The Ghazneths by Mage of Sembia.


Little more than a year ago, King Azoun IV nearly fell to the plot of a would-be usurper, and out of those troubles have risen seven new-and far greater-dangers to the realm: the scourges of Alaundo?s prophecy. They come in the form of the ghazneths, shadowy phantoms who sustain themselves on magic and spread devastation over the land.
Once important personages in the realms, the ghazneths have all betrayed Cormyr and suffered terribly for it. Their bitterness has twisted them into dark creatures bent on the destruction of the land they once served. Five hearken from the past-one older than the kingdom itself-and one is from the present. The seventh will rise soon to herald the doom of a realm.
All ghazneths absorb magic they contact. To do so, they must touch a magical item or be the target of an item or spell and remain in contact for one round for each level of the spell or item. Magical items are considered to have the following levers:
Charged magical items: 5 levels per charge remaining;
?Permanent? magical items: 100 levels per ability possessed;
Use of any magical item?s ability against a ghazneth: 5 levels per use.
Spells that expire in fewer rounds than level are absorbed instantly, but the ghazneth remains stunned 1 round per spell level. A ghazneth can store one level of magic for each year of age.
After absorbing a level of magic, ghazneth can expend it as noted in its original description. Ghazneths temporarily depleted of magic cannot use their special powers, but they can still fly, fight, and move normally.
Death means nothing to the ghazneths. They simply exist, and whether they are alive or dead does not affect their abilities, statistics, or personalities. Five are dead already (and can be turned as undead, but not destroyed). If raised, they simply become living ghazneths. Similarly, if a living ghazneth is killed, it simply becomes undead.
A ghazneth reduced to 0 hit points automatically regenerates as many hit points as possible and flees. If it has no magic available, it lies dormant for 13 hours, absorbing one level of magic directly from Toril?s Magic Weave. The ghazneth can do this even if its ?dead? body has been destroyed, disintegrated, and/ or otherwise dispersed. The only way to keep them out for longer is to place them in a dead magic zone, or likewise have magic taken away from them. However, if they are placed outside of the dead magic zone, they may begin trying to regenerate again. Ghazneths are proficient with all simple and martial weapons.




Suzara the Scold
Medium-Size Undead
Hit Dice: 110 hp, for spells that need to know the creatures HD, use 14 (such as turning)
Initiative: +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 60 ft, fly 90 ft. (average)
AC: 24 (+3 Dex, +11 magic)
Attacks: Bite+13 melee, 2 claws+13 melee
Damage: Bite 1d6+7, claw 1d4+7
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Immunities, Magic Absorbing, Regeneration 11, Undead Traits
Saves: Fort + 13, Ref+18, Will+17
Abilities: Str 25, Dex 17, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 12
Skills: Balance+5, Disguise+10, Diplomacy+6, Hide+6, Jump+6, Listen+6, Move Silently+7, Search+7, Sense Motive+5, Spot+8, Tumble+5, Wilderness Lore+4
Feats: Flyby Attack, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Expertise, Improved Initiative, Track
Climate/Terrain: Cormyr and surrounding lands
Organization: Solitary, or band (2-7 with the others being ghazneth)
Challenge Rating: 21
Treasure: Only one non-magical weapon at most, and a dress and non-magical golden necklace with a small ruby in it (worth 250 gp.)
Alignment: always neutral evil
Advancement: None

