the ability to speak to animals and its infravision, but has access to all of its normal abilities. However, it loses any special movement rates, such as fly, swim, or increased/decreased land speed, cannot use any natural attacks, and does not benefit from an altered base Armor Class.
:::Human Form: In human form, a hengeyokai loses its animal-speech, infravision, natural attacks, base armor class and special movement traits, but retains all of its class abilities.

'''Carp Hengeyokai''': +1 Wisdom and -1 Strength, AC of 7 in Beast Form, Swim speed of 12' and Land speed of - in Beast Form, Alignment Restriction: Any Good.

'''Cat Hengeyokai''': +2 Dexterity, -1 Wisdom, AC of 9 in Beast Form, Claw attack (1d3) in Beast Form, Alignment Restriction: Any Chaotic.

'''Crab Hengeyokai''': +2 Strength, -2 Charisma, AC of 8 in Beast Form, Swim speed of 6' and Land speed of 3' in Beast Form, Pincer attack (1d3) in Beast Form.

'''Crane Hengeyokai''': +1 Wisdom, -1 Dexterity, AC of 9 in Beast Form, Fly speed of 12' and Land speed of 6' in Beast Form, Peck Attack (1d2) in Beast Form, Alignment Restriction: Any Good.

'''Dog Hengeyokai''': +1 Constitution, -1 Intelligence, AC of 9 in Beast Form, Bite attack (1d6) in Beast Form, Alignment Restriction: Any Good.

'''Drake Hengeyokai''': +1 Charisma, -1 Dexterity, AC of 7 in Beast Form, Fly speed of 12', Swim speed of 9' and Land speed of 6' in Beast Form, Alignment Restriction: Any Good.

'''Hare Hengeyokai''': +1 Wisdom, -1 Strength, AC of 5 in Beast Form, Speed increases to 18' in Beast Form, Alignment Restriction: Any Good.

'''Monkey Hengeyokai''': +2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom, AC of 6 in Beast Form, Alignment Restriction: Any Chaotic.

'''Rat Hengeyokai''': +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma, AC of 5 in Beast Form, Speed decreases to 9' in Beast Form, Bite attack (1d3) in Beast Form, Alignment Restriction: Any Evil.

'''Sparrow Hengeyokai''': +2 Charisma, -2 Constitution, AC of 3 in Beast Form, Fly speed of 15' and land speed of 3' in Beast Form, Alignment Restriction: Any Good.

====AD&D 2e PC Stats====
The basic mechanics for hengeyokai literally does not change between editions of AD&D, given how the underlying mechanics remained so similar. Their appearance in Dragon #266 instead clarifies a few details about their access to non-Oriental classes and presents the mechanics for the new varieties of hengeyokai.

::Non-Oriental Classes: [[Cleric]], [[Druid]], Speciality Priest, [[Fighter]], [[Ranger]], [[Rogue|Thief]], [[Wizard]] (any)
::Hengeyokai druids who reach 7th level do not gain the ability to shapechange into other aniamals; instead they increase their shapeshifts per day +3.
::Crane, Drake and Swallow hengeyokai have manueverability class C when flying in their beast form.

'''Badger Hengeyokai''': +1 Strength, -1 Charisma, animal form grants Burrow 3, Move 6, AC 4 and a 1d3 bite attack, Alignment Restriction: Any Evil.

'''Dolphin Hengeyokai''': +1 Intelligence, -1 Charisma, animal form grants Swim 30, Move 1, AC 5 and a 2d4 slam attack, Alignment Restriction: Any Good. Dolphin hengeyokai forced to move on land in their animal form tire out within (2 times Constitution score) minutes.

'''Falcon Hengeyokai''': +1 Strength, -1 Constitution, animal form grants Fly 36 (B), Move 1, AC 5 and a 1d3 claw attack, Alignment Restriction: Any Good. +2 bonus to attack rolls made by swooping down when in animal form.

'''Frog Hengeyokai''': +1 Dexterity, -1 Constitution, animal form grants Swim 9, Hop 6, Move 3, and AC 9. Are ampihibious in animal and hybrid form.

'''Lizard Hengeyokai''': +1 Dexterity, -1 Wisdom, animal form grants Move 9, AC 7 and a 1d2 bite attack. Are cold-blooded in hybrid and animal form.

