[Definitely drew some inspiration from the Pokemon Sableye for the look of this one. The boons and banes are new, and gave me the opportunity to refer to the real world belief that cobalt and nickel were iron that was transformed or replaced by sinister entities.]
Knocker Skittering just at the edge of your vision is an odd
little man, its body disproportionate to its overlong limbs and large oval
head. Its skin is a uniform bluish-gray color and eyes that glitter like gems
peer from an otherwise featureless face. The creature clutches a large pick in
its clawed hands and smiles with wide, flat teeth.
Playful natives of the
Darklands, the capricious fey known as knockers simultaneously pull pranks on
miners and keep them from serious harm. Much as dryads are to trees, knockers
are to the rich veins of gems and precious metals that run through the earth.
Although they are not tied to any particular location of mineral wealth,
knockers congregate wherever such treasures are found to appreciate their
beauty and keep it for themselves. Jealous creatures, they do not feel that
mortal races are worthy of the riches of the land, and thus do their best to
prevent miners from reaching their goals. Voices and sinister sounds in the
darkness, sudden extinguishing of light sources and a good old fashioned jump scare are among the tactics knockers use to repel intruders. Particularly persistent
miners, or those who prove to be good sports, are often rewarded by being
allowed access to gems or metals (although not the best, of course). Knockers
do not wish any particular harm on their competition, and will often use lethal
force against the monsters of the Darklands that do. After all, if the miners
were dead, who would they have to play with?
Knockers are not particularly
social creatures, but a particularly magnificent mother-load might attract a
number of the creatures to bask in its magnificence and play pranks on each
other. Due to their ability to swim through earth and stone, knockers have
little patience for architecture, requiring little more than a pocket in which
to keep favorite gems. Despite their physical appearance, knockers bear no
relation to goblinoids, and those demented humanoids often find themselves on
the receiving end of a knocker’s crueler pranks should they share territory. A
knocker stands about three feet tall and weighs no more than sixty pounds.
Knocker Boons and Banes (2nd level, CL 4th, DC 15) A knocker will bestow its boon on favored miners; those that tolerate the fey’s pranks and help them deal with threats like subterranean monsters. Its bane is more freely given. In fact, some knockers will give first their boon and then their bane to the same victim, claiming that their magical gifts need “refreshing” or otherwise making excuses. Some indolent miners have claimed to suffer from “the knocker’s curse” in order to get out of work.
Boon: You gain tremorsense 30 ft. This boon lasts for 1 day per Hit Dice of the knocker (4 days for the typical specimen). Bane: Any metal ore you touch transforms into useless slag when exposed to sunlight. This effect lasts for 1 week.
Knockers are known to inhabit the deep volcanic shafts of Ownwem and Dwas’kin, where they have a contested relationship with the dwarves and t’nalli, respectively. No one knows what became of the Ownwem specimens after the catastrophe.
Shores of Swords 