From a distance, Suzara the Scold resembles a beggar in a ragged cape and huge tattered hood. Suzara is the Scourge of Blight, and her true appearance reflects her status as the most dangerous of all ghazneths. She is tall and skeletal, with a pair of leathery black wings and a mane of course hair often mistaken for the aforementioned cape and hood. Her red eyes cannot be said to glow, but they are always visible, giving her an otherworldly look.
Suzara the Scold was once Suzara Obarskyr, wife to Ondeth Obarskyr (founder of Cormyr). Never fond of life in the wilderness, Suzara became a ghazneth more than 1,300 years ago after abandoning her husband and eldest son in the city named for her (Suzail) to return to a less toilsome life in Impiltur.
Suzara has spent the last 1,300 years alone in a cramped tomb, feeding on the bitterness she bore Ondeth for dragging her away from her comfortable life in Impiltur. Recently freed, she is now actively working to destroy her husband?s legacy. She especially enjoys taking long walks through Cormyr?s more remote regions, spreading blight and disease through the croplands. One the rare occasions when she feels the need of the company, she joins her fellow ghazneths in a small keep they have constructed on the edge of the Farsea Marsh.
COMBAT
Not one to seek out combat, Suzara is nevertheless quite capable of defending herself. When pressed, she prefers to slash opponents with her talonlike nails and bite with her teeth. Suzara?s primary weapon is her power to blight. See the magic absorbing ability for details on how she uses this power.
Immunities (Ex): Suzara the Scold is immune to all weapons except if the weapon strikes her with iron. Otherwise, she is immune to the damage.
Magic Absorbing (Ex): Like all ghazneths, Suzara feeds on magic. When she is not spreading her blight or aiding her fellow ghazneths in terrorizing Cormyr, she hunts magic. At approximately 1,360 years of age, she can hold up to 1,360 levels. During any round in which she is not flat-footed, Suzara can forgo her attacks and allow her opponent the first action. If the opponent casts a spell at her, she may take refuge behind a wing and negate the affects of the spell while still absorbing its levels. She suffers the full effects of any spell striking her body, but only as long as it takes to absorb the spell levels.
For each level she expends, she can:
1. Detect magic up to 136 miles away for one day; or
2. For one full-round action, automatically cause all crops within 136 yards of her to contact a fungal disease and die within 1d10 days; or
3. Regenerate 11 hit points; or
4. Cause any one inanimate object of no more than 1,100 pounds to rot, crumble, or rust away within 1d10 rounds. Magical items are likewise consumed.
5. Cause any one living being she touches to make a successful fortitude saving throw (DC 20) or age 10 years.
Note that the first two powers are automatic; as long as Suzara has any magic levels available, she must expend them to keep these powers active.
Undead: Immune to mind-influencing affect, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage. Suzara the Scold can be turned, but not destroyed.


Appearance: For those that do not have Dragon Annual #4, here is what she looks like: a very woman with skin that is gray. Her hands end with claws, and her face is fierce, with long teeth and red eyes. Her face is also somewhat deformed. She wears a black dress, but nothing on her legs or feet. She has long, black hair that almost reaches her knees, and two big dark purple bat wings sprouting from her back, looking much like a fey?ri?s from Monster?s of Faer?n. There is a tear in her dress, coming from about 2 fifths of the way to the knee from the waist, which comes all the way down to the bottom. Her dress also has many other tears, no collar, but has short but wide sleeves. Her toenails are long, but not as long as her claws. She wears a necklace, like said above.






Boldovar the Mad
Medium-Size Undead
Hit Dice: 100 hp, for spells that need to know the creatures HD, use 13 (such as turning)
Initiative: +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 60 ft, fly 90 ft. (average)
AC: 25 (+2 Dex, +13 magical)
Attacks: Bite +13 melee, 2 claws +13 melee
Damage: Bite 1d6+6, claws 1d6+6
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Immunities, Magic Absorbing, Regeneration 10, Undead Traits
Saves: Fort + 15, Ref+18, Will+10
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 14
Skills: Balance+5, Disguise+7, Hide+6, Jump+6, Listen+6, Move Silently+7, Search+7, Sense Motive+5, Spot+8, Tumble+5, Wilderness Lore+4
Feats: Flyby Attack, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Track
Climate/Terrain: Cormyr and surrounding lands
Organization: Solitary, or band (2-7 with the others being ghazneth)
Challenge Rating: 20
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: None

