Grummok, Gargoyle Assassin (Updated 2/26/04) Epic Grummok 3.5

This thread is the home for Grummok's original story. In addition it will now serve as a home for the statistical part of An Assassin's Tale, the continuing adventures of the gargoyle assassin.

Thanks again for reading.

Dirge

Prologue:


Beneath the surface of Oerth, shrouded in the eternal darkness of fathomless depth, lies the drow city of Erelhei-Cinlu. Sprawling in degenerated majesty the city occupies a large portion of a massive, subterranean cavern known as the Vault of the Drow. Within this teeming metropolis, all manner of villainous beings live alongside the drow masters of the city, practicing their personal version of evil with almost complete freedom. The drow tolerate other races as long as they do not challenge the absolute authority of the spider queen and her priestesses, who hold the city in an iron grip of fear and domination.

The city is ruled by eight noble houses that live in massive walled compounds on a huge shelf of rock projecting over the city below. These noble houses constantly vie for domination through assassinations and even outright war; this of course pleases their chaotic goddess who demands the winnowing out of the weak through perpetual strife. These rivalries between houses have encouraged the growth and development of a thriving assassin’s guild whose efficiency and reputation rival that of any guild on the surface. Jen Kedar Everhate, a wayward noble son of one of the eight ruling houses, controls the guild and is a powerful assassin himself.

The guild has had a long and bloody history and Jen Kedar has grown wealthy and powerful providing a valuable and much sought after service to the ruling nobility of Erelhei-Cinlu. The guild employs all manner of creatures, from traditional drow knife skulkers to stranger beings such as mindflayers and kuo-toa. Jen Kedar has a wide variety of agents to draw upon and makes sure that the perfect assassin for the job handles each assignment. The drow guildmaster actively recruits potential guild members from all over the city, and it was one of his more unique choices that eventually led to his downfall.

What follows is the story of the bloody rise to power of Grummok, a ruthless gargoyle rogue and assassin whose ambition is only matched by his malice. We will witness his humble beginnings as a petty thief, to his acceptance into the assassin’s guild, and finally the bloody coup that places him firmly in the command of the assassin’s guild of Erelhei-Cinlu.

Grummok (age 15): Male Gargoyle Rog 1; CR 5; Medium Magical Beast; HD 4d10+1d6+30; hp 63; Init +4; Spd 45 ft., fly 75 ft. (average); AC 21 (+4 Dex, +4 natural, +2 leather armor, +1 ring); Atk +8 melee (1d4+2, 2 claws), +6 melee (1d6+1, bite), +6 melee (1d6+1 gore); SA sneak attack +1d6; SQ darkvision 60 ft., DR 15/+1, freeze; AL NE; SV Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +2; Str 14, Dex 18, Con 22, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 12.
Skills (38 pts): Disguise +5, Hide +12, Intimidate +4, Listen +8, Move Silently +19, Spot +8.
Feats: Multiattack, Weapon Finesse (claw, bite, gore)
Languages: Undercommon, Terran, Drow
Possessions: ring of protection +1, leather armor, boots of elvenkind

Freeze (Ex): Grummok can hold himself so still that he appears to be a statue. An observer must succeed at a Spot check (DC 20) to notice Grummok is really alive.

Grummok started life as all gargoyles do, hatching from an egg that resembled a large round stone. He broke through the rocky integument of his egg casing to the chorus of chirps and growls of his brood mates. He was the last to hatch of four, and his siblings wasted no time in ascertaining whether he was edible or not. Grummok fought off his brood mates with unrestrained viciousness, mortally wounding his only sister and insuring that she became the first meal for the newborn gargoyle brood.

Grummok’s mother, like all gargoyle parents, had abandoned her clutch of eggs shortly after laying them. Uncaring as she was, Grummok’s mother had chosen a perfect site in which to deposit her future offspring. The Ghetto of the Dead was a crumbling ruin of graveyards and abandoned buildings that were ideal for a group of young gargoyles to hide in. Not only was the ghetto full of stone statuary that provided ample camouflage, but the living inhabitants of Erelhei-Cinlu avoided the district at all costs for it was home to the city’s other, less savory denizens, the undead. The streets of the Ghetto of the Dead were patrolled by ravening packs of ghouls and ghasts while more powerful undead established liars and ruled over small fiefdoms of their lesser brethren. Grummok and his siblings clawed their way from their eggs within a huge crypt that dominated the largest cemetery in this realm of the dead. Within the relative safety of their macabre lair the fledgling gargoyles ventured forth to hunt in the back alleys of Erelhei-Cinlu.

The beggar’s ghetto offered the gargoyle brood the best hunting at first; the weakened state of its inhabitants made them easy prey for a determined trio of hungry fledgling gargoyles. The victim was often eaten where he fell, but was occasionally dragged back to the Ghetto of the Dead to be devoured at leisure. The young gargoyles grew to maturity in this manner, hiding from the packs of roving undead in their cemetery lair and hunting the back alleys of the sprawling city for victims that would not be missed.

Grummok soon realized that his siblings were nowhere near his equals in intellect, and he found himself planning and leading their forays into the city. He was not the physical equal of his two brothers, Bremok and Kormok, but they often deferred to his judgment and instincts when stalking a victim. As the gargoyles grew they became bolder and bolder, hunting other areas of the city and tackling more challenging prey. In addition to the meat they claimed from anyone unfortunate enough to cross the their path, the three gargoyles began claiming trinkets and souvenirs from their victims. Bremok and Kormok were generally drawn to brightly colored objects, especially prizing gold and gemstones, while Grummok claimed other less obvious but far more interesting items. Satisfied that their smaller brother had no interest in the gold and gems they coveted, Bremok and Kormok paid little mind to the rings, boots, amulets and other seemingly useless items that Grummok claimed from their victims. Because of this Grummok soon found himself in possession of a few minor magical items that his brothers had overlooked, simply because they were not made of gold or did not glitter with gems.

The three gargoyles existed by petty theft and murder for fifteen years, going mostly unnoticed in the dangerous bedlam that was Erelhei-Cinlu. Over the years Grummok honed his skills in silent killing and even learned to disguise his horrid countenance to lure potential victims into dark alleys where he and his brothers could quietly rip them to shreds. Kormok and Bremok seemed satisfied with their simple existence, but Grummok was quickly growing bored with his brothers’ mindless savagery and lack of ambition. The young gargoyle craved more from the vast city that thrived around him, but what direction he would take was still uncertain. There was power here for the taking, Grummok was certain, and he would find a way to claim a piece of the chaos of Erelhei-Cinlu for himself.


Grummok is a small gargoyle, but what he lacks in physical prowess he makes up for with cunning and simple viciousness. His older brothers, although much larger, respect their smaller sibling and even fear him. Grummok is a horrifying creature to behold with slate gray, rock-like skin and gleaming red eyes set in a nightmarish face that is all fangs and curving horns. Grummok relishes tearing his victims apart with his claws and fangs and has even learned some roguish tricks to compliment his already deadly close combat arsenal.


