Kurshu the Undying

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Kurshu the Undying

(Creature)

Type

Outsider
(evil, extraplanar, lawful)

CR

15 (ca. 4712 AR)
10–13 (ca. 4713 AR)

Environment

Any land
(extraplanar)

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Source: Into the Nightmare Rift, pg(s). 88–89

Kurshu the Undying, once Kurshu the Divine Serpent, is the herald of the ancient Thassilonian goddess Lissala, and has been suffering since her patron vanished.

Appearance

Kurshu has a humanoid upper body, a serpentine lower body, and six feathered wings. Her upper body is scaly, and a cobra hood blends into her hair. She looks sick, and speaks in a thin, hissing voice.

Background

Kurshu claims that Lissala created her from the body parts of various creatures and gave her true life. After her patron withdrew from the world, Kurshu's body started to degenerate, and for ten millennia, she usually spent her time searching for Lissala or visiting her patron's old sacred sites.

In 4713 AR, Kurshu was called to the sanctum of Krune—the final runelord of sloth and high priest of Lissala during the last years before her withdrawal—by the Lissalan cleric Vandiana in preparation for the return of Krune. However, without outsiders to feed on, and in proximity to Krune's rune foci which draw power from outsiders, Kurshu's strength further waned.

Ecology

Due to her degeneration, Kurshu needs to eat despite being an outsider. If she does not feed at least once every few days, her body will waste away and risks fragmenting into its components; Kurshu almost reached this point once but managed to heal herself. Normally, she is accompanied by charmed outsiders that she could eat if necessary; these minions are usually daemons, demons, or proteans despite their repugnant taste, as Kurshu does not want to kill fellow lawful evil outsiders. She despises this condition, but accepts it as necessary, due to her unwillingness to die or become invalid.

Society

Kurshu is rarely summoned, due to the rarity of Lissalans in the modern age. When summoned, she usually demands payment in the form of charmed outsiders, or magic items that bear part of Lissala's power or date from Thassilon. She is knowledgeable about Thassilonian and Azlanti magic, but is unwilling of speaking about the latter, due to her fear of attracting the alghollthus responsible for Earthfall. While she resents Lissala for having abandoned her, she remains devoted to her and will continue to serve her loyally if she returns.

Kurshu is stern and courteous towards her minions, who obey and respect her, and have helped her stave off foes that attacked her with lawful magic. She is willing to kill any that try to defy her or withhold information or objects from her.