ABERRATIONS OF THE DEEP DESERT, psurlons are an unholy mix of extreme intelligence and a hideous, vaguely wormlike form. Powerful both in body and mind, psurlons sometimes take humanoid form to spy on nearby tribes and cities. Why psurlons gather such knowledge is unknown, though some scholars assert they intend to claim a dominion of their own one day.
Psurlons are an old race possessing deep lore. They are sometimes sought by masters of the Way, spellcasters, or historians to shed new light on old questions. Getting answers from a psurlon is fraught with danger, though—the exchange can end with the questioner’s death if great care is not taken.
Psurlons are not native to Athas. They found their way through the Gray; some might still reside in the blasted graveyard of dead gods. They were drawn to Athas like moths to a flame, attracted by the high degree of psionic power regularly wielded by life forms on the planet.
Centuries ago, the psurlons had a world all their own. In an act of hubris, they attempted to unite the minds of their race into a single godmind. Disaster struck, and the resulting psychic backlash destroyed the psurlon home world. Only their minds survived, and they managed that only by taking shelter in the Astral Sea and by anchoring themselves in the bodies of mindless slugs.
Over thousands of worm generations, the psurlons modified their host forms until they reached their present aberrant embodiments. Although they might once have had forms similar to the humanoids of Athas, they have come to prefer their wormlike host forms.
In their lairs, psurlons keep a variety of indoctrinated or enslaved allies, including human defilers and beast giants. In an urban environment, they might be encountered as lone agents hiding in humanoid crowds or as influential power brokers deeply embedded in the local society