'''Lynx Hengeyokai''': +1 Intelligence, -1 Charisma, animal form grants AC 6 and a 1d3 claw attack, Alignment Restriction: Any Evil.

'''Octopus Hengeyokai''': +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma, animal form grants Swim 6, AC 9 and a 1d3 bite attack, Alignment Restriction: Any Evil. An octopus hengeyokai that leaves the water in animal form has its Move rate drop to 2, and begins taking 1d4 damage per turn after it has been out of water for an hour. They are also deaf in animal form, using telepathy to communicate with animals and other hengeyokai.

'''Otter Hengeyokai''': +1 Dexterity, -1 Wisdom, animal form grants Swim 18, AC 5 and a 1d2 bite attack, Alignment Restriction: Any Chaotic. When in animal or hybrid form, can stay underwater for 6-8 minutes.

'''Owl Hengeyokai''': +2 Wisdom, -2 Constitution, animal form grants Fly 27 (D), Move 1, AC 5 and a 1d2 claw attack, Alignment Restriction: Any Good. In animal form, opponents suffer a -6 penalty to their Surprise forms against owl hengeyokai.

'''Panda Hengeyokai''': +1 Charisma, -1 Dexterity, animal form grants AC 7 and a 1d4+1 claw attack, Alignment Restriction: Any Good.

'''Turtle Hengeyokai''': +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity, animal form grants Swim 3, Move 1, AC 7, and a bite attack that inflicts 1 point of damage.

'''Weasel Hengeyokai''': +1 Intelligence, -1 Charisma, animal form grants Move 15, AC 6 and a 1d2 bite attack, Alignment Restriction: Any Evil.

====D&D 3e PC Stats====
::-2 Wisdom, +2 to a physical attribute determined by its subrace - depending on your reading, this +2 bonus may only apply in hybrid form and not in human form.
::Size: Medium in Hybrid and Human form, determined by subrace in Animal form
::Base Speed: 30 feet
::Type: Shapechanger
::Alternate Form (Su): A hengeyokai can assume one of three possible forms at will; an animal, a hybrid, or a human. This functions as a Polymorph Other spell that can be used 1 + character level times per day. Changing form is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
:::Animal Form: In animal form, all equipment the hengeyokai is wearing or carrying is melded into the hengeyokai's form, with magic items ceasing to function. It also gains a +10 racial bonus to Disguise checks made to pass itself off as an animal, Low-Light Vision, and the ability to communicate with other animals of its type. In animal form, a hengeyokai has the Size, Speed, AC, attack options, Strength, Dexterity and Constitution determined by its specific subrace.
:::Hybrid Form: A hengeyokai in hybrid form cannot wear Heavy Armor, but all of its equipment functions as normal. It gains Low-Light Vision and the ability to speak with animals of its own kind, as well as other special bonuses based on its race.
::[[Favored Class]]: [[Wu jen]]
::[[Level Adjustment]]: +1

'''Badger Hengeyokai''': +2 Constition. In hybrid form, a badger has a speed of 20ft and a Burrow of 10ft. In animal form, a badger is Tiny, has a Speed of 30ft and a Burrow of 20ft, an AC of 15, 2 claw attacks doing 1d2-1 damage each, a Bite attack doing 1d3-1 damage, a Strength of 8, a Dexterity of 17, and a Constitution of 15.

'''Carp Hengeyokai''': +2 Dexterity. In hybrid form, a carp has a Speed of 10ft and a Swim of 30ft. In animal form, a carp is Dimunitive, has a Swim Speed of 10ft, an AC of 19, a Strength of 1, a Dexterity of 20, and a Constitution of 10.

'''Cat Hengeyokai''': +2 Dexterity. In hybrid form, a cat has a +4 racial bonus to Balance checks. In animal form, a cat is Tiny, has a Speed of 30ft, an AC of 14, 2 claw attacks doing 1d2-4 damage each, a bite attack doing 1d3-4 damage, a Strength of 3, a Dexterity of 15, and a Constitution of 10.

'''Crab Hengeyokai''': In hybrid form, a crab has +1 natural armor and a +4 racial bonus to Swim checks. In animal form, a crab is Dimunitive, has a Speed of 15ft, an AC of 18, 2 claw attacks doing 1d2-5 damage, a Strength of 1, a Dexterity of 17, and a Constitution of 10.

