A hejkin. Copyright 2010 Wizards of the Coast.

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The Lore

Hejkin are abominations created by the “rampant use of arcane magic” according to the book, though it doesn’t specify whether they the product of accident or deliberate experimentation.

These small and twisted humanoids can see beyond the world and into a “heaving, squirming space filled with nightmares”. Their powers are tied to this place, and to the nastier primal spirits of Athas. The easy answer here would be that they have a direct mental connection to the Far Realm, but maybe this is another nightmare dimension more appropriate to your game.

Anyway, hejkin venerate the spirits of earth and stone as cold and callous masters that nevertheless provide life. Their culture forbids shaping or carving into the earth. This means that people who do strike the earth are seen as horrible heretics to be eliminated. They also reserve the same hatred for those who “misuse” arcane magic, which probably means those who use it at all.

Hejkin live in natural caves that contain natural water sources. They don’t shape these in any way, but they do use magic to lay various sigil-based traps on the walls. They venture out to find food, or they might be driven to a frenzy by some astrological event or another that holds special meaning in that Other Place.

Hejkin tend to target spellcasters, miners, and anyone working on other similar occupations that they can reach by traveling from their homes. They gleefully steal food and supplies from their victims and then finally murder them, turning them into yet more food. No one is safe from their cookpots, not even other hejkins. This makes them our fifth humanoid cannibals.

The Numbers

Hejkins are Small Aberrant Humanoids with ground and burrow speeds of 6, plus Darkvision, Earth Walk and Resist Lightning 5. They often have access to some sort of lightning magic, though the specifics vary per stat block.

Hejkin Sparker

This one’s particularly infused with lightning. It’s a Level 1 Soldier with 31 HP. Its Arcing Defense gives it +2 to AC and Will while adjacent to another hejkin.

The sparker’s Claws do physical damage and mark for a turn. If the target is bloodied, they mark even on a miss. Their Grounded Current power (recharge 5+) attacks enemies in a Close Burst 2, deals lightning damage, and pulls 2 squares.

When a marked enemy decides to move away or ignore the mark, the hejkin can use a Telluric Arc as an interrupt. This attacks the triggering enemy’s Reflex and deals 10 lightning damage on a hit.

Hejkin Chanter

The chanter’s song is mostly unintelligible, but sometimes you can discern a horrible phrase or two. The song gives it power over earth and lightning, and I guess shaping the earth doesn’t count as heresy if a chanter does it. They’re Level 2 Controllers with 37 HP.

Their claws to physical damage and slow for a turn. If the target is bloodied or already slowed, it’s immobilized for a turn instead. Earth’s Voice (recharge when first bloodied) is a close blast 5 that targets enemies, deals thunder damage, pushes 3 squares and knocks prone. Static Song (encounter) is a close burst 3 that deals lightning damage and dazes (save ends). On a miss it deals half damage and dazes for a turn.

Finally we get a little trick: Twisted Earth is a minor action melee attack against Fortitude that teleports the target on a hit, making it swap places either with the chanter or with one of the chanter’s allies that’s within 5 squares. Say, why does Team Monster have a brute in the back line?

Hejkin Raver

This one’s even more feral than usual, and has no thoughts in their head other than a craving for blood. It’s a Level 2 Brute with 45 HP. Its Claws do physical damage and heal it for 3 HP if the target is bloodied.

Blood Marker lets the raver use Claw against an adjacent enemy as a reaction when it is first bloodied. Blood Shakes is a minor action that targets an adjacent bloodied enemy and knocks it prone on a hit.

This seems like the brute that would be stationed at the back row waiting for a sparker to teleport it into the PCs’ backline.

Encounters and Final Impressions

Hejkin being right next to halflings and sharing some common traits (like their size and ground speed) makes me think that they might be corrupted halflings. Mechanically, they appear to be what you use instead of goblins and kobolds to challenge beginning adventurers.

Hejkin don’t collaborate with other humanoids, but they do train and keep all sorts of insectoid beasts, with a preference for those who can burrow. Kruthiks and Ankhegs are favorites.