Planar Bestiary
Appalling and alien, the burrowing thing known as a zeitgebar witness is rumored to be a spy from a plane utterly bizarre in its inhabitants, or perhaps a plane beyond even those of the Far Realm. The creature is at least 20 feet long with lumpy metallic skin, is formed of what seems like two or more braided bodies, and has a single, staring eye that gives off brilliant light.
Zeitgebar witnesses move from one obsession to the next, during which time they stare at that subject for hours, days, or even weeks at a time, taking in obvious and subtle information as they do so. A likely subject of their attention could be a portal, a strange device, a corpse, or what looks to others like a strange spot on the wall of an ancient ruin. It's hard to know what will draw a witness's attention. Sometimes they seem to know when something of import is going to happen before it does, and they show up a few hours or days ahead of time to stare at the area where that event—perhaps a collision, a fight, or something odd falling out of the sky—eventually occurs.
Motive: Observe
Environment: Anywhere in the multiverse, usually alone but sometimes with other equally aberrant beings
Health: 25
Damage Inflicted: Major wound (8 points)
Armor: 2
Movement: Short; immediate when burrowing
Modifications: Speed defense as level 5 due to large size; perception as level 10
Combat: A zeitgebar witness attacks with a tail slap.
The witness can emit beams of radiant energy every few rounds, targeting two separate creatures within long range. On a failed Speed defense task, a targeted creature takes 8 points of damage from radiant energy, or 3 points even with a successful defense task. A target who fails their Speed defense task must succeed on a Might defense task or descend one step on the damage track.
When especially threatened, or when they finish observing a particular object or area of study, the witness burrows through the multiverse (up to once each day), transferring themself to another plane of existence they know about. The tunnel remains viable for other creatures to use, but degrades with each passing second, until it fully collapses after about a minute.
Interaction: If a creature approaches a zeitgebar witness from any direction other than where the eye is looking, the witness is potentially startled and could become aggressive. However, if approached from the front (the direction of their gaze), they remain peaceful and open to interaction, unless attacked. A witness speaks a variety of languages with a strangely artificial voice. The creature may provide an interesting piece of information, but only if those interacting with them have something interesting to say about the object or area the witness is already studying.
Use: A "cyclops serpent" appeared in the community a couple of weeks earlier. All they do is stare at a bare spot at the center of town where lightning sometimes strikes. Recently, the town drunk suggested that the creature is the vanguard of some demonic force. Fearful that the rumormonger is right, a small force prepares to slay the creature before they finish their weeks-long vigil.
GM Intrusion: The witness attacks a character with a tail slap immediately, even though it's not the creature's turn.