Lamias (pronounced: /ˈleɪmiɑːz/ LAY-mee-az[5] or: /ˈlɑːmiɑːz/ LA-mee-az[5] or: /lɑːˈmaɪɑːz/ la-MY-ahz[5]) were dangerous monstrosities[1] that lived to bring strife and suffering into the world. They were cruel and seductive beings who lured their victims closer to doom with illusions of beauty.[2]
Description[]
A typical lamia stood over 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall, measured 8 feet (2.4 meters) long, and weighed about 650 to 700 pounds (290 to 320 kilograms). Most lamias appeared to be beautiful women from the waist up but had the bodies of powerful lions from the waist down. However, these were the weakest forms of lamia. Lamia nobles had the lower bodies of serpents, which often led to them being confused with naga, yuan-ti abominations, or medusas.[6]
The lower body of a lamia could also resemble other animals such as goats and deer. The upper body of a lamia was that of a human torso that did not have animalistic features such as scales, horns, or fur.[2]
Characteristics and Habits[]
Lamias were sinister creatures who lived in desert ruins. They sustained themselves by eating human flesh. They use a variety of abilities, including seduction, disguise, ventriloquism, illusions, mirages, mirror images and other such things, to lure, entice and confuse those who wandered into their midst into dangerous situations. When they secured their victim, they carved a feast out of them with curved daggers. Lamias did not wear any form of clothing or other adornment. They seemed devoted to chaos and destruction in their native habitats. They never ventured more than ten miles (16km) from their lairs. Lamias also had the ability to drain wisdom with their touch.[2]
Lamia society was matriarchal, believing males were good for nothing more than breeding and slave labor.[2]
Lamias sought to live in excess, surrounding themselves with beauty and slaves. They were highly sexual creatures and mated often with captured males to produce offspring.[2]
Society[]
Lamias followed the most powerful member of their community. They made their lairs within ancient ruins and abandoned cities. In these lairs, they used their illusory powers to transform the environment to appear new as if rebuilt to their former glory.[2]
One type of rarer lamia was the lamia noble. These beings ruled over other lamias and the locations they inhabited. Unlike normal lamias, they had the lower bodies of serpents. Males fought with curved swords and magic, while females only used magic. Lamia nobles were also capable of venturing further from their lairs than other lamias, and prefered to go into urbanized areas in the guise of a human to infiltrate human and demihuman societies. Lamia nobles were prone to outbursts of senseless violence. [2]
They could speak many different languages.[2]
Religion[]
The lamia of the desert of Anauroch worshiped a wide variety of gods, including some human ones, but they were seeking for a "true faith" of their own.[7]
History[]
The Demonomicon of Iggwilv claimed that the ancient obyrith Pale Night was the mother of the lamia race.[8]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
Adventures
Anauroch: The Empire of Shade • Waterdeep: Dragon Heist • Candlekeep Mysteries: "Mazfroth's Mighty Digressions"
Novels & Short Stories
Card Games
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
A Handful of Dust
Further Reading[]
- Spike Y. Jones (April 1993). “The Ecology (Love-Life) of the Lamia”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #192 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 90–96.
- Wolfgang Baur, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel (April 2007). Expedition to the Demonweb Pits. Edited by Michele Carter, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 206–207. ISBN 978-0-7869-4038-7.
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 201. ISBN 978-0786965614.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 165. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 217. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 59. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Frank Mentzer (January 1985). “Ay pronunseeAYshun gyd”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #93 (TSR, Inc.), p. 28.
- ↑ Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (November 1991). Anauroch. Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc.), p. 70. ISBN 1-56076-126-1.
- ↑ Ed Stark, James Jacobs, Erik Mona (June 13, 2006). Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 75. ISBN 0-7869-3919-2.
Giant felines: Dire lion • Dire tiger • Giant lynx
Magical felines: Cath shee • Crag cat • Elven cat • Jaguar lord • Jana-nimr • Jana-qitat • Luck eater • Sabu lord • Swamplight lynx • Tressym • Water cat
Planar felines: Fey panther • Spectral panther
Humanoids: Rakshasa • Razorclaw shifter • Tabaxi • Wemic
Outsiders: Cat lord • Displacer beast • Foo lion • Hellcat • Leomarh • Leonal
Lycanthropes: Werecat • Werecougar • Werejaguar • Wereleopard • Werelion • Werepanther • Weretiger
Undead felines: Crypt cat
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This page uses content from the Annex. The original article was at Wikipedia at Lamia (Dungeons & Dragons). The list of authors can be seen in the Annex page history. As with the Forgotten Realms Wiki, the text of the Annex is available under the GNU Free Documentation License. |