Exemplars of Evil

GOALS
Pog’s time as a statue has left him embittered and
full of hatred, though he hides his rage
beneath a veneer of serenity. The
moment he was released from his
stony prison, Pog recalled the
circumstances of his fate. He
remembered being betrayed
by his companions on
that small, lonely
island, left to be
worn away by wind
and rain. He has
forgotten a few minor
aspects of the
treachery—such
as the identities of
those who abandoned
him—but
sees these details
as irrelevant to his
quest for revenge.
The goblin sees an
opportunity in Gnash
and his mad designs. Each
time the Much Kill descends
on a village, Pog snoops around for
some sign of the former friends who
left him for dead. Though he remembers
nothing about them, their deceit still
burns in his soul, and he intends to make them pay for his
lost years.
So far, Pog has found only one of the traitors, an elf cleric
who served the sea god. The goblin thought it was strange
that the elf had no recollection of him—or of ever traveling
with a goblin—but he still tortured the priest for days before
ending the miserable creature’s life. Occasionally, when his
captive sobbed and pleaded for mercy, Pog felt doubts begin
to surface, but he swiftly quashed them.
USING POG
Although Pog is certain that he was the victim of some
terrible betrayal, this is not the case. In truth, he lived on
the remote island with several other goblins; together, they
sought to tear open a hole in the fabric of reality and create
a permanent gate to the another plane. The human, elf, and
other faces that Pog vaguely recalls are those of adventurers
who came to the island to thwart the goblins’ sinister plot.
These events happened nearly a century ago, so everyone
involved is either dead or well beyond Pog’s reach.
Thus, his victims are innocent of the crime he claims
they have committed. There’s no telling when a stranger’s
name, voice, or facial expression might trigger one of Pog’s
“memories,” but when it does, the goblin sets all else aside.
He moves to take his target alive so that he can force the
so-called traitor to confess—at which point he cuts the
victim’s throat.
To Pog, the Much Kill is just a convenience. On an emotional
level he cares nothing for Gnash, the crew, or their goals, and
has pledged his service because it suits his purpose for now.
Even though the goblin has pledged his service for a long
Pog the Navigator
time, he would not hesitate to turn on Gnash if the captain
ever becomes too much of a liability. Pog might leave, throw
in with mutineers, or simply kill the bugbear if the
circumstances demand it.
Appearance
and Behavior
Even for a goblin, Pog
is short, just under 3
feet tall. He’s thin,
malnourished, and
more than a bit
ragged. While he was
petrified, the elements
scoured the contours
of his body, softening or
removing his hair and
facial features. When he
was restored, he awakened
to sheer agony, his
sinew and muscle bloody
and exposed. Now, months
later, his body is covered in
patches of scar tissue. His face
is almost completely smooth,
with only a suggestion of a nose
and no lips. Pog’s eyes bulge out of
his skull, held in place by exposed
sinew that he moistens with a special
salve, hoping that eventually it will restore
his flesh. Fully aware of his unsightly appearance, the goblin
wraps his slight body in a voluminous cloak, even though
the ship’s crew—many of whom are grotesquely misshapen
themselves—barely seem to notice his looks.
Pog’s physical deformities are matched by a deranged
mind. He always refers to himself in the plural, and he suffers
from frequent hallucinations and flashbacks that leave him
trembling and dazed. When nervous, he picks at his skin,
ripping away old scabs and tearing open the scars until he
regains his composure.
Pog CR 7
Male goblin conjurer 7
CE Small humanoid (goblinoid)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Listen +1, Spot +1
Languages Common, Draconic, Giant, Gnoll, Goblin, Orc
AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 13; Dodge
(+1 size, +2 Dex, +1 armor, +1 deflection)
hp 24 (7 HD)
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +7
Speed 35 ft. (7 squares)
Melee shortspear +3 (1d4–1)
Ranged mwk heavy crossbow +7 (1d8/19–20)
Base Atk +3; Grp –2
Atk Options Sudden Still
Special Actions abrupt jaunt PH2 4/day
Combat Gear potion of cure moderate wounds
Wizard Spells Prepared (CL 7th; prohibited schools evocation
and necromancy):
4th—dimensional anchor (+6 ranged touch), dimension
door, solid fog
3rd—dispel magic, fireball (DC 17), haste, nauseating
breath SC (DC 17)
Illus. by K. Yanner
CHAPTER 4
CAPTAIN
GNASH
69