The Baernaloth, or a Baernaloth (singular and plural same form) are the progenitors of the Yugoloths. Think of them as either the first Yugoloths, or as a seperate fiendish race that then made them as their servitors and chosen children to spread evil to the multiverse.
The Baern resemble sickly, wasted humanoids around 10 feet tall or so with the nearly skeletal head of a goat (mixed with other features). Each of them appears to be afflicted with its own unique physical ailment such as rotting flesh, respiratory diseases, etc. It may be a reflection of their tie to the Waste, or simply a consequence of their utter age. They have a good shot at being the oldest beings in existance on the lower planes. (according to some sources).
The Baern serve as 'advisors' and teachers to the most powerful Yugoloths who seem to respect, fear and admire the Baernaloths with a fanatical devotion that borders on worship. The Baern may be the ultimate puppet masters in existance, with a rumored ability to simply control the younger fiendish races by will alone, including the Yugoloths whom they created, and the Baatezu and Tanar'ri alike.
The Baern typically have a loose grip on reality, as it seem that the evil they are composed of may over the eons break even their own sanity. Perhaps they might simply one day after so long realize the hollowness of their own existance. Who knows. The insanity they seem to have may only be yet another layer of deception.
The Baern claim to have been created out of the essence of the Gray Waste, the chosen harbingers and representatives of the abstract concept of evil. They in turn created the Yugoloths in their own image as children and servents. Sometime after this, one of the Baernaloths (or three of them, depending on the source) known as Apomps attempted to create his own fiendish race in emulation of that which his brothers and sisters had done. He created his own children and named them Gehreleths (Demodands). He showed his creations to the other Baern who were abhorred at them since rather than being beings of neutral evil they were tainted with the flaws of chaos. They hurled Apomps from their ranks and upon threat of death, Apomps led his creations to the plane of Carceri. Even now, Apomps, now a Baernaloth perhaps elevated to divine status, sits and broods, wishing only to wreck the work and plans of his former kin and to obliterate the Yugoloths entirely.
At the direction of the Baern, the Yugoloths created the Baatezu and Tanar'ri out of the flaws of law and chaos within themselves. They may have even inserted 'something' into the process of creation to one day allow them to unify the new races under their own control. But the Yugoloths will speak nothing of this, and the Baatezu and Tanar'ri call it blasphemy.
The Baernaloths see all of creation as one gigantic experiment under their control. Even their own children the Yugoloths are only bits of equipment, further variables in their eternal quest into the definitions and forms of that which they embody in spirit made flesh. The Baern seem apathetic and emotionless often, though the act of inflicting pain upon another being draws a fanaticism in their eyes that is fearsome to behold. They are the definition of soulless abominations, blights upon existance.
Thankfully for all of creation they are few in number. Many of them simply vanished or withdrew from sight after the creation of the Yugoloths, the passing of a torch so to speak. The Baern may have faded from the known planes, drawn back to whatever blackest of sources they were sent forth to serve. Or the Baern may be waiting and watching for certain events to come to completion. Waiting for certain stages of their experiment that is the Blood War to reach a conclusion.
The monuments in the hinterlands of the Waste known as the Loadstones of Misery are very likely the pre-Yugoloth creations of some or all of the Baernaloths. They seem to be the focus of the leeching power of the Gray Waste, the sources of the eternal sucking of emotions, colors, resolve, and will from all who dwell upon the plane. But what then might they be there to do? What are they drawing out of those upon the plane, and for what purpose?
A group of the Baern known as The Demented is known to council the General of Gehenna and perhaps the Oinoloth as well. These Baernaloth embody neutral evil not as a rejection of law and chaos, but rather they embrace it. They straddle and embody both extremes of law and chaos at once. A combination of merciless tyranny and domination with random and utter destruction. Their ultimate goals, and the names of their number are unknown, save that they seem to hold the most influence over the rulers of the Yugoloths.
Look in 'Faces of Evil: The Fiends', 'Planes of Conflict', and 'Hellbound: The Blood War' for references. The stats of the Baernaloth in 2e however are utterly at odds with the stories of them, and the influence they possess. *shrug*
The stats of the Baernaloth in 2e however are utterly at odds with the stories of them, and the influence they possess. *shrug*
Ah the wonders of adding class levels to monsters in 3E! Monster advancement never looked so good...
Rather any time that I've used a Baern in a campaign I've made each of them unique beings, with their own physical ailments, their own insanities, and their own unique powers which can border on godlike but limited in scale. Considering the entire compliment of the Demented is a major player in my current game *points to the storyhour* I've statted up a couple of them, though of their number, only Apomps the Triple Aspected and Daru Ib Shamiq have been named in canon.
AC: -4
Hit Dice: 11+22
Thac0 = 9
Damage: 2 Claws 1d8, Bite 2d6
Magic Resistance: 50%
Spells: At will: teleport w/out error, produce flame, alter self, cause disease, charm person, improved phantasmal force, darkness, detect lies, detect magic, emotion, fear, suggestion. 3/day cloudkill, true seeing. 1/day symbol, demand.
Immunities: immune to acid, fire (normal and magical), iron weapons, poison. Only take 1/2 damage from cold based attacks.
Special Abilities: open/seal wounds. 3/day a Baernaloth can cause any damage caused by its claws or bite in the previous 24 hours to spontaneously re-open for the same amount of damage it had inflicted in total during that period of time. It may also instantly heal that same amount of damage at any point. There is no save for any of these effects (magic resistence applies though). The victim must be within 10 yards and in sight.
Originally posted by Shemeska the Marauder
I'll dig around and see if I can't find the 2e stats of the Baern. However the 2e stats didn't come close to making the mechanics match the flavor text concerning the Baern. They were horribly underpowered and I've never used those set of stats.
Actually, the underpowered stats seem strangely appropreate.
I mean, think about it. With all of the build up. All the stories. All the fearsome, godlike powers they're supposed to have. The tales of being master manipulators. For all the Ultraloth's boasting, the one race that is truely the unpolluted embodiment of evil. The one race that "entrusted" the Ultraloths to lead their race... are a sham.
In reality, the much feared Baernaloths are just really old, pathetic, sickly wretches that are way beyond their prime ("Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!").
The Ultraloths (Supposedly the only Yugoloth race that stays communcation with their progenitors)weave these grand stories of the Baern's evil and power in order to justify ruling creatures that, when you get right down to it, are MUCH more powerful than they are. No one questions them, because, if they questioned the Ultraloths rule, they would be meddling in the Baern's master plan and that would be heresy.
Imagine, if you were a Yugoloth, how disillusioned you would be if you found out that the ultimate creatures of evil that you revered since the begining of your millenia long life turned out to be nothing more than bony crackpots that cough up pus from time to time.
HA! It's poetic justice if you ask me.
But, alas, I cannot prove a word...
"Now you know where to come back next time you need some darks, and next time it won't be quite so cheap... and you have to bring a friend..."
If we accept the Yugoloth creation myth as fact---I wouldn't--it may be that the baerns have lost their once great power, or even willingly given it up. Why? For the triumph of Evil of course.
Martyrs for the cause of Evil--fiends that were cursed with plague so that you may sin....freaky stuff. Only Apomps kept his god-like power, betraying the master plan.