. The Surgeon in the Shadows
A Chaositech Web Enhancement

DMs looking for a way to incorporate Chaositech into their existing, standard fantasy games need look no further than Kinion Luth, the Surgeon in the Shadows. Use this NPC as a plot device for inserting chaositech modified creatures into the campaign, creating an initial hook for inserting chaos cults, or just as a sign to show your players that there are some strange things afoot...

Background
No one knows exactly where Kinion Luth came from, and few can remember when he first appeared. He's known throughout the criminal underworld of the city, however, and even beyond. It seems that virtually every pickpocket, thug, thief, extortionist, assassin, sinister cultist and diabolical mage has heard the name "the Surgeon in the Shadows." Most can tell you rumors that, for a price, he can alter you in horrid ways to grant you fantastic abilities. You may not always appreciate your physical appearance when he's done, but you'll be stronger, faster, and deadlier than you ever were before.

Because of the services he provides, harming or crossing Kinion Luth comes with great risk. Entire criminal organizations might be mobilized against an enemy of his, just so that the group remains in Luth's good graces and so that he remains safe to perform his services. No underworld informant or criminal willingly betrays the Surgeon in the Shadows for these reasons, and usually they are the only ones who have even heard of him.

The Lair
Luth makes his lair in a small, abandoned warehouse. The location of this place is a carefully guarded secret. Clients are brought here blindfolded via circuitous routes. The warehouse has two entrances, but both are disguised so that anyone entering still believes it is an abandoned, unsafe structure full of refuse. Trapped secret doors lead into Luth's actual lair. This place is filled with drums of strange chemicals and the clutter of tools and half-finished machines and devices.

At the heart of his lair, Luth keeps his operating room. This terrible place stinks of blood and chemicals. Stained operating tables stand within the otherwise stark chamber, surrounded by spatters of dried blood. Gruesome tools of his trade hang on hooks and sit on small shelves on one wall. Another is covered in grisly charts and diagrams.

The warehouse is guarded by two creatures of Luth's own creation, both of whom were once human but now resemble only shadows of their former selves. Covered in scars and stitched-on additional layers of flesh, each of the guardians has had one hand and forearm replaced with a magical blade. Foes should not allow their stooped stature and shambling gait deceive them -- these warriors are fast and very dangerous. Mind implants compel them to serve their master without question and to the death.

Guardians (chaos-shaped humans) War8: CR 9; Medium aberrations; HD 8d8+32; hp 64; Init +4; Speed 30 feet; AC 23 (+3 Dex, +5 natural armor, +2 shield, +3 armor; touch 15, flat-footed 20); Grapple +13; Attack +16 melee (1d8+7, replacement blade); Full Attack +16/+11 melee (1d8+7, replacement blade); AL CN; SA SV Fort +10, Ref +5, Will +5; Str 20, Dex 17, Con 19, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 8
Skills and Feats: Intimidate +14, Jump +16, Listen +2, Spot +2; Improved Critical (replacement blade), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Weapon Focus (replacement blade)
Possessions: Masterwork heavy shield, masterwork studded leather
Built-In Device: Vigor boots (gain +10 to speed or Jump checks, but suffer 1d3 damage/round when used)
Body Implants: Blade replacement (+2 longsword), dermal armor (new implant, see below)
Mind Implants: Allegiance implant

Castor
Luth's assistant is a dwarf who once served as an acolyte of a lawful deity, Teun, the Mother of Machines. Apparently this dwarf, known as Castor, rejected the ways of order for the allure of chaos and has served Luth ever since. Having cast off his god, changed his alignment and lost much of his Wisdom score due to chaositech experimentation, he has lost all spellcasting abilities (and thus is treated as being one level lower than his actual level for Challenge Rating purposes).

