Naztharune

Naztharunes were deadly rakshasa; predatory killers with the heads of black tigers. Unparalleled among their kind in the art of stalking prey, they combined the sinister mind of an ordinary rakshasa with the skills of a trained assassin and a supernatural ability to move through shadows.

Description
Naztharunes resembled ordinary rakshasas but with a night-black coat of fur and darker apparel. They were shorter and lighter than their counterparts, standing tall and weighing.

Personality
Naztharunes were the most mercenary of mindset among the rakshasas, unhampered by the need to be in a position of authority. They were far more disciplined than their kin and open about working with others, able to suppress their scorn for non-rakshasa when it benefited them. Nonetheless, naztharunes were cruel and cunning creatures thought to be more malicious than the typical rakshasas.

Abilities
Unlike normal rakshasas, naztharunes lacked any spellcasting ability, instead having the power to move between shadows. So long as two points were cloaked in darkness, naztharunes could jump between them as if using a dimension door phasing through any physical objects between the two.

Combat
Naztharunes were skilled rogues that specialized in sneak attacks and evasion, combining them with their razor-sharp senses to bridge the gap between them and their sorcerous kin. They hid in the shadows and struck under the cover of darkness, occasionally working with others to further confuse and surround their enemies. Like normal rakshasas their backwards hands did nothing to hinder their manual skill and they avoided attacking creatures without vital areas such as constructs or undead.

After using their detect thoughts ability to sense the presence of their targets while unseen they struck with intent to kill before slinking back into the shadows. When things like daylight spells disrupted this tactic they would simply attack head on, using the shadows to escape if outmatched.

Society
Despite their solitary nature, naztharunes would willingly work with and under other rakshasas, such as ak'chazars that used them as spies, and would regularly cooperate with other naztharunes so long as such activities ended in profit. They were known to willingly put themselves under other races they considered inferior, offering their services as highly skilled assassins.

History
In the late 14 century DR, a pair of ak'chazar rakshasas in Unther sent naztharune agents to cause dissension in the cities of Cimbar, Luthcheq, and Soorenar in nearby Chessenta. Independently operating naztharune rakshasas were known to be operating in Calimport around the same time period.

Notable Naztharunes

 * Nar'shindah Sugimar, a rakshasa living in the Dungeon of the Crypt in Waterdeep

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Dungeon #127, "Vampires of Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Crypt"