A squat man-thing with enormous crimson eyes and filthy black skin, Boldovar the Mad is the Scourge of Darkness. He has a pair of leathery wings and a wild halo of spiky hair. His nose is huge and veined from too much drink, and the gaping hollow in his unkempt beard can be identified as a mouth only by its four yellow fangs and red wagging tongue. Boldovar delights in running around nude, shaking his pot belly at attractive women and displaying his unspeakable collection of parasites to impressionable young children.
Boldovar the Mad was once King Boldovar, a raving lunatic who exulted in hurling his paramours off the castle walls. He became a ghazneth 1,120 years ago after becoming entangled with a victim and being dragged off the roof of Faerlthann?s Keep. It is a well-kept secret that he survived the fall; his royal magician quickly spirited the mad king away and placed a worthier monarch on the throne. How Boldovar escaped his isolated mountain prison is a mystery even to him.
After spending the last 1,100 years in his tomb, Boldovar is ready for some fun. Although he will (somewhat reluctantly) cooperate with his fellow ghazneths, he prefers to spend his time spreading terror and mental illness through the cities of Cormyr.
COMBAT
Boldovar revels in combat, attacking either with the most exotic weapon available or his own teeth and talons. He gives no consideration to efficiency and often seems to prefer the slower method.
During any round in which he has the initiative, Boldovar can forgo his attacks and allow his opponent the first action. If the opponent casts a spell at him, he can take refuge behind a wing and negate the affects of the spell while still absorbing its levels. He suffers the normal effects of any spell striking his body, but only for as long as it takes to absorb the spell levels. Boldovar?s most effective weapon is his ghazneth power, delusion.
Immunities (Ex): Boldovar the Mad is immune to all weapons except if the weapon strikes him with iron. Otherwise, he is immune to the damage.
Magic Absorbing (Ex): Boldovar craves magic as gluttons crave food. When not terrorizing hapless victims or turning housewives against their husbands, he is out hunting magic. At approximately 1,120 years of age, he can store up to 1,120 levels.
For each level he expends, she can:
1. Detect magic up to 112 miles away for one day; or
2. For 1 turn, cause every intelligent being within 112 yards to misinterpret events in the worst possible light, or;
3. Regenerate 10 hit points; or
4. Create a circle of darkness 112 feet in diameter; or
5. Cast one level worth of spells, selected from any spell in the Illusion school of magic (For example, a 3rd level spell requires an expenditure of three spell levels) as an 11th level illusionist; or
6. Delusion: Force any intelligent being he touches to make a wisdom check (DC 15). Failure indicates the being has gone insane, as the spell insanity, as cast by an 11th level wizard.
Undead: Immune to mind-influencing affect, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage. Boldovar the Mad can be turned, but not destroyed.


Appearance: For those that do not have Dragon Annual #4, here is what he looks like: Basically what was said in paragraph except this: his eyes are bright red, and he does not have much hair on the top of his head. His ears are very small, yet his nose and tongue are big. His limbs are fat, and he his mustache goes all the way around his mouth. His four fangs are all on the top of his mouth, and his tongue is long.




Merendil the Bloody
Medium-Size Undead
Hit Dice: 90 hp, for spells that need to know the creatures HD, use 12 (such as turning)
Initiative: +5 (+1 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: 50 ft, ft 75 ft. (poor)
AC: 24 (+1 Dex, +2 natural, +11 magical)
Attacks: Bite +11 melee, 2 claws +11 melee, short sword+11 melee or scimitar+11 melee.
Damage: Bite 1d6+5, claws 1d6+5, short sword 1d6+5 or scimitar 1d6+5
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Immunities, Magic Absorbing, Regeneration 9, Undead Traits
Saves: Fort + 13, Ref+14, Will+16
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 18, Cha 14
Skills: Balance+5, Diplomacy+7, Hide+6, Jump+6, Listen+6, Move Silently+3, Search+5, Sense Motive+5, Spot+4, Tumble+3, Wilderness Lore+4, Intimidate+4, Bluff+3
Feats: Flyby Attack, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Track
Climate/Terrain: Cormyr and surrounding lands
Organization: Solitary, or band (2-7 with the others being ghazneth)
Challenge Rating: 19
Treasure: None
Alignment: always lawful evil
Advancement: None

