Shemhazian

Shemhazians are demons that even other demons fear.  The description and the artwork(!) in the Bestiary 2 pretty much sum it up: “the worst aspects of a bear, a mantis, a wolf, and a reptilian humanoid,” all rolled into a demon that likes to devour other demons—and mortals as well, naturally.

Speaking of which, this is definitely not a demon that will sit on the sidelines.  Almost all of its most potent abilities are bursts or rely on proximity—blasphemy, mass inflect serious wounds, paralyzing gaze, and strength drain in particular.  Typical tactics for a shemhazian are to invisibly fly or greater teleport into the middle of a party and begin laying waste with burst effects and then its vicious bite/claw/claw/pincer/pincer/tail slap combo.

If there’s one salvation for unlucky parties, it’s that shemhazians are not that smart (only Int 10).  They also hate (and are hated in return by) pretty much every other demon, which might offer opportunities for parties to create a diversion (or it could mean the party winds up fighting two demons at once). 

Finally, there’s the issue of the souls from whence shemhazians spring.  If there’s one thing that “the sinful souls of torturers and those who enjoyed mutilating living victims to death” have in common, it’s the desire to prolong their victims’ agonies.  A shemhazian’s natural inclination to draw out the proceedings and mentally monologue (via telepathy) to its prey might even override the Wis 26 check telling it it should know better…

Oh wait, one more note: Even conjurors have to beware shemhazians.  Ultimate Magic points out the prices these demons set: “when their service is done, they get to kill and devour the binder. [...] Sometimes they demand the life of the binder's family or friends as well.”  The summoner willing to agree to such a bargain must be desperate indeed.

A world-famous ranger, a supreme inquisitor, and a shemhazian have a bet to see who is the better hunter.  Their quarry is a well-known paladin—and if her allies get in the way, that just adds to the sport.

Trapped by Abyssal zookeepers, a party of adventurers thinks they are on their way to become xacarba or fiendish froghemoth food.  But on their way through the mazelike dungeon one of the demonic orderlies, a creature nearly as monstrous as the zoo’s inmates, suddenly decapitates the zookeepers and addresses the party in gleeful, familiar tones.  The shemhazian turns out to be the reborn soul of a sadistic jailor they dispatched early in their careers, and the recently promoted demon is eager to settle the score.

Captured by a sadistic cloud giant, a conjuror has his limbs removed and boiled in front of him every few days (when they are not simply devoured raw).  An experimental torc of regeneration he had been working on has kept him alive, but the spoiled troll blood used in the original binding is slowly is turning hidownload last week’s showm into a tumorous, pudding-like creature.  Thus his desire to summon a shemhazian: In his agony, being devoured one final time seems like a blessing, even if he has to sacrifice his family as well…

—Pathfinder Bestiary 2 80

Since I was late posting it this week, just wanted to remind you that today is your last chance to download last week’s show before midnight strikes.  I will probably not be spinning tomorrow, but possibly later in the week.  If I do, I’ll let you know.