Harry Clark Project - Vainglorious Proboscid

The Vainglorious Proboscid

Armor Class: As unarmored
Hit Dice: 4
Move: As human
Attacks: 1 abducting grasp (special) or 2 claws (d4) or 1 diseased bite (d8 + special)
No Appearing: 1
Morale: 6
Treasure: an exquisite but delicate masterpiece mirror, roll 1d6: 1 hand mirror worth 50 gp, 2-4 vanity mirror worth 500 gp, or 5-6 full length looking glass worth 5000 gp.
Alignment: Chaotic
 

 
Appearing inside the mirror, the Vainglorious Proboscid adopts the face of the first person to look into the glass. It is a jealous, vicious creature, and desirous to usurp its counterpart's place in our world and overtake her position amongst her comrades. Its first attack is to seize its counterpart and drag her into the Mirror Realm, before stepping out to fill her shoes. (A successful save against paralysis prevents this transfer.) Canny observers may discern the disguised Proboscid by its overweening self-regard, insatiable hunger for flattery, and its absence of a reflection. If provoked to anger, its annelid forequarters will also become visible, though the semblance of its hindquarters to the visage of its captive remains uncanny.

Once discovered, the Vainglorious Proboscid may fight with claws or retreat back into the Mirror Realm, for it is cowardly and sinful. Its return there displaces its captive back into her compatriots arms. Otherwise, negotiations with another Mirror resident might be needed to secure her retrieval. If slain and its countenance not thoroughly defaced, the Proboscid can endure its apparent demise in its vermiform. The Proboscid will reserve its disease-causing bite for its captive (who is sure to be infected) and for she who pierces its disguise or dispatches its mortal form.

When treating with the residents of the Mirror Realm, a human ambassador is likely to find a Vainglorious Proboscid as her counterparty, though by treaty and tradition, ambassadorial Proboscids will always wear the face of another. (Though still perhaps one known to its interlocutor.)
  
   
Probosciforous Sickness - This supernatural malady is transmitted through the infected bite of the Vainglorious Proboscid. After a night of incubation, the victim awakens to discover that her nose has become superannuated and transformed into a listless and torporous leech. Aside from the social difficulties posed by this nasal deformation, the afflicted cannot regain vigor through her normal regimen of slumber and toilette without imbibing at least a goblet of human blood.

There is also a 1-in-6 chance each week spent in civilization, and each night spent in the dungeon, that the victim has been waylaid and abducted by a Vainglorious Proboscid, seizing on her illness as an alibi to excuse away its undisguised appearance.

The sickness can be cured by the application of a spell to remove curses or cure diseases, provided that it is cast by one also versed and trained in spells of illusion, or else medicines may be procured through trade with the Mirror Realm.
 
 
This post is in response to Cavegirl's Harry Clarke Community Project, and it's licensed CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/