Merendil the Bloody is the Scourge of War. Her appearance seems a grotesque fusion of woman and insect, with a powerful torso, tiny waist, and a pair of huge wasp-like wings. She has smoky black hair, blazing white eyes, and stick-thin limbs that fold like those of a praying mantis. When viewed closely, Merendil?s face can assume the visage of a handsome noblewoman about 60 years old.
Merendil the Bloody used to be Lady Ryndala Merendil, the matriarch of a powerful, early Cormyrean noble family. She became a ghazneth approximately 994 years ago, shortly after fleeing Cormyr because of a failed assassination she had organized against Prince Azoun I.
Merendil has spent 994 years in her tomb, plotting vengeance on the Obarskyr line and laying plans to succeed where she failed in the year 376 DR. She considers it a sign from the gods of wickedness that the current king bears the same name as the young prince she failed to assassinate. Of all the ghazneths, she is the most resolute and rational, and she often serves as a sort of leader among equals.
COMBAT
AS the Scourge of War, Merendil is always ready for a fight-and the bloodier, the better. She seeks to kill in the most lethal manner possible, often combining a weapon with hand-to-hand combat. One of her favorite tactics is to impale a victim on the talons of one hand, strike with a short sword or scimitar carried in the other, then tear into the victim?s neck with her powerful yellow fangs. She is so practiced at this method that if she takes a victim by surprise, he or he automatically suffers full damage from all three attacks (no attack roll required).
During any round in which she has the initiative, Merendil can forgo her attacks and allow her opponent the first action. If the opponent casts a spell at her, she can take refuge behind a wing and negate the effects of the spell, while still absorbing its levels. She suffers the full effects of any spell striking her body only for as long as it takes to absorb the spell levels. Merendil always uses this ability when facing a spell caster. Merendil?s favorite weapon is her power of blood lust.
Immunities (Ex): Merendil the Bloody is immune to all weapons except if the weapon strikes her with iron. Otherwise, she is immune to the damage.
Magic Absorbing (Ex): Merendil spends at least a quarter of every day hunting fresh sources of magic. At 994 years of age, she can store up to 994 levels.
For each level she expends, she can:
1. Detect magic up to 99 miles for one day; or
2. For one turn, automatically cause all intelligent beings within 99 yards of her to make a successful Wisdom check (DC 15) or attack any adversary in sight; or:
3. Regenerate 9 hit points; or
4. Incite one intelligent being to murder a specified person (once each day, the victim or this power can make a successful Intelligence check (DC 15) to resist this urge for 24 hours); or:
5. Incite all intelligent beings within 99 feet to make a successful Wisdom check (DC 15) or begin rioting and looting the nearest settlement.
Undead: Immune to mind-influencing affect, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage. Merendil the Bloody can be turned, but not destroyed.