Gargoyle Names:

Gargoyle names are always in Terran, the tongue of the earth, a language that is instinctual to the evil beasts. Since gargoyle parents abandon their offspring even before they are hatched the naming of the fledgling gargoyles usually falls to the largest and strongest of the brood. In Grummok’s case the naming duties fell to Bremok. The name Grummok comes from the two Terran words grum, meaning small and mok meaning stone, since Grummok was the smallest of the three gargoyles Bremok deemed “little stone” a fine name for his smaller brother. As the largest of the three Bremok is of course “big stone” and the third sibling Kormok, having been born with sooty black skin is simply “black stone”.

Grummok (age 20): Male Gargoyle Rog 2; CR 6; Medium Magical Beast; HD 4d10+2d6+36; hp 72; Init +4; Spd 45 ft., fly 75 ft. (average); AC 22 (+4 Dex, +4 natural, +3 studded leather armor, +1 ring); Atk +9 melee (1d4+2, 2 claws), +7 melee (1d6+1, bite), +7 melee (1d6+1 gore); SA sneak attack +1d6; SQ darkvision 60 ft., DR 15/+1, freeze, evasion; AL NE; SV Fort +10, Ref +8, Will +2; Str 14, Dex 18, Con 22, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 12.
Skills (47 pts): Bluff +3, Disguise +7, Hide +14, Intimidate +4, Listen +9, Move Silently +21, Spot +9.
Feats: Multiattack, Weapon Finesse (claw, bite, gore), Exotic Weapon Proficiency (garrote)
Languages: Undercommon, Terran, Drow
Possessions: ring of protection +1, masterwork studded leather armor, boots of elvenkind, wire garrote

Freeze (Ex): Grummok can hold himself so still that he appears to be a statue. An observer must succeed at a Spot check (DC 20) to notice Grummok is really alive.

Evasion (Ex): If exposed to any effect that normally allows a character to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, Grummok takes no damage with a successful saving throw.

Five years stalking the back alleys and slums of Erelhei-Cinlu have sharpened Grummok’s considerable skills in stealth and skullduggery. Grummok can literally disappear into the gloom that cloaks the vast drow city and his victims never hear him until its far too late. The young gargoyle has also become adept at disguising himself as a beggar or other social castoff with the use of a heavy cowled cloak and the liberal application of dung and refuse. Clever and cruel, Grummok often takes his time killing an intended meal and has learned the use of the garrote, a nasty weapon that allows him to prolong the suffering of his victims.

Grummok’s brood has dwindled to two, his brother Kormok was slain when he and his siblings attempted to rob and murder an unassuming drow mercenary. The mercenary turned out to be the weapon master of house Tormtor, the ruling noble house of Erelhei-Cinlu. The three gargoyles had followed the drow mercenary after he had left a seedy inn in the Ghetto of Foreigners, the warrior was obviously drunk and Grummok felt he would be easy prey. As was their normal routine, Grummok shadowed their quarry from the ground while Bremok and Kormok flitted from building top to building top, following a discreet distance from their brother. Grummok stalked the drow warrior along the Street of Lies, the long crooked avenue that featured the only temples to deities other than Lolth in the entire city. The warrior stumbled along seemingly oblivious of his shadowy pursuer and turned abruptly down a gloomy side street with the obvious intent of relieving himself. Grummok smiled viciously and followed the warrior into the dark.

The side street was little more than a narrow alley strewn with debris and it ended abruptly some thirty yards from the Street of Lies in a solid stonewall. The drow warrior was standing at the end of the alley with his back turned, urinating and humming discordantly. Grummok slid against the wall silent as a shadow and began to edge closer to the preoccupied drow. When he was mere feet from his victim and gathering himself to pounce, the drow suddenly spoke, his voice echoing softly in the close space of the alley. “You, my friend. Have made a mistake. I suggest you and your poor judgment leave now or spend your last few moments on this plane bleeding in a puddle of my piss.” His tone and words were measured and clear, betraying not a hint of the drunkenness he had exhibited earlier.

Grummok froze, how on earth had the drow known he was there? Grummok had never been noticed before, and had certainly never been caught off his guard by a drunken mercenary. Fear raced up the gargoyle’s spine, he was over his head here; the drow warrior had not even bothered to turn around after delivering his warning. Grummok was about to flee, when his two brothers, with perfect timing, chose that instant to descend from the roof tops on either side of the ally to attack the drow warrior below.

Before Grummok could shout a warning, Kormok and Bremok had landed on either side of the drow and the warrior had drawn a long gleaming saber so quickly that it appeared to have sprung for the air itself. The drow spun like a dancer, lashing out with his boot to catch Bremok in the side of his skull, sending him crashing against the wall of the alley. Kormok was not so lucky, the drow’s saber licked out as he completed his spin, ripping across the stunned gargoyle’s abdomen and spilling his entrails into the filth of the alley floor.

Grummok did not wait to see if the drow would turn on him next, he fled, taking to the air as soon as space allowed. The dying shrieks of Kormok floated after him, but he paid no heed, his brother was as good as dead and Bremok would most certainly share his sibling’s fate. Grummok raced back to the Ghetto of the Dead and to the safety of the crypt that had been the gargoyle’s home for over two decades. Grummok was more than a little surprised when Bremok stumbled into the lair and hour later bleeding and cursing. It took Grummok almost half an hour to calm his brother and get him to explain how he had survived. The story was very simple; after gutting Kormok the drow had casually cleaned his blade with his handkerchief and walked, unchallenged from the alley. Bremok had lain in disbelief where the drow’s kick had propelled him and watched Kormok slowly bleed to death, futilely begging his brother to save him.

The two gargoyles resigned to be more careful in the future, for the city of Erelhei-Cinlu obviously held creatures far more dangerous than themselves. Grummok found comfort in the fact that the night had not been a total loss. Bremok had brought back Kormok’s body so at least they would not go hungry.

Grummok (age 26): Male Gargoyle Rog 3; CR 7; Medium Magical Beast; HD 4d10+3d6+42; hp 81; Init +4; Spd 45 ft., fly 75 ft. (average); AC 23 (+4 Dex, +4 natural, +4 studded leather armor, +1 ring); Atk +10 melee (1d4+2, 2 claws), +8 melee (1d6+1, bite), +8 melee (1d6+1 gore); SA sneak attack +2d6; SQ darkvision 60 ft., uncanny dodge (Dex to AC), DR 15/+1, freeze, evasion; AL NE; SV Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +3; Str 14, Dex 18, Con 22, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 12.
Skills (56 pts): Bluff +4, Disguise +10, Hide +15, Intimidate +5, Listen +9, Move Silently +21, Open Lock +7, Spot +9.
Feats: Multiattack, Weapon Finesse (claw, bite, gore), Exotic Weapon Proficiency (garrote)
Languages: Undercommon, Terran, Drow
Possessions: ring of protection +1, +1 studded leather armor, boots of elvenkind, wire garrote

Freeze (Ex): Grummok can hold himself so still that he appears to be a statue. An observer must succeed at a Spot check (DC 20) to notice Grummok is really alive.

Evasion (Ex): If exposed to any effect that normally allows a character to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, Grummok takes no damage with a successful saving throw.

