Arcanaloth

The arcanaloths, or arcanadaemons , were the record keepers of the yugoloths, managing transactions for services rendered in the Blood War.

Description
Arcanaloths appeared as tall humanoids with the heads of fanged jackals or war dogs. Protruding out from the top of their skulls was a pair of ivory, whitish horns. They kept themselves well groomed and dressed in immaculate robes, but often wore disgruntled expressions. When conducting negotiations they took on the guise of other humanoids, replacing their hateful snarls with charming smiles.

Personality
Arcanaloths were a relatively civilized breed of yugoloth, possessing both keen minds and silvered tongues. They were business minded and somewhat surly, but had expertise in manipulation, diplomacy, and were generally truthful. Their kind had earned a negative reputation for being adulating, avaricious and conniving in their dealings. Unlike most yugoloths, their greed manifested not as a thirst for wealth but a hunger for the power found in knowledge and information.

Abilities
The claws of an arcanaloth were poisonous and both their fangs and horns could be used in combat. Mind-affecting spells did not work on them due to a combination of their sharp minds and enchanted nature although this did not extend to the use of their true name to force them to obey. They could be harmed only by magical weapons of great enchantment, could magically fly at will and also attempt to summon small teams of mezzoloths, dhergoloths, or another arcanaloth to assist them.

Combat
All arcanolths commonly memorized offensive spells but were smart enough to learn spells for defense and escape. They were extremely intelligent and used their spells to maximum effect but avoided hand-to-hand combat despite their poisonous claws.

Society
These powerful creatures negotiated all contracts with baatezu and tanar'ri and played each side against other with practiced ease.

The preferred dwelling place of the arcanaloths was the plane of Gehenna as they drew power from the mighty furnaces there. They would never leave the plane if at all possible and only did so for very brief periods of time.

Ecology
Arcanaoloths could only be permanently destroyed while on Gehenna, rather than on Carceri or Hades. When this happened, an arcanoloth's accumulated knowledge traveled to the Tower of the Arcanaloths to be absorbed into the racial memory of all arcanaloths.

History
An arcanaloth was hired by Halaster to manage the Dweomercore level of Undermountain as its headmaster, while keeping itself disguised as the mad mage.

Notable arcanaloths

 * Aximus and Exekarus, two arcanaloths who managed a shrine to Laduguer on the Terminus Level of Undermountain.
 * Ygga Raxyg, an arcanaloth bound to the Tomb of the Nine Gods by Acererak in the late 15th century DR.
 * Yrkhetep
 * Nisviim was an arcanaloth seneschal living in Corpsehaven that had been bound to the Oinoloth Inthracis via knowledge of his true name.

Appendix

 * Adventures
 * Tomb of Annihilation
 * Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage
 * Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage