Twinelings

[Terrible notebook doodles inbound...]

There are many folk tales about the Twinelings.

Some claim they were first created by a careless wizard, animating a piece of rope to create a toy for a child- but through an act of wild magic, creating an animated rope which could in turn animate rope. Others claim they were first created when fairies were so astounded by the large-folk's invention of jewelry, that they created little crowned golems out of necklaces as dancing partners. Yet others still claim that they are born from the dying words choked out of a strangling victim, dancing along their noose or garrote in search of revenge. While there are glimmers of truth in each of these stories, who really created the twinelings or why is something which may never be known. All that is known is the following:

Twinelings live on the fringes of society- hiding in the forest outside a village or living in an empty cupboard in an attic. They are mischievous, child-like, and surprisingly mobile. They sneak around in little hunting bands, poaching and stealing as they see fit. They may slide just outside your field of vision by flattening out and sliding around, unspooling and winding like a snake, or even coiling like a spring to perform a huge leap. They do this for two reasons: to steal materials for small spears, and to kill using rope to create more twinelings.

You see: twinelings themselves may cast a version of Animate Rope on any short length of material like vines, necklaces, rope, twine, chains, strings, and even links of sausages. These versions are hollow body-doubles however, and not "alive" as the twinelings are. The only way a twineling may create a true new twineling is to have this double choke the life out of a living being- most often a small animal or young child (with the latter often leading to people finally dealing with a twineling tribe, or at the least hanging someone for child murder).

Twineling tribes are often set up a bit like Lord of the Flies or Peter Pan's Lost Boys; with clearly visible childlike squabbling, aggression, and play amidst violent actions. One minute two twinelings may appear to be squabbling over a spear crafted from a set of shears, the next they'll be coordinating a garroting like little guerillas. The most authority in a tribe is given to the largest twineling of the bunch, which in some cases is a Twineking; which is essentially a rat-king composed of many tangled twinelings acting as if it were one massive twineling. These masses often break up quickly when presented with danger or petty issues. Many have speculated what might happen if enough twinelings organized in this way, and their conclusions usually center on some form of grey goo scenario in which twinelings go on a strangle-spree of all life to create more twinelings.

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Twineling

[Tactics as described above. TLDR: Coordinated guerrilla actions.]

HD: 0 (HP 1)
Armor: 18
Move: 80' ground, 60' leap
Morale: 12
Save: 16

Stealth: The Twineling has 4-in-6 on Stealth.

Spear: The Twineling stabs with its tiny spear for 1d4.


Launch: The Twineling uses its body as a slingshot or bow, shooting a rock or other nearby debris up to 60' for 1d4. If it uses it's spear, this damage becomes 1d6; however it loses use of its spear.

Garrote: The Twineling coils its body, grappling and strangling the target [as Garrote]. 

Is Rope?: The Twineling is immune to some forms of damage and susceptible to others depending on what it is made from. (e.g. A Twineling made from rope may instantly burn or be cut by a blade, but be immune to bludgeoning. One made of chain may have different vulnerabilities).

Animate Rope: Once a day: the Twineling may animate a length of rope, chain, etc. While animated: treat this length of material as a Twineling, however it only has the "Garrote" attack. Should this pseudo-twineling kill a creature, it becomes another Twineling.

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Twineking

[It will prefer to run away, or lead from the rear by creating more pseudo-twinelings. If it's forced to fight, it's preferred tactic is to ambush from above. If things are looking dire, it will begin to break apart into individual Twinelings and run away.]

HD: varies (HP varies)
Armor: 12
Move: 30' ground
Morale: 12
Save: 14

Massive: The Twineking is made up of multiple Twinelings, and has 1 HP for each twineling in it's mass. When it takes damage, the Twineking may choose to lose 1 HP to free 1 Twineling.

Garrote: The Twineking coils its body, grappling and strangling the target [as Garrote]. 

Is Rope?: The Twineking is immune to some forms of damage and susceptible to others depending on what it's Twinelings are made from. (e.g. as with Twineling, but feel free to mix it up with composites).

Animate Rope: The Twineking may animate a number of lengths of rope, chain, etc. equal to it's HP each day. While animated: treat this length of material as a Twineling, however it only has the "Garrote" attack. Should this pseudo-twineling kill a creature, it becomes another Twineling.