Vlitherax (Type I demon)

Vlitherax (Type I demon)

Alien avian

The (type I) vulture demon primarily is known as the errand creature for its betters, sent forth to cross material and planar boundaries to snatch desired life forms, and sometimes summoned up as particularly vile mounts by abyssal inclined witches and wizards. .

This immense creature has two broad wings of partially feathered, semi-reptilian appearance, the craned neck and head of a vulture, two powerful hind legs that dangle behind in flight like a bee, each ending in sharp triple toed talons   The spotty and blotchy texture of the mottled skin-scale=feathers combination, as well as it’s irregularities of shape and colour often lead to this creature being mistaken for undead at even medium distances.

Vlitherax Init +2 ; Atk Beak +3 melee (2d6+2 and DC 12 Fort save v disease) and/ claw +1 melee (1d6+2 ea);

AC 14; HD 5d8 hp 32 or MV 10’ or 60’; Act 1d20; SP Demonic traits, Stinger, cross planar boundaries and Seek Target (See below)x; SV Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +1; AL Chaotic.

Special Attacks

Stinger +5 attack (DC23 Fort save or be immediately paralyzed; death via heart & respiratory failure on fumble)

 Special Abilities

Demonic Traits (infravision, darkness, crit range 20; half damage from non-magical weapons and fire)

Cross planar boundaries  (cannot do so on it’s own without being given instruction from higher power), then limited to immediate point of transit and back.  

Seek Target - fundamental to its planar crossing ‘ability’ is the ability bred into the creatures to imprint on a desired being in order to be able to seek it out.   It’s not as effective as it sounds as they are not that smart but it works enough that the shotgun approach works in most cases.

Secret Stinger's physiognomy

Deeply hidden within the thickest of it’s feathers, just inside the leg of it’s left leg is a  small semi retractable stinger, containing an extraordinarily potent paralytic that it uses to subdue its prey for capture and return flight. The stinger, which relaxes, strikes, and is immediately withdrawn is hard to see; those few who have reported a four or so foot tongue-like tendril with a blistery bone hook at the end.   THe poison is not actually poison but toxic spores which regularly build up on the stinger=tendril and clump on the bone hook itself

History -

Believed originally not to have been demonic at all but a surviving scavenger species from the Galaxy of Black Stars, brought to the abyssal realms and cultivated over successive generations.  Their former capacity to roam the interstellar void by traveling in vast flocks through hyperspace has been perverted to allow them in small numbers to be sent to the material planes and otherwise on missions of acquisition and capture.

Possessed of only a rough intelligence and a somewhat blunted cunning, they are nonetheless of doggest persistence when their prey is involved.  

Why is the Vlitherax here?

A patron demon lord or other power has dispatched the thing to fetch forth a nearby mortal of unusual power or purity - perhaps one destined to become a paladin or great holy figure?  Or one with a great potential for celestial magicks?  Can it be stopped and if not, do they try to follow?

2. This is a craftier sort - it seems as above but in fact this is a dodge on behalf of some fell power to fetch forth heroes from the mortal plane for some dark reason of it’s own.   Either they will be attacked directly or they will be in for a surprise thinking they are rescuing some princess, for example.   Where do the fell birds try to take them?     (Stuck for ideas 1 the Crimson Hell 2 Dante’s inferno 3. Land of Hades 4. The infinite pit of the abyss  5. A random hex in pandemonium 6. The courts of chaos 7.  The Eternal Wicked City  8.  The blasted wastelands of cancer  9.   The Screaming Kingdom of 7000 Skins Being Stretched At Once  10. Ultor-Fehl, the Final Shadow of Total Despair)

3. The creature is one of several bound by task or spell to a great evil sorcerer of a far away land, they have been sent east (or south or whatever) to gather the particular spell components (read: sacrifices) needed for a Ritual of Power.  Favored local npcs, pets, horses, or the like can be targets.  Or, of course, one or more characters themselves.

4.  There is a flash and the clash of arms and then a fiery column rains down from the sky a mile distant.   Investigation sees the charred semi intact corpse of the  Vlitherax , its hind claws still clutching a cast iron cage in a death grip, though the door is open, and tracks ….. Go that way.  Who or what managed to escape?  Will you go after them?

5.   The creature is one of a small flight of them (roll a d20) - a demon lord or such has determined that an ancient weapon of great power lay somewhere in the area - they are tasked with covering a search area of (5d00) miles, so they will not be grouped as such.  But this will be noticed. What are they seeking?

6.   An extraordinarily rare occurrence - one of the greater demons has tasked a named servitor demon of their court to take this being and hide a powerful item of good - a relic, the remains of a saint, or some advanced scientific knowledge, hopefully somewhere far and somewhere obscure.  Enter the PCs