Maddened Dabbler (Basic Lore)

Maddened Dabbler (CR 5)
True Chaotic - Medium - Humanoid (Outsider)
It is widely accepted among most intelligent creatures, at a very general level, that the world we all live in is balanced upon the surface of a much larger, darker, and far more terrible reality called the Outer Madness. Most people have little understanding of Planes, and in the minds of most people, Demons, Devils, Aberrations, and most 'weird' monsters are part of this terrifying background reality. However, there are always those who think that 'larger and more terrible' means, 'a convenient way to get power'. As a result, all over the world, in every race, creed, and culture, civilized or not, there are those with far too much greed and far too little wisdom who seek out this Deep Darkness and pledge themselves to it. The Creeping Madness is easy to access, easy to draw upon...and insanely dangerous. A fair number of those who attempt this foolish act are consumed utterly by their very first sup of that dark well, their lives, essence, souls, and flesh consumed entire. Many of those luckless fools do not quietly disappear, however. Maddened Dabblers are some of those creatures, with the Spark or without, who have reached out to the Madness, and not only survived, they have thrived. Many Maddened Dabblers wear their corruption so lightly, they can still pass as their base species...but their insane mannerisms soon give them away. Some Maddened Dabblers are likely to work with Maddened Thugs. Maddened Dabblers are usually drawn from the Civilized Races, people who should have known better. It is possible that the occasional Orc, Goblin, or Gnoll will also be subsumed by the Outer Madness, and thus become Maddened Dabblers, but amongst those without the Spark, this terrible transformation is not so stark, and their native 'cultures' tend to exterminate such fools quickly. Such non-civilized Dabblers tend to migrate to the fold of their civilized brethren, where they are given a place...until their use comes to an end. Maddened Dabblers, like all of the Maddened, are united in their allegiance to the Devouring Madness, the True Depths that lie Outside. They are more organized and better thinkers than most Maddened, and serve as 'clever' council for their brethren. Dabblers seem to have some facility for commanding Scraps, although such control is laughably uncertain, although it is well known that the seemingly mindless Scraps will flock to associate with Dabblers for...whatever mad reasons. Maddened Scraps and Maddened Dabblers are often found together, for whatever reasons. Dabblers also have potent ranged attack abilities, and are often seen in the back ranks of attacking Thugs or Scraps, pouring the Madness down upon their enemies in a deadly ranged barrage. Like all Maddened, Dabblers lurk and plot, they poison, murder, and ruin, they steal and burn, everything. Madness Dabblers will attack babes in arms just as readily as they will battle undead, and for the same reason: All things must fall to the Dark, sooner or later. Unike lesser breeds of the Maddened Scraps or Thugs, Dabblers are actually fairly capable at what they do. Madness Dabblers are a notable force in the world, although they are thankfully unorganized and have difficulty staying focused on any long-term goal. When Dabblers are discovered, they must be expunged, before their rot can spread. When more than one Maddened meet each other, they naturally band together, as every hand in the Prime Plane is raised against them as their enemies, and you must take your allies where you can find them. Bands of Madness Dabblers seem almost like cults, except that there is no Diety involved, simply the utter alien void that has subsumed these maniacs, and invests their every action.