Since the death of Kormok, Grummok and Bremok have practiced much greater caution in their nightly hunting forays. The Ghetto of Foreigners has become the two gargoyles primary hunting ground and the district’s numerous taverns and seedy inns provide ample prey numbed by drink and desperation. Although the hunting is good, Grummok has become increasingly frustrated with Bremok’s inclination for wanton slaughter and brutality. Grummok’s dull witted sibling has no concept of the finer points of murder and tends to rip his prey to shreds before even a descent whimper can be wringed from the unfortunate. Grummok has tried to school Bremok in the subtle methods of inflicting pain and prolonged suffering but the hulking gargoyle has no patience for it and Grummok has begun to hunt alone.

Grummok enjoys his solo hunts immensely for it allows him to indulge his lust for pain and torment, glutting himself with malice and cruelty. The gargoyle has a special place he brings victims he wishes to torture at length, a burnt out building in one of the most deplorable districts in the entire city. The Ghetto of Savages is home to the humanoid mercenaries often employed by the drow as bodyguards or soldiers; it is a terrible slum consisting of little more than flophouses and ramshackle huts. The stench from the district is bad enough to deter even ghouls from entering its borders and it is perfect for a gargoyle rogue who wishes for a bit of privacy to indulge his fiendish hobby.

Unbeknownst to Grummok his kidnappings and torture sessions have not gone unnoticed and have in fact attracted the attention of one who would change the gargoyle’s life forever. Jen Kedar Everhate, guild master of assassins in Erelhei-Cinlu, is always on the lookout for potential recruits. He had been watching Grummok for quite some time and was impressed with the skills the gargoyle displayed. Gargoyles were not normally known for their subtlety and the drow assassin was intrigued with the unusual Grummok. Jen Kedar decided to offer the gargoyle a chance to join his guild if he could prove himself worthy of such an honor.

Jen Kedar made his offer on a night Grummok had gone out hunting without his brother. The drow assassin had no interest in Bremok, finding the big gargoyle’s methods crude and coarse, and had waited for a chance to confront Grummok alone. Jen Kedar waited for Grummok to show up in the Ghetto of Foreigners, his favorite hunting grounds, and followed the gargoyle as he tailed a potential victim. Grummok had chosen a duergar trader that had spent too much time in one of the local inns. Stinking drunk, the unfortunate gray dwarf was completely unaware of the silent death that stalked him through the streets of Erelhei-Cinlu.

Grummok followed the duergar from the rooftops and chose his moment to strike with the precision of a well-trained professional. The drunken dwarf had been ambling down the street of lies and had suddenly stopped to vomit the sour contents of his stomach onto the cracked cobblestones. Silent as a spider, Grummok had floated down for the rooftops with barely a flutter of his wings and had approached the dwarf disguised as a beggar. Pretending to be a concerned passerby, Grummok bent over the dwarf who was still heaving up the cheap beer he had consumed by the gallon hours before, and nonchalantly slipped the wire garrote around the duergar's neck. The poor dwarf caught one glance at his assailant’s horrific face before his throat was pinched shut and he was dragged bodily into one of the many alleys that lined the street of lies.

Grummok took his time strangling the dwarf; repeatedly loosening the garrote just before the dwarf lost consciousness and allowing him to partially recover, then strangling him all over again. After over half an hour of toying with the dwarf Grummok was finally overcome with blood lust and sank his wicked teeth into the soft flesh at the base of the dwarf’s skull. The duergar convulsed once and then was still and Grummok drug his victim further into the alley to consume his prize.

Grummok was just about to begin his feast when a voice suddenly whispered out of the darkness. “That was well done, if a bit messy there towards the end.” The voice had a slight lisp and had spoken in the language of the drow, not the common tongue of the underdark. Grummok leapt up from the corpse of the duergar and quickly scanned the alley with his darkvision but could not locate the origin of the voice.

“ Who are you?” Grummok called softly in drow, straining his eyes for a sign of any movement.

A soft chuckle emanated from the still darkness. “I thought you might be able to speak our language. You are quite the extraordinary little beast, aren’t you?” the tone of the voice was light and there was obvious mirth in its dulcet tones. “Well, let us dispense with this game and get down to business.”

The air in front of Grummok began to ripple like a still pond disturbed by an errant stone and suddenly a tall well-dressed drow man materialized a few feet away from the stunned gargoyle. The drow was tall for his race and lanky with an achingly handsome face and a shock of white hair cropped close to his head. A long black cloak hung from the drow’s shoulders and Grummok could see the glint of fine mail links beneath the dark fabric. There were no obvious weapons on the newcomer but Grummok had no doubt that the drow was far from unarmed.

Grummok squared his shoulders and stood to his full height, unfurling his wings to make him appear larger. “What do you want?” he said in drow, inflecting as much venom as he could in those four short words. “This kill is mine, and I will fight for it.”

“I am no thief, friend.” The drow responded smiling hugely. “ I am something far, far worse.” The drow’s eyes gleamed threateningly and his smile took on a predatory gape. “ I have watched you for quite some time now and I must say that I am impressed with your skills, especially since you have had no formal training.”

“What skills are you talking about?” Grummok said his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

The drow pointed to the corpse at the gargoyles feet and raised his silvery eyebrows suggestively. “Don’t be so modest, you do good work. You are quick, when you want to be, and…. lingering when there is a need for such things. Trust me I am quite knowledgeable in such matters for I am Jen Kedar Everhate, and I am the guild master of assassins in Erelhei-Cinlu.” The drow paused for effect and then made his pitch. “I could have need of such a being as you, if you are interested and able to prove yourself. Personally, I have no doubt that with training you would make a formidable assassin.”

Grummok was intrigued; here was possibly a chance to gain a tiny bit of the power he had oft dreamed of as well as the opportunity to indulge his sadism. Grummok, showing his inexperience and more eagerness than he would have liked jumped at the drow’s offer. “You spoke of proving myself, what must I do to join your guild.”

The predatory smile suddenly returned to Jen Kedar’s noble features and he spoke with obvious pleasure. “It’s quite simple really. You just have to kill your brother.”

Grummok (age 32): Male Gargoyle Rog 4; CR 8; Medium Magical Beast; HD 4d10+4d6+48; hp 90; Init +4; Spd 45 ft., fly 75 ft. (good); AC 23 (+4 Dex, +4 natural, +4 studded leather armor, +1 ring); Atk +11 melee (1d4+2, 2 claws), +9 melee (1d6+1, bite), +9 melee (1d6+1 gore); SA sneak attack +2d6; SQ darkvision 60 ft., uncanny dodge (Dex to AC), DR 15/+1, freeze, evasion; AL NE; SV Fort +12, Ref +12, Will +4; Str 14, Dex 18, Con 22, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 12.
Skills (66 pts): Bluff +6, Disguise +10, Escape Artist +8, Hide +15, Intimidate +5, Listen +10, Move Silently +21, Open Lock +9, Spot +10.
Feats: Multiattack, Weapon Finesse (claw, bite, gore), Exotic Weapon Proficiency (garrote)
Languages: Undercommon, Terran, Drow
Possessions: ring of protection +1, +1 studded leather armor, boots of elvenkind, wire garrote

Freeze (Ex): Grummok can hold himself so still that he appears to be a statue. An observer must succeed at a Spot check (DC 20) to notice Grummok is really alive.

