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Incasos, Mandragorae

Appearance

The Mandragorae is the first of the lesser Incasos to wield its evil with a measure of tempered patience and subtle evil. Mandragorae are on the cusp of where the breed of Incasos splits into two schools of evil - the blatant, aggressive, war-like evil of the Bashlikar and the subtle deceit and plotting evil of the Julahdon.
    As through a reflection of this position in Incasos society, Mandragorae are split in their attitude and physique. One side of their body bears the ferocious countenance of an unholy warrior, and the other a subtle visage of a scholar and rogue. On opposite sides of its skull are each face; each seeing the world with its own mind. One sees the ease by which creatures can be manipulated while the other sees a world ripe for destruction.
    The scaled flesh of the Mandragorae is a chameleon of mottled charcoal-black and jagged, brimstone-red streaks. Its eyes blaze with the flame of darkness in which one can see either the malevolence of destruction or cunning perversion. Around the mouth of the war-like side is a small ring of jutting fangs which tremble and flex when the Mandragorae is agitated; from this mouth extend double fangs which point up and down. Its other face is smoother, less twisted by raging muscle, and appealingly human.
    From its bipedal, dual-faced body, the Mandragorae sports four arms from its shoulders each positioned so that they can be brought to bear in either direction. One pair of arms end with razor-sharp, four-pronged pincers. The other pair of arms end in powerful hands with claws made for gorging flesh. Its scaly chests are plated down to its torso like an armadillo's hide and its tree-trunk-like legs end in large opposable feet.
    Above the arms of the beast, attached to its broad shoulders, sprout two vast, leathery wings. The wings arch high over the head of the Mandragorae before coming down to sharp tips at their very end. One can also see the sharp, bone-like ridge which runs down the length of each one. These great wings extend almost 30 feet from tip to tip.
    Most Mandragorae are beastly and aggressive rather than subtle and manipulative. This is because most wish to evolve into a powerful Bashlikar rather than into a lesser Julahdon. However, some Mandragorae pursue the more deceptive arts. This duality makes the Mandragorae one of the more flexible of the Incasos and much more difficult to predict when in action.

Combat

Mandragorae employ an array of tactics against their foes, dependent upon which side of the Mandragorae is dominant and the situation at hand. The more common warrior Mandragorae employ their pincers to grapple opponents, then using the opponent as a shield while employing their claws to attack others. A Mandragorae using a medium-sized creature as a shield gains a +2 bonus to its armor class. Academic Mandragorae use their pincers to slam-stun opponents that come too close, employ their spell-like abilities, summon minions, and retreat from battle to regroup when a fight goes against them.
    Spell-like Abilities: At will - alter self, command, detect good, detect magic, monster summoning III, produce flame, protection from good, teleport without error (self plus 50 pounds of objects only); 3/day - darkness, hold person, mirror image, shield, confusion, dispel magic, suggestion; 1/day - blasphemy, unholy blight. These abilities are as the spells cast by a 10th-level sorcerer (save DC 12 + spell level).
    Aura of Entropy (Su): At will Mandragorae can eminate a 30 foot radius aura of entropy. Creatures within the area of effect that fail a Fortitude save (DC 17) receive only minimum benefit from curative and healing magic and must reroll all attack, ability or skill checks, and saving throws, using the lower of the two rolls. Mandragorae are delighted by the disappointment and strife that this aura causes when used on unsuspecting mortals. Multiple auras effects are not cumulative. Creatures that successfuly save against the aura cannot be affected again by that Mandragorae's aura for 24 hours.
    Rend (Ex): A creature struck by both of a Mandragorae's claw attacks suffers an additional 2d6+7 points of damage.
    Improved Grab (Ex): A Mangradorae that strikes with its pincers can attempt to start a grapple without exposing itself to an attack of opportunity.
    Stun (Ex): Creatures struck by a Mandragorae's pincer attack must succeed a Fortitude save (DC 17) or be stunned for 1d3 rounds.
    Summon Incasos (Sp): Once per day a Mandragorae can attempt to summon 2d10 Mealafist with a 50% chance of success or another Mandragorae with a 35% chance of success.
    Two Minds (Ex): A Mandragorae is able to utilize both of its minds in combat. This allows the Mandragorae to invoke one of its spell-like abilities in lieu of two of its melee attacks or invoke two spell-like abilities in exchange for all of its melee attacks.
    Incasos Qualities: Immune to poison, fire, cold, and petrification. Acid and electricity resistance 10. Receives saving throws to avoid magic meant to imprison, hold, entrap, or banish, even when a saving throw is not normally allowed. Incasos can see normally in all forms of darkness, even that created by a deeper darkness spell.
    Skills: Mandragorae receive a +5 racial bonus to spot and listen checks because of their dual sets of eyes and dual minds with which to listen.

Habitat/Society

The Mandragorae are the sentries, watchdogs, and often advisors to more powerful Incasos such as the Bashlikar and the Geltutoog. Mandragorae are also the sergeants that oversee lesser Incasos. They command the Taturak to their disciplinary tasks, are responsible for the health of the Blight pools, and are field commanders when the Incasos do battle with other denizens of the Multiverse.
    The Mandragorae have good reason to do their various tasks well as they are under constant scrutiny by the greater Incasos. More powerful Incasos take interest in the activities of Mandragorae, attempting to pursued them to pursue evils of passion or evils of physical might.
    Mandragorae live near double lives. On one part they are fierce warriors, yet on the other they are skilled entrepreneurs of sabotage and manipulation. This variety of skill is a constant battle for the Mandragorae to master. At one moment it may use cunning plans to bring the downfall of mortals and its enemies, while sudden spurs of violence may hastily erupt at any time. Successful Mandragorae master their duo-personalities and eventually choose one brand of evil over the other. Thus, a course for advancement is set for each Mandragorae which is successful at disciplining itself and performing its tasks. The more cunning become Julahdon and the more aggressive become Bashlikar. It is this same duo-personality that makes the Mandragorae one of the most varied Incasos to deal with socially or in combat.
    The Mandragorae watch over most of the affairs of the lesser Incasos, making sure that evil is being done and the hearts of mortals are being corrupted.

Ecology

Mandragorae which are successful at keeping the lower ranks of the Incasos well disciplined and who serve the greater and true Incasos without failure may eventually be rewarded after many hundreds of years with ascension into one of two advanced Incasos forms.
    When a Mandragorae is destined to ascend into a higher form its two halves rip apart from each other and its stronger half - that half which was nourished and used most by that Mandragorae - destroys and consumes the flesh of the other, weaker half. The now unified Mandragorae then goes to a True Incasos of the branch of evolution it wishes to follow. If the Mandragorae is judged worthy it undergoes several painful years of transformation while buried deep within a pool of The Blight before it emerges in its new form. Otherwise, should the Mandragorae be judged unfit for ascension, the True Incasos slays it and it returns to the Blight for reincarnation into its previous or even a lesser form.
    A slain Mandragorae is reborn from the Blight at dusk, one week after their death.