Kopru

In the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game, the Kopru are an evil race of amphibious, mind-controlling creatures. They are classified as monstrous humanoids, with the aquatic subtype.

Creative Origins
The kopru first appeared in module X-1: The Isle of Dread, written by David Cook and Tom Moldvay ( ISBN 978-0394514260, ISBN 0394514262 ) in 1981. It has since been released in several other books; the most recent version of the kopru can be found in the Monster Manual II, published by Wizards of the Coast ( ISBN 978-0786928736, ISBN 0786928735 ).

Licensing
The kopru is considered a "Product Identity" by Wizards of the Coast and as such is not released under its Open Gaming License.

Physical Description
Kopru are amphibious, reptillian creatures with smooth, hairless bodies. They have the upper body of a humanoid, complete with webbed, clawed hands and a bald head. Their lower body ends in three fluke-like segments, each of which is tipped by a short, curved claw. They have large, bulging eyes like a fish, and a tentacled, sphinctered mouth similar to a sea cucumber.

The expansion of kopru society is severely limited by their need for extremely hot, wet environments (such as volcanic hot springs). As a result, their civilization has been in a state of slow decline for many years.

Powers and Abilities
Kopru have supernatural mind-controlling powers, which they use primarily to control and manipulate other creatures. In earlier versions this ability was described as a more powerful charm person effect, which had an indefinite duration. More recent versions of the kopru describe this mind-controling ability as a psionic power.

Because of the similarities between the two creatures, some historians believe the kopru to be a genetic mutation of the Illithid.

History
In "The Isle of Dread", the Kopru once controlled a great empire on a remote volcanic island chain called the Thanegoith Archipellago. The kopru thrived in the hot geysers mud springs that could be found there, and eventually enslaved the native human population. With the humans under their control, they built a large temple for themselves on the largest island. There, the humans served them like gods for many years.

Eventually, the humans revolted against their captors and fled many miles across the island to a small penninsula. Unable to survive for any length of time outside of their boiling mud geysers, the kopru could not pursue them and were forced to remain behind. Their once-great temple fell into ruin, and their empire crumbled. Now, decades later, the kopru still remain in the temple, waiting to be rediscovered by the unwary.