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.
“Sorceress! You must help us!” the woman howled through her tears. “Five children have gone missing since the moon was last full. My own Imdilla and Imrudaa among them…” she added, before she was completely overcome with grief, unable to speak further.
“The city guards claim that they saw young Szeri, the butcher’s son, dragged into the sewer by a clawed camel,” her husband continued. “But if those useless kuru saw anything at all they saw it through drunken eyes. Surely they are lying?” he asked, more pleading than certain.
The sorceress drew her breath sharply through her teeth. She had no time for trifles, bigger troubles faced Umaab than a few errant children and a handful of lazy, drunken city guards. Still, the voice of her father echoed in her head, “We must never turn our backs on people in need, daughter. Though we live apart from them, we are of them, after all.”
“I will use my magic to scry upon these children so that I may tell you where they are to be found,” she said. “But I must ask you for a favor in return…”
Though she hated to take something of such value from these peasants, she had her own needs. And only the fire opal set in the woman’s hair comb could fuel the spell she must cast to open the gateway to where her beloved lay, trapped there by her nemesis, Shaalath Akis.
“Merely a short delay, sweet Dusz,” the sorceress thought. “A simple incantation to locate these calves that have strayed and then we will be reunited…”
Banzu Mugaam (Standard Order Demon)
No. Enc.: 1d6 (1d6)
Alignment: Chaotic (evil)
Movement: 60’ (20’)
Armor Class: 0
Hit Dice: 6
Attacks: 3 (2 claws, bite)
Damage: 1d6+1/1d6+1/1d4+2
Save: F6
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: X
XP: 1,070
Banzu Mugaam look like squat, hairy human females with leprous, rotting camel heads. Their hands end in wicked talons while their legs end in cloven hooves. Their warty, wrinkled skin has a distinct greenish cast and they smell faintly of gangrene.
These demons are stronger than they would seem, and their terrible claws and vicious bites are quite dangerous. They constantly hunger for human flesh and are canny hunters.
Banzu Mugaam have the following spell-like abilities, useable at will: Charm Person, Fear, Levitate, Creeping Doom, Telekinesis (400 lbs.). Additionally, once per day these demons can 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
Banzu Mugaam can only be damaged by +1 or better weapons, though they are susceptible to damage from non-magical weapons made of pure iron. Banzu Mugaam may Gate (10% probability of success) 1d6 Saam Ursag Mul.
Banzu Mugaam are sometimes encountered in the sewers beneath orphanages and hospitals, where they lure the infirm and children to their deaths.
The Tablets of Adad Untash tell the faithful that Banzu Mugaam are the souls of mothers whose children died of neglect.
Another great nasty! Good work, mate.
Can I ask – are Dusz, his lover and the others part of a campaign you’re running or anything like that – because I’d love to know more about them.
Maybe you should post some stats?
Thanks, amigo!
You want me to reveal all my secrets? But it’ll ruin the show! 🙂
Patience, Grasshopper. Stats for the protagonists are on the list, I promise! And I can also testify that there will be more revealed about Dusz, Giszeah, and the rest of the cast.
I actually let out a little yelp of glee. So those death worms of yours… Nasty.
I’ll post the after action report shortly
Right on! That’s a reaction that makes me yelp with glee, too 🙂
And I can’t wait to hear about the worms’ reign of terror!
I explained the smell of rain and the formerly cautious party sped up – and ran straight into a pair of worms. ZAP!
Absolutely awesome!
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