Evasion (Ex): If exposed to any effect that normally allows a character to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, Grummok takes no damage with a successful saving throw.

Grummok accepted Jen Kedar Everhate’s offer and his terms the very same night the drow assassin had confronted him in the Ghetto of Foreigners. Grummok was to kill Bremok within the space of three days and bring irrefutable proof to Jen Kedar that the job had been completed. Once Grummok had slain his sole remaining sibling his training would begin. He would be allowed to live at the guildhall and would become an apprentice assassin under the tutelage of a more experienced member of the guild. Grummok felt no remorse about slaying his brother; in truth he despised the loutish gargoyle for his lack of intelligence and was looking forward to ending Bremok’s useless existence.

Bremok was, however, a mighty combatant and Grummok had no wish to fight his brother on equal ground. The cunning Grummok would use every last ounce of his cunning and malice to ensure that Bremok suspected nothing of the imminent threat to his life. Grummok vowed that he would bring Jen Kedar the head of his sibling three days hence and be ready to begin his career as an assassin.

Bremok like Grummok had begun to hunt alone and favored the Ghetto of Beggars for his hunting grounds. Grummok had followed his brother in the past to secretly observe his hunting methods and to see if he happened across any treasure Grummok could later steal, he was disappointed on both accounts. Bremok’s “hunting style” involved choosing a beggar or street urchin at random and simply swooping down from a building top to pluck his victim in full view of any who cared to watch. He would then carry off his prize and unceremoniously devour the unfortunate, leaving the half eaten corpse where it lay once Bremok had had his fill. Bremok’s victims typically possessed only the rags they wore gaining the big gargoyle nothing from them beyond a full stomach. Grummok would strike at his brother on one of his solo hunts, careless as Bremok was it would be no great task for the stealthy Grummok to tail his brother and attack when least expected.

Grummok’s opportunity arose on the second night after his meeting with Jen Kedar. Bremok had left the lair early in the evening to hunt while Grummok feigned sleep, Grummok allowed Bremok a slight head start and then set out after him. The smaller gargoyle went straight to the Ghetto of Beggars and there found a suitable rooftop that offered him ample cover and a clear view of the entire ghetto; Bremok would choose a victim soon and Grummok would be waiting. Grummok had brought no weapons with him; his normal arsenal would be of no use against Bremok’s rocky skin and formidable prowess. This battle would be settled by tooth and claw but in the one arena that Grummok stood a fighting chance. Grummok was a skilled flier and his movements in the air were precise and graceful, while Bremok was little more than a lumbering behemoth barely able to stay aloft. Grummok would strike at his brother in midair where the advantage was distinctly his.

While he waited for his brother to appear Grummok studied the twisting streets below from his lofty perch; the crumbling buildings and ramshackle huts of the beggar’s ghetto were packed with the cities unwanted and undesirables. The ghetto of Foreigners was nominally the district that catered to non-drow but it was the beggar’s ghetto that actually boasted any significant population of outsiders. Many visitors from the surface ended up here, survivors of failed adventuring expeditions or simply merchants that had fallen prey to the wanton cruelty of Erelhei-Cinlu. Grummok found the beings that lived in the beggar’s ghetto disgusting, not even fit to eat, so low had they fallen that there was little the Grummok could take from them and the death he offered would likely be a welcome release. The fiendish gargoyle preferred victims with a life that was cherished for when it was extinguished their pain was exquisite and this is where Grummok found his purpose.

Grummok’s evil musings were suddenly broken by screams and shouts from below, a dark shape had appeared in the air above the streets and the denizens of the beggar’s ghetto were frantically scurrying for cover. Bremok had arrived at last and Grummok prepared himself for the conflict to come. Grummok watched Bremok swoop low over the streets, mouth gaping with savage hunger scanning the street below for a suitable target. Most of the potential prey had sought cover from the marauding gargoyle but one deep gnome, frozen with terror simply stood immobile while Bremok homed in. The big gargoyle tempted with such an easy target gathered the doomed svirfneblin into his grasp and sped off to devour his prize.

Bremok climbed towards the ceiling of the huge cavern that housed the city of Erelhei-Cinlu clutching the deep gnome tightly to his body. So intent was Bremok on securing his prize he did not see Grummok streaking up towards him claws splayed and murder gleaming in his eyes. Grummok collided with Bremok with bone jarring force, sinking his claws into his surprised brother and clinging with all his might. Bremok lost his grip on the unfortunate deep gnome from the impact and the poor svirneblin fell silently to his death, a far kinder fate than what Bremok had had in store for him.

Bremok was stunned only for a moment and as rage surged through the big gargoyle he brought his own claws and teeth to bear. The two gargoyles could not stay aloft, locked in battle as they were, and plummeted towards the earth in tangled chaos of claws, teeth and horns.

The cavern known as the Vault of the Drow is truly immense with a mineral veined ceiling soaring over 1000 fathoms above the city of Erelhei-Cinlu. Grummok had ambushed his brother some 600 feet above the cavern floor and the two now hurtled towards the city below ripping and biting each other seemingly oblivious of their reckless freefall. Grummok was getting the worst of the close quarters battle as the far stronger Bremok tore into his flesh with unbridled savagery, but Grummok knew he only had to hold on a few seconds more. As the city rushed up to meet them Grummok fought to climb on top of his brother so that Bremok’s back was facing the ground. Now in the position he wanted Grummok waited until the final seconds before impact and then squirmed free of his brother’s claws with the ease of a serpent spreading his wings wide. Grummok’s outstretched wings acted as a parachute slowing his fall and allowing him to pull out of the freefall and into controlled flight. Bremok was not so lucky, he was falling with his back toward the ground and he was nowhere near as skilled at flight as Grummok. Realizing his peril Bremok’s tried to spread his wings but the force of the air blasting against his body caused them to crumple around him in a useless and lethal shroud.

Bremok slammed into the broken cobblestones on the Beggar’s Ghetto with a bone-shattering crunch and lay still. Grummok landed lightly a few feet from his brother’s inert form and crept closer fearing that even a 600-foot fall might not be enough to kill the formidable gargoyle. Grummok’s worries were immediately put to rest when he got close enough to Bremok to see the carnage the fall had wrought. A widening pool of black blood surrounded Bremok and his body was a pulped mass of smashed bone and ruptured flesh. Bremok's face was eternally frozen in a rictus mask of hatred and Grummok hoped that the last thing Bremok had seen before he hit was his traitorous brother smiling down at him.

Grummok drug his bother’s body into one of the many abandoned buildings that loomed nearby and began the grisly task of removing Bremok’s head. Having no weapons on his person, Grummok was forced to use his teeth and claws to rip through the neck and claim his bloody prize. Once finished Grummok placed the severed head in a large sack he had brought for that very purpose and flew off towards the Ghetto of Artisans, the city district that housed Jen Kedar’s assassin guild. The battle with Bremok had left Grummok sorely wounded but he hardly felt the gashes in his flesh. The gargoyle was in high spirits, he was about to embark on the journey that would define his purpose and eventually lead him to the power he had craved all his life.

