Atlas    Languages    The Multiverse    World Timeline Campaigns    Characters    Modules Creatures    Monstrous Index    Encounter Maker Religions Personalities Magic Items Lore & Stories Rule Additions    Feats    House Rules    Prestige Classes    Races Spells    Domains Links Go to Creature: AnkuburusAveraBlack PhylisBone WalkerBradelCarachesChaos FiendChaos WraithDark IncarnateDemon, ArguliaDemon, AtarniaDemon, NahakDevil, Flesh Rend...DinDragon, MirrorDramorian ReaperDwarf, Daernartho...Eater of ColorElf, DrakherElf, EarinaiElf, GaliadreElf, LeretherElf, NadristiElf, SelereElf, TenerthorEloamEmrionFlame LordForest MassiffGolth-Qua'nGrim CloudHaruninkiHousheeHustiIncasos, Bashlika...Incasos, BlightIncasos, Geltutoo...Incasos, Infaelud...Incasos, JulahdonIncasos, MaeldradIncasos, Mandrago...Incasos, Mealafis...Incasos, TaturakKadahar, GreaterKadahar, LesserLeshyLiving IceLupinalMoredhelMoredwraithMwellwretOruliProckSakarabruSand GorgonSand Spider, Hunt...ShadowmanShub-Naddar, Caus...Shub-Naddar, Cete...Shub-Naddar, OozeShub-Naddar, Over...SilothreniSkhullSkull BearerSpirit HunterS'ratStonemite SwarmStorm WraithTsadutanWaynhimWomberingWorm, TsalanaZith

Incasos, Maeldrad

Appearance

The Maeldrad Incasos is a cunning puppet master of mortals and demons alike. Maeldrad are the exclusive agents of the Aergar, and are never seen in the company of other Incasos unless it be to give commands to a Julahdon. Some of the reason that the Maeldrad is rarely observed is that this Incasos is able to assume the form of any lesser Incasos. With this talent the Maeldrad is able to travel unknown among the ranks of the hordes of lesser Incasos and breed discontent, persuade alliances, or merely act as a minion to another greater Incasos for purposes of sabotage.
    The Maeldrad is a demon that dwells in darkness. The presence of a Maeldrad darkens the light that is near to it, polluting it with worms of shadows. Fires flicker lower, colder when a Maeldrad is near; and when in the light of the sun those about it can feel the chill of shade falling over them as the Maeldrad passes by. Maeldrad can control this effect they have on the world about them though it requires a conscious effort and so they rarely bother to unless while in disguise.
    In their natural form the Maeldrad stands slightly taller than a Julahdon, but rather than the fine scales of the Julahdon, the Maeldrad's are blackened to a burnt, blood red under which the flicker of hellish flames seem to flicker. These scales cover its humanoid body from head to toe, uninterrupted except where lacquered-black claws pierce through. Though these claws are always present at the Maeldrad's hands and feet, it may also manifest claws on other parts of its body. These spines may extend out from its charcoal-like scales up to one foot in length in any quantity. From behind its legs extends a serpentine tail which the Maeldrad often keeps spiked for use in combat.
    The Maeldrad is also faceless, though beneath its scales one can see the shapes of face-like features (a nose, mouth, eye-sockets, ears, etc). The scales of its body cover all of its head and so unless the Maeldrad has taken the form of some lesser Incasos, it prefers to communicate by telepathy. The Maeldrad is able to communicate with any creature within sight. Further, it may telepathically contact any creature it has previously contacted on the plane of existence it occupies. The Maeldrad also possesses a degree of existential sensory skill, allowing it to observe, with all its senses, anything within 100 feet of itself - even should there be no line-of-sight to what it wishes to observe. This power and the Maeldrad's incredible reactions make it a creature which is impossible to surprise.
    Maeldrad's normally do not display their wings, but like the spikes they can create through their scales, it is able to cause two large blackened wings to boil out from its back. These wings extend outward to a total span of over 40 feet. The Maeldrad doesn't rely upon its wings to move through the air however and instead employs its powers of air walk to move through the nothing with unnatural grace.
    Maeldrad are able to telepathically communicate with any creature that speaks a language.

