Hishandura

Hishandura

(Creature)

Type

Outsider
(asura, evil, extraplanar, lawful)

CR

15

Environment

Any (Hell)

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Source: Temple of the Peacock Spirit, pg(s). 82

Hishanduras are asuras created when a deity uses a servant as a scapegoat for their own crimes.

Appearance

A hishandura is a muscular creature with two vertically mirrored faces and four arms each carrying a punching dagger. Hishanduras are 13 feet tall and weigh 1,800 pounds.

History

Aeons ago, an unknown deity slighted by their own worshippers infused a champion with divine power and tasked it with teaching them a lesson. The champion obeyed the command, but when the survivors cried for mercy and expressed their doubt at how a kindly deity could slaughter them, the deity felt ashamed. Instead of admitting responsibility or healing the damage, however, the deity used the champion as a scapegoat. The people—empowered and deceived by the deity—killed the champion, who then became the first hishandura.

Ecology

Hishanduras are usually created from shades and lesser asuras who were frustrated by what they perceived as undercompensation from deities for their service. Their passion, echoing the first hishandura's mission, drives them to slaughter mortals, revel in their cries, and destroy beauty.

Abilities

Hishanduras can see through fire, smoke, and fog, smell blood and injuries, and teleport or discorporate past defences. Their punching daggers can cause terrible grief and bypass most forms of protection.

Society

Hishanduras are the most short-tempered asuras and likely to prey on mortals, but are sympathetic toward divine agents—especially behemoths—because they consider them to be tragedies in the making. Hishanduras rarely fight behemoths and often awaken dormant ones so they can watch the ensuing destruction. Long-dormant behemoths are also the most likely ones to listen to a hishandura's insistence that they have been betrayed or abandoned.

Hishanduras are impatient and do not want to be killed by paladins seeking to vindicate their blind faith, and quickly move on after destroying a target. They distrust any beings that are put above others, including the asura ranas, whom hishanduras consider to be hypocrites instead of leaders. Nevertheless, some hishanduras choose violent asura ranas like Chugarra, Chupurvagasti, and Zurapadyn as patrons because they see their teachings as truths.