Grummok (age 32): Male Gargoyle Rog 4/Asn1; CR 9; Medium Magical Beast; HD 4d10+5d6+54; hp 100; Init +4; Spd 45 ft., fly 75 ft. (good); AC 23 (+4 Dex, +4 natural, +4 studded leather armor, +1 ring); Atk +13 melee (1d4+4, 2 claws), +9 melee (1d6+1, bite), +9 melee (1d6+1 gore); SA sneak attack +3d6, death attack, poison use; SQ darkvision 60 ft., uncanny dodge (Dex to AC), DR 15/+1, freeze, evasion; AL NE; SV Fort +12, Ref +14, Will +4; Str 14, Dex 18, Con 22, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 12.
Skills (72 pts): Bluff +6, Craft (poison making) +6, Disguise +10, Escape Artist +9, Hide +26, Intimidate +5, Listen +10, Move Silently +21, Open Lock +9, Spot +10.
Feats: Multiattack, Weapon Finesse (claw, bite, gore), Exotic Weapon Proficiency (garrote)
Languages: Undercommon, Terran, Drow
Possessions: ring of protection +1, +1 shadowed studded leather armor, boots of elvenkind, wire garrote, ring of magic fang +2
Assassin Spells Prepared: (1; save DC 12 + spell level): 1st -- change self.

Freeze (Ex): Grummok can hold himself so still that he appears to be a statue. An observer must succeed at a Spot check (DC 20) to notice Grummok is really alive.

Evasion (Ex): If exposed to any effect that normally allows a character to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, Grummok takes no damage with a successful saving throw.

Death Attack: If Grummok studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack within the next 3 rounds with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack may also paralyze or kill the target (Grummok's choice). A victim who fails his or her Fortitude saving throw (DC 13) against the kill effect dies. If the saving throw fails against the paralysis, the victim's mind and body become enervated, making him or her completely helpless and unable to act for 1d6+1 rounds.
Poison Use: Grummok is trained in the use of poison and never risks accidentally poisoning himself when applying poison to a blade.

Poison Use: Grummok is trained in the use of poison and never risks accidentally poisoning himself when applying poison to a blade.

Jen Kedar Everhate was not surprised in the least when a slightly bedraggled Grummok showed up in the Ghetto of Artisans and presented himself at the assassin’s guildhall. The gargoyle clutched a large burlap sack that was stained with crimson and dripping, this he unceremoniously dumped at the feet of the guild master. The sack contained the severed head of Bremok, Grummok’s brother, and was the proof Jen Kedar required that Grummok had the ambition as well as the disposition to succeed as an assassin. After a short tour of the guildhall Grummok was assigned quarters and told that he would meet his mentor who would supervise the gargoyle’s training for the next seven years, on the morrow.

Grummok’s mentor turned out to be a surly veteran by the name of Shebon Mot, haughty and arrogant in the extreme the drow assassin was less than pleased that his new apprentice was not drow and in his estimation little more than a savage beast. Shebon Mot explained to Grummok that his training would be long and grueling and in addition his new mentor made it very plain that he had serious doubts that the gargoyle had the fortitude or the intellect to succeed. Grummok bore the drow assassin’s disdain for him stoically, he would learn from this fool, and then when he had no more use for him, he would show Shebon up close and personal just what an attentive student he had been.

The first year of Grummok’s training was everything his mentor had said it would be. Grummok spent long hours studying killing techniques and poison brewing as well as honing his physical skills in stealth and combat forms. Shebon drove him relentlessly pushing him harder than any of the other apprentices, but it only drove Grummok to try that much harder if only to prove to Shebon that his less than favorable assessment of his pupil was dead wrong. Jen Kedar Everhate checked in often on Grummok to monitor his progress; the guild master seemed pleased, even if Shebon Mot’s weekly reports expressed only disappointment in the fledgling gargoyle assassin.

Grummok began his training alongside four other apprentices all hoping to make their mark in the vile trade of assassination. Grummok insured that two of these apprentices did not survive the first year; one he strangled quietly in his sleep, the other he picked a fight with at an inn and then proceeded to tear him to pieces. Grummok did not go to great length to hide his amateur assassinations for this type of activity was quietly encouraged within the guild. Those who were unable to fend off their colleague’s murderous machinations were deemed unworthy to hold the title of assassin in the first place.

With the first year behind him, Grummok’s training became more hands on; he was allowed to accompany Shebon Mot on assignment. The kill was still Shebon’s to make, but Grummok aided in reconnaissance and preparation. Grummok spent seven years as Shebon’s apprentice learning what he could from the drow assassin and appearing to be an eager and attentive student. Shebon never paid his apprentice the respect the gargoyle rightly deserved and Grummok’s resentment of the drow assassin grew over the years. Grummok vowed that before he graduated to the rank of assassin there would be a reckoning between he and his teacher, a reckoning that one of them would not survive.

Grummok (age 39): Male Gargoyle Rog 4/Asn2; CR 10; Medium Magical Beast; HD 4d10+6d6+60; hp 109; Init +8; Spd 45 ft., fly 75 ft. (good); AC 23 (+4 Dex, +4 natural, +4 studded leather armor, +1 ring); Atk +14 melee (1d4+4, 2 claws), +10 melee (1d6+1, bite), +10 melee (1d6+1 gore); SA sneak attack +4d6, death attack, poison use; SQ darkvision 60 ft., uncanny dodge (Dex to AC), DR 15/+1, freeze, evasion; AL NE; SV Fort +12, Ref +15, Will +4; Str 14, Dex 18, Con 22, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 12.
Skills (78 pts): Bluff +6, Craft (poison making) +6, Disguise +10, Escape Artist +9, Gather Information +6, Hide +27, Intimidate +5, Listen +10, Move Silently +22, Open Lock +9, Spot +10.
Feats: Multiattack, Weapon Finesse (claw, bite, gore), Exotic Weapon Proficiency (garrote), Improved Initiative
Languages: Undercommon, Terran, Drow
Possessions: ring of protection +1, +1 shadowed studded leather armor, boots of elvenkind, wire garrote, ring of magic fang +2
Assassin Spells Prepared: (2; save DC 12 + spell level): 1st -- change self, angry ache

Freeze (Ex): Grummok can hold himself so still that he appears to be a statue. An observer must succeed at a Spot check (DC 20) to notice Grummok is really alive.

Evasion (Ex): If exposed to any effect that normally allows a character to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, Grummok takes no damage with a successful saving throw.

Death Attack: If Grummok studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack within the next 3 rounds with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack may also paralyze or kill the target (Grummok's choice). A victim who fails his or her Fortitude saving throw (DC 14) against the kill effect dies. If the saving throw fails against the paralysis, the victim's mind and body become enervated, making him or her completely helpless and unable to act for 1d6+1 rounds.

Poison Use: Grummok is trained in the use of poison and never risks accidentally poisoning himself when applying poison to a blade.