'''Crane Hengeyokai''': +2 Dexterity. In hybrid form, a crane has a Speed of 20ft and a Fly of 20ft. In animal form, a crane is Small, has a Speed of 5ft and a Fly of 60ft, an AC of 14, a bite attack taht does 1d4-2 damage, a Strength of 6, a Dexterity of 16, and a Constitution of 10.

'''Dog Hengeyokai''': +2 Constitution. In hybrid form, a dog has a +4 racial bonus to Wilderness Lore checks made when tracking by scent. In animal form, a dog is Small, has a Speed of 40ft, an AC of 14, a bite attack that does 1d4+1 damage, a Strength of 13, a Dexterity of 17, and a Constitution of 15.

'''Hare Hengeyokai''': +2 Dexterity. In hybrid form, a hare has a Speed of 40ft. In animal form, a hare is Tiny, has a Speed of 40ft, an AC of 16, a bite attack that does 1d3-5 damage, a Strength of 1, a Dexterity of 19, and a Constitution of 10.

'''Monkey Hengeyokai''': +2 Dexterity. In hybrid form, a monkey has a +4 racial bonus to Climb checks. In animal form, a monkey is Tiny, has a Speed of 30ft and a Climb of 30ft, an AC of 14, a bite attack that does 1d3-4 damage, a Strength of 3, a Dexterity of 15, and a Constitution of 10.

'''Rat Hengeyokai''': +2 Dexterity. In hybrid form, a rat has a +4 racial bonus to Hide checks. In animal form, a rat is Tiny, has a Speed of 15ft and a Climb of 15ft, an AC of 14, a bite attack tat does 1d3-4 damage, a Strength of 2, a Dexterity of 15, and a Constitution of 10.

'''Sparrow Hengeyokai''': +2 Dexterity. In hybrid form, a sparrow has a Speed of 20ft and a Fly of 20ft. In animal form, a sparrow is Fine, has a Speed of 1ft and a Fly of 50ft, an AC of 24, (attack), a Strength of 1, a Dexterity of 23, and a Constitution of 10.

'''Weasel Hengeyokai''': + Constitution. In hybrid form, a weasel has a +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks. In animal form, a weasel is Tiny, has a Speed of 20ft and a Climb of 20ft, an AC of 14, a Bite attack that does 1d3-4 damage, Strength 3, Dexterity 15, and Constitution 10.

In the 3.5 update of Oriental Adventures in Dragon 318, their level adjustment was reduced to +0, and their type changed to Humanoid (shapechanger).

====D&D 4e PC Stats====
::Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom or Charisma
::Size: Medium (Human/Hybrid form) or Tiny (animal form)
::Speed: 7 squares (35 feet)
::Vision: Low-light
::Skill Bonuses: +2 Bluff, +2 to a skill determined by your hengeyokai subrace.
::Elusive: +1 racial bonus to Reflex
::Fey Origin: You are considered to be a Fey creature for effects that relate to creature origin.
::Beast Nature: You are considered both a magical beast and a humanoid for effects that relate to creature type.
::Shapechanger: You have the Shapechanger subtype.
::Languge of Beasts: You can communicate with any natural or fey beast that either shares your animal form or is closely related to it (for example, Dog Hengeyokai can speak with wolves). You can understand and speak to animals in animal and hybrid form, but in human form, you can only understand them.
::Racial Power - Nature's Mask: At-Will Polymorph Minor Action power that you can only use once per roud. You immediately change into your human, animal or hybrid form as you wish. In human and animal form, you gain a +5 bonus to Bluff checks made to disguise yourself as your apparent species. In animal form, you cannot use attack powers, although you can sustain them, nor can you speak any humanoid languages, although your statistics are otherwise unchanged. Equipment melds into your animal form; you continue to gain the benefits of all equipment bar shields and item powers.
::Hengeyokai Subraces:
* Badger: +2 Endurance, in beast mode you gain a Burrow speed equal to half your land speed.
* Carp: +2 Endurance, in beast mode you gain a Swim speed equal to your speed, your land speed drops to 1, and you can breathe underwater.
* Cat: +2 Acrobatics, in beast mode you gain a Climb speed equal to half your land speed.
* Crab: +2 Intimidate, in beast mode you gain a Swim speed equal to your speed, your land speed drops to 1, and you can breathe underwater.
* Crane: +2 Nature, in beast mode you gain a Fly speed of 6 and your land speed becomes 1.
* Dog: +2 Insight, in beast mode your speed increases by 2 squares.
* Hare: +2 Athletics, in beast mode your speed increases by 2 squares.
* Monkey: +2 Athletics, in beast mode you gain a Climb speed equal to half your land speed.
* Rat: +2 Thievery, in beast mode you gain a Climb speed equal to half your land speed.

