Far beyond the great desert, one will find the troubled land of Umaab. The people of this once proud kingdom are oft beset by demons who serve the dark god Nergal. The characteristics of these demons are described in the holy Tablets of Adad Untash.
As the terrible blade tore at his flesh, its rotten steel teeth dragging agonizingly across his bones, Agaal Atar’s vision blurred from the pain. Even as he fought to retain his focus, he saw three of his best soldiers cut down by other, similar weapons the creature held in its chitinous hands.
The sight of the carnage brought bile to his mouth, and he knew he should sound the retreat. Against such a foe as this defeat was nothing less than imminent. Yet King Asirsz had ordered him here to clear the Fields of Gaal’aab of this demon so that a temple might be erected in honor of those noble souls who perished here long centuries past. And he would not dishonor his king with retreat.
As he continued to swing his hammer, nearly blind from the agony delivered by the demon’s blade, he began to feel an intense heat, as though the fires of hell themselves were being gouted upon him. And then, in an instant, Agaal Atar was no more.
*********
“Who led you to this certain doom?” the champion demanded of the handful of soldiers whose lives had been spared only because he and his companions had arrived in time to turn the tide of the battle.
“Atar,” a wounded lieutenant gasped. “It was General Atar, on the order of the king.”
“Has King Asirsz gone mad? Or was it this Atar whose faculties were failing?” Giszeah asked of the two men she rode with. “To send even an army against such a powerful demon, with scant magic to serve them! Whoever is responsible may as well have condemned them to the gallows.”
“If that is indeed the case, then our victory over the servant of Nergal is hollow,” Lugul replied. “The Tablets reveal a very specific fate for generals who lead their soldiers into death’s arms.”
Wiping the last of the demon’s ichor away from his grandfather’s axe, Dusz laughed wryly.
Harra Lal (Standard Order Demon)
No. Enc.: 1d6 (1d6)
Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
Movement: 90’ (30’)
Armor Class: -2
Hit Dice: 8+4
Attacks: 4 (weapons)
Damage: 1d10
Save: F9
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: XVII
XP: 3,020
Appearing as 8’ tall humanoid ants with fiery goat-like heads, Harra Lal are loathsome demons that blast the sanity of all who are unlucky enough to gaze upon them. In addition to their horrific appearance, Harra lal constantly bleat and moan like livestock in terror or great pain.
Harra Lal attack their enemies with four viciously-serrated great swords, wielding one in each limb not used for locomotion. Anyone wounded by one of these blades must make a saving throw vs. Death or suffer a -2 to hit and a corresponding penalty to armor class for the duration of the encounter with the Harra Lal due to the intense pain inflicted by these weapons. Further, damage delivered by these weapons will not heal naturally and magical healing of potency less than Cure Serious Wounds only heals 1 hp of this damage per application.
Harra Lal also posses a limited ability to breathe fire. This breath attack does damage equal to the current hit points of the Harra Lal. This attack may only be used twice per day.
In addition to the above features, Harra Lal have the following spell-like abilities, useable at will: Animate Objects, Cause Serious Wounds, Detect Invisibility, Fear, Gaseous Form, Invisibility, Shield, Silence 15’ Radius, Suggestion. Further, twice per day these demons may cast Haste or Slow.
Additionally, they possess all of the abilities of a typical Standard Order Demon:
- Infravision (90’)
- Half damage from cold-based attacks
- Half damage from electrical-based attacks
- Half damage from fire-based attacks (all)
- Half damage from gas-type attacks
- Telepathy (allows all languages to be understood)
- Teleport without error
Harra Lal can only be damaged by +1 or better weapons, though they are susceptible to damage from non-magical weapons made of pure iron. Harra Lal may Gate (25% probability of success) 1d6 Lum Anang Kul (25%) or 3d4 Bazu Tum Laag (75%).
Harra Lal are seldom encountered in the wild – they are far more often sent by the Demon Lords of Adad Untash to lead armies of lesser demons in their unholy wars of conquest. On occasion, though, a single Harra Lal may be found brooding at the site of an ancient battlefield where a particularly terrible defeat occurred.
The Tablets of Adad Untash tell the faithful that Harra Lal are the souls of generals who knowingly lead their soldiers to certain death.
