Goristro

Goristros were a powerful type of tanar'ri demon that resembled fiendish minotaurs. Their immeasurable physical prowess was comparable only to that of the balors, but with none of the dangerous intellect to match.

Description
Goristroi had broad, lumbering frames that even among their smallest members stood at 20 feet (6 meters) tall and weighed 14,000 pounds (6,350 kg). Their overall structure were somewhat bear-like but their arms were long and wide like the trunks of trees. Because of this they moved on their knuckles like giant gorillas as they barreled forward. Great muscular was clearly visible across their entire squat forms. Necessarily wide shoulders carried a massive head reminiscent of a leering bison with giant forward facing horns. Their hands and feet were giant and splayed yet still humanoid in shape. A wide variety of color pallets existed among them including dark brown, sickly green and purplish gray. Tame goristroi often had markings indicating their masters, whether they be collars, bands, tattoos or horn carvings. While the maximum size of the building-sized behemoths was unknown the largest reported goristro was 200 ft. tall.

Behavior
Goristroi were completely lacking in subtlety and without the supervision of a more intelligent being were prone to going on rampages in random directions. If left this way they had little in the way of goals outside of being predators, despite not needing food. They consumed for the simple but cruel fun that came from eating living things and cared not if something was actually edible. So long as an object was small enough to fit in its mouth and moved the goristro would not hesitate to eat it, a clear demonstration of their greatest weakness. Goristroi were amazingly unintelligent beings who only concerned themselves with smashing things, and only the rare object they found aesthetically appealing escaped their destruction. Due to their utter stupidity this hoard would consist of objects ranging from precious treasures to pretty pieces of trash. The positive aspect of a goristro's behavior was that they could be trusted, if not always relied upon, to complete their tasks to the best of their abilities. They blindly followed their commands with heavy fanaticism, completing their duties unless told to do something else or upon death.

Abilities
Goristroi were strange among tanar'ri in that they possessed practically no supernatural abilities associated with their kin. They could not communicate telepathically, although they could still speak, and were incapable of summoning more tanar'ri to their aid. What little magical ability they had let them climb walls, levitate, and strike fear into he hearts of those around them. Mostly though, goristroi went on rampages using horn, hoof, and fist to destroy everything around them. If surrounded by many lesser opponents they could stamp their feet with all their might to cause small earthquakes and disrupt all non-goristroi around them, while ranged opponents had giant rocks hurled their way. Goristroi made exceptional siege beasts, obliterating walls and buildings with ease, unhampered by minor injuries made doing so due to their minor regenerative powers. They shared the minotaurs' preternatural navigational skills, never becoming lost and hunting through labyrinthine passages with ease.

Society
When being used by other demons goristroi were both siege weapon and battle platform, hosting small groups of demons upon it's back as it smashed enemy walls and threw stones like a living catapult. If not being trained as war weapons goristroi were used as guard beasts for the hoards of powerful demon lords. Even though they only possessed rudimentary intelligence they could be trusted to enforce simple rules such as to prevent others from stealing or protect targets from harm. Generally demon lords treated their goristroi as prized pets brokering deals with other goristro owners for breeding possibilities. Centuries worth of selective breeding within fighting pits only enhanced their already dangerous physique. Because of their lack of intelligence and treasured status the method used by a goristro's master to label it normally allowed them to keep in telepathic contact with their pets and track their locations. While not rare goristroi were hard to capture in the wild although 90% were in service to a greater power. If not captured they could normally be found wandering the Elemental Chaos or the Abyss, particularly in the Endless Maze or cold caverns of the Endless Wastes.

Orcus himself used goristro demons, but through his experiments using their lifeless bodies gradually perfected his own personal creations. The haures were goristroi with the lower half of a giant spider and that had no thought for anything outside of battle, but did not possess the stupidity of normal goristroi. Due to their spider-like appearance they were often used as the commanders and front-line warriors against the armies of Lolth as an insult.

History
As one might predict the goristroi were the creations of Baphomet, made within his Tower of Science, and his most legendary monsters. The Horned Lord allowed glabrezu to capture his favorite beasts, knowing that their prevalence throughout the Abyss brought him fame and glory. When not being captured they stalked his Endless Maze hungrily wandering throughout the halls crushing enemy and ally alike. They were nearly always seen on the Material Plane due to the activities of one of Baphomets' cultists, summoned due to the need for a guardian.

A goristro named Orwantz under the personal command of Graz'zt patrolled Azzgrat's borders to defend travelling merchants by destroying the few bandits that prowled the area. He demanded tribute from his protectorates, that often found it's way into the Argent Palace's treasure chambers. The largest known goristro was ten times the size of most and known as Bjornganal. He walked around the Abyss with a small village of araneas living on his back and shoulders.

In 1486 DR, Matron Mother Quenthel Baenre successfully summoned a goristro and used it as her personal representative and soldier in Menzoberranzan.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Archmage
 * Condemnation
 * Condemnation