{{D&D2e-Races}}
{{D&D4e-Races}}

===[[World of Darkness]]===
The Old World of Darkness attempted to broaden its appeal by doing "Oriental Flavors" for several of its gamelines. Out of the original Changing Breeds sourcebook, came the Oriental [[Therianthrope]]s of the World of Darkness, in the form of the Hengeyokai: Hakken (werewolves), Khans (weretigers), Kitsunes (werefoxes), Kumo (werespiders), Nagahs (wereserpents), Nezumi (wererats), Same-Bito (weresharks - one of which you fought in the Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines vidya game), Tengu (wereravens) and Zhong Lung (weredragons).

==Monstergirls==
It goes without saying that hengeyokai are actually pretty classic [[monstergirl]]s, with many real-world myths revolving around them assuming the form of sexy human women for a night of fun or even to score themselves a cute human husband. Of course, some of those stories also depict them as seductive predators who eat their would-be lovers, either before or after the sex, but that ''is'' why they call them '''monster'''girls.

Precise behavior will depend a lot on which type of hengeyokai you're actually dealing with, and even then, there's often a certain amount of fluidness - kitsune, for example, can be anything from free-wheeling hedonistic party-girls to enigmatic seductresses to playful pranksters. The most common trait is that the hengeyokai will usually be desperate to hide what she is at first, often because she's scared that the guy will freak when he learns she's really a cat or a weasel or whatever.

Appearance, likewise, is heavily fluid; a hengeyokai can appear as anything from a human with some "symbolic" traits of their animal form to the classic "girl with animal ears and an animal's tail" to a full-on [[beastfolk]]. Add in their shapeshifting abilities, and things get more complicated. There is a slight tendency to give them three forms; human girl with animal symbolism, girl with beast ears & tail (which the Japanese call "kemonomimi") and either female animal or female beastfolk. Four-fold or five-fold shifters are very uncommon.

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[[Category:Monsters]][[Category:World of Darkness]]

Inevitable

2018-09-29T22:29:57Z

2605:A000:110B:479:0:7A09:7113:64EC: added picture

[[File:Inevitables Regular.jpg|400px|thumb|right|A Zelekhut, a Kolyarut and a Marut; the lovely angels of Justice.]]
An '''Inevitable''' is a type of Outsider from [[Mechanus|The Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus]], an Outer [[Plane]] in the [[Planescape]] setting and several cosmologies in [[Dungeons and Dragons]]. They are the upholders of the fundamental rules of the multiverse, and track down and [[Anal Circumference|punish]] those who would seek to break them.

==Creation and personality==
Inevitables are made in great crèche-forges located in several locations throughout Mechanus. Here they are built through unknown ways and given intelligence. While they are technically Constructs, they are capable of learning and gaining a personality, though the process is slow.

After its creation, an Inevitable is given a target by a special set of Inevitables who divine the cosmos for any lawbreakers and is sent out to mete out justice. Upon their creation, they know nothing but how to use their abilities and their target. Given their lack of social skills, asking people for directions towards its target can be a very awkward affair. From its interactions with the world, an Inevitable begins to foster a personality, though as a being of Law this makes it at best a little unhinged and detached. They often get these personalities from hunting down several targets: the more they find the less of an automaton they become. However, the more independent they become, the more they long to return to their crèche-forge. When they do so, they have their personalities wiped and are given a new target. These beings are certainly [[Lawful Stupid]] at first glance, but given that they're [[Necron|mostly-robots]] that are made partially out of the literal essence of Law, their actions are only a little more stupid than when your computer crashes because of a glitch.

