Auklum

Mornen is on watch. The wind through the old ruins sounds like an old man crying. Walking around the camp, Mornen is passing the wizard's tent. He hears a moan from inside. Throwing back the flap, Mornen thrusts his magically lighted pendant before him. Mornen gasps and pulls his sword from its scabbard. On the wizard's cheek an eyeball is busy sliding itself into the man's eye socket. The eye spins in place and looks at Mornen, then takes to the air, a thin tail trailing behind it.

Auklum's appear as a floating human-like eye. On the opposite side of the iris is a small bulbous lump, which contains the Auklum's complex brain. Six small tendrils extend out from this brain while two "feet" allow the Auklum to walk slow and awkward though it prefers to fly. The Auklum is a symbiotic creature that looks for a host that it deems suitable. Once the Auklum inserts itself in the host it can communicate freely with the host, and even use to host to communicate its desires to others.

Auklum prefer not to engage in combat. Though if it can find no escape it will attack with its tendrils causing minor wounds and paralysis.

Compulsion (Ex): An Auklum that has inhabited a host may find that the host is not willing to go along with all of its plans. Should the Auklum find something that it must do it can attempt to force the host to act. The host must make a Will save (DC 19) or perform as the Auklum wishes for one minute. Every minute after the host can attempt another Will save (DC 19 minus the number of minutes that have passed) until the task is complete or the host gains control of its own body again. Because of the physical relationship between the Auklum and the host this is not a spell like or supernatural ability.

Hypnotic Gaze (Su): Whether free floating or within a host an Auklum can attempt to Hypnotize one creature once per round. The Auklum must be able to see the target creature but in all other respects this acts as the spell Hypnotism as if cast by a 12th level sorcerer (Will save, DC 14). The Auklum can make suggestions either through a limited telepathy, which only works with this ability, or by use of the Auklum's host.

Paralysis (Ex): A successful attack with the Auklum's tendrils causes the opponent to make a Fortitude save (DC 14) or be paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. An Auklum can only use this ability once every other round and only if it is free-floating.

Enlarge/Reduce (Ex): An Auklum can naturally enlarge or reduce its size to fit into any Small to Large sized creature's eye socket.

Longevity (Ex): Auklum's are a long-lived species and often survive for hundreds of years. They are immune to disease and sickness.

Symbiosis (Ex): Auklum's are often considered parasitic by many races, but in truth they live symbiotically with their hosts. An Auklum will stock for weeks a potential host. When it is sure that it has found an intelligent and curious creature it will attempt to insert itself into one of the creature's eye sockets. It does this when the potential host is asleep and uses its paralyzing ability to make sure the creature does not wake up. The host must make a Fortitude save (DC 21) to resist the paralyzation and wake up. This paralyzation effect lasts for 8 hours. Should the host fail, the Auklum begins to dissolve and consume one of the host's eyes. It takes an Auklum one hour to consume an eye and as it does this it's tendrils attach themselves to the host's brain. The Auklum then secretes a liquid that helps heal any damage caused but the host looses one hit point permanently. Once in place the Auklum can share any of the knowledge that it has gained from previous hosts and can freely read the surface thoughts of its host as well as communicate with the host via its tendrils. The Auklum can share following skills with its host; both of its Knowledge Skills and Spellcraft. These shared skills stack with the host's skills, should the host have any of them. In addition to sharing the above skills the Auklum is, in all regards, the host's new eye. The host's eyesight is not affected negatively from the Auklum. Often the host will have no idea that he or she is the host to an Auklum. Upon first waking up the host can make a spot check against a DC of 16 if the host fails he or she is not aware of the Auklum and will never be until the Auklum decides to let the host know.

Killing an Auklum that inhabits a host is dangerous to the host. Physical damage done (such as stabbing out the eye) causes normal damage to the Auklum but is considered an automatic critical against the host. On a successful hit; roll damage for the Auklum and roll a separate damage as a critical to the host. A Blindness spell causes 1d4 points of damage to the Auklum. Remove Disease causes the Auklum to immediately remove itself from the host, causing the host 2d4 points of damage. A Heal spell causes the Auklum to remove itself from the host but causes the host no damage and restores the host's original eye. An Auklum that removes itself freely causes the host no damage but the host's original eye is still gone. If the host dies, and no damage was done to the Auklum, the Auklum will leave the dead body and search for another host.

Skills: Auklum's receive a racial +8 bonus to Hide and Move Silently when without a host. Auklum's gain a +8 racial bonus to disguise when inhabiting a host. When inhabiting a host an Auklum looses its Hide, Listen and Move Silently skills. These skills are replaced by the host's skills. The Auklum's disguise skill only applies to anyone perceiving the host's eye for what it is and does not help the host disguise itself.