[Index]
Numenera Destiny
A meepril is a sentient tendril of a dimension known as the Endless Abode, which legends say is a plane of never-ending corridors, rooms, salons, galleries, and other enclosed spaces that go on, perhaps forever. Even more accurately, meeprils are the first stage of a sickness that exists in the Endless Abode, a sickness that can take root in other dimensions, then eventually grow into a horrific entity called a Hunger in the Halls. The meepril's initial manifestation—a weird doll, a doddering automaton, or a wandering path of synth discs that just keeps extending itself—is usually innocuous. However, the longer a meepril remains undisturbed, the greater an anchor it gains in a new target dimension. It grows surrounding walls and additional structures that add to its initial manifestation over the course of several days.
A mature meepril—a Hunger in the Halls—becomes an animate, convulsing jumble of buildings over 30 feet (9 m) high with a vaguely predatory outline. Victims of a hunting meepril perish in a horrific disaster of squeezing rooms and gnashing corridors, until only bloodstains are left behind. Meeprils avoid areas protected by special devices capable of stabilizing transdimensional energy, but are sometimes drawn to locations where other kinds of installations have been recently built or repaired.
Meeprils were likely named by those who never later witnessed the creature's mature stage.
Young meeprils are level 1 entities that can't defend themselves, though they gradually mature into level 7 creatures that trap and attack foes who enter the facade of structures that composes their bodies.
Motive: Hungers for flesh
Environment: Anywhere
Health: 21
Armor: 4
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (7 points)
Movement: Short
Modifications: Speed defense as level 4 due to size
Combat: A mature meepril—a Hunger in the Halls—bashes and batters a target and all creatures within immediate range of the target for a moderate wound (7 points). Targets that ake damage are caught in the Hunger's grasp and automatically take 7 points damage every round until they manage to escape or are crushed into pulp.
Interaction: A meepril is alien and dangerous, but it is also intelligent and can use tactics to catch prey, if necessary.
Use: At the edge of town, a small structure is slowly taking shape. At first it was just a few walls. Now it has a roof. Strange howls sometimes sound from inside it. Weirdly, no one ever sees the builders.
Loot: A defeated meepril collapses in on itself and implodes, but it sometimes drops debris from previous victims, which can include a few cyphers and possibly a depleted artifact or two that might yield iotum if salvaged.
GM Intrusion: The held character is transferred into an infinite dimension of branching corridors and rooms, where they remain trapped until they find some way to escape.