Red abishai

A red abishai was the most powerful type of abishai, and led other devils in battle.

Description
Red abishai were, by far, the more fearsome abishai. Despite only being as tall as humans  at best, they were as strong as frost giants. Their bodies were thickly muscled and armored, and supported large pairs of wings. They had two horns at the back of their heads, curved forward. Being thin and reptilian, they somewhat resembled red gargoyles. Red abishai were said to smell of vinegar, and had raspy voices.

Personality
These baatezu were inspirational and seen as leaders to their allies, and invoked the authority of Tiamat to make mortals do their bidding. Even dragons bent to their will.

Combat
As well as attacking with deadly claws and bites that burned foes, red abishai attacked with morningstars. They usually executed such attacks in a triple-maneuver, after inciting fear into their enemies. Due to their leadership, such abishai could cause their allies to take up arms against their opponents without fear. The inspired allies had a much greater combat advantage. They could also sting and burn foes with their barbed tails.

Red abishai were the bane of dragons, particularly chromatic dragons. As they were highly charismatic, they could often charm any type of wyrm, so much that the wyrms thought them their trusted friends.

Such creatures had a large array of resistances. They resisted all types of physical damage unless the weapons used against them were magical or silvered. They were fully immune to fire and poisons, and resistant to cold-based attacks. However, like other abishai, they took damage from holy water.

The spells red abishai could cast were mainly non-offensive, and more manipulative. They could command, charm, scare and make magical suggestions to other creatures, as well as disguise themselves. Many red abishai wore necklaces of fireballs, to add to their assortment of spells, if needed. They could also manipulate fire, rather than minds, with spells such as produce flame and pyrotechnics.

Society
These baatezu usually dwelt in the first two layers of Baator, amongst other devils.

Ecology
Powerful clerics of Tiamat could summon a single red abishai to come to their aid, and incredibly powerful priests could summon two. These abishai could communicate with a large variety of beings, and the only type of abishai to speak Celestial.

If certain red abishai had proven their worth, they may have been allowed to command armies of lemures.

Appearances

 * Magazines
 * Dragon magazine 75
 * Video games
 * Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal
 * Icewind Dale II
 * Planescape: Torment