Monster: K'sshri

K'sshri (Nightmist)
Armour Class: 4
Hit Dice: 2+4**
Move: fly 120' (40')
Attacks: 3
Damage: 1-6/1-6/1-6
No. Appearing: 2-8
Save As: F3
Morale: 9
Treasure Type: Special
Alignment: Chaotic
XP Value: 45

Strange and inexplicable, k'sshri resemble nothing so much as coiling, twisting clouds of dense pearly-grey mists almost thick enough to touch. Tendrils of mist may uncurl to dissipate over or otherwise explore the nightmist's environment, then withdraw back into the main mass for the digestion of the information gained; pale grey-white motes of light occasionally flicker through a k'sshri, for some unfathomable reason. They do not explain their actions; they feel no need to.

Nightmists attack suddenly and without warning. Long needle-sharp lances of a jet-black, vaguely crystalline substance condense within the k'sshri's mists before flying towards a victim or victims, piercing for 1-6 hit points of damage each; each such attack has an effective range of 60'. The k'sshri will attempt to reabsorb these lances, given the chance, and feed from the emotional shock and pain of the wounds caused by them.

A k'sshri has a 1-in-6 chance of attacking with a colourless lance; if this attack succeeds, the lance breaks off in the victim's body, implanting an embryonic nightmist which will kill the victim within 2-8 days if not somehow removed. If the removal is successful the embryo -- which resembles a curled-up tadpole of black pearl the size of one's thumb -- is valued at 2-800gp.

Silver weapons are required to harm a nightmist.