#rakshasas

[dndcreaturesinfo]

Raksashas by Conflux Creatures

[bamsara]

Doodles for Trod chap 21. Originally I wrote the confrontation/communication scene in the midst of a crusade but now it's taking place at Rakshasa's restaurant and now it's Everyone's problem

[wowieweirdwarlock]

Best Bosses: Abbhadanayla, Fiend Lord of Rakshasas

Source: Tome of Beasts 3

Image source: Tome of beasts 3, pg. 183.

“This imperious Archfiend has five heads- that of a mustachioed, blue-skinned fiend, a tiger, a crocodile, a vulture, and ape. With six arms ending in backward-facing paws, he is dressed in finest silk and seated on an ornate throne.”

In a magnificent and ornate palace perched at the top of a mountain range lives the Rakshasa Maharajah, Abbhadanayla. He has been reincarnated countless times, growing his dark power in every lifetime. He is both worshipped and reviled by other Rakshasas as the mightiest of their kind.

Gathering of Evils. Once a year, Abbhadanayla gathers all his Rakshasa servants to his lair for a massive banquet. Here, he dictates the roles his subjects will play in his plans across the multiverse, where they will steer events in his favor. After this plotting, this meeting culminates in a bloody feast for the Lord and his entourage, where dozens of mortal sacrifices are consumed.

Scheming Magician. Abbhadanayla is a master of all sorts of illusions and enchantments, and has discovered many secrets of dark Rakshasa magic through his lifetimes of poring over ancient times and dark rituals. He rarely ever leaves his sanctuary, opting instead to have his agents act as his claws out in the Great Beyond. He has eyes and ears everywhere, steering the hands of rulers and eliminating any who stand in the Rakshasa Maharajah’s way.

Hatred of Monkeys. Over many centuries, Abbhadanayla has clashed many times with the Monkey King, whom he considers his nemesis for meddling in the Lord’s plans. The first conflict between the two occurred when the Monkey King stopped an attacking army under the control of Abbhadanayla, and later the Monkey King set fire to the Lord’s palace after being captured. The Rakshasa Lord’s hatred for the a Monkey King is so great that it extends to all monkeys, and he often uses magic and trickery to depict simians suffering in any way.

Abbhadanayla’s Lair:

The Rakshasa Maharajah resides within the Sky Peak Palace, a massive citadel built directly into a mountainside, and constructed of marble, gold, and jade. He rarely leaves, and is often attended by numerous Rakshasa servants. The trail leading up to his palace is cloaked in thick snow that hides its danger, with monsters and traps plaguing the area surrounding His lair.

Occasionally, a strangely sweet vapor fills the halls of his realm, clouding the mind and making victims more vulnerable to enchantments and illusions. He can also cause psychedelic, twisting patterns to appear in the air, confusing and hypnotizing those who look upon them.

Abbhadanayla can also summon clouds of thick fog to blind those in his domain, and blizzards are often whipped up in the area around his castle. There are also clever traps hidden around the Palace, cloaked by illusions so they are harder to detect.

Some of the Maharajah’s most dramatic abilities reflect his hatred of monkeys— when he is faced with an attack, he can conjure a withered, tormented monkey that absorbs any damage dealt to him. In addition, he can conjure a massive storm of burning monkey spirits to distract and blind his enemies.

Ideas to use Abbhadanayla in your campaign:

The Party has been invited to Abbhadanayla’s annual banquet, with dozens of Rakshasas flocking to gain the Archfiend’s favor. When they get there, they discover that The Lord has a sinister request to make of them. If they refuse, they are now faces against an army of Rakshasas intent on making them dinner.

A Rakshasa keeps popping up on the Party’s radar, constantly causing to rumble for the characters. Each time it is killed, it just comes back quickly to continue its work. The party discovers that the Rakshasa is actually an agent of Abbhadanayla, who is constantly recreating it to meddle with the party and hamper their success.

A member of the party has become the owner of Abbhadanayla’s Serpent Bow, a powerful artifact that poisons anyone struck by it. Abbhadanayla is hellbent on retrieving it, sending out his agents to kill the character wielding it.

I’m not the biggest fan of Rakshasas, to be honest. They start their existences as mortals, and undergo rituals to bind their souls to the material plane, giving them the name Earthbound Evils.

