Here's an odd one.
WIRCHLER
ORIGIN: Gehenna
FREQUENCY: Rare
NO. APPEARING: 1-10
ARMOR CLASS: -6
MOVE: 18”
HIT DICE: 6+6
% IN LAIR: 5%
TREASURE TYPE: See below
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6/1-6/2-12
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Wirching (see below)
SPECIAL DEFENSES: immune to fire + acid; takes double damage from cold
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Standard
INTELLIGENCE: Low-average
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Evil (neutral tendencies)
SIZE: S
PSIONIC ABILITY: 50
Attack/Defense Modes: B/H, I
The Wirchler originates from the plane of Gehenna, the Valley of Flame. Fire is their natural habitat, much as air is ours. They are, however, known to leave their dreadful home in groups to search for new prey. At present they pay precious Fire-gems to the Night Hags in Hades in return for Larvae to torture.
The Wirchler thrives on the pain of its victims. After it inflicts its special damage (see below), it sits back and enjoys their dying screams.
A Wirchler appears as a disembodied mouth with two long, scrawny, hairy arms sticking out of where its cheeks ought to be. Since it has almost no density, it barely has to move its arms to flit about. A single Wirchler attacks with its arms and its long, protruding teeth.
When four or more Wirchlers get together, they can and will utilize their special attack. They start rubbing their teeth together, and the sound “wiiiirrrrccchhhhh” results. This noise stimulates pain centers in the nervous system, and if the wirchlers are allowed to continue in this manner for one full round (i.e. no hits are scored on them), all monsters and humans (except those listed below) within a 6” radius will scream and writhe on the ground, unable to attack, defend, or do otherwise. The following effects will also beset the victims: They will lose one hit point for every hour the wirchlers wirch, one point of Intelligence every three hours, one point of Wisdom every four hours, and one point of Charisma every five hours. The ability losses are permanent unless later regained by magical means.
All Wirchlers encountered will wirch for 1-4 hours, and then some will tie the victims up while the others wirch. The victims will be devoured when the wirchlers next feel hungry again, 1-8 hours later. If there are only four wirchlers, they will all wirch until a.) their victims are dead; b.) more wirchlers arrive; or c.) they are stopped by some other creature.
The following creatures and monsters are not affected by wirching: Gods, Demigods, Arch-Devils, Demon Lords and Princes, Greater Devils, Type V and higher Demons, Beholders, Black Puddings, Blink Dogs, Brain Moles, Couatls, Cerebral Parasites, Djinni, Dragons, Dragon Turtles, Ear Seekers, Efreet, Violet Fungi, Gas Spores, Gelatinous Cubes, Ghosts, all Giants except Hill and Stone Giants, Golems, Gray Oozes, Green Slimes, Harpies, Hydrae, Intellect Devourers, Ki-Rin, Lammasi, Liches, Manticores, Mind Flayers, Molds, Ochre Jellies, Purple Worms, Rakshasi, Shambling Mounds, Skeletons, Spectres, Strangle Weeds, Su-Monsters, Thought Eaters, Water Weirds, Wights, Wraiths, Wyverns and Zombies.
If a Wirchler is found in its lair in Gehenna, it may have (30% chance) a Firegem. Fire-gems, worth 1,000 g.p. each, are made by Wirchlers in underground smithies. The gems have the following powers: Can shoot flames as per the Naming Hands spell a total of 20 times, as a 19th-level Magic-User; can shoot a Fireball (as per a wand) a total of 10 times; can create a Fire Trap (as a 10thlevel M-U) 5 times, and can create an Incendiary Cloud once. The gem will also act as a Gem of seeing as long as any of the above abilities remains functional. Each ability (except the seeing power) needs a different command word to function. The wirchler owning a fire-gem will certainly use it against attackers.
There are always 1-4 fire opals (the normal gem) in a Wirchler’s lair.
Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #47 (1981).
