Algollied (3.5e Monster)

''As you defeat the sinister bard he crumples, letting off a terrible death scream. Finally your task is over... yet the scream lingers in the air, echoing around you, growing louder and louder. Your eyes can barely make out the image of a swirling distortion, a dull red light eminating from its center, hidden by whisps of black clouds and glassy refractions in the shape of a dozen mouths screaming for your death. And the noise... never... goes away...''

Algollied is a living song and barely has form of its own, instead appearing as a roughly spherical sonic storm vibrating rapidly around a glowing core of crimson light. Within its form are dozens of mouths which constantly sing its death song, managing to sound hauntingly beautiful and damningly cacophonous all at once. Always hidden within its host that it possesses, it only shows its true form when its body has been destroyed for good and there is no time to obtain another. It has but one goal in life, and that is to spread it's deadly song until the entire universe has heard it, even though hearing it is ultimately fatal. Algollied speaks and understands all languages, but its many voices, constant singing, and apparent madness never allow anything coherent to escape. It avoids the plane of vacuum entirely, and it is possible that the plane would kill Algollied, or at least suppress it, for as long as it was forced to remain there.

Combat
Algollied always appears from the fallen body of its host upon its death, manifesting 1d4 rounds later, and often getting its opponents by surprise and already weakened, a state it is glad to abuse. It immediately employs three bardic music abilities, then uses its spell-like abilities while relying on its incorporeal nature to protect it from serious harm. It often attempts to disable or render at least one target helpless for possessing, preferably bards or other charismatic characters. It shuns silence, and while it can override the effects of non-epic silence, it prefers to avoid them.

Apocalyptic Chorus (Ex): The swirling mouths constantly emit a baleful song with the voices of all those corrupted by its memetic sound. It is capable of maintaining three bardic music songs at once, and its song and sonic effects bypass silence and similar effects (however those inside the area of effect get a bonus to saving throws against Algollied equal to the spell level, +3 in the case of the silence spell). Only epic spells which create a silence effect can silence Algollied. Regardless of what song is currently being sung, the other mouths constantly emit a mind-numbing din which grants Algollied an aura of mind-control out to 500 feet. Those in the effect must make a Will save DC 37 against the effect of charm monster. This is an extraordinary mind-effecting affect, and the saving throw is Charisma based. Corrupt Bardic Music (Su): Algollied has all the bardic music capabilities of a 30th level bard. It is capable of beginning anywhere between one, two, or three bardic music abilities all in one swift action, and has no limit on the number of times it may use bardic music. Beyond its bardic abilities it may also start any of the unique songs detailed below. All musical effects are DC 37 when a saving throw is called for, and the saving throws are Charisma based.
 * Sturm und Drang: Each round creatures within 60 feet of Algollied take 3d6 sonic damage, no save. As a swift action Algollied can end this song, and release a powerful blast of sonic energy which deals 15d6 sonic damage and being permanently deafened in a 60 radius foot burst centered on Algollied, with a Fortitude save for half damage and to negate the deafening.  In addition, creatures are blown back to the edge of the radius, a successful save negates the movement.


 * Lagrimas de Saudade: Creatures within 60 feet of Algollied have their voices stolen from them, preventing them from talking or using spells with vocal components for as long as they are in range, no save. As a swift action, Algollied can end this song to have one target within 60 feet lose their voice permanently with a Will save to negate.  The loss of voice is a curse which can only be removed by limited wish, wish, miracle, or a remove curse of a 31st level caster or higher.


 * Blue Sehnsucht: Each round creatures within 60 feet of Algollied feel a crippling depression coming over them, causing a cumulative -1 morale penalty to attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws, no save. The penalty goes away by 1 point for each round they spend outside of Algollied's range of the song.  As a swift action, Algollied can end this song to break someone's spirit and send them into the throes of suicide.  A creature within 60 feet must make a Will save or immediately use their next turn to coup de grace themselves with the most effective means available.  If somehow restrained or unable, they cower for 1 round.  This is a supernatural mind-effecting affect.  If the morale penalty from the song reaches -10 or lower, the creature is automatically subjected to this forced suicide attempt every round until their morale penalty rises above -10, or they die.


 * Weltschmerz Cry: Each round creatures within 60 feet of Algollied must make a Will save or take 2 points of Wisdom damage, as they slowly lose the will to resist. Creatures reduced to 0 wisdom immediately become thralls of Algollied, their wisdom damaged healed but utterly under the control of Algollied until Algollied is defeated.  Otherwise it is only curable by a miracle or wish.  As a swift action, Algollied can end this song and cause a creature within 60 feet to suffer the effects of the insanity spell of such potency that even on a succeessful Will save, the creature is confused for 1 round.