Rakshasas are selfish, debauched, and hedonistic. They care only for their own desires and whims, and Abbhadanayla is the worst of them.

The Rakshasa Maharajah has lived through so many lifetimes of vile deeds, he has reached a height of power unheard of except for in the Rakshasa Immortals, the absolute height of Rakshasa-kind.

The Immortals are a story for another day, though. The Archfiend Abbhadanayla is bad enough, but if he actually obtained the immortality he desired? He’d be the one of the biggest nuisances in the Great Beyond.

Thankfully, he mostly concerns himself with decadent feasts and tormenting monkeys.

- A Weird Warlock.

[wehavekookies]

Some drawings of the City of Mist version of Mahadi 8)

Already almost died in intro session, he's doing great \o/

[shentheauthor]

Choose.

Ignore that there’s no #6 pls the template I used had a character slapped over where 6 was and I didn’t notice

[renumuro]

Rakshasa — in the distant past, there were lions, panthers, and tigers among them. Now, only common cats remain from this former great civilization.

[buriedknight]

Cut down and devour. Only those who repeat the cycle without rest can truly subvert the self and become Rakshasa.

[voidheartkisses]

Shamura being a karen

[runningwithscizzorz]

Stream doodles since Ru wouldn’t stop poking my side about my anthro height accuracy🤣

[canisalbus]

Kyara

[asmodeauxx]

she sin on.my flesh till i u,pdate

[qyuobii]

Rakshasa, please forgive me.

[dipdoodlesamuel]

Months later, and this is still my favorite frame ever

[wowieweirdwarlock]

Mighty Monsters: Rakshasas

Source: Pathfinder Bestiary 3, Monster Manual.

Image Source

“Rakshasas are born on the material plane, but they are not of it.”

Rakshasas are often called Earthbound Evils, for they are mainly found in the material plane. Many sources differ on the origin of this fiendish race, whether they were devils that sought to escape Hell or powerful evil mortals who separated their souls from their bodies with dark magic. Regardless of their origin, they are a cunning and selfish race of fiendish humanoids, taking over the bodies of mortal infants in order to live lives in the material plane. With each rebirth, a Rakshasa grows more cunning and vile.

Materialistic Evil. Rakshasas are the reincarnated souls of truly evil and selfish individuals, beings so tied to their own lives and worlds that they refuse to pass on after one life. Rakshasas are created from hedonistic and greedy tyrants, so obsessed with their own pleasure and desires that they come back to life to relive them. In their fiendish lives, Rakshasas take new forms to represent their base, animalistic desires, and are even more driven in their single-minded pursuit of power.

Feral Forms. Bestial features are common amongst Rakshasas, with animalistic heads representing the true personality of the Rakshasa. Some rakshasas take other forms depending on their rank and power, but the most common Rakshasa is humanoid with a bestial head, and backwards-facing palms. Most Rakshasas hide their backwards joints and feral traits with illusions and disguises in order to better increase their influence and prevent suspicion.

Birth, Death and Rebirth. Rakshasas cannot procreate with their own kind, and for new Rakshasas to be born, they must either be transformed from an evil mortal or created from the union of a Rakshasa and a mortal. After a Rakshasa is slain in the material realm, their spirit is expelled from their body. In order to rise again, it must possess a newborn mortal, transforming them into a fiend. Rakshasas live multiple lives like this, going through reincarnation cycles of depravity and evil. The more power a Rakshasa obtains in their lifetime, the stronger they are in the next incarnation. Should a Rakshasa fail in their lifetime, they often come back in a weaker body, or are unable to obtain a body at all and must escape into an object. Mortal infants that survive being the host for a Rakshasa often become Tieflings with rakshasa blood.

Masters and Servants. Rakshasas believe everything has a place in the multiverse, and that they are destined to be tyrannical rulers. Rakshasas have a strict caste-based society, creatures of higher rank are to be respected and obeyed and creatures of lower rank are to be abused and ruled over. There are seven castes in the Rakshasa worldview, increasing in power:

Pagala (Traitors)

Goshta (Food)

Adhura (Novice)

Darshaka (Servant)

Paradeshi (Kin)

Hakima (Lord)

Samrata (Lord of Lords)

All beings in the multiverse have a place in the caste system, but only a true Rakshasa may rise above Darshaka.

