Doppelganger Harvester (Basic Lore)

Doppelganger Harvester (CR 15)
Pure Evil - Large - Protean
Doppelgangers are a strange race of shape shifters that act as parasites of entire civilizations. Their mindset is alien compared to most humanoid races, and their ability to steal the identity of others triggers nearly universal revulsion. Doppelgangers may exactly and perfectly mimic anyone they have had a chance to touch for a few seconds. What is not widely known about Doppelgangers, is that they come in many castes. They all have the ability to perfectly mimic other creatures, and they are all parasites that subsist upon the civilizations of others, but the Doppelgangers do not care very much about that at all. The reason that Doppelgangers are so little engaged with the other societies is two-fold: First, Doppelgangers are really, truly alien, both in their natural appearance and in their mental and spiritual processes. They have no souls, nor do they have spirits. They aren't even really alive in the same way as other races, and it is unclear if they even eat food or breathe air. They have very little in common with other races. Second, Doppelgangers are utterly and completely consumed by their war. Plain Doppelgangers (CR 3) are little more than mindless drones, pawns that exist to breed and infiltrate the world. The higher level Doppelgangers are the ones who are aware of their secret war and they are responsible for prosecuting it, to the exclusion of all other tasks. Everything is devoted to the War, every waking moment consumed with prosecuting the War or building up to make another attack. On the very rare occasions when a Doppelganger has been captured and interrogated, their answers, made in Kern, make no sense at all. The Doppelgangers seem to be at war with themselves, absolutely and implacably. No outsider has ever figured out what factions or divisions exist in Doppelganger 'society', if such a thing can even be said to exist. Most Doppelgangers placidly subsist on the largess of the societies they infest. But other Doppelgangers are much more sinister and menacing, and are ruthlessly driven to seek out and destroy other Doppelgangers. Whether a Doppelganger will see another as foe or ally seems completely random. It should be noted that Doppelgangers and Vampires, where they co-exist, are unrelenting enemies as well. Doppelgangers and Vampires both infest and feed off of larger societies, and so they see each other as competitors. Both factions will seek to destroy the other whenever they come into contact. Despite their relatively high power levels and great size, Doppelganger Harvesters seem to be fairly lowly creatures in the Doppelganger hierarchy. Since they are size Large, they cannot assume the shape of a size medium creature, unlike most of their fellow monsters. As a result, in many cultures Harvesters are forced into the role of lowly animals, and often take the guise of horses, cows, camels, llamas, and many other size large domesticated creatures. As a result, Harvesters dislike human cultures and instead are frequently found in clans of Giants. In a Giant society, Harvesters assume traditional Doppelganger roles, namely, as pampered and frivolous as possible. Harvesters, unlike basic Doppelgangers, are keenly aware of their great War, and once they have made themselves comfortable (whether in a barn or in a mansion) they relentlessly work to participate. Many a late-night mission will be undertaken by the Harvesters as they seek out and battle other doppelganger factions. Harvesters are frequently aided in these roles by Dictators, have been known to work with Overseers, and are occasionally found with a mighty Consul. In all cases, the Harvesters seem more than willing to allow these other Doppelgangers to 'call the shots' and will act as muscle and agents for them. It is not uncommon for Harvesters to assume the guise of horses or other riding beast and serve as mounts for other Doppelgangers. This puts a whole new twist on caravans....