==Models==
Inevitables exist in several different kinds of models, each with their own specialty. It is not known if each individual crèche-forge makes only one model, or if several are made within the same facility.

===Kolyarut===
Kolyarut are designed to uphold oaths both spoken and written. They appear like humanoid constructs made of black metal: they often have a half-finished look with many exposed parts jutting out here and there. Their heads often have their back exposed, and two glowing red eyes look forward from the skull (unless you were to consult the picture provided.)

Kolyarut track down oathbreakers and use intimidation, magic, or outright force to browbeat someone into upholding their bargain. They only kill if it is part of the bargain in question: otherwise they use spells like Suggestion or Geas in order to get the job done. Kolyarut hold all bargains to be equal in their importance: from the repayment of a monetary debt to [[Lawful Stupid|the promise of an extradimensional horror to destroy the gods]]. They are the most talkative kind of Inevitable: they often speak with people in places where oaths are normally sworn, such as courts of royalty or law, temples and other such places. As such, they return back to their crèche-forges regularly.

They do not differentiate between those who have no intent on upholding their oaths, those who unwillingly broke their oaths or those who are not able to uphold their oaths for some reason. If possible, they first inform their targets of them being in breach: if they are willing to uphold their parts of the oath the Kolyarut will make sure they do so. Those less willing are made to uphold their bargain through force or magic. But if the Kolyarut discovers that both parties do not keep their ends of a bargain, it treats the bargain as void and dismisses it.

In 5e, kolyarut does not refer to a subtype of inevitables but a single mechanical engine of absolute jurisprudence. The Kolyarut (with a captial K) acts as the mediator between two parties who form a contract, which is then placed in the chest of a marut that enforces the contract.

===Marut===
{{Main|Marut}}
The most recognizable of the bunch (and the one who has existed the longest, dating back to the original [[Manual of the Planes]]), the Marut, is tasked with hunting down those who cheat death and granting them the end they escaped. As such, the enemies of the Marut are beings like [[lich]]es, [[necromancer]]s, cult leaders, extremely long-lived [[wizard]]s, those who restore the dead back to live over and over (either willing like with [[adventurers]] or on a mass-scale on the unwilling, like [[necromancer]]s).

Maruts are patient in their hunts, biding their time until they are ready to strike, where they strike targets with lightning-charged fists. Because of the solitary nature of many of their targets, Maruts have little opportunity to practice their social interaction, and as such are the slowest to develop personalities.

Maruts are large and broad, with heavy frames and strong limbs to better fight for justice with their bare hands. They have what looks like Greco-Roman inspired armor with huge axe-helmets that look like low tier Warrior armor from [[World of Warcraft]].

In 4e, Inevitables as a whole were swept away; only Maruts remained, and they were initially given a backstory as astral mercenaries, before the Astral Sea sourcebook clarified that they were originally created at the dawn of creation by the gods to serve as the ultimate impartial arbitrators and enforcers. Dedicated exclusively to the promotion of law and order, Maruts in the Astral Sea serve as mercenaries to promote their vision, with the theory that they seek payment in reciprocal favors because they hope to eventually hold the entire multiverse in their debt, allowing them to reshape existence into something much more orderly.

In 5e, Inevitables returned to their original purpose in earlier versions. Only maruts have been shown thus far, though other inevitables are explicitly stated to exist. They behave more like kolyaruts in this edition, enforcing contracts between two parties.

[[File:Inevitables Powerful.jpg|400px|thumb|A Varakhut and a Quarut, the more potent and rare variants of Inevitables.]]

===Quarut===
The Quarut are tasked with delivering justice to those who meddle with time and relative dimensions in space, causing rippling effects and distort space and all kinds of other magibabble stuff you normally see on [[Doctor Who]]. The foes of the Quarut are potent indeed, and as such they keep their distance until they better understand their quarry. They often engage their foes by matter of proxies, interrogate associates and minions and seek weaknesses in their foes. While the Quarut are formidable in battle, the easiest way to deal with them is to determine what they want and fix the damage you've done. This is often easier said than done, and may require anything up to and including time travel to undo some calamity.

