Lamashtu

Lamashtu was a female monster, malevolent goddess or demigoddess that menaced women during childbirth and, if possible, kidnapped children while they were breastfeeding, she would gnaw on their bones and suck their blood, as well as being charged with a number of other evil deeds. She was a daughter of the Sky God Anu.

Lamashtu had a hairy body, a lioness’ head with donkey’s teeth and ears, long fingers and fingernails and the feet of a bird with sharp talons. She is often shown standing or kneeling on a donkey, nursing a pig and a dog, and holding snakes. She also bears some functions and resemblance to the Mesopotamian demon Lilitu.

Lamashtu’s father was the Sky God Anu (Sumer An). Unlike many other usual demonic figures and depictions in Mesopotamian lore, Lamashtu, was said to act in malevolence of her own accord, rather than at the gods’ instructions. Along with this her name was written together with the cuneiform determinative indicating deity. This means she was a goddess or a demigoddess in her own right.

She bore seven names and was described as seven witches in incantations. Her evil deeds included (but not limited to), slaying children, unborns, and neonates, causing harm to mothers and expectant mothers, eating men and drinking their blood, disturbing sleep, brought nightmares, killing foliage, infesting rivers and lakes, and a bringer of disease, sickness, and death.

Pazuzu, a demon, was invoked to protect birthing mothers and infants against Lamashtu’s malevolence, usually on amulets and statues. Although Pazuzu was said to be bringer of famine and drought, he was also invoked against evil for protection, and against plague, but he was primarily and popularly invoked against his fierce, malicious, rival Lamashtu.

Originally posted by Phaedros of Dice Freaks

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Lamatsu
Ranger 20, Druid 30
Medium undead (Augmented Humanoid)
Hit Dice	50d12+650 (980 hp)
Initiative	+17 (+9 Dexterity, +8 Superior Initiative)
Speed	120 ft. (24 squares), Fly 120 ft. (good)
AC	55 (+9 Dexterity, +11 natural, +11 deflection, +6 profane, +8 armor), touch 36, flat-footed 46
Base Attack/Grapple	+35/+45
Attack	Bite +50 melee (6d6+15 plus 12 Constitution); or spell +45 melee touch or +44 ranged touch.
Full Attack	Bite +50 melee (6d6+15 plus 12 Constitution) and two claws +48 melee (1d6+10) and two wings +48 melee (1d4+10); or spell +45 melee touch or +44 ranged touch.
Space/Reach	5 ft./5 ft.
Special Abilities	Blood drain, children of the night, create spawn, disease, domination, favored enemies (animal +4, humanoid [human] +6, magical beast +2, outsider (evil) +4, undead +2), rebuke/command vermin 12/day, salient abilities, spell-like abilities, spells.
Special Qualities	Alternate form, a thousand faces, animal companion, camouflage, damned, DR 25/epic, good, and silver, evasion, fast healing 30, gaseous form, hide in plain sight, immunity to cold and electricity, nature sense, permanent spells, resistance to acid 20 and sonic 10, resist nature’s lure, sleep of the dead, spider climb, SR 40, sunlight vulnerability, swift tracker, the hunger, trackless step, turn resistance +12, two-weapon mastery, undead traits, wild empathy +41, wild shape 9/day (large, tiny, plant, huge, huge elemental 3/day), woodland stride.
Saves	Fort +44, Ref +53, Will +44 (+48, +57, +48 vs. spells)
Abilities	Strength 31, Dexterity 29, Constitution –, Intelligence 24, Wisdom 35, Charisma 32
Skills	Bluff +19, Climb +30, Concentration +51, Diplomacy +17, Handle Animal +48, Heal +24, Hide +37, Intimidate +16, Jump +30, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +14, Knowledge (geography) +27, Knowledge (local [Hell]) +12, Knowledge (nature) +68, Knowledge (the planes) +17, Listen +62, Move Silently +37, Ride +25, Search +35, Sense Motive +20, Spellcraft +70, Spot +62, Survival +67 (+69 to avoid getting lost, +73 in natural environments, +69 when on other planes, +69 when tracking, +69 when underground), Swim +30.
Feats	Alertness, Animal Affinity, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Endurance, Eschew Materials, Great Fortitude, Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Initiative, Improved Toughness, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Natural Spell, Power Attack, Run, Self-Sufficient, Track, Two-Weapon Fighting.
Epic Feats	Bane of Enemies, Blinding Speed, Epic Fortitude, Epic Reflexes, Epic Skill Focus (spellcraft), Epic Speed, Epic Spellcasting, Improved Combat Reflexes, Ignore Material Components, Penetrate Damage Reduction (cold iron), Penetrate Damage Reduction (silver), Spell Opportunity, Superior Initiative.
Languages	Common, Druidic, Elven, Infernal.
Salient undead Abilities	Clawed, Dark Blessing, Firstborn, Frightful Presence, Seductive, Spell-Like Abilities, Winged.
Climate/Terrain	Any land or underground.
Organization	Solitary (unique); or with handmaidens (2d6 level 15-20 elder vampires).
Challenge Rating	47
Treasure	Bracers of Reflection, Ring of Spellwarding, Periapt of Pests; triple standard.
Alignment	Chaotic Evil
Advancement	None

