Xo Tl’mi-go, Greater Independent Race
“…there was something in the opening…something watching intently, its face pressed up against the metal grating, its pale hands clinging tightly to the bars. I saw…the empty craters where its eyes had been — empty but for the red dots, like tiny beads — and the gaping red ring of its mouth, like the sucker of some undersea creature. The face was alien and cold, without human expression, yet I swear those eyes regarded me with utter malevolence — and that they recgonized me.”
— T.E.D. Klein, Children of the Kingdom
Ancient enemies of mankind, the Xo Tl’mi-go emerged from the primordial jungles to drive humans from the first city, a paradise that may have inspired Eden. The Xo Tl’mi-go’s deprevations were responsible for the human diaspora across the globe. They too were once human, but a series of curses from whatever power-may-be, transformed them into something hideously both less-than-human and more-than-human. First, the Xo Tl’mi-go females were struck infertile; the males continued to raid human settlements for breeding stock. Then the males lost their manhood; yet somehow, their numbers continued to grow, and they continued forced-breedings with human women. Last, the entire race was struck blind; only then did their predation on early humans end.
The Xo Tl’mi-go survive still, adapting beyond their curses and limitations. They teem beneath large cities, their pale white bodies crawling and slithering through sewers and forgotten tunnels. Though blind, they find their way about in the black depths with a form of echo-location, emitting a sound akin to someone with sleep apnea snoring. Experts at hiding in plain sight, Xo Tl’mi-go will not be seen until they strike, their snoring being the only warning they are near.
Ocassionally, a lone Xo Tl’mi-go will emerge from its Stygian home, steal into a home, beat and rape any human female it finds inside. They do not discriminate, infants and the elderly will be preyed upon as readily as a woman of child-bearing years. There have been incidents were an entire population of Xo Tl’mi-go swarm out of the sewers. This may have happened during the great New York City black-out in 1976; there were rumors of unreported rapes that night, and a spike in abortions in the months following. Those in the know whisper the Xo Tl’mi-go may have been responsible for the black-out, and shudder what may have been behind the epidemic of black-out that struck the Northeast US and many other parts of world between 2003 and 2004.
A human may transform into a Xo Tl’mi-go, but what circumstances this happens under are unknown.
Special Attacks and Abilities: Squeeze: A Xo Tl’mi-go can squeeze through any opening just a 1/4 their SIZ.
Hide: Any attempt to find a hiding Xo Tl’mi-go is made at 1/2 the skill level. However, a successful Listen roll to hear the Xo Tl’mi-go’s echo-location negates this penalty.
Climb: Despite the lack of any obvious means to do so, Xo Tl’mi-go can climb up sheer surfaces, walls, and ceilings, with little effort.
Xo Tl’mi-go, The Thrice-Cursed
char. roll. avg.
STR 3d6+3 13-14
CON 3d6 10-11
SIZ 2d6 7
INT 2d6+6 13
POW 3d6 10-11
DEX 3d6+6 16-17
Move 10 HP 9
Av. Damage Bonus: +1d4
Skills: Climb 90%, Hide 99%, Sneak 55%
Weapons: Pin-Down 55%, damage grapple, Punch 45%, damage 1d4 + db
Armor: None
Spells: There is no indication the Xo Tl’mi-go practice any magics, though it’s certainly possible; a Xo Tl’mi-go with an Int over 15 may know any spells the Keeper deems necessary.
Sanity Loss: Seeing a Xo Tl’mi-go costs 1/1d4 sanity points.
Bruce is a sociology student and co-host of The Crypt Keepers podcast