Distain of Religion. Rakshasas acknowledge the existence and power of the Gods, but don’t see them as worth worship. Since Rakshasas rarely experience the afterlife, and they view themselves as the highest-ranking beings in existence, there is simply no need for a Rakshasa to bow to a god. Each Rakshasa views itself as a god in their own way, citing their reincarnation as simply the first step in their potential for greatness.

Powerful bodies. The transformation into bestial fiends grants Rakshasas incredible strength and prowess, and they are easily able to bully mortals into serving them. Their animalistic forms often grant them sharp claws or fangs, and their skin is impervious to most damage. Ironically, holy weapons are capable of piercing the flesh of a Rakshasa and doing more substantial damage, adding even more reason behind their hatred of the Gods. As a result of this weakness, Rakshasas often use magic to disguise themselves in order to defy enemies, especially in lands where Rakshasas are well-known.

Cunning minds. All Rakshasas are gifted with sharp intellects, and they are constantly thinking up ways to gain more power. They are consummate liars and manipulators, capable of turning even the most intelligent and stoic enemies to their sides. When their silver tongues and quick wit fail them, Rakshasas often fall onto their potent magical abilities to manipulate others. Their incredible ambition often puts them in positions of power, where they can manipulate from behind the scenes. Wealthy landowners, royal advisors, and nobles alike could all be Rakshasas in disguise, ever-climbing the social ladder to gain more influence.

Shadow magic. Lifetimes as fiends often expose Rakshasas to magic, and they take to arcane pursuits naturally. Their incredible intelligence lends itself usefully to learning magic, and Rakshasas favor enchantment and illusion in order to suit their schemes. Even the lowliest Rakshasa knows a few minor spells that can help them in a pinch. Some of the most powerful Rakshasa Spellcasters have even created their own magical system, known as Shadowflesh. Shadowflesh magic involves creating horribly life-like illusions out of living shadow, which Rakshasas can use to deceive, intimidate, or manipulate others.

Pursuit of Immortality. All Rakshasas endlessly pursue power, but the cycles of death and rebirth can often be a nuisance. Many a Rakshasa have found themselves at the culmination of their plans before being struck down, forced to restart in a different body. Only the most powerful and vile of Rakshasa-kind actually find a way to break their spirits away from mortality entirely. These beings are known as Rakshasa Immortals. They truly cannot die, and can only be defeated momentarily before reclaiming their old lives. These Immortals rule over all other Rakshasas, and are considered above even the caste system itself. Each Immortal bothers themself only with their own desires and satisfaction, so most Rakshasa Immortals are content with their current schemes and debauched activities.

Ideas for using Rakshasas in your campaign:

A long-term Rakshasa enemy of the party is finally about to achieve what every Rakshasa dreams of— true immortality. He has devised a ritual to ascend to Rakshasa Immortal status, and the party must intercede before he completes it.

A wealthy patron of the party sends them out on multiple adventures in order to aid them. Later on, the party discovers they are actually a Greater Rakshasa in disguise, who is using the party as a tool to cement their power.

The party saved an NPC in distress, who promises to repay the favor someday. The NPC is a Rakshasa in disguise, and the act of aiding them has promoted the Party in the caste system. Now, Rakshasas from around the land view the party as competitors, and are seeking their downfall.

An NPC ally of the party has just had a child! Unfortunately, the infant is undergoing incredibly strange transformations. It is revealed that the child is possessed by a Rakshasa, and the party must find an Inquisitor or Cleric powerful enough to expel the fiend before the possession becomes permanent.

Rakshasas are a particularly dangerous threat. Not only are they incredibly intelligent and strong, but they possess incredible magical prowess.

The most inconvenient thing about facing Rakshasas is their patience. Death is merely an inconvenience for many rakshasas, who are living a constant cycle of reincarnation, so they truly have all the time in the world to get even with others.

Any who cross one of these Earthbound Evils must be prepared for an enemy who will devote multiple lifetimes to bringing you down.

- A Weird Warlock,

[wehavekookies]

A little sneak peek of a City of Mist Mahadi picture i'm super slowly working on. Taking the man for some adventures in the modern world soon :)

Posting a wip because hooo boi this will take time and i wanna show him off already lol.

[noxer]

Arthropod squad I just like them, I think they look funny together