Lamatsu was taken in by Lilith, the Lord of the Sixth. In Malebolge, Lamatsu greatly expanded her control over the forces of nature and the elements, and took on many of Lilith’s personal views in the process. It was Lilith that gave Lamatsu the title from which her name arose: Lamashtu, or “she who erases”. Lilith foresaw that Lamatsu could become a useful ally, and was able to tolerate her chaotic nature (Lilith had drifted towards Neutral Evil by that time, seeking to expand her worshipper base). By the time Lamatsu was ready to leave Hell for the Prime, she had taken to the devil’s teachings so closely that some scholars believed she was simply another aspect of Lilith. Lamatsu couldn’t care less either way, and Lilith has continued to support her since – this confusion serves only to increase Lilith’s influence on the Prime, which in turn brings her closer to her goal of godhood.

Lamatsu now dwells almost entirely upon the Prime. She prefers not to be tied to a specific location for long, and moves from nation to nation, world to world. Lamatsu enjoys hunting prey that can give her a challenge, espically within a natural environment. She occasionally commands wild beasts (usually wolves or dire wolves) to venture into civilized areas and attack the populace, in the hopes of luring adventurers out into the forest for a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. While she can – and does – feed on the blood of animals, it provides less sustenance, and she greatly prefers feeding on humanoids. She flits through towns and cities under cover of darkness, peering in the windows for suitible targets.

If she sees a young man, she prefers seduction to slaying them outright – a habit that has led some to mistake her for a succubus. But whereas Kanchelsis might undertake a long, involved courtship to seduce someone, Lamatsu relies entirely on her appearance and animal magnetism (and her domination ability, failing that) to force herself on them immediately. While she takes some blood, the sadistic vampire allows them to live – leaving them with disease, sterility, and constant nightmares.

Her true targets are babies and small children. She steals them from their beds or cribs, then drains them of blood. Even unborn babies are not safe – Lamatsu will attack pregnant women in order to destroy the fetuses. This facet of her behaviour showcases Lilith’s influence more than anything, though it is also strongly influenced by Lamatsu’s bitterness over the loss of her own child. Interestingly, other women are usually ignored. When she selects people to become new vampires, she usually chooses powerful women – even ones she has recently slain the husbands or children of. Unless she has an immediate need for them, however, her creations are generally left to their own devices as their master moves on.

Lamatsu despises Pazuzu, the Demon Prince of the Abyssal Air. She once encountered the demon, and he destroyed her in the ensuing battle, banishing her from the cosmos for six-hundred years. The mere sight of his symbol now repulses her. Those loremasters that know of this suggest that pregnant women on worlds Lamatsu has appeared should wear the monster’s symbol in order to keep themselves safe from the vampiress.

In her true form, Lamatsu appears as a beautiful human woman with creamy white skin, bright sapphire-blue eyes, and long, pale blonde hair. She will dress in almost anything – from ornate gowns and beautiful dresses, to tattered rags, to nothing at all – and always has a wild look about her. Another preferred form is one with red eyes and black hair, making her more closely resemble Lilith. In either case, she can sprout wings at will – either raven-feathered or bat-like – and her fingers can become sharp claws.

Combat

Lamatsu’s normal feeding behaviour is described above, but should she ever become threatened or attacked (in a manner that could successfully deal damage to her), she turns on her foes with rage. She is a brutal, ruthless combatant, and enjoys tearing people apart unarmed whenever possible. Against more serious threats, she relies on her spells and special abilities – she will try to take the battle into a forest if possible, use guerillia tactics, and utilize whatever animals or vampires she has at her disposal. If she suffers heavy damage (over 2/3rds of her HP), she will retreat and hide until she recovers, then return, hoping to wear her foes down – only when overmatched and without the means to restore herself will she truly flee. Even then, she will soon seek vengeance.

Lamatsu’s special abilities have a save DC of 46 unless noted otherwise.

Lamatsu’s natural weapons are treated as cold iron, epic, evil, and silver for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Disease (Ex): Lamatsu is the carrier of a strange disease, granted to her by Lilith. Any male who engages in sexual contact with Lamatsu will take 6 points of Constitution damage after one hour has passed (Fort negates), unless a remove disease spell is applied before then. Regardless of the success or failure of that save, if a remove disease spell has still not been applied after one day, that male must make another Fortitude save or become permanently impotent. Only a miracle spell cast by a cleric of at least 21st level that worships a nature or fertility deity can undo this.