Melineth the Grasping
Medium-Size Undead
Hit Dice: 80 hp, for spells that need to know the creatures HD, use 11 (such as turning)
Initiative: +4 (Improved Initiative)
Speed: 50 ft, fly 75 ft. (average)
AC: 23 (+13 magical)
Attacks: Bite +11 melee, 2 claws +11 melee
Damage: Bite 1d4+4, claws 1d4+4
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Immunities, Magic Absorbing, Regeneration 8, Undead Traits
Saves: Fort +10, Ref+12, Will +13
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 14
Skills: Balance+5, Disguise+7, Hide+5, Jump+5, Listen+5, Move Silently+5, Search+5, Sense Motive+4, Spot+5, Tumble+2, Wilderness Lore+4
Feats: Flyby Attack, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Track
Climate/Terrain: Cormyr and surrounding lands
Organization: Solitary, or band (2-7 with the others being ghazneth)
Challenge Rating: 18
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: None
Melineth the Grasping is a powerful-looking figure with a broad chest, hulking shoulders, and long, gangling arms. His face is blocky and ruggedly handsome despite a flat, orcish nose, thick jutting brow, and three dark goat horns curling up from his hairline. He has a robust build and clear skin. Only his scabrous wings and rancid black breath hint at his true nature as the Scourge of Pestilence.
Melineth the Grasping was once Melineth Turcasson, father-in-law to King Duar. Melineth became a ghazneth sometime after 429 DR, when he took advantage of his son-in-law?s trust to sell the entire city of Suzail for 500 sacks of gold.
Having spent the last 938 years alone in a small tomb crammed with 500 sacks of gold, Melineth is determined to avail himself of more comfortable surroundings. He is currently searching for an out-of-the-way keep where he can store his wealth and rest in comfort. A miser and loner, he does not enjoy the company of his fellow ghazneths and cooperates with them only because they?ll steal his gold if he doesn?t.
COMBAT
Melineth is more than willing to fight-provided he stands to gain something. He usually tries to secure an advantage over his foes, attacking from the air or using his power to disorient and weaken them.
During any round in which he has the initiative, Melineth can allow his opponent the first action. If the opponent casts a spell at him, he can take refuge behind a wing and negate the effects of the spell while still absorbing its levels. He suffers the full effects of any spell striking him in the body, though only for as long as it takes to absorb the spell levels. Melineth?s primary weapon is the power of Pestilence.
Immunities (Ex): Melineth the Grasping is immune to all weapons except if the weapon strikes him with iron. Otherwise, he is immune to the damage.
Magic Absorbing (Ex): Melineth covets magic almost as much as he covets gold and passes every day searching for both. At 938 years of age, he can store up to 938 levels.
For every level he expends, he can:
1. Detect magic up to 94 miles away for one day; or
2. For one turn, automatically cause any creature within 94 yards to make a Constitution Check (DC 15) or fall ill; or
3. Regenerate 8 hit points; or
4. Render any creature within 9 yards of himself instantly infirm; such beings fall into a feverish torpor, cannot perform even the simplest acts for themselves, and must be cared for by someone else. Victims must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10) every hour or die. This can be removed by wish.
5. Cause any body part he touches to wither; touched victims must make a successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 15), failure indicating the touched area withers and cannot be employed for any purpose. If a cure disease is not cast on the affected area within 24 hours, it becomes permanently useless (unless restored by a regenerate spell). If the area touched is the chest, neck, or head, the victims dies within 1d6 rounds unless attended to by a cleric or person with healing proficiencies (DC 10)
Undead: Immune to mind-influencing affect, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage. Melineth the Grasping can be turned, but not destroyed.

Appearance: He has blonde hair in addition to what was mentioned earlier




Luthax the Fiery
Medium-Size Undead
Hit Dice7 hp, for spells that need to know the creatures HD, use 10 (such as turning)
Initiative: +3 (Dex)
Speed: 50 ft, (10 if unable to spread wings) fly 75 ft. (average)
AC: 22 (+3 Dex, +9 magical)
Attacks: Bite +9 melee, 2 claws +9 melee
Damage: Bite 1d6+3, claws 1d4+3
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Immunities, Magic Absorbing, Regeneration 8, Undead Traits, Spellcasting
Saves: Fort +10, Ref+13, Will +17
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 18, Wis 14, Cha 10
Skills: Balance+5, Disguise+3, Hide+6, Jump+6, Listen+6, Move Silently+7, Search+7, Sense Motive+5, Spot+6, Tumble+5, Wilderness Lore+4, Intimidate+6, Bluff+6
Feats: Flyby Attack, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Track, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Expertise
Climate/Terrain: Cormyr and surrounding lands
Organization: Solitary, or band (2-7 with the others being ghazneth)
Challenge Rating: 20
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Advancement: None

