Generala Sliver Information
Slivers
Slivers are nasty extra planar creatures of unknown origin.
A slivers appearance varies somewhat between the different subtypes, but the basic look remains the same for all slivers with only a few exceptions. A sliver combines features from reptiles, insects and mollusks to a single horrid whole that most creatures find unsettling. The torso of the creatures resemble that of your basic humanoid. Where the legs of a humanoid would be two long tentacles extend, these are the creatures foremost mode of locomotion. Most slivers have only one arm, located at the center of their torsoes, and ending in a singular long, and very sharp claw. The head of the creature reminds a lot of that of a pterodactyl or longbeaked bird.
Although most slivers are relatively non-intelligent, they possess a hive mind, that enables a colony of slivers to function much a single organism, and lesser slivers do not hesitate to sacrifice their own lives to protect more evolved slivers such as the queen.
Each sliver hive is inevitably ruled by a queen, an alien creature of immense proportions that is able to birth a newborn sliver every six seconds.
Not much is known by sliver society other than that they're ruled by a queen and live in hives, almost all slivers appear to be female, as few male sliver has ever been encountered.
Slivers can as a general rule, be divided into three categories, lesser slivers, greater slivers, and specialist slivers.
The origin of slivers is a much debated topic, some sages contend that the slivers alien looks place their origin in the collection of planes known as the far realm, while other contend that they originate from one of the planes of law, due to their hive like society, but their neutral natures seems to contradict this. Others place their origin to the plane of limbo, as the creatures are clearly adapted to life below ground, and many sightings of slivers have been reported by planar travellers to that plane. But again their non-chaotic natures contradict such a statement and it appears as if the issue will probably never be resolved.
Society:
Slivers are not particularly agressive beings, whenever somthing enters the territory of a sliver hive, a small group of slivers are sent out to spy on the creature(s) and determine wheter or not the creature(s) are a threat to the slivers, if the creatures that have entered the slivers territory is determined to be a threat a swarm of slivers depart from the sliver hive to deal with or drive off the threat, if the swarm fails, the slivers send out additional swarms as the creature closes with the slivers hive, as the sliver queen prepares to depart should the creatures reach her chamber. If the creatures are determined not to be a threat to the sliver hive, the slivers will try to determine wheter or not if the creatures are of any value to the hive, either as food or allies, if not, the slivers will leave the creatures alone. Any aggressive behavior shown by a creature against slivers within their territory brings down a swarm of agressive beasts. Whereas a non-agressive creature can quite literrally walk all the way to the queen chamber.
Slivers are specialized to live in caverns and tunnels, and as such rarely if ever leave the subterranean areas of any given world. Slivers are highly adaptable, as sliver hives have been found on such different planes as the elemental planes of earth, fire and water, as well as in pandemonium, the abyss, the outlands, mechanus, the astral plane, and the plane of shadow. And new specialist slivers have been known to appear after only a couple of generations.
Slivers in general are primitive and unitelligent creatures, but some hives have been known to build large elaborate cities, while under the influence of several mindwhip and mnemonic slivers. In those cases the design have always been alien compared to other creatures, and totaly adapted to the slivers needs.
Slivers have been known to farm fungi and insects for food, but generally scavenge for food.
[Combat:
Slivers attack as a swarm, caring little for the survival of the individual sliver. Slivers care only for one thing: The survival of the queen. Generally neutral and unconcerned with other sentient creatures, slivers only attack if their hive is threatened or any aggressive action has been taken against them.
All slivers (except the metallic sliver) have the following abilities:
Sliver Traits: Darkvision 120', low-light vision, scent, blindsight 60', immune to mind-influencing effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns and morale effects) and fear effects.
Hive Mind (Ex): A sliver can communicate telepatically with any other sliver within 120' as a free action. The silver queen is always and constantly aware of any other slivers from her hive as long as they're on the same plane and can communicate her needs with them as she wishes, As long as at least two slivers are within 60' of each other they cannot be flanked.
Shared Abilities: All slivers, with only a few exceptions grant extraordinary or supernatural abilities to all other slivers within a 60' radius of themselves. The shared ability is not granted to that grants it, although most slivers allready have the granted ability, or a better version thereof. The granted abilities stack.
Hibernation (Ex): All slivers can enter a state of hibernation, this is a requirement for them to evolve into more powerful forms, a proto-sliver that hibernates for 5 full rounds transforms into any lesser sliver, a lesser sliver that hibernates for no less than three full months can evolve into any greater sliver, a greater sliver that hibernates for no less that a full year can transform into any specialist sliver, including a queen. No hive has more than one queen at a time though. When hibernating slivers curl into a fleshy ball that resembles a rock.
Light succeptebility (Ex): Although slivers take no real damage from strong sources of light such as natural sunlight or a daylight spell, they do not like it, giving them a -1 morale penalty to all their abilities, checks and saves when in such conditions.
