Jiki-ketsu-gaki

Jiki-ketsu-gaki were evil lesser spirits native to Kara-Tur. They were the most intelligent and powerful type of gaki.

Description
Jiki-ketsu-gaki resembled emaciated humanoids, with dark, greasy skin. They had yellow fangs, short but sharp claws and deep-set eyes.

Combat
Jiki-ketsu-gaki were vicious fighters. In combat, they attacked quickly and without mercy, using their sharp claws and teeth to kill an opponent. They sought to drain the blood of their victims and would try to bite them as fast as possible. Once they bit a victim, they did not release themselves until either one of them was killed.

Jiki-ketsu-gaki used a special biwa to paralyze their victims. Upon encountering potential targets, a jiki-ketsu-gaki began playing on the biwa while invisible. Anyone within who heard the haunting tune became paralyzed. Once the song was completed, the jiki-ketsu-gaki tightened the strings of their biwa one by one, until they snapped. Each time a string snapped, the paralyzed targets suffered damage. After all the strings were broken, the jiki-ketsu-gaki became visible and started their attack. The targets remained paralyzed until struck by the jiki-ketsu-gaki.

Abilities
Like all gaki, jiki-ketsu-gaki had the innate ability to duplicate the effects of become invisible and polymorph spells at will, and passwall three times daily. They were immune to all charm, cold, fire, hold and sleep spells, as well as drowsy insect. They were vulnerable to any spell that affected spirits. Jiki-ketsu-gaki were able to slowly regenerate damage that was inflicted upon them.

Society
Jiki-ketsu-gaki were solitary creatures.

Habitat
Jiki-ketsu-gaki did not have a lair. Rather they were always moving from place to place, hunting for food. They were most often encountered in abandoned holy places such as shrines and temples, or within cemeteries.

Ecology
Jiki-ketsu-gaki were vampiric and fed off the blood of their victims. Like all gaki, jiki-ketsu-gaki were the reincarnated spirits of wicked people, in this case priests who committed heresy. They were reincarnated as gaki for punishment for living a life of evil and sin.

Notable Jiki-ketsu-gaki
A local legend of Aru Province held that a powerful jiki-ketsu-gaki dwelled in the surrounding Ikuyu Mountains. Supposedly, it also had prophetic powers and when a time of trouble was imminent, it left a grisly omen: a wise man slain with a "gaki-spear". To evoke this legend, in Wa Year 1775 (1357 DR), the Yamaguchi ninja left the body of a murdered shukenja pilgrim in the Shining Temple of Bishamon, stabbed through and pinned to a screen with a strange spear they had in their collection (one with a leaf-shaped headed, a rippled edge, and a diamond-shaped cut-out in the middle of the head).

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Blood of the Yakuza • Mad Monkey vs the Dragon Claw • Night of the Seven Swords • Ninja Wars
 * Card Games
 * AD&D Trading Cards