Combat

The Maeldrad is a difficult opponent to draw into combat and a complex opponent to achieve complete victory over. Maeldrad prefer to arrange for their numerous minions (willing and otherwise) to fight for them. Maeldrad are skilled in physical combat, though it is a rare one that will stoop to such means, and they are even more skilled at the magical arts. Perhaps the one chip in their web of minions and ability is what passionate lengths they will go through and commit themselves to in order to achieve their ends.
    Maeldrad prefer to fight combat on their terms, airborne, invisible, and preferably surrounded by shadows and many minions. A Maeldrad never hesitates to use its summoning powers to bring other Incasos to its aid - having watched lesser Incasos hesitate to use this power and be cut down they know it is better to be safe than sorry. Also, a Maeldrad rarely hesitates to flee if it is directly engaged and or finds itself in a losing situation.
    Spell-like Abilities (Sp): Always active - detect good, detect magic, detect scrying, see invisibility; At will - alter self, bane, blasphemy, charm monster, command, contagion, deeper darkness, detect thoughts, fear, fly, greater dispelling, greater invisibility, greater scrying, greater shadow evocation, hold monster, nondetection, produce flame, protection from good, shield, suggestion, teleport without error (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), unholy blight; 3/day - mind fog, repulsion, sending; 1/day - circle of doom, symbol (any), unholy aura. Caster level 16th; save DC 18 + spell level. Once per year a Maeldrad can use wish as the spell cast by a 20th-level sorcerer.
    Spells: A Maeldrad can cast arcane spells as a 14th level sorcerer (spells/day 6/8/8/8/7/7/6/4; spells known 9/5/5/4/4/3/2/1; save DC 18 + spell level). Maeldrad prefer abjuration and transmutation spells above all others. A typical spells known list: 0 - arcane mark, daze, disrupt undead, flare, mage hand, open/close, prestidigitation, ray of frost, resistance; 1st - mage armor, magic missile, shield, shocking grasp, sleep; 2nd - blindness/deafness, Endurance, knock, minor image, web; 3rd - clairaudience/clairvoyance, displacement, slow, lightning bolt; 4th - arcane eye, bestow curse, dimension door, minor globe of invulnerability; 5th - dismissal, dominate person, fabricate; 6th - true seeing, disintegrate; 7th - limited wish.
    Shadow Aura (Su): Surrounding a Maeldrad is an aura of swirling and reaching shadow. This aura grants the Maeldrad one-half concealment (20% mischance vs targeted attacks and effects) and causes creatures that enter the aura to view a haunting spirit of the attackers past which engages the attacker in combat. This effect is similar to the spell shadow conjuration and its effects persist even should the attacker leave the shadow aura. Interaction with the shadow creature and a Will save (DC 26) allows affected victims to see the shadow for what it truly is. Turning on or off the shadow aura is a free action.
    Apathy Aura (Su): At will, a Maeldrad may eminate an aura of apathy which effects all creatures in a 30 foot radius, causing them to cease at efforts of exertion except to move themselves out of the way of harm if they are directly threatened and feebly defend themselves. Creatures so affected suffer a -4 morale penalty to all saving throws and skill checks. Creatures of less than 8 HD are affected as though by a sleep spell. Creatures that succeed a saving throw against the aura (Will DC 26 negates) cannot be affected again by that Maeldrad's aura for one day. Turning on or off the aura of apathy is a free action.
    Armor Penetration (Ex): Maeldrad are capable of causing armor piercing spikes to grow forth from their arms and fists. When striking an armored opponent with its slam attack these spikes reduce the effective armor bonus worn by the creature they strike by 1. Armor reduced to an effective armor bonus of 0 is destroyed. Magical armor struck receives a Fortitude save (DC 24) with a save bonus equal to its hardness plus its magical enhancement modifier. For example: A suit of chain mail +3 has a hardness of 10, therefore its Fortitude save bonus is +13 and the armor will successfully save against this effect on a d20 roll of 11 or better.