As the Scourge of Smoke, Luthax the Fiery resembles an ashen gargoyle. His skin is powdery gray and prone to billowing off in acrid puffs, while his wings are made of living smoke and constantly trail long wisps. He is large and broad-shouldered, with a sizable paunch and underdeveloped legs that can barely hold his weight (Even when running, he uses his wings to support and propel himself; if this is impossible, his ground movement is reduced to 10.) Luthax has a craggy face with bushy brows, scintillating scarlet eyes, and an over large crimson nose. He wears his beard long and his scalp shaved.
The high Castellan of Cormyr?s War Wizards during the reign of King Draxius, Luthax was forced to leave the kingdom when a young mage exposed his plot to replace the royal government with an oligarchy of magic. It is not known when he became a ghazneth, but records suggest he made the transformation before the great Battle of the Witch Lords (900 DR). Luthax resents Lady Merendil?s leadership role and can prove reluctant to cooperate with her.
COMBAT
Luthax prefers to attack with spells and his ghazneth powers.
Immunities (Ex): Luthax the Fiery is immune to all weapons except if the weapon strikes him with iron. Otherwise, he is immune to the damage.
Magic Absorbing (Ex): Because Luthax requires magic to cast spells, he is vigilant about finding magic to absorb. At approximately 741 years of age, he can store 741 levels. He must maintain about half of this amount, 375 levels, to cast his spells.
For each level Luthax expends, he can:
1. Detect Magic up to 74 miles away for one day; or
2. For one turn, cause tiny fissures to open anywhere he steps that emit a steady flow of sulfurous gases, that, over a period of 24 hours, kills all plant life within 74 yards; or
3. Regenerate 7 hit points; or
4. Cause a 74 yard-long earthquake, toppling any tree or structure within 74 feet; or
5. Create a 70? flame barrier 7 yards long from any fissure within 70 feet that inflicts 7d8 points of fire damage to any creatures touched. (A successful reflex saving throw (DC 20) halves this damage.) By expending more levels, he can increase the length, height, or damage of the barrier.
Undead: Immune to mind-influencing affect, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage. Luthax the Fiery can be turned, but not destroyed.

Spellcasting (Sp): Luthax casts spells as an 18th-level wizard, provided he has at least 375 levels of magic stored. Casting spells does not expend stored magic, but if he has less than 375 levels, the spell is absorbed and fails. After centuries of study, Luthax can call upon nearly any wizard spell except: limited wish, wish, astral gate, and spells that involve leaving the Prime Material plane. Luthax spell progression is 5/5/5/5/5/3/3/2/1 and 5 cantrips. Typically, he has the following spells available: light, ray of frost, read magic, mage hand, daze, summon monster I, magic missile (x3), sleep, darkness, invisibility, knock, locate object, blink, haste, hold person, slow, wind wall, charm monster, confusion, dimension door, solid fog, ice storm, passwall, stone shape, telekinesis, teleport, transmute rock to mud, Bigby?s forceful hand, permanent image, disintegrate, mass invisibility, phase door, vanish, binding, sink, timestop

Appearance: As it says earlier, but all of the colors are really a mix between it and gray.

Xanthon the Baneful
Medium-Size Humanoid
Hit Dice: 60 hp, for spells that need to know the creatures HD, use 9 (such as turning)
Initiative: +2 (Dex)
Speed: 40 ft
AC: 23 (+2 Dex, +9 magical)
Attacks: Bite +9 melee, 2 claws +9 melee
Damage: Bite 1d4+3, claws 1d4+3
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Qualities: Immunities, Magic Absorbing, Regeneration 6
Saves: Fort +9, Ref+12, Will +11
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
Skills: Disguise+4, Hide+2, Listen+1, Move Silently+1, Search+2, Sense Motive+1, Spot+1, Wilderness Lore+2
Feats: Blind-Fight, Track, Deflect Arrows
Climate/Terrain: Cormyr and surrounding lands
Organization: Solitary, or band (2-7 with the others being ghazneth)
Challenge Rating: 15
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral evil
Advancement: None

