Red abishai were the most powerful type of the abishai devils. Like their true dragon counterparts, the red dragons, they had a supernatural affinity to fire and believed themselves to be Tiamat's chosen.[1][8]
Personality[]
Red abishai were as fearsome to their enemies as they were inspiring to their allies. Those around them were imbued with a courage bordering on fanaticism, making them good at rousing not only their own kind, but baatezu in general.[1]
Abilites[]
Red abishai were the bane of dragons, particularly chromatic dragons. They could supernaturally invoke Tiamat's authority to make any dragon bend to their wills, charming even powerful wyrms into viewing them as trusted friends. On the other hand, they emitted an aura of fright like those of powerful dragons that caused mortals to run in terror.[1] Their barbed tails caused terrible burns to those that they struck and when unarmed they could fight tooth and claw.[1][5] If needed, they could summon small teams of lemures to do their bidding or other abishai in the form of another red or blue abishai.[1]
Combat[]
While capable of fighting unarmed, red abishai were known to use morningstars and long daggers when engaged in combat. The bravery they inspired in others was strong enough to crush any fear, making them excellent leaders.[1][5]
Society[]
Unparalleled in terms of strength and authority, red abishai were responsible for leading not only devils but cults of Tiamat that had grown problematic. Powerful clerics of Tiamat could summon a single red abishai to come to their aid, and incredibly faithful could summon two.[3] Red abishai could communicate with a large variety of beings, and were the only type of abishai to speak Celestial.[2] In order to be given access to lemure forces to lead red abishai first had to prove their worth.[4][5]
Notable Red Abishai[]
- Arraka, the red abishai responsible for protecting the entrance of Tiamat's Lair from landbound intruders, and given the authority to call upon the practically limitless abishai living nearby. The excruciarchs working in the Maggot Pit that blocked the entrance were inconsistently protected by Arraka, more out of a desire to relieve her own boredom than any sense of loyalty to the pain devils.[3]
Appendix[]
See Also[]
Appearances[]
Adventures
Novels & Short Stories
Video Games
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
Further Reading[]
- Gary Gygax (July 1983). “From the Sorcerer's Scroll: New denizens of devildom”. In Kim Mohan ed. Dragon #75 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 8–14.
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (May 29, 2018). Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes. Edited by Kim Mohan, Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 161–163. ISBN 978-0786966240.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 James Wyatt, Rob Heinsoo (February 2001). Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn. Edited by Duane Maxwell. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 13–14. ISBN 0-7869-1832-2.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Robin D. Laws, Robert J. Schwalb (December 2006). Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells. Edited by Chris Thomasson, Gary Sarli, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 110–112. ISBN 978-0-7869-3940-4.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 J. Paul LaFountain (1991). Monstrous Compendium: Outer Planes Appendix. Edited by Timothy B. Brown. (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 1-56076-055-9.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), pp. 11–12. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Allen Varney, ed. (June 1994). Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix. (TSR, Inc.), p. 18. ISBN 978-1560768623.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Gary Gygax (August 1983). Monster Manual II 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 45. ISBN 0-88038-031-4.
- ↑ Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 99. ISBN 978-0786965614.
Connections[]
Least: Lemure • Nupperibo • Spinagon
Lesser: Abishai (Black • Blue • Green • Red • White) • Barbazu • Bueroza • Erinyes • Excruciarch • Falxugon • Ghargatula • Hamatula (Stony devil) • Kocrachon • Merregon • Osyluth • War devil • Xerfilstyx
Greater: Amnizu • Brachina • Cornugon • Gelugon • Logokron • Narzugon • Orthon • Paeliryon • Pit fiend
Baatezu of unknown rank: Advespa • Ayperobos • Dogai • Gulthir • Jerul • Remmanon
Araton • Burning devil • Fimbrul devil • Hellcat • Hellwasp • Imp (Bloodbag • Book • Euphoric • Filth) • Indwelling devil • Infernal armor animus • Kalabon • Kyton • Misfortune devil • Seared devil • Shocktroop devil • Soulrider devil • Stitched devil • Succubus • Tar devil • Vizier devil • Withering devil • Warder devil
Chromatic dragons: Black • Blue • Brown • Gray • Green • Orange • Pink • Purple • Red • Salt • White • Yellow
Gem dragons: Amethyst • Beljuril • Crystal • Emerald • Obsidian • Sapphire • Topaz • Ruby
Neutral dragons: Amber • Jacinth • Moonstone • Pearl
Lung dragons: Chiang lung • Li lung • Lung wang • Pan lung • Shen lung • T'ien lung • Tun mi lung • Yu lung
Ferrous dragons: • Cobalt • Iron
Planar dragons: Adamantine • Astral • Battle • Blight • Chaos • Ethereal • Hellfire wyrm • Howling • Mirage • Oceanus • Pyroclastic • Radiant • Rust • Shadow • Styx • Tarterian
Spelljamming dragons: Moon/lunar • Radiant • Sun/solar
Epic dragons: Force • Prismatic • Time
Catastrophic dragons: Blizzard • Earthquake • Volcanic
Miscellaneous dragons: Cobra • Dzalmus • Mist • Rattelyr • Song • Vishap
Linnorms: Corpse tearer • Dread • Stygian
Drakes: Ambush • Black firedrake • Dragonne • Elemental (Earth • Fire • Ice • Magma • Ooze • Smoke • Water) • Felldrake (Crested • Spitting) • Greater • Guard • Mind • Portal • Rage • Space • Storm • Vulture
Dragonbloods: Draconic creature • Dragonborn of Bahamut • Dragonspawn
Drow-dragon (shadow) • Drow-dragon (deep) • Half-dragon • Kobold (Dragonwrought • Urd) • Weredragon • Zar'ithra • Zekyl
Hybrid monsters: Dracimera • Dracolisk • Mantidrake • Wyvern drake