The beginning of Grummok’s eighth year at the assassin’s guild was a momentous one, he graduated from apprentice to journeyman assassin and he made his first professional kill. Grummok’s first contract was none other than his mentor and teacher Shebon Mot; the contract was handed down from Jen Kedar himself who had tired of Shebon’s lackluster performance and arrogant blustering. Jen Kedar saw great potential in Grummok and the gargoyle knew that the slaying of his former mentor was just another hurdle to overcome on his way to glory and power.

Grummok would have to be very careful with Shebon Mot, for all his arrogance the drow was still a dangerous opponent. If Shebon were to get wind of the contract on his head it would very likely mean Grummok himself would become the target of assassination. Grummok’s plan would have to be flawlessly executed and to this end he spent months monitoring every movement of his former mentor. Grummok found that Shebon had hidden much from him when he labored as the drow’s apprentice. The city of Erelhei-Cinlu catered to all manner of vice and Shebon Mot was a connoisseur of perverse pleasure second to none. The drow assassin was a frequent visitor to the fleshpots that lined the streets of the Ghetto of Outcasts, with his particular favorite being a brothel that specialized in providing its patrons with delights from the surface world, usually in the form of various human and elven slaves. Grummok had followed Shebon to the brothel on many occasions and noted that the drow assassin spent hours at a time there. Grummok decided that here if nowhere else Shebon would most likely be at his most vulnerable.

When Grummok was sure that Shebon was tied up elsewhere the gargoyle disguised himself with magic and his considerable skill with mummery and paid a visit to Shebon’s favorite brothel. The brothel was carved into a massive stalactite and consisted of two stories, the bottom story was a simple common room where guests could choose a slave and the top story was filled with dozens of small rooms where a guest could seek his pleasure with his chosen in private. A grossly fat drow woman named Hunnek owned the brothel and managed her stable of pleasure slaves with an iron fist. On one of Grummok’s reconnaissance visits he watched the brutal drow Madame beat an elven girl to death when she did not perform to her patron’s satisfaction. The slaves were a pitiful lot, malnourished and broken by despair; there was little hope of these unfortunate souls ever returning to wherever they had come from. Most were destined to die used and cast away when they could no longer catch the eye of the brothel’s patrons or perform the necessary functions of their lowly positions.

Grummok cared little for the brothel, there was no sport in prey that was already broken and hopeless, his estimation of Shebon slipped even lower with the knowledge of the drow’s pathetic indulgences. Grummok bent himself to learning what he could from the other patrons that frequented the brothel. He learned that the Shebon had a favorite slave, a human boy by the name of Hek, the boy was easy to recognize, as he was the youngest slave in Madame Hunnek’s stable. Hek was badly used, his face a mask of bruises and slowly healing cuts and he limped terribly when he walked, it was a wonder that Madame Hunnek had not gotten rid of him yet. Grummok found that the only reason that Hek was not cast out was that a certain wealthy patron had taken a liking to the boy and would be satisfied with no other, the boys injuries were the result of this patron’s attentions.

Grummok knew that Hek was the best way to strike at Shebon for he would suspect nothing from the boy. Grummok requested the services of Hek on one of his visits to the brothel and after he had received a stern warning from Madame Hunnek not to harm the boy overly much as he was a favorite of a very wealthy and influential client, he took the boy upstairs and set his plan in motion. Hek of course expected nothing but the abuse he received day in and day out from the brothel’s other clients, but Grummok had far greater concerns than simple sadism. Grummok had disguised himself as a human merchant, hoping a familiar face would help set the boy at ease. The disguised gargoyle told Hek that he had no interest in hurting him but would very much like to see Hek get a chance to strike out at those who had. Grummok described Shebon Mot to the boy, and Hek’s face immediately filled with dread and hatred, yes he knew Shebon very well indeed. Grummok offered the boy two things vengeance and freedom; vengeance against Shebon and once the drow assassin was dead enough gold to take him back home.

Hek eagerly accepted Grummok’s offer and the gargoyle outlined what he wished the human slave to do. Shebon began his sessions with Hek in a very curious manner, the assassin had supplied Madame Hunnek with a supply of his favorite wine and on the days he visited, a glass was set out for him in the room where he and Hek would meet. The drow assassin would slowly drink his wine while he described in horrid detail everything that he would do to the boy allowing Hek’s fear to reach a crescendo before the pain actually began. Hek was alone with the glass of wine for at least five minutes before Shebon arrived and Grummok supplied the boy with dose of white powder in a small paper tube to mix into Shebon’s drink. The powder was a powerful poison of Grummok’s own design and would paralyze its victim while leaving him completely aware of his surroundings. Grummok told Hek that the poison was fast working and that as soon as Shebon was under its affects, Hek was to wait for Grummok to arrive, he would then be paid and set free.

Grummok knew that Shebon would visit the brothel the next day and the gargoyle would be waiting for him. Shebon did not disappoint, he showed up at his scheduled time and was told that all was arranged for him upstairs. The drow assassin did not notice Grummok who had disguised himself well and hurried upstairs obviously eager to begin his debauchery. Grummok waited fifteen minutes and then chose a slave of his own and went upstairs as well. The gargoyle noted that the room Shebon and Hek occupied was quite silent, he smiled to himself eagerly looking forward to dispatching his former mentor once and for all. Grummok led his slave to the room that he had chosen and once the door was closed quickly and silently strangled the unfortunate slave so that he could not raise any sort of alarm when Grummok left the room to deal with Shebon.

Grummok waited another five minutes before he left his own room and crept down the hall to the room that held Shebon and Hek. The door was unlocked and Grummok opened it silently and stepped inside. The small room was sparsely furnished, consisting of a flea infested straw mattress and a single rickety wooden chair. Shebon was slumped over in the chair, a toppled wine glass at his feet, his eyes were open and alert but Grummok observed with pleasure that he was completely unable to move. Hek was huddled in one corner of the room his eyes round with fear, Grummok tossed the boy a small leather purse laden with gold and told him that he would have to stay here until Grummok was finished and then the gargoyle would smuggle him out of the brothel.

Grummok lifted Shebon from his chair and placed him on the straw mattress he then produced a small black bag and began to remove all manner of fiendish blades and torture devices from its interior. Grummok held up each of his ghoulish instruments so that Shebon could get a good look at what awaited him. Grummok then removed his disguise so that Shebon could make no mistake about his slayer’s identity. Hek wailed in terror when Grummok revealed himself and the gargoyle hissed for the boy to be silent unless he wished to share Shebon’s fate. The boy frightened beyond measure, turned his back on the horrible scene about to unfold before him and tried to crawl deeper into the corner he occupied.

Once Hek had been cowed, Grummok sat down in the room’s only chair, picked up Shebon’s wine goblet and methodically cleaned the glass of its former contents with a fine silk cloth. Once he was sure the glass contained no trace of the poison the gargoyle poured himself a measure of the thick red liquid from the decanter that had been left in the room. Grummok sipped the wine casually complimenting Shebon on his fine taste and then with a small grin cast in Hek’s direction began to tell Shebon in complete and grotesque detail just how he was about to die.

Here are the stats and a brief history of Shebon Mot, Grummok's former mentor.