A slender shadowy figure that can easily be mistaken for a man-at least until his clothes rot and reveal the tiny wings sprouting between his shoulder blades-Xanthon the Baneful is the Scourge of Swarms, the youngest of the ghazneths. In bad light, his fading humanity can be seen in his bladelike nose and the slender tuft of beard hanging from his chin. In better illumination, his face turns mantis-like and skeletal, with hollow cheeks and ovoid eyes tinged the color of blood.
Xanthon became a ghazneth less than a year ago, after swearing vengeance on King Azoun IV. Although his transformation is far from complete, (Unless killed, he will eventually become a monstrous humanoid) Xanthon is the eager instigator behind Cormyr?s current troubles.
As the ?scourge of the day,? Xanthon is the only living ghazneth. His fellow ghazneth view him as an annoying younger brother, though they are grateful to him for digging them out of their tombs and tolerate his presence, as long as he doesn?t presume to offer suggestions.
COMBAT
Young and reckless, Xanthon is spoiling for a fight. Xanthon cannot hide behind his wings, so he suffers the full effects of any spell striking his body, though only as long as it takes to absorb the spell levels. Should he be killed, he instantly becomes undead and rises the following round, after he has used the magic to regenerate. Xanthon?s primary weapon is the power of swarms.
Immunities (Ex): Xanthon the Baneful is immune to all weapons except if the weapon strikes him with iron. Otherwise, he is immune to the damage.
Magic Absorbing (Ex): Having been a ghazneth for less than a year, Xanthon can store only one magic level at a time. His life is a constant search for magic, which he expends as quickly as he absorbs it to make room for more. For each level he expends, he can:
1. Detect magic up to 1 mile away for one day; or
2. For one turn, automatically cause all poisonous, stinging, disease-bearing, and blood-sucking creatures within 1 yard of him to multiply 1d10x10, or
3. Regenerate 6 hit points; or
4. Infest any single building, campsite, field, copse, or similar area with swarms of reptiles, rodents, insects, or arachnids (any species he chooses, as long as each creature is not bigger than diminutive). This infestation requires 1 round per square yard of the area. If Xanthon is forced to leave before the infestation is complete, only the vicinity around him is infested.
5. He may summon a swarm of 2d10x10 rodents (each creature must be diminutive or fine) and direct their actions in a general manner; there is a 25% chance that such swarms bear a deadly and contagious disease.
6. He can imprint instructions on any single poisonous, disease-bearing, stinging, or blood-sucking creature he touches; such instructions are subject to mistakes and misinterpretations, and can never consist of more than fifteen words.

Appearance: Xanthon the Baneful looks like a normal human, but his face looks somewhat twisted. He has a little hair near the back of his head, which looks thin, like all of his body. His has a little bit of hair on his chin. On his back are two premature wings, which are about 8 inches long, but only 3 inches tall. He wears dirty looking clothing, which has circular rip in the back, about a foot in diameter. In the middle of it are his wings.

Rowan.

Rowen Cormaeril, Male Ghazneth rng8: CR 20; Large Humanoid; 14d8+65 plus 8d10+16; hp 190; +9 init; spd 40 ft., 300 ft. fly (good); AC 24 (-1 size, +5 dex, +10); +19/+9 melee (2 claws 2d6+9), +14 (wings 1d4+7); SA spell like abilities, fear aura; SQ detect magic, damage reduction 25/non-magical weapons, spell absorption, magic drain; SR 30; AL LE; SV Fort +13, Ref +13, Will +13; Str 25, Dex 20, Con 21, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 18;
Rowen Cormaeril is the ghazneth of lightning
Skills: bluff +17, climb +20, hide +4, jump +19, ;ostem +12, move silently +17, spot +30 Feats: Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Initiative, Track
SA:
Spell Like Abilities: A cloud of rain follows Rowen wherever he goes granting him the following spell-like abilities, each may be used once per round use of each ability deals Rowen 1d4 points of damage: Call Lightening, Lightning Bolt, Ball Lightning, Chain Lightning. These abilities act like a spell caste by a level 14 sorcerer.
Fear Aura: Rowen creates an aura of fear in a 2 0foot radius of himself it is the same as the spell fear (DC 20) it the save is a successful that creature cannot be effected again by Rowen's fear aura again for one day. Favored Enemy (Orcs +2, Goblinoids +1): Rowen gets a bonus to bluff, listen, sense motive, spot, wilderness lore, and damage against his favored enemies.
SQ:
Spell Absorption: If Rowen's Spell Resistance overcomes a spell he gains hp equal to the spell level+caster's level
Magic Drain: As a full round action Rowen can permanently drain any magical item he is in contact with. Rowen gains 4d6+10 hp for each item drained this way. Reverse Damage: Any damage by a magically enhanced sword heals damage instead of dealing damage to Rowen.