Quarut look like warped marionettes with slender brown frames and complex, green-gold plating. They tend to employ magic in order to gain the upper hand in battle, even spells like Wish and Time Stop in order to seize their targets. They seem to conveniently ignore the fact that the use of these spells is what they're created to combat.

===Varakhut===
The most potent and rare kind of Inevitable, the Varakhut are meant to uphold the divine order. All those who would seek to destroy the gods, or become one themselves, will eventually get into conflict with these potent beings. They are the most lethal of their kind, employing powerful magic and physical prowess in order to destroy their enemies. Those with a legitimate bid for godhood eventually come to blows with a Varakhut, but beings who only think they do are safe. While a Varakhut is powerful, it is likely no match for a god-to-be in single combat. Instead they aim at artifacts, followers and other sources of power or reverence for the wannabe-god.

There are only a few ways to stop a Varakhut: by destroying it, to ensure that you no longer have a bid for godhood, or by actually becoming a god. If one were to become a demigod or more, you become part of the order the Varakhut is sworn to protect, and as such are no longer a valid target. Varakhut look the most alien of the bunch: their bodies have sharp geometric shapes with elongated pyramids for arms. Instead of legs, the torso terminates into a single geometric point. The head is a flat disc on top of a slightly raised tube, giving an alien and inorganic appearance.

===Zelekhut===
Zelekhut are centaur-shaped beings with porcelain skin, golden clockwork, mechanical wings and long, bladed chains that can extend from their forearms. They are tasked with hunting down fugitives of the law, to either bring them in for their proper punishment or, if deemed necessary, carry out the death sentence they escaped. For this they employ their long chains to disarm and incapacitate foes, then either use spells like Mark of Justice or Geas to ensure compliance. Failing that, they simply kill their quarry. They are the fastest Inevitables as well: their legs and wings allowing them superior speed to chase those who would deny justice.

Zelekhut take a more intense approach to their searches: they question passersby with impunity and will resort to violence if they think they are being held out on. More experienced Zelekhut observe those they have interrogated to determine if they were being lied to. Because of their frequent and intense interactions with people, they develop personalities the fastest of all Inevitables, and as such visit their crèche-forges very regularly.

===Anhydrut===
[[File:Anhydrut.jpg|400px|thumb|right|A Anhydrut, the weirdest inevitable.]]

Anhydrut, or Waste Crawlers, were a type of Inevitable in 3.5 splatbook sourcebook Sandstorm. Anhydruts are charged with the sacred duty of hunting down and killing anyone who... tries to irrigate a desert. While this may appear surprising at first, one should consider that in many cultures, the expansion of a desert is seen as a vast threat. For a culture threatened by desertification, desert irrigation is a vast project, and large empires were once built entirely around irrigation systems (known sometimes as "water empires"). In this context, of course, an Anyhdrut <s>makes a lot more sense</s> makes no fucking sense what so ever. Consider: Inevitable's are specially built on the plane of order in special crèches to track down people who break a specific law of the cosmos. Anhydrut's hunt down anyone who invents a sprinkler system. Moving around water is what people ''do'', and there would be vast sections of the planet that we live on right now that would be uninhabitable if we didn't, and I'm pretty sure no magical robots have show up to teach those people what for.

If you want an actual, factual reason for the Anhydrut's existence it's probably because by about level 12ish there is a whole host of ways a caster (arcane or divine) could potentially make the setting of Sandstorm much more present and fertile, which sort of defeats the purpose of actually playing in the setting in the first place. Anhydrut then are a good way to discourage this kind of [[NobleBright]] thinking without having to re-balance half the system and spells and serve as an answer to the, excuse me, inevitable question of why no other caster before you has done anything about it.

{{D&D-Outsiders}}

==Pathfinder==
Amazingly, Inevitables appear in [[Pathfinder]] as well; here, they are a kind of [[angel]]ic [[golem]] created by the [[Axiomites]]s, the Outsiders of Axial, the Plane of Pure Order in the [[Golarion]] [[multiverse]]. Inevitables were originally soldiers used to bulk out the Axiomite armies in their great war against the [[Protean]]s, but in the modern era, each model now concerns predominantly with enforcing a particular kind of order, more subtly reinforcing the existence of the cosmos and the power of Law.