 * Fugue de Schadenfreude: Algollied shields itself in destructive notes, causing harm to all that touch it. There is no aura effect, but anyone striking Algollied in melee with a non-reach weapon takes 5d6 points of sonic damage.  Algollied is completely immune to ranged physical attacks short of siege weapons in this state.  As a swift action, Algollied can end this song and surround itself in a spiritual maelstrom of force and sonic energy, rendering it completely immune to attacks for 1 round.  However, it cannot attack, have its songs effect creatures (though it may maintain them), or otherwise effect any creature other than itself.  It often uses this as an escape plan.  Unlike other songs, it cannot render itself invincible for 2 rounds in a row, requiring a 1 round cooldown before it can end its song again.

Force of Will (Ex): Algollied uses its Charisma modifier instead of it's Wisdom modifier on Will saving throws. Pathos Opus: Algollied is inevitably tied to the presence of the major artifact known as the Pathos Opus. It acts as a sort of phylactery for the elder evil, allowing it to respawn in 1d10 days if defeated. Only by destroying the Pathos Opus or ejecting it into a place Algollied cannot manifest safely such as the Plane of Vacuum will prevent Algollied's return. And yet still somehow every three generations or so, it seems to find its way back into existing, even from utter destruction... Possession (Ex): As a standard action, Algollied can attempt to possess a creature within 60 feet, DC 37 Will save negates. A creature which makes their save is immune for 24 hours. If the creature is willing or helpless, there is no saving throw. While possessed, Algollied loses its physical form and enters the body of the possessed. It can make its presence subtle, making the subject believe they are not possessed at all, and have full abilities as they previously had. However at any time Algollied can force a Will save to make the possessed victim perform an action, succees means they are immune to that particular request for 24 hours, failure will have them perform it and attempt to justify it as their own idea. At any point in the possession (usually once its host body becomes suspicious that not all his actions are his own), Algollied can assume direct control with the same Will save. When this occurs Algollied has access to all of the host's abilities, but uses Algollied's skills, normal bardic music (but not his unique corrupt music), psionics, mental ability scores, alignment, and effective HD of the creature for the purpose of determining spells and DCs based on your HD. Removing Algollied from a possessed creature is difficult as while within a body, Algollied is effectively untargetable. Killing the host releases Algollied into physical form, as does a successful exorcism attempt. Wish and miracle may be used, but have SR and a Will saving throw apply. Algollied employs this at all times when possible, staying in natural form to combat opponents only. It is also capable of possessing creatures who play the song contained in the Pathos Opus, regardless of the distance of planar orientation of where Algollied and the Pathos Opus are. Creatures possessed by Algollied are difficult to spot. It takes a DC 50 Sense Motive check to determine something is wrong, and DC 25 if Algollied has assumed direct control. Psionics (Ps): At will - attraction, aura alteration, brain lock, conceal thoughts, control air, control body, control light, control sound, correspond, create sound, deja vu, detect remote viewing, disable, empathy, empty mind, energy ray (sonic only), false sensory input, far hand, forced share pain, hostile empathic transfer, mind thrust, psionic charm, psionic daze, psionic greater teleport, psionic suggestion, sense link, read thoughts, telempathic projection; 3/day - death urge demoralize, energy wave (sonic only), fate link, mass cloud mind, mind probe, mindwipe, psionic blast, psionic dominate, schism, shatter mind blank; 1/day - affinity field, decerebrate, empathic feedback, metaconcert, microcosm, mind seed, personality parasite. Manifester level 30th. The saving throws are Charisma based. Sonic Body (Ex): Algollied is little more than a swirling ball of sound and souls, being both incorporeal and transparant. It takes a DC 40 Spot check to see Algollied, and see invisibility and true seeing do not reveal it, though effects such as glitterdust which light up or illuminate its body do work. If a creature passes through Algollied's square, they automatically take 5d6 points of sonic damage, and likewise if Algollied passes through the squares of other creatures it also deals this damage. Algollied will sometimes employ this on purpose as a battle tactic, though it provokes attacks of opportunity for moving through enemy squares as normal (and vice versa). Tomb Tainted (Ex): Algollied, while a living being in the rough sense of the word, is powered through negative energy like its undead creator. It is healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy.