Tanar'ri, Goristro

Strength 9x

Agility 5x

Intellect 2x

Willpower 7x

Hand Size: Edge:

4 (25) 2

Origin:

Goristroi are hulking behemoths, gigantic demonic monsters hailing from the Abyss. These dim-witted terrors appear like a strange cross between a bison and a man, and possess staggering strength and physical capabilities to counter their lack of intelligence.

Powers:

Tanar'ri Physique: the goristroi are greater tanar'ri, powerful demonic beasts hailing from the infinite planes of the Abyss. As are all other greater tanar'ri, the immense goristroi are truly planar entities, and possess these potent tanar'ric capabilities:

* Darkness (a): all tanar'ri have the ability to share the inherent darkness of their very souls with the world at large. This rudimentary power functions only at intensity 4, but basically 'blacks out' everything within near missile distance of the goristro.

* Dimensional Transit (i): in addition to being able to teleport, tanar'ri can transition between planes of existence. They may do so with intensity 5 ability, though on a failed action dimensionally transiting tanar'ri may be subject to error, per a failed teleport. *

* Infravision (w): many of the Abyss' countless layers are dark beyond mortal ken, and have never seen the light (physically or otherwise). As such, all tanar'ri have evolved the ability to see by heat as well as by visible light, and can do so with intensity 5 skill.

* Invulnerability to Cold, Fire, Heat, and Poison (s): unlike most tanar'ri, the goristroi have a slightly different set of invulnerabilities. While they're not immune to electricity, goristro are invulnerable to cold - on top of the usual fire, heat and poison.

* Portal Sense (w): planar beings all, goristroi have the ability to perceive the various rifts that dot the planescape of the multiverse. Most of these doorways are invisible to the naked eye, but all goristroi can spy them with ease, doing so with intensity 8 ability.

* Resistance to Magic Attack (s): goristroi are incredibly tough creatures. They possess a whopping intensity 18 (+4) resistance against magical energies and spells - on top of their normal invulnerabilities and their resistance to physical attack.

* Resistance to Physical Attack (s): goristroi are very, very hard to kill. These beasts possess intensity 4 (+1) resistance against physical attacks, on top of the added protection afforded them by the nature of their sheer size.

* Telepathy (w): almost all tanar'ri are able to communicate directly from mind to mind - a vital skill when so few speak the same tongue. They can usually broadcast and receive thoughts with intensity 5 skill, enough to get their point across when necessary.

* Teleportation (i): chaotic creatures all, the tanar'ri can bend space itself to their will. All tanar'ri possess the power to teleport with intensity 10 ability, and can avoid teleportation's usual side effects while transporting themselves within the same plane of existence. *

Clinging (a): goristroi are particularly adept at ascending vertical surfaces. Thanks to their supernatural claws (which themselves do no damage), goristroi may do this with intensity 10 ability, meaning they only have problems with intentionally slick surfaces.

Emotion Control / Fear (w): like many tanar'ri, goristroi have the power to induce uncontrollable, supernatural fear into an opponent. This power works at intensity 10, and while it can only affect one target at a time, a goristro can wield it within far missile distance.

Growth (a): the goristroi are huge. They stand at anywhere from 21 to 24 feet tall, giving them this power at intensity 5 (21 foot) or intensity 6 (24 foot). Their Strength is +5 (or +6) against ordinary sized foes, while their Agility is rated at -5 (or -6) versus the same.

Horns (s): goristroi all have large, bison-like horns protruding from their foreheads. They may use these devastating weapons to inflict their Strength +2 in either bashing or slashing damage (either as rams or as skewers), depending.

Levitation (a): in addition to their incredible climbing ability, goristroi all have the power to levitate. They may do this with intensity 1 ability, allowing them to ascend or descend safely at about fifteen miles per hour - slow, but steady!

Magic Sense (w): goristroi have the ability to sense ambient magic in their environment. They may do so with intensity 5 ability, which lets them spot magical items, beings, and other phenomena within near missile distance of their person.