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Shebon Mot: Male Drow Rogue 5/Assassin3/Disciple of Baalzebul 3; CR 12; Medium Humanoid; HD 11d6+11; hp 58; Init +4; Spd 30 ft.; AC 23 (+5 Dex, +6 chain shirt, +2 ring); Atk +13/+8 melee (1d4+3/19-20 x2, +3 fleshgrinding dagger) and +12 melee (1d4+2/19-20 x2, +2 dagger); SA sneak attack +6d6, death attack, poison use, suggestion; SQ Drow traits, darkvision 60 ft., uncanny dodge (Dex to AC, can’t be flanked), tongue of the devil, evasion, SR 22; AL NE; SV Fort +6, Ref +17, Will +8; Str 13, Dex 20, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 12, Cha 14.
Skills (136 pts): Bluff +17, Craft (poison making) +13, Diplomacy +12, Disguise +12, Escape Artist +15, Gather Information +12, Hide +15, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (religion) +9, Listen +13, Move Silently +15, Open Lock +15, Spot +15 Tumble +15
Feats: Disciple of Darkness (Baalzebul), Two Weapon Fighting, Ambidexterity, Weapon Finesse (dagger)
Languages: Undercommon, Infernal, Drow, Abyssal, Ignan
Possessions: +3 fleshgrinding dagger, +2 dagger, Mithral chain shirt +2, gloves of dexterity +2, boots of speed, ring of protection +2, cloak of resistance +2
Assassin Spells Prepared: (2/1; save DC 13 + spell level): 1st -- change self, angry ache. 2nd – alter self

Drow Traits: Shebon Mot is immune to magic sleep spells and effects. He has a +2 racial bonus on saves against Enchantment spells or effects and a +2 racial bonus on Will saves against spells or spell-like abilities. He also has darkvision (120-foot range) and is entitled to a Search check when within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door as though actively looking for it, but she also has light blindness (blinded for 1 round by abrupt exposure to bright light, -1 circumstance penalty on all attack rolls, saves, and checks while operating in bright light). Shebon Mot also has a +2 racial bonus on Listen, Spot, and Search checks (already figured into the statistics given above).

Evasion (Ex): If exposed to any effect that normally allows a character to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, Shebon Mot takes no damage with a successful saving throw.

Death Attack: If Shebon Mot studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack within the next 3 rounds with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack may also paralyze or kill the target (Shebon Mot's choice). A victim who fails his or her Fortitude saving throw (DC 16) against the kill effect dies. If the saving throw fails against the paralysis, the victim's mind and body become enervated, making him or her completely helpless and unable to act for 1d6+1 rounds.
Poison Use: Shebon Mot is trained in the use of poison and never risks accidentally poisoning himself when applying poison to a blade.

Tongue of the Devil (Ex): Shebon Mot can speak with eloquence and believability even when telling boldfaced lies, by using his cunning as well as his charm. When making Bluff checks, Shebon Mot adds his Intelligence modifier as well as his Charisma modifier to determine his check results.

Suggestion (Sp): Once per day Shebon Mot can produce an effect identical to that of a suggestion spell. The DC to resist Shebon Mot’s entreaties is 14.

Shebon Mot, once known as Shebon Tormtor, is another noble cast off eking out a living in the chaos of Erelhei-Cinlu. The young drow had a talent for telling grandiose lies that were somehow believable and this skill kept him alive when he was exiled from house Tormtor. The Circumstances of Shebon’s exile are unknown but his crime was grave enough that his entire house refuses to speak of it.

Shebon survived the lean year after his exile through thievery; he was a gifted cutpurse and cat burglar with a sadistic streak that often cost the victims of his predations much more than their purses. A failed robbery attempt catapulted Shebon from thief to assassin when he tried to lift the purse of a drow noble in the Ghetto of Artisan’s. Jen Kedar Everhate was impressed with Shebon’s boldness and instead of simply killing the rash young cutpurse he offered him a chance for wealth and power. Shebon, who had few other prospects, gladly accepted Jen Kedar’s offer and began his career as an assassin.

Shebon served Jen Kedar faithfully for years, fulfilling contracts with alacrity and complete professionalism. The young drow assassin became wealthy and soon his prestige in the guild was shadowed only by Jen Kedar himself. Shebon had always been a graceful liar and an expert conman, and few could match his eloquence, because of this he was often able to lure a mark into a vulnerable sense of security with his flattering speech and charming grace. Shebon enjoyed killing to a degree that went far beyond his peers and his sadistic nature ensured a slow and painful death to his victims. Jen Kedar paid no mind to Shebon’s penchant for bloodletting for he had always remained careful and professional, but that would soon change.

Shebon’s sadistic nature was symptomatic of a dark secret he had carried for years. Shebon was a devout follower of the arch-devil Baalzebul the Prince of Lies. As a young assassin his sadistic debauchery had caught the attention of a small group of cultists that had been operating in Erelhei-Cinlu for decades. The cultists knew that Shebon’s influence in the assassin’s guild could be invaluable, for the cult had many enemies in a city the prohibited worship of their infernal lord. The cult discreetly contacted Shebon and offered him the patronage of their unholy master, provided he could prove his devotion. Shebon, intrigued by the mystery and decadence of the cult hungered for the power promised by its members and pledged his devotion to Baalzebul.

After decades as one of the cities top assassins, Shebon became arrogant and careless and this eventually led to his destruction. Jen Kedar had learned of Shebon’s infernal patron and fearing the vengeance of the clerics of Lolth and the problems they could cause for the guild, ordered his death. Shebon met his fate at the hands of his former apprentice, the gargoyle Grummok. The sadistic assassin’s death was not an easy one, Shebon suffered under Grummok’s ministrations for hours before he finally surrendered his soul to the void. With Shebon’s demise his slayer, Grummok, stepped into his vacant position and began to grow in power just as Shebon did. Grummok, however, may have his hands full in the future for Shebon’s allies in the cult of Baalezabul will certainly not let his slayer go unpunished.

Grummok (age 46): Male Gargoyle Rog 4/Asn3; CR 11; Medium Magical Beast; HD 4d10+7d6+66; hp 118; Init +8; Spd 45 ft., fly 75 ft. (good); AC 25 (+4 Dex, +4 natural, +5 studded leather armor, +2 ring); Atk +15 melee (1d4+6, 2 claws), +11 melee (1d6+2, bite), +11 melee (1d6+2 gore) or +14/+9 melee (1d4+7/19-20 x2, +3 fleshgrinding dagger); SA sneak attack +4d6, death attack, poison use; SQ darkvision 60 ft., uncanny dodge (Dex to AC, can’t be flanked), DR 15/+1, freeze, evasion; AL NE; SV Fort +13, Ref +15, Will +5; Str 18, Dex 18, Con 22, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 12.
Skills (84 pts): Bluff +6, Craft (poison making) +7, Disguise +10, Escape Artist +10, Gather Information +8, Hide +27, Intimidate +5, Listen +10, Move Silently +22, Open Lock +10, Spot +10, Tumble +5.
Feats: Multiattack, Weapon Finesse (claw, bite, gore), Exotic Weapon Proficiency (garrote), Improved Initiative
Languages: Undercommon, Terran, Drow
Possessions: +2 shadowed studded leather armor, boots of elvenkind, wire garrote, ring of magic fang +2, belt of giant strength +4, +3 fleshgrinding dagger, +2 dagger, ring of protection +2
Assassin Spells Prepared: (2/1; save DC 12 + spell level): 1st -- change self, angry ache. 2nd – alter self

Freeze (Ex): Grummok can hold himself so still that he appears to be a statue. An observer must succeed at a Spot check (DC 20) to notice Grummok is really alive.

