Let's mention an OBVIOUS miss here.
Where is Ereshkigal? The world's first goth-girl and she isn't here? That's a freaking crime in my book. Well, let's fix that. If you want to classify her she belongs to the Sumerian Myths, her cult has been taken over by her husband Nergal by the time of the Babylonian myths.
Burney Relief |
ARMOR CLASS: -4
MOVE: 12"
HIT POINTS: 250
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: See below
SPECIAL ATTACKS: See below
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to poisons, disease, and death causing magic
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%
SIZE: M (6')
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: All alignments
SYMBOL: Female with four wings and clawed feet
PLANE: Kur (section of Hades)
CLERIC/DRUID: 15th level cleric
FIGHTER: Nil
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST/WITCH: 25th level witch
THIEF/ASSASSIN: 15th level assassin
MONK/BARD: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
S:25 ( + 7, + 14) 1: 20 W: 15 D: 20 C: 23 CH: 25
Animal: Owl
Color: Black
Day of Worship: Friday
Ereshkigal is Queen of the Underworld. Here she keeps the dead and not even the gods can sway her. She has made exceptions, in particular to her sister Innana/Ishtar, but to none other.
Ereshkigal knows all the spells granted by the Sumerian gods, since all secrets come to her. She also knows all the spells of witchcraft, which are of her design. She can cast two spells per round at separate targets if she chooses.
Her rivalry with her sister Innana/Ishtar is legendary.
Ereshkigal would later be syncretized with the Greek Hecate and some of her aspects would also form the story of Lilith. Indeed in my own research time, the Burney Relief has gone from a representation of Lilith (which was tenuous at best) to a representation of Ereshkigal.
She is mentioned in Return to the Keep on the Borderlands and I swear there were other mentions of her in other D&D books, but so far I found nothing.
Pazuzu
Also not present in the D&DG, but certainly a demon of note (and notoriety) is Pazuzu. Good old Pazuzu was the king of the demons of the wind and the bringer of storms, famine, and drought. He was the demon of the southwestern wind. He was not a god, though he was the son of the god Hanbi/Hanbu.
Pazuzu, of course, rose to fame and popularity thanks in large part to the Exorcist movies. I consider the Exorcist to be one of the scariest movies ever made and having Pazuzu as the "big bad" only helps that. A demon as old as civilization itself? Yeah, that's some scary shit. He makes his AD&D debut in the Monster Manual II.
He seems to have a long history even in myth. He is likely an Assyrian import, maybe even from the Levant. So that is quite a demonic pedigree to be the demon of so many different cultures. In my games, Pazuzu is an Eodemon, a demonic race that appeared before all the others.
One thing not considered in Monster Manual II version of him is his battles to stop another demon Lamashtu. Pazuzu effectively guards human from her evils.
Lamashtu
Now in truth, I see why she was not included. I mean if no Pazuzu then no need to have her too. According to some texts, she was a demoness or a goddess. She is also associated with witchcraft and the murder or newborns and infants. She has many features that would later be syncretized by or with Lilith and other female night demons. She is currently a god in the Pathfinder setting.
I posted a demon Lamashtu a while back. Here are some stats.
FREQUENCY: Uncommon
NO. APPEARING: 1 or 1-3
ARMOR CLASS: -1
MOVE: 9"/12"
HIT DICE: 10
% IN LAIR: 25%
TREASURE TYPE: F
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6/1-6/2-8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: bonus of +2 to hit; also see below (Con drain)
SPECIAL DEFENSES: + 1 or better weapons to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 65%
INTELLIGENCE: Very
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
SIZE: L (9'+ tall)
PSlONlC ABILITY: 150
Attack/Defense Modes: A, C, D/F, G, H
Lamashtu are powerful demons, close only to the Lilitu themselves. Believed to be the offspring of Lilth and the various Eodemons. These demons are old even by demonic terms. Their natural form is a horrid hybrid of a linoness’ head, donkey ears, and teeth, a hairy human female body, with the hindquarters of a pig. They are commonly holding a large snake. In their “human” form they prefer to disguise themselves as old women or nursemaids. This gives them access to their preferred prey, newborn babies. Once she has gained access to a new-born babe she will carry it off till she can find a safe place to eat it. Lamashtu are not tempters, they hunger and only flesh will satisfy them. They can be held at bay if a witch prepares a special talisman. Her song drains Constitution to all who hear it, 2 points per night. Anyone so drained must make a Constitution based save or fall asleep.
Lamashtu may cast spells as a 7th level witch.
Dagon
Dagon is an improt to this mythology.
Here is another problem. Dagon is a god. Dagon is a demon. Dagon is some sort of Lovecraftian Old One. Or he is all of those things.
I think my favorite take on him was in the 3.5 edition Hordes of the Abyss and the 4th edition Monster Manual 2. Where he is just this really ancient thing. For me that makes him an Eodemon.
Somehow I'd like to capture all aspects of this creature in one whole.
I think it is time to leave the Fertile Crescent. Should I move forward alphabetically or chronologically?
You can read Part 1 here.
You can read Part 2 here.