D&D 5E Alhoons, Souls, and Immortals

[Chaosmancer]

So, I just found the article about the 6 pages from Volo's, including some details on Alhoon's (A name I've heard, but never known what the heck they are) Link: http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?3552-Preview-VOLO-S-GUIDE-TO-MONSTERS#.WAf_dCTV_Xc

So, this is amazing, and very similar to a cult leader I developed named Godendes. Godendes wants immortality, but he doesn't want Lichdom because he fears it will place him under the influence of Orcus, and no one controls Godendes. So he developed a magic gem in which he placed his mind, he then possesses people and takes over their bodies.

Anyways, with Alhoons, it seems instead to require a cabal, and when they do the ritual they seal in a being's soul, and then burn that soul for life. I think the text reads that they only get as much life as the being already lived "The undeath conferred... lasts only so long as the life of the living victim selected." Thus a Alhoon that sacrifices an old person is going to live longer than one that sacrificed a young person. I imagine it is similar to living the creature's life backwards, the soul reverting younger and younger and that energy being used to empower the creature.

This got me thinking of the "secrets" of lichdom (requiring souls as well, but on a different timeline as well as actually being able to recreate their bodies) as well as what other options exist for an Alhoon.

So, a "living creature's soul" is the primary restrictive language. What about Fey, Celestials or Fiends? These beings could be seen as pure soul (maybe therefore not alive?), but if they counted, an Alhoon could actually gain immortality.

If a creature lived an unnaturally long life, perhaps due to a curse or genie wish, would they count for an Alhoon's extended life span?

What other crazy ideas could we extrapolate and come up with from these bits of lore?

 

[SkidAce]

Anyways, with Alhoons, it seems instead to require a cabal, and when they do the ritual they seal in a being's soul, and then burn that soul for life. I think the text reads that they only get as much life as the being already lived "The undeath conferred... lasts only so long as the life of the living victim selected." Thus a Alhoon that sacrifices an old person is going to live longer than one that sacrificed a young person. I imagine it is similar to living the creature's life backwards, the soul reverting younger and younger and that energy being used to empower the creature.

I think you have it slightly backwards.

My impression was if they used a human, you got the average humans life span, but if you used an elf you got the average elf life span. Nothing about the actual life an individual lived...? I could be wrong, and will review my statement after work, when I get a chance to read it again.

EDIT: That was quick and easy...I was wrong...carry on, nothing to see here.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I would make more sense if it was the life left within the creature, making young souls more valuable than old souls.

Why do you think it doesn't work that way? This is brand new lore to me and I'm fascinated by the implications this may have for Liches, ALhoons, and all manner of other creatures.

I'm also interested in whatever they mean by Beholder dreams, but there wasn't enough there for me to know exactly what that meant, so I'll need to wait for Volo

 

[MechaTarrasque]

I think a lot of it has to do with availability. Wizards pretty much can summon elementals, demons, and whatever goes into familiars. If the elementals in conjure elementals/conjure minor elementals (ditto the demons in the conjure vrock/herzou, etc. spells) are created by the spell, they basically have a lifespan of 1 hour. If conjured critters (including the familiars) are actual critters, I think the fluff for at least some of them is that they only permanently die on their home planes. Since you aren't sacrificing the actual critter, I don't think you would get any time.

That leaves Gate and finding an immortal running around naturally. The Alhoons don't seem to want to get involved with anything powerful from another plane (no gods or warlock patrons), so Gate seems a little risky. A fiend. fey, elemental, or celestial running around without summoning magic (or brought by planar ally or some non-Alhoon using Gate) seems like the best option. There might be the risk that fiends and celestials might have a little too much outer planes in them: an Alhoon that sacrifices a celestial might start doing good deeds or one that sacrifices a devil might want to go to the 9 Hells and join the infernal bureaucracy. That is beyond the scope of what we know, though.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I hadn't considered the fear that the planar nature of a being might have an undue influence upon them.

But there are other immortal creatures. Naga's for example are not extraplanar, but arcane in nature.

Actually though, I answered my own question up above didn't I?

Alhoon's drain the life already lived, easiest pictured as drawing the soul back to it's birth. Therefore, for an Alhoon to achieve true immortality it would have to take the soul of something that has always existed since before time. The few beings that sort of qualification includes are so powerful they'd eat an Alhoon for a light snack in-between snuffing all life as we know it.

 

[Charles Rampant]

In the 2e book on Skullport, there was a fairly interesting chap by the name of Sangalor of the Secrets, an Illithid priest of Oghma of all things. He doesn't like eating brains all that much, but will perform it upon request on Evil creatures whose secrets need to be unveiled: "He is reluctant to engage in this activity too often, as he feels it is part of the baser nature of illithids that he has risen above." His description notes that he is keen to get some adventurer allies - whether willing or no - to help hunt down all the other Illithids near Waterdeep & Skullport.

Anyway, I thought that this guy might prove interesting to you. There is a lot of interesting potential with the Alhoon, as (from the little I glanced through) they are not good as such, but certainly you can imagine the heroes cutting a deal with one to take down a Mind Flayer hive. In many ways, an Illithid that you can have a negotiation with is far more interesting than one you cannot.

 

[Chaosmancer]

See, I could see them cutting a deal with a normal Illithid far sooner than they could an Alhoon (which seems to me to be a lich mindflayer).

If the players are willing to look past the evil and terrible deeds of the creature, mindflayers are a hive, they will work towards specific goals and allow the Elder Brain to worry about the long game. Alhoons are out for themselves, they are trying to make themselves permanent fixtures in the world.

Making a mindflayer or Alhoon that has found comfort in a God is.... an interesting route to take, it makes sense on one hand, but their dislike of being lesser than another being (other than friend Elder Brain who makes us all equal [#bredformindcontrol]) makes it highly unusual.