Mordukhavar the Reaver |
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Sages speak of Mordukhavar in whispers. Reputed to be the offspring of Tiamat and one of the Dark Eight, the two-headed Mordukhavar is one of the most powerful abominations ever to climb from the pits of Baator. The creature's wings are powerful, batlike appendages with wicked claws, and its thick tail ends in a cruel barb.
Combat: Mordukhavar prefers close combat, as it enjoys rending flesh and shattering bone. Like its pit fiend cousins, Mordukhavar can attack six times per round, dividing its attacks between six different opponents. Mordukhavar attacks with its scaly wings (1-6 points of damage), its razor-sharp claws (2-16 points of damage), its terrible bite (3-36 points of damage), and its wyvernlike tail (1-10 points of damage). Those truck by its physical attacks must make a successful saving throw vs. poison or fall into a coma in 1d4 rounds. (Slow poison retards the onset of the coma by another 2d6 rounds, and neutralize poison nullifies the effect entirely.)
Mordukhavar has two powerful breath weapons, each from one of its heads. The first, from the right head, is a devastating gout of hellfire 5 feet wide and 55 feet long, and it causes 22d10 points of damage to creatures caught within the area of effect. The second, from the left head, is a spray of corrosive acid 5 feet wide at its point of origin, 45 feet long, and 15 feet wide at its base; it causes 20d8 points of damage and forces all items to make appropriate saving throws. Victims of either breath weapon can make a successful saving throw vs. breath weapon to reduce damage by half. Failure against the corrosive spray indicates that the acid completely destroys the items in question. Damage inflicted to either head counts only against Mordukhavar's total hit points, but neutralizing one or both heads by magic or other means reduces the number of breath weapon attacks or eliminates the dragon's breath weapons entirely.
Mordukhavar can also employ the following spell-like abilities, once per round at will: advanced illusion, animate dead, charm person, detect invisibility, detect magic, fireball, hold person, improved invisibility, infravision, know alignment, polymorph self, produce flame, pyrotechnics, suggestion, symbol (pain), teleport without error, and wall of fire. It can also wield Wizard and Priest spells at the 14th level of ability. Once per day, the creature can polymorph itself into the form of a 30'-tall pit fiend.
Mordukhavar is immune to poison, acid, and fire (both magical and nonmagical), and it suffers half damage from cold-based and gaseous attacks. Only weapons of +3 or greater enchantment can damage this creature, and it regenerates 3 hit points per round. Finally, Mordukhavar can gate in six lesser baatezu or three greater baatezu. As a last resort, it has a 65% chance to summon an avatar of Tiamat to aid it in battle.
Habitat/Society: Seemingly ignored by the Lords of the Nine and distrusted by almost all of the Dark Eight, Mordukhavar moves between the Nine Layers of Baator, gathering information and making deals on behalf of Tiamat. Recently, Mordukhavar received command of a large detachment of baatezu with orders to fight in the Blood War. If this is true, then Tiamat has certainly entered the conflict between Law and Chaos - but for what purpose?
Mordukhavar's recent commission is sure to unsettle members of the Dark Eight. A few successes on the battlefield, and it could find itself the newest member of the ruling Pit Fiends of Baator - an incident sure to raise Tiamat's influence in Hell.
Ecology: Mordukhavar clearly holds some close connection with Tiamat. If the creature is really the offspring of the Chromatic Dragon and one of the Eight, then the baatezu now possess one of the most powerful weapons in the Blood War.
Occasionally, Mordukhavar answers the summons of an evil Wyrm or Great Wyrm as a representative of Tiamat. Such visitations to the Prime Material Plane are rare, but they usually involve the long-term plans of the Chromatic Dragon.