Firstborn (Unique Salient Ability): As one of the original vampires, Lamatsu may demand fealty from her lesser kindred. Her domination power can affect any other vampire (save Kanchelsis), overriding their normal immunity to mind-influencing effects. They take a -6 penalty to their Will saves against this ability (in addition to the -11 seduction penalty, if applicable).

• In addition, vampires created by the firstborn reap the benefits of their potent bloodline. A vampire created by Lamatsu may begin at the Elder age category, as though it had been a vampire for up to 200 years. Lamatsu may select the salient abilities such a vampire is granted.
• Finally, the primal vampires are notoriously difficult to kill. If Lamatsu would be destroyed (rather than simply forced into gaseous form), she will reform somewhere on her homeworld after 6d100 years.

Several other methods exist to put her to rest, however. Lamatsu and Kanchelsis must willingly atone at a temple to a good deity, or willingly complete their marriage ceremony at dawn. In either case, the curse would be lifted and they would pass on. If Lamatsu consumed all of Kanchelsis’ blood (or vice-versa), returning the blood taken in their cemetary pact, the curse would end and both would be destroyed.

Permanent Spells (Sp): Lamatsu’s bite, claw, and wing attacks are all under the effects of permanent greater magic fang +5 spells. She also benefits from constant detect magic and see invisibility effects. Each of these were made permanent by one of her minions (caster level 24th).

Ranger Spells Per Day: 6/6/6/6; base DC 22 + spell level. Caster level 10th. Typical Spells Prepared:

• 1st – alarm, entangle, pass without trace, read magic (x2), speak with animals;
• 2nd – animal messenger, detect evil, detect good, scent, sleep, snare;
• 3rd – control plants, detect favored enemy, mark of the hunter, phantasmal decoy, water walk (x2);
• 4th – freedom of movement, implacable pursuer, nondetection, polymorph self, tree stride, wind wall.

Druid Spells Per Day: 6/8/8/8/8/7/6/6/6/5; base DC 22 + spell level. Caster level 30th. Typical Spells Prepared:

• 0th – darkseed, daze animal, detect poison, light, preserve organ, scarecrow;
• 1st – camouflage, entangle, extract drug, faerie fire, invisibility to animals, obscuring mist, produce flame, sandblast;
• 2nd – briar Web, circle of nausea, cloudburst, creeping cold, decomposition, flaming sphere, scent, warp wood;
• 3rd – call lightning, contagion, false bravado, infestation of maggots, poison, sleet storm, snare, spike growth;
• 4th – blight, dispel magic, energy vortex, flame strike (x2), langour, murderous mist, rusting grasp;
• 5th – binding Winds, call lighting storm, control winds, kiss of death, mass trance, unhallow, wall of thorns;
• 6th – antilife shell, cometfall, crumble, enveloping cocoon, greater dispel magic, miasma;
• 7th – creeping doom, greater scrying, harm (x2), pestilence, true seeing;
• 8th – finger of death, reverse gravity, stormrage, storm of elemental fury, whirlwind, word of recall;
• 9th – earthquake, greater whirlwind, invulnerability to elements, shadow landscape, sympathy.

Epic Spells: 5 divine epic spells per day. Epic spells known: crown of vermin, eclipse, greater epic mage armor, let go of me, nailed to the sky, rain of fire, spell worm, verdigris.

Possessions:

Though Lamatsu has hoarded away a vast number of magical items over the centuries, she prefers to travel light, and almost never dons armor or weapons. Some commonly worn items are detailed below.

Bracers of Reflection: These bracers of armor +8 can reflect ranged attacks back at their source. Once per round, when the wearer would normally be hit with a ranged weapon, she may block it with her forearm and reflect it back at the attacker, using her normal ranged attack bonus. She must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed.

Attempting to reflect a ranged weapon doesn’t count as an action. Unusually massive ranged weapons and ranged attacks generated by spell effects can’t be reflected. Caster level 21st.

Ring of Spellwarding: This item directs harmful magical effects away from it’s wearer. It grants SR 40, a +4 resistance bonus to saves against spells or spell-like abilities, and can activate a spell turning effect 3/day. Caster level 29th.

Periapt of Pests: This strange amulet, hanging from a fine chain necklace, appears as a small pewter spider clasping (and occasionally flexing its legs around) a small red gemstone. A number of times per day equal to the wearer’s Charisma modifier +3, the wearer may rebuke/command vermin as a cleric of her own total HD. 6/day, the wearer may also summon 3d6 centipede swarms, locust swarms, or spider swarms.

The wearer gains Darkvision 60 ft., continuous spider climb, immunity to vermin poisons, and may travel through the area of web spells without obstruction. Caster level 16th.