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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
12068 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Jun 2025 : 13:18:30
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Returning for just a minute to my idea for a city called Latoombe, City of Tricksters. One of the things we have from Malatra is that there are these beings known as the "Tamara" who came from the Tarn race that were essentially a manipulated form of creature that were formed as warriors to serve in the wargames of the "Sarxen" (the less harmonious progenitors of the Ancient Nubari).... and the Tamara were the beings that eventually came back and destroyed them... but it was noted that they seemed to have been "corrupted" by the "spirit of Tiger".
So, my thoughts are that "the spirit of Tiger" is to maybe make that some Rakshasa that are entrapped in the Shadowfell versus the nine hells. Maybe these Rakshasa happened upon the "Tarn" and drew them to the shadowfell and converted them further to their purpose. These beings then became the "Shadow Beasts"/"Shadow Fiends" from the 3e Miniatures Handbook. So, the Ghirrash are noted as a cat folk with multiple claws (tiger or large panther) and seemingly no thumb, then there's the Khumat (crocodile folk), thaskor (an elephant folk that mainly walks on all fours). I would include the "Kretch" from Malatra as a 4 armed green furred girallon like creature with horns that it can attack with. So, in this scenario the shadow beasts have all been corrupted by some entrapped Rakshasas who can at times take and possess a mortal form. So as I was doing with the lamias in Katashaka, maybe these "Rakshasa" also aren't tigerish in form. Sometimes they may look catlike, sometimes ape like, sometimes may be crocodile like, and even sometimes a savage looking elephant.
So, the city of Latoombe maybe has an undercity with ties to the plane of shadow, and the shadow beasts come across to this city (specifiically the Ghirrash, Khumat, and Kretch), and perhaps they have bred with some of the local population such that there are lesser versions of these beings similar to tieflings.
EDIT: after thinking more on it .... I was wanting to do something where there are lesser "rakshasa" here acting as the "Lords of Latoombe". My first thought were to have some Rakshasa that are entrapped in the plane of shadow. But it occurs to me that a better version would be to have a single Rakshasa that's essentially a 3.5e type "vestige" entrapped in the place where vestiges go. Then maybe there are cat folk, ghirrash (4 armed cat "shadowfiends"), Kretch (4 armed green furred/horned gorilla like beings), and Khumat (stout crocodile folk) living in the city who use a twist on the warlock rules to perform similar to binders. Perhaps when they "show the sign of their patron/vestige" their hands spin around like a rakshasa. To note this gives a more classic version of the Rakshasa, because classic myth doesn't make them all "tiger men".
In this example, this Rakshasa would also be chaotic and not lawful, and perhaps he should be something special.... perhaps a Rakshasa Raja that converted to serving the Abyss, becoming an Abyssal Lord, and possibly forced into becoming a vestige by some other powerful demon lord.
Looking up demon lords, apparently there is listed a "Felex'ja the Tiger King was one of the seven demon lords who allied to bring down the Malgoth, but who fell in the process as they were killed or imprisoned by opportunistic rivals" in Eric Boyd's article in Dragon 357 Gazing into the abyss... ironically about vestiges. Sounds like a good "Rakshasa vestige imprisoned in teh Wells of Darkness" .... maybe by ... spin the wheel.... Fraz'Urb'Luu, Prince of Deception, seems a good one to use, but that could just be a lie to boost his cred.
Looking more into Malgoth brings me to dungeon 117 and a discussion of some city of Istivin "city of shadows" .... so possibly good links for use with shadowfiends / shadow beasts mentioned above. Reading more, but posting this for now.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
Edited by - sleyvas on 06 Jun 2025 13:38:10 |
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Musings of Katashaka - building a region together