Evasion (Ex): If exposed to any effect that normally allows a character to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, Grummok takes no damage with a successful saving throw.

Death Attack: If Grummok studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes a sneak attack within the next 3 rounds with a melee weapon that successfully deals damage, the sneak attack may also paralyze or kill the target (Grummok's choice). A victim who fails his or her Fortitude saving throw (DC 15) against the kill effect dies. If the saving throw fails against the paralysis, the victim's mind and body become enervated, making him or her completely helpless and unable to act for 1d6+1 rounds.

Poison Use: Grummok is trained in the use of poison and never risks accidentally poisoning himself when applying poison to a blade.

The death of Shebon Mot placed Grummok in a precarious position, his reputation and prestige within the guild continued to grow but he quickly learned that Shebon had had many allies that were displeased with the drow assassin’s sudden demise. The cult of Baalzebul, of which Shebon Mot had been an influential member, had marked Grummok for death and the attempts on the gargoyles life began soon after Shebon’s assassination..

Jen Kedar Everhate warned Grummok about Shebon Mot’s involvement with the dire following of Baalzabul and bade him to be extremely careful. Grummok saw little reason to worry, thinking his position in the guild would shield him from most attacks and he felt more than capable of dealing with individual cultists in direct combat if need be. Un-phazed by the possible threat to his life, Grummok accepted and completed every contract that was sent his way. From competing nobles to rival merchants, the gargoyle killed indiscriminately and quickly established a reputation for professionalism and discreetness.
Grummok’s first encounter with the cult of Baalzebul occurred three weeks after the death of Shebon Mot. Grummok had been performing a job for some duergar weapon merchants and had been staking out a drow sword maker, who was undercutting the duergar’s prices. The merchant owned a small house and storefront in the district of artisans and he and his small family ran a thriving business. The quality of the drow merchant’s blades was second to none and many of the duergar’s former customers had begun to buy their swords from him instead of paying more for a lower quality blade from the duergar.

The hit was an easy one, the drow merchant had no idea that he had earned the enmity of the duergar weapon smiths, and there were no defenses installed in his small house to speak of. Grummok simply crept through the second story window of the drow merchant’s house and strangled him in his sleep. The duergar had been very specific in their instructions and had demanded the death of the drow sword maker’s family as well. Grummok of course fulfilled his contract to the letter and the drow’s wife and two sons went under the knife.

With his grisly mission compete Grummok had stolen silently from the sword makers house and taken to the air, heading back to the assassins guild to report the fulfillment of his contract. Flushed with success the gargoyle let his mind wander while on the wing and his momentary slip in concentration nearly cost him his life. From out of the thick darkness that hung over the city of Erelhei-Cinlu the faint whisper of an arcane incantation drifted to the gargoyle’s keen ears. Startled from his reverie Grummok reacted almost too late as a lightning bolt flashed from the blackness and narrowly missed as the gargoyle performed a fantastic midair contortion to avoid the deadly bolt of energy.

Singed but unhurt, Grummok frantically scanned the area for any sign of his attacker. The gargoyle’s assailant was either beyond the range of his darkvision or hiding with the use of magic. Grummok hovered in midair, presenting himself as an easy target and listening for any sound of further spellcasting. If the mage who had thrown the lightning bolt was wise he would not cast a spell with a verbal component and alert Grummok to his location, as it turned out he wasn’t. Again the flowing tongue of the arcane drifted out of the darkness as the mage prepared to throw another spell at Grummok. The gargoyle wasted no time and plunged ahead, homing in on the sound of the spellcaster’s voice. Another lightning bolt lanced out at the gargoyle, but this time he was prepared for it and gracefully rolled his body out of the way avoiding the bolt easily.

Now the mage had not only betrayed his position with his voice but the last lightning bolt he had cast confirmed his location visually as well. Grummok perceived the invisible mage as a faint shimmering in the air below him about one hundred feet from his current position and the gargoyle screeched a challenge and dove at the now vulnerable mage. In the midst of his dive, Grummok pulled an enchanted dagger from a hidden sheath built into his armor. The dagger once belonged to Shebon Mot, Grummok’s former mentor, and when the gargoyle slew him he claimed it for himself. The dagger was a vicious weapon imbued with a special power called flesh grinding which allowed it to remain in the flesh of a victim and burrow or “grind” further into the wound without its wielder having to lift a finger. Grummok had also poisoned the blade with a nasty substance of his own creation called “breath stealer”, the virulent poison attacked the lungs of a victim destroying the tiny air sacks in the organ and ensuring a slow death by suffocation.

As Grummok descended on the invisible mage, the spellcaster attempted to cast another spell at the onrushing gargoyle, but the first words of the incantation had barely left his lips before Grummok slammed into him claws and dagger flailing. The mages invisibility saved him from much of Grummok’s tearing teeth and claws but the enchanted dagger found its mark and the mage howled in pain as the blade began to dig into his flesh. Grummok fell back and circled the stricken mage as he cursed and screamed, until finally the screams became frantic gasps for air as the terrible poison went to work on the mages lungs. The mage’s death was not a pleasant one, as the fleshgrinder burrowed into his abdomen and the “breath stealer” poison seared his lungs into useless lumps of flesh. With his death, the mage’s spells failed and he became visible, his corpse falling towards the city below.

Grummok followed the descending corpse, which crashed in a broken heap on the roof of one of the many buildings that lined the streets of the Ghetto of Artisans. Grummok landed softly beside the slain wizard and began a thorough search of the corpse. The wizard had been a half-drow, made obvious by the grayish cast to his skin and human coloration of his hair. He was dressed in thick red robes, unadorned but finely made. Around his neck hung a curious medallion on a silver chain; a gold circle with the etched impression of a fly’s head in astonishing detail. Grummok recognized the symbol immediately; it was a representation of Baalzebul in his guise as Lord of the Flies. It seemed that Shebon’s allies had attempted to avenge their slain brother at last. Well, Grummok thought, they would certainly have to do better than this if they expected to slay him. Still, caution would be the best policy and Grummok resigned himself to watching his back more carefully until he could deal with the threat of the cultists on a larger scale.

The weeks that followed the failed attempt on Grummok’s life saw the gargoyle take and complete three more contracts. The cultists of Baalzebul left Grummok unmolested during this time but he kept a wary eye out for the devotees of the arch-devil. Grummok bent his efforts over the next six months to discovering all he could about Baalzebul and his worship; he also scoured the city through the guilds huge network of spies and informants for the whereabouts of individual cultists. Soon he had a list of over a dozen names and locations of persons believed to be worshipers of the arch-devil Baalzebul. Then, after consulting with his guild master, Jen Kedar, Grummok prepared to do a little freelance work. He would show his would be murderers what a real assassin was capable of, their infernal patron be damned.