T'Chowb

A t'chowb is a small, hairless humanoid with leathery gray skin, small red eyes, a ridge of purple running over its skull, its head far too big for its body. It speaks no language of its own but each 3 points of stolen Intelligence teach it one of its victim's languages.

The t'chowb avoids open fights and its powers usually let it. It moves silently 40% of the time and hides in shadows 38%. It hunts anyone smarter than itself, which is nearly everyone, since its normal Intelligence is only 4.

Its favorite approach is a camp at night. It creeps up on a sentry and attempts psionic contact; against a psionic defense it uses ego whip to force the link. If both fail, it moves to another guard or waits for the watch to change. Once linked, it uses daydream to let the sentry's mind drift, then slips into camp toward the sleepers. If spotted it flees with enhanced speed, moving at 36 for 3 PSPs per round, aided by displacement.

Its signature attack is mind drain, much like mindwipe except that it needs no contact devotion but does need a round of physical touch. The victim saves vs. spell, at -4 if asleep. On a failure he feels nothing. On a success a sleeper has a horrible nightmare and wakes screaming unless he fails a surprise roll; a waking victim instead gets a sudden dread that something terrible is about to happen. Either way, the t'chowb melts back into the shadows and keeps draining.

Each round the victim permanently loses 1 point of Intelligence while the t'chowb gains 1 for a day. It keeps going even if the victim wakes, until it reaches 24 or the victim drops to 2 and becomes useless to it. The drain works out to 30 feet and stops if the t'chowb is forced out of range or takes any damage; a psionic attack also strips away every point it took from that victim, though they are lost, not returned. Only mental surgery, heal or restoration restores drained Intelligence.

Its full psionic list: mind drain and mind link (telepathic sciences); contact, daydream, ego whip, invisibility and intellect fortress (telepathic devotions); and displacement, enhanced speed and heightened senses (psychometabolic devotions).

T'chowbs live alone, caring for nothing but the rush of power that comes with growing smarter. A sated one is a genius for a day and uses that brilliance however it likes.

They turn up in cities, along caravan trails, and anywhere else thinking creatures gather.