Arbiters, Kolyaruts, Lhaksharuts, Maruts and Zelekhuts all appeared in the Pathfinder Bestiary 2. Kastamuts appeared in the Ironfang Invasion adventure path, in the module "Seige of Stone". Hykariuts and Impariuts appeared in the War for the Crown adventure path, in the module "The Reaper's Right Hand". Novenaruts and Valharuts appeared in the Planar Adventurers splatbook.

'''Arbiters''' are the least of the Inevitable race, appearing as clockwork orbs dominated by a single central eye, with two small hands and a pair of metallic-feathered wings that keep them aloft. They serve the Inevitables as scouts and diplomats, spreading through the cosmos and keeping an eye on the forces of chaos, whilst also striving to convince people to adhere to the principles of order. To this end, they often allow themselves to serve as [[familiar]]s to powerful [[mage]]s.

'''Kolyaruts''' are one of the most common and low-ranked of the Inevitables, appearing as humanoid shapes comprised partially of stone and partially of clockwork machinery. As in the [[Great Wheel]], their focus is on preserving the sanctity of contracts, punishing oathbreakers and ensuring that a contract's terms are kept. They care little for the terms of the agreements in question, only that promises are fulfilled, debts are paid, and balance is maintained. They are considered one of the more talkative breeds of Inevitable.

'''Lhaksharuts''' are powerful Inevitables charged with preserving the balance of reality by enforcing the stability of the [[plane]]s themselves. This doesn't mean they punish every [[conjurer]] or [[planeswalker]]; neither summoning creatures, nor visiting other planes, nor even the occasional creation of a pocket plane or hijacking of a chunk of one reality to serve as a base within another concerns them - these are petty infringements that ultimately matter little to the multiversial balance. No, the lhaksharut's charge is to keep the plane as a whole separate and distinct from other planes; what concerns them is wide-scale planar integration, such as the formation of a permanent link between planes, or a wide-scale interplanar invasion. A typical lhaksharut is a six-armed construct that appears to be made of a mix of metals and stone. Where a human would have legs, it instead possesses a complex orb of spinning rings similar in shape to an orrery—it is this whirling machine that grants the lhaksharut the ability to fly. Though a lhaksharut has huge, metal wings, they serve as little more than stabilizers when it’s in flight. Four of the construct’s arms end in functional hands that it normally uses to carry a mix of weapons. The lhaksharut’s lower two arms hold large, flaming metal spheres in their hands—it uses these spheres to generate elemental bolts of energy that it can hurl great distances to damage foes.

'''Maruts''' are their iconic 3rd edition selves, as you'd expect in the edition made to serve as 3.75; hulking stony giants charged with preserving the sanctity of the order of life and death.

'''Zelekhuts''' are, again, just reiteration of their 3rd edition selves. They are mechanical [[pegataur]]s who seek to punish those who continually escape justice.

'''Kastamuts''' are an Inevitable breed who resemble clockwork statues of [[dwarves]], which many have speculated about a deeper meaning behind. In an essence, they are embodiments of conservatism; a kastamut's charge is protecting a civilization's traditions and customs. They oppose sudden, radical changes in the course of a culture’s traditions, and work to prevent the destruction of established belief systems, rites, and social customs. That said, like Lhaksharuts, they do have the ability to prioritise; a petulant child resisting his parent’s teachings draws no attention from Axis. Even fundamental shifts in the beliefs shared by a large group of people are allowed, so long as they progress along the lines of a normal cultural development. What kastamuts do work against are immediate, substantial changes, such as when a new ruler outlaws a nation’s long-standing religion and seeks to wipe out all practice of the old faith in favor of a new one, especially if the new religion has no precedent. Turning slowly from old ways to new ones can be part of the natural order, but violently rebelling against traditional practices in favor of untested systems gives rise to chaos, which the powers of Axis cannot abide.

