thecreaturecodex:

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“Sadist toad thing” © Russel Jones. Accessed at ArtStation here

[One thing I don’t really get about Pathfinder. Several of their outsider categories, like div, asura, oni and kami, are based on some aspect of world mythology. But then all of the individual examples are completely made up for the game. Isn’t it worth tapping into the legends for specific divs, oni, etc?

Edit. Thanks to @wannabedemonlord for pointing out that most of PFRPG’s divs are drawn directly from Zoroastrian sources. Consider this, then, an expansion of the class from religious sources specifically to regional folklore generally.]

Div,
Dulhath

This
squat humanoid has a broad face and is marked with warts and wrinkles. Its legs
are short and its arms are huge and muscular.

A dulhath is one of the divs, evil
outsiders that represent forces of corruption and destruction. Dulhaths
specifically seek to corrupt hospitality and other social norms, and are the
ultimate bad guests. Through trickery, disguise or mind-altering magic, a
dulhath seeks to inveigle its way into the company of others before demanding food,
treasure and blood. A dulhath delights in accelerating the pace and scale of
its demands to torment and vex its hosts before inevitably murdering them. Dulhaths
are excellent swimmers, and are frequently found near water when on the
Material Plane, haunting oases, desert islands or masquerading as a castaway in
order to board a ship.

In combat, dulhaths are sadistic
opponents, toying with their enemies and drawing out their suffering to its
maximum. Most dulhaths prefer to fight from the backs of an animal or
monster—these poor creatures usually die after a short while in the dulhath’s
custody. A dulhath without a real creature to ride can conjure a magical
phantom to carry it great distances. Oddly, these phantom steeds always take
the form of ostriches or other flightless birds.

Dulhaths are notoriously talkative,
and this can be used against them. They will gladly explain in great detail
their powers and abilities if asked, and will boast of their previous
accomplishments to no end. This distractibility, in combination with the
dulhath’s inherent sadism, typically gives the creature’s victims time to plot
an escape or counterattack, or to attract the attention of a potential rescuer.

A dulhath stands between four and
five feet tall, but is heavy for a humanoid of its size.

Keep reading

Dulhaths get along well with Likvit due to their treacherous ways, and are occasionally employed by his faithful. Their fondness for targeting ships makes them enemies of Talassa’s faith, however. Their phantom steeds always take the form of axe beaks.