[Shostak]

Steve Jackson Games is granted permission to use this in acknowledgement of my contribution.

C’larkash-tun (a.k.a. Unspeakable Horror)
ST 50
DX 10
IQ 6
MA 8
Attacks: Mouthed tentacles: 1d-1 plus grappling, Maw: 2d+2, Trample (HTH only) 1d+2
Armor: Gristly skin stops 2 hits.

The word C’larkash-tun, from the ancient sorcerous tongue of the unholy Aitchpeël Empire, translates literally to the proper noun “Unspeakable Horror,” and the name is apt; this creature holds prominent membership in the collection of Cidri’s most disturbing life forms. Its 3-hex chimeric form grotesquely includes hundreds of shiny, black centipede legs supporting a huge, humanoid head topped with 9 glistening, translucent tentacles, each obscenely tipped with starfish-like mouths and which radiate from a gaping, upwardly facing, toothy maw. Horrifyingly, its humanoid head’s face is the exact likeness of its last victim, eyes staring vacantly, drooling mouth moving soundless as the grave. Even the bravest heroes blanch at the sight of it, especially when it bears the semblance of someone they know; most people—sane or otherwise—flee from it screaming until exhausted by the effort. The C’larkash-tun’s main attack is to use up to 4 tentacles—each with a 2-hex reach—to simultaneously bite and grapple victims. Grappled victims must immediately roll 3d v ST to break free or be pulled 1 hex toward the maw, where they are eaten voraciously (only one victim can be actually in the horrid orifice at a time, though several can be held just above it). If more than one tentacle hols the same figure, add 1 die per tentacle to the roll to break free. No more than 3 tentacles can attack at a single figure at once. Grappled victims take 1d-1 damage each turn from each tentacle holding them. They are also at -2 DX per grappling tentacle. Dealing 5 or more hits to a tentacle with an edged weapon will chop it off. Unless burned, severed tentacles will stealthily slither away (MA 1) to slowly regenerate into whole new Unspeakable Horrors. C’larkash-tuns have only front hexes.

The noisome, oleaginous ooze serving as blood in the C’larkash-tun’s vile corpus is rumored to be able to be meticulously fermented into a foetid liquor that allows one’s mind to travel outside the body. Or maybe it just brings you visions so inhuman that death is the only possible release from the terrifying hole it rips through your sanity.