Nonapparent Vision (w): the goristroi have a limited form of this power, which allows them to perceive items that have been rendered invisible to conventional light spectra. This power works at intensity 5, complementing their infravision quite nicely.

Regeneration (s): goristro heal fast - very fast. What little damage does get through to them directly heals at an accelerated rate. They possess this power at intensity 6, recovering a card of lost health each exchange on a positive aura draw or neutral aura draw of five or less.

Hindrances / Augmentations:

Monstrous: it should go without saying, but goristroi are monstrous entities - just look at them! A goristroi is at Willpower 0 to prevent Edge 0 humans from fleeing at the mere sight of them - not that they would ever really bother, for such creatures are a snack to goristroi.

Phobic / Falling: goristroi are all deathly afraid of falling, though they're almost intransigent otherwise. If under imminent threat of falling, or actually in the midst of a fall, they must pass a Willpower check at a score of zero (0) to avoid a complete panic.

Susceptibility: like all tanar'ri, goristroi are weak against the use of cold-wrought iron weapons, as well as holy water and weapons. Their supernatural defenses are ineffective against such assaults, which inflict at least a quarter of their maximum Health in damage.

Equipment:

Citadel Helmets (s): goristroi are often used as living siege engines in Abyssal armies. They wear a large helmet that covers their head and shoulders to serve in this capacity, a sort of platform that allows two to four tanar'ri to ride atop the goristro and direct its actions.

Collars (w): those goristro who are ruled by an Abyssal lord most often wear a magical collar which demonstrates their servitude. These mystic devices also allow the masters of the goristroi to monitor their whereabouts at all times.

Skills:

(none)

Calling:

Demolisher: one could look up 'demolisher' in a planar dictionary and find a picture of the goristroi next to it. These bestial, almost mindless beasts know little else than their own power, and their need to take out their aggression on anything that moves.

Characteristics:

Goristro are slow, lumbering brutes. They do what they are told by more powerful tanar'ri because they simply don't know better, and their bestial natures are a great fit for conflict in the Abyss and beyond. They are highly adaptable, but not all that clever when you get down to it.

Appearance:

Goristroi are huge! They typically stand anywhere between twenty-one and twenty-four foot tall. They appear to be a cross between a man and a bison, with long, ape-like arms and immense horns. They walk stooped, and can climb almost any surface with their dull, gripping claws.

Goristroi are covered in thin fur, which may be of various coloration, ranging from dark brown to a sort of sickly green all the way to purplish-gray.

Ecological Niche:

A goristro is incredibly powerful, yet just as slow in the head. They can inflict extreme damage on a local ecosystem, for they are voracious carnivores, and will eat anything they think they can get away with, from errant heroes to other, lesser tanar'ri who cross them.

Goristroi rarely, if ever, are found free. While they can occur on almost any level of the Abyss, goristroi are most often enslaved by Abyssal lords and other would-be tyrants, who use them as guardians, shock troops and walking siege engines.

Once captive, a goristro is not allowed to make any choices for itself, instead rampaging at its master's whim. Even mating is out of their control, for enslaved goristroi are carefully mated to 'improve the breed' - or to at least increase their numbers.

The odd thing is that goristroi do not rage against these conditions. They seem perfectly content to live a life of servitude, possibly because a powerful enough Abyssal lord gives them everything they could possibly want anyway. Even if they eat said lord out of house and home.

Outside of breeding, goristro do occur as a result of less powerful tanar'ri ascending to a goristro's level of power. Also, they can spontaneously manifest in the Abyss as well, due to its chaotic nature. The Abyss is infinite, after all, and not every goristro can be accounted for.

Notes:

* Depending on which version of the Planescape lore you wish to use, the goristroi (along with the rest of the tanar'ri) may not have access to these powers any longer, having lost them due to yugoloth meddling. Their presence is at the discretion of the individual Narrator.

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