'''Hykariuts''' and '''Impariuts''' are two sides of the same coin. Both are enforced with preserving order by preventing riots, revolutions, and other sudden, violent changes in government. The difference is in they tackle it. Both appear as imposing, strongly built humanoid statues of stone, but the Hykariut specifically focuses on putting down the riot, and the Impariut focuses on preventing riots by rooting out governmental incompetence and corruption. Despite their appearance and reputation as blunt objects that exist to simply crush revolutions by force, not helped by the fuck-off huge hammer they carry, hykariuts are neither dumb, nor as single-minded as lhaksharuts - using a sledgehammer when a scalpel will do only serves the forces of chaos. As such, hykariuts prefer to talk first and dissuade rebels and rioters, and if forced to violence, prefer to subdue non-lethally rather than massacre their foes. They typically take the attitude of a stern parent scolding a naughty child, but if things are serious enough, they are not afraid to make dramatic points by pulverizing stubborn demagogues. Impariuts are similarly flexible, by Inevitable standards; they understand that a lack of give-and-take, or an all-stick approach, will only worsen the problem. Stern but usually fair, they tend to prefer to subtly approach the corrupt or incompetent rulers whose efforts have called them forth, and try to redeem them. If redemption is impossible, they will publicly dethrone them and see to their replacement with a better candidate.

'''Novenaruts''' are one of the stranger Inevitable models; these Inevitables are charged with overseeing cultures that have developed a tradition of [[honor]]-dueling. Wherever mortals will settle matters of dispute through combat, Novenaruts are subtly dispatched to the protect the sanctity of these duels - though, understandably, they usually focus on conflicts or duels that have higher stakes, such as an honorable battle that determines the fate of a kingdom. They take the appearance of silver-and-green suits of [[samurai]] armor overlaying a clockwork endoskeleton, with their face blank save for six green gemstone-like eyes.

'''Valharuts''' have no greater purpose; they are the oldest form of Inevitable, serving as the soldiers of Axial and fighting an endless battle against the powers of chaos. They appear as four-armed, blank-featured humanoid statues of marble.

Abjurer

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An '''Abjurer''' is a form of Specialist [[Wizard]] in [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. As the name suggests, they are specialized in the magic school of ''Abjuration'', which focuses on defensive and protective spells. Abjurers are typically the tankiest of wizards, layering so many protective spells on themselves and their allies that they are practically invulnerable. Also, being "the tankiest of wizards" isn't like being "the fastest snail;" abjurers can compete with [[Fighter|fighters]] or [[Barbarian|barbarians]] for a party's tank slot, especially in 5e.

==5th Edition's Arcane Tradition==
'''Abjurers''' are now the beefiest of the wizards. Their level 2 ability, Arcane Ward, lets them create a magical shield whenever they cast an abjuration spell (not cantrip, proper spell). This shield creates a pool of temporary hitpoints that soaks up incoming damage, and which can be healed by casting more abjuration spells. At level 6, they gain Projected Ward, which lets them use their reaction to protect a creature within a 30ft line of sight with their Arcane Ward. At level 10, Improved Abjuration gives the abjurer the ability to add their Proficiency bonus to any ability checks they have to made whilst casting abjuration spells. Finally, at level 14, they gain Spell Resistance, which in this edition works out as Advantage on saving throws vs. spells and Resistance to spell-inflicted damage.

[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Gamer Slang]]

Abjurer

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{{dnd-stub}}

An '''Abjurer''' is a form of Specialist [[Wizard]] in [[Dungeons & Dragons]]. As the name suggests, they are specialized in the magic school of ''Abjuration'', which focuses on defensive and protective spells. Abjurers are typically the tankiest of wizards, layering so many protective spells on themselves and their allies that they are practically invulnerable. Also, being "the tankiest of wizards" isn't like being "the fastest snail;" abjurers can compete with [[Fighter|fighters|]] or [[Barbarian|barbarians]] for a party's tank slot, especially in 5e.

==5th Edition's Arcane Tradition==
'''Abjurers''' are now the beefiest of the wizards. Their level 2 ability, Arcane Ward, lets them create a magical shield whenever they cast an abjuration spell (not cantrip, proper spell). This shield creates a pool of temporary hitpoints that soaks up incoming damage, and which can be healed by casting more abjuration spells. At level 6, they gain Projected Ward, which lets them use their reaction to protect a creature within a 30ft line of sight with their Arcane Ward. At level 10, Improved Abjuration gives the abjurer the ability to add their Proficiency bonus to any ability checks they have to made whilst casting abjuration spells. Finally, at level 14, they gain Spell Resistance, which in this edition works out as Advantage on saving throws vs. spells and Resistance to spell-inflicted damage.

[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Gamer Slang]]