Castor is fiercely loyal to Kinion Luth, for he assumes that his master will eventually reveal all of his secrets to him. Castor will defend Luth with his life, using his steaming axe with great skill. Castor's main duties, however, are to deal with prospective clients. Castor informs clients of prices (never haggling) and attempts to size them up as to whether or not they can be trusted. Usually, to even get to see Castor a prospective client must have someone of infamous importance in the city -- a crime boss, a guildmaster, or perhaps a previous client -- vouch for him. Castor also brings subjects to Luth when it is time to perform a procedure.

Kinion Luth holds no special attachment to his assistant. Cold-hearted creature that he is, threatening Castor to get at Luth accomplishes nothing.

Castor is short and broad, even for a dwarf. His hair and beard are long, wild, and unkempt, stained with grease and chemicals. He smells of strange substances, some organic and others inorganic. He carries a number of tools with him at all times, in pouches and pockets crudely stitched into his armor.

Castor, male dwarf Ex-Cleric5/Chaositechnician1: CR 5; Medium humanoid; HD 5d8+10 + 1d8+2; hp 43; Init +2; Speed 20 feet; AC 17 (+2 Dex, +3 armor, +2 shield; touch 12, flat-footed 15); Grapple +7; Attack +8 melee (1d8+4+1d6 fire damage, steaming axe); Full Attack +8 melee (1d8+4+1d6 fire damage, steaming axe); AL CN; SV Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +6; Str 18, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 13
Skills and Feats: Appraise +3, Chaos Surgery +8, Craft (chaositech) +12, Disable Device +7, Heal +6, Knowledge (religion) +8; Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (Craft [chaositech]), Weapon Focus (battle axe)
Possessions: Steaming axe, masterwork studded leather armor, masterwork heavy shield, potions of cure moderate wounds and invisibility, masterwork tools, 26 gp

Kinion Luth
Kinion Luth is nearly impossible to find, either magically or by other means. Once found, he is extremely wary of others. In fact, if discovered -- no matter what the circumstances -- he attempts to flee. Only when a person is brought to him, usually by Castor, blindfolded, will he hold a conversation or perform a service.

With no interest in combat or confrontation, if assaulted he most likely teleports away. His attackers soon find themselves the targets of well-paid assassins (who may have been paid in chaositech surgery, making them even deadlier).

Luth wears a voluminous robe that conceals most of his body except his head and his hands, which appear to be long, spindly metal claws made of scalpels, needles, and tools rather than actual hands. A steel, nearly featureless mask conceals his face and the paralysis ray emitter built into his forehead (which comes out of a small hidden aperture in the mask when needed). He speaks only in muffled whispers and never repeats himself.

The Surgeon in the Shadows is a hateful, fearful creature. He despises all that lives and gains a perverse joy in resculpting -- and thus perverting -- flesh. His demeanor does not belie his mania, however. At all times he is calm and collected, never rash or panicky. Luth knows all about the Galchutt, but he does not serve them (other than indirectly). No chaos cultist himself, the various chaos cults pay him handsomely for his services. They have learned the hard way not to cross him.

Kinion Luth, chaos-shaped male human Sorcerer5/Expert1/Chaositechnician10: CR 18 (19); Medium aberration; HD 5d4+15 + 1d6+3 + 10d8+30 (+20 bone lacing); hp 163; Init +7; Speed 30 feet; AC 17 (+3 Dex, +2 natural, +2 deflection; touch 15, flat-footed 15); Grapple +13; Attack +14 melee (1d6+4+poison, claw) or +13 ranged (paralysis ray); Full Attack +14/+9 melee (1d6+4+poison, claw) or +13 ranged (paralysis ray); SA Poison claws (DC 18, 1 Con/1d3 Con); SQ DR 10/slashing or piercing, surgical healing (6d8), jury rig chaositech, resist insanity, chaositech stabilization, rapid tinker; AL CN; SV Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +17; Str 18, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 19, Wis 11, Cha 18
Skills and Feats: Bluff +8, Concentration +20, Craft (alchemy) +12, Craft (chaositech) +27, Chaos Surgery +27, Disable Device +10, Forgery +7, Heal +14, Hide +7, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Listen +2, Move Silently +7, Search +14, Sense Motive +5, Spot +1; Improved Initiative, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Scribe Scroll, Skill Focus (Craft [chaositech]), Skill Focus (Chaos Surgery)
Possessions: Ring of protection +2, attack sphere, 2 surgical assistants, chaos storage cube, no suit, life sensor, protective goggles (built into mask), ear serum, eye serum, flesh ichor, mobility milch
Built-In Device: Paralysis ray emitter
Body Implants/Replacements: Bone-lacing, headclamp, poisonous claws, spinal clamp (attached to no suit), see invisibility, tool fingers
Mind Implants: Intelligence implant, Feat implant (Weapon Focus [claws])
Spells Known (6/7/7/7/7/4, 11th level caster, DC 14 + spell level): 0 -- dancing lights, daze, detect chaositech, detect magic, detect mutation, ghost sound, light, mage hand, read magic; 1st -- identify device, mage armor, magic missile, resist chaotic contamination, shield; 2nd -- alter self, blur, invisibility, mirror image, siphon; 3rd -- dispel magic, gaseous form, lightning bolt, major image; 4th -- confusion, enervation, stoneskin, 5th -- prying eyes, teleport

