A writhing, bloated, sphere of mud-colored flesh creeps across the floor on six bright yellow, elongated tentacles. Three of its suction-cupped arms wield weapons of war, and the other three end in wide snake-like mouths lined with rows of razor sharp teeth. The main body of the creature is covered in eyes, a few of which protrude from the creature on gangly stalks.

Heart of the Dungeon.

The deepspawn are an enigmatic race of aberrant creatures. They were first discovered in The Underdark, but nobody truly knows exactly what their origin is. Aside from being horrific creatures capable of doling out carnage on the field of battle, they are especially feared for their ability to create perfect copies of creatures they consume. The spawn created by this twisted abomination are one-to-one clones of the original creature and even the most discerning mages find it impossible to differentiate between the two beings. The only difference seems to be that the clones a deepspawn creates are fanatically loyal to their creator. They view an attack on the deepspawn as an attack on themselves and will willingly lay down their lives if it means protecting their aberrant parent. Because of this, many deepspawn populate their lairs with hordes of monsters they have consumed, which can sometimes lead to unexpected ecosystems in an area occupied by a deepspawn.

Varied Armaments.

Deepspawn are perfectly capable of wielding any weapon that would typically be used by a humanoid creature. They favor large weapons like greatswords and greataxes, however, they can effectively use any armaments that can be wielded by their tentacles. They also have a limited ability to use magic, which they employ to great effect.

Insidious Schemers.

Despite their bestial appearance, deepspawn are incredibly intelligent and patient tacticians. In combat they prefer to let their minions do the fighting. Rather than throwing themselves into harm’s way, they deploy their countless spawned agents in the direction of anyone who wishes harm on them. If forced into a situation where combat is inevitable, they bury themselves in rubble or treasure deep within their lair in order to get the drop on the intruders. As intelligent beings they are also not above bargaining if defeat seems inevitable, or if they are dealing with a powerful creature who has something they want.

Hidden Lairs.

These massive aberrations prefer to lair in places that are far away from prying eyes. Secluded caves, ancient ruins, and other such desolate areas unlikely to draw much attention are all ideal spots for the deepspawn to live. They typically keep to their own devices, securing power and security for themselves, though sometimes they will send agents to nearby settlements of intelligent creatures to expand their influence and lure victims to the deepspawn’s lair. While the creatures can subsist off of any diet, they crave the flesh of intelligent creatures. Often when they consume an intelligent creature they create a spawn of the individual and send them back to the victim’s town to take their place. This allows the deepspawn to use them as a spy, and avoid suspicion at the same time.

Copy of a Copy.

Over time, the deepspawn’s ability to create a spawn of the same creature will slowly deteriorate. Once it has consumed a living organism the first few clones of that creature will be near perfect recreations, however, the more it uses that creature’s essence to create a spawn the more slight defects will emerge. Typically the spawn’s cognitive abilities are the first place cracks begin to form, until eventually, the spawn is naught but a grotesque imitation of the original.