Wizards of the Coast. Accessed at the Monster Manual v 3.5 Art Gallery here.
[Like most of MMI’s unconverted monsters, the ethereal duo were introduced in that book. I suspect, however, that the ethereal filcher drew inspiration from D&D’s earlier, much maligned tirapheg. Belly maw, weird limbs, false head…]
Ethereal Filcher This strange being appears
something like an anthropomorphic sack, with a face on its belly and a loose,
head-like protrusion above. It has four delicate arms with too many joints and
balances itself on a single leg.
Ethereal
filchers are bizarre packrats that collect all manner of trinkets and baubles
for no real purpose other than to admire them. Although a few ethereal filchers
maintain “themed” collections and target a particular type of object, most are
completely indiscriminate. They use their ability to briefly enter the Ethereal
Plane to catch the targets of their thefts by surprise, enter locked or trapped
chambers with ease or to escape retribution for their crimes.
Ethereal
filchers have little society to speak of—they are frequently paranoid that
other members of their own species will steal their collections from them and
have nothing to do with one another. Ethereal filchers are long-lived, but do
not care for anything except treasures, making them poor sources of information
about the past. They reproduce asexually, vomiting up a leathery husk that
grows limbs and scuttles away over the course of a month or so, but do this
perhaps once or twice in their extended lifetimes.
Ethereal
filchers rarely fight, resorting to combat only as a last resort if unable to
escape to the Ethereal. Their weaving fingers can swiftly strip an opponent of
a prized weapon or their dignity, pulling down pants, poking eyes or engaging
in other distracting tomfoolery. Ethereal filchers are fond of ethereal marauders,
and may tame these beasts with food in order to use them as bodyguards.
Ethereal filchers are mostly seen in urban environments, and are especially common on Egdwen. Their penchant for thievery leads them to be associated with Seshket, and they occasionally cooperate with members of that faith in exchange for a choice share of the loot. Most such partnerships end in an attempt at betrayal and a subsequent fight, however.
Shores of Swords 