DM's Note: Kinion Luth has more gear than his level would suggest, and even the challenge of his guardians and servants does not make up for the value of this equipment. However, much of it makes him more powerful than his normal Challenge Rating might suggest. Therefore, treat an encounter with him as being one level higher for purposes of Encounter Level and be aware that PCs willing to take and use his equipment, if Luth is defeated, will gain more treasure value than normal.

Using Kinion Luth in Your Campaign
Despite (or perhaps because of) his high Challenge Rating, Kinion Luth is not meant to provide you with a combat encounter. Instead, he is the source of the strange chaositech devices or enhancements the PCs' adversaries suddenly possess. He is the link to the introduction of the new equipment, spells, cults, prestige classes, and creatures found in Chaositech.

His presence alone means that the PCs may begin to face opponents with chaositech devices (intrinsic or non-intrinsic) or possibly chaos-shaped creatures or even chaosomatons. With the introduction of chaositech, the ugly head of mutation is sure to rear itself, and the various chaos cults new chaos spells are certainly not far behind. The cults -- and the Galchutt they knowingly or unknowingly serve -- await the right time to make their move and bring upon the Night of Dissolution.

Luth also can provide an interesting roleplaying dilemma for the PCs. For the right price, they too could obtain some of his chaotic handiwork. Is that "betrayal of the flesh" an unforgivable sin or simply another tool they can use to further their (possibly quite benevolent) goals? Each group and each character will have to decide for themselves whether Luth is an enemy to oppose, an opportunity to exploit, or possibly both at the same time.

How Kinion Luth affects the campaign might be tied into his actual origin and the way you want to introduce chaositech into your campaign (as discussed in the book's Introduction). A few examples might include:

• In a world where chaositech is unheard of, Luth is creating chaositech devices and selling them to criminals and other chaotic individuals simply for financial gain. He also performs chaos surgeries on these illicit figures. He is smart enough not to do too much, however, so as not to draw a lot of attention to himself.
• In his adventuring days, Luth discovered an ancient cache of chaositech in a disused temple dedicated to the Galchutt. He keeps the location of this place a secret, only occasionally doling out chaositech items or using the knowledge he's gained to perform chaositech procedures. Chaositech is an ancient creation of the Lord of Chaos, and Luth is their instrument in bringing it back to the world at large. The wary, canny Surgeon of the Shadows won't willingly allow himself to be used, however. He is careful about how he exploits his wondrous find.
• A chaos cult originally provided Luth with his hideous knowledge and equipment, but he quickly grew too powerful for them to control. Chaositech was given to the cult directly by the Galchutt in order to more quickly bring about their destructive goals, but the cultists couldn't understand what they had in their possession. Now Kinion Luth uses what they gave him for his own ends. While the cultists' (and the Galchutt's) goals are ultimately served, they may not be entirely happy with the turn of events.

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