    Impale (Ex): A Maeldrad that strikes with both its slam attacks can impale its opponent upon spikes which it can manifest on its body with a successful grapple check (grapple +26). Impaled creatures suffer 2d8+9 points of damage per round. Victims of this attack may attempt to escape with a successful escape artist or grapple check on their action. A Maeldrad can continue fighting with an opponent grappled upon its spikes but its check to maintain its grapple is reduced by 20 (grapple +4).
    Poison (Ex): The tail of a Maeldrad weeps a bitter and lethal poison that harms any creature damaged by it. Maeldrad Ichor: Fort DC 22, initial damage 1d6 Con, secondary damage 2d6 Con.
    Possession (Su): A Maeldrad can initiate an attempt at possession as a free action, but must first grapple the target creature. A protection from evil guards a target against possession. An unprotected target must succeed a Will saving throw (DC 26) to avoid possession. Evil beings take a -2 circumstance penalty to their saving throw and a target who is in the middle of committing an evil act takes a further -2 circumstance penalty. A creature that saves against possession cannot be the targeted again by the Maeldrad for 24 hours. On a failed save, the victim is possessed, the Maeldrad becoming misty and flowing in through the creatures orifices.
    A Maeldrad that possesses a creature becomes a part of the creature, they are aware of all that transpires around the creature they possess and can see and hear as well as the victim can. They can telepathically speak with their victim, though understanding may be limited by the victim's Intelligence. The Maeldrad can read all of the victims thoughts as a detect thoughts spell except that reading of surface thoughts is automatic. They can probe their victims memories too, but the victim receives a Will save (DC 26) to resist. A successful save keeps the Maeldrad out of the victim's memories for 24 hours.
    The Maeldrad can hide in the creatures body, allowing it to pass into areas protected against evil or warded by a forbiddance, and they can escape detection by a detect evil. This requires a special hide check using the Maeldrad's Intelligence score instead of their Dexterity (DC 10 + level of spell + spell caster's relevant ability modifier). The Maeldrad gains a +4 circumstance bonus to this roll if not actively controlling its host. This ability can also be used to avoid damage from spells such as holy word. Harming the host does not harm the Maeldrad, though killing the host does force it to exit the host body.
    A Maeldrad can reward or punish its host by granting a +4 profane bonus or -4 profane penalty to any single ability score as a free action. Alternatively, the Maeldrad can directly control its hosts actions. The host receives a Will save (DC 26 +1 for each failed save against control that day) to avoid being controlled. A host that makes three successful saving throws cannot be again controlled for 24 hours. A Maeldrad uses its own Int, Wis, and Cha ability scores; has access to all of its hosts skills, feats, abilities and spell knowledge. It maintains control for 9 rounds +1 round for each time it has previously had control. During this time the possessed creature may telepathically communicate and shares in all that the Maeldrad experiences, or the Maeldrad may cause the host to black out. When its control lapses the Maeldrad may attempt to re-assert its dominance.
    A Maeldrad can be forced out of a hosts body by casting a successful Exorcism spell and may be persuaded to leave by bargaining.
    Summon Incasos (Sp): Once per day a Maeldrad can attempt to summon 4d10 Mealafist or 2d4 Taturak with a 75% chance of success or 1d2 Julahdon with a 50% chance of success.
    Altered Form (Su): In addition to its spell-like ability of alter self, a Maeldrad can exceed the normal boundaries of this spell when taking the form of other Incasos. A Maeldrad will not presume to take the form of a True Incasos, though other greater Incasos are fair game. Tales abound of Maeldrad masquerading as lesser Incasos and answering to the summons of unwitting summoners.
    A Maeldrad is also able to disperse its body into a gaseous form. The effect is similar to the spell gaseous form except that the Maeldrad can slowly spread its body over up to as many conjoined 10 foot square areas as it has hit dice. Dispersing or reforming requires a number of rounds equal to the number of 10 foot square areas that it has been spread throughout. A detect magic reveals a dim transmutation aura in the air where a dispersed Maeldrad is present. Maeldrad retain their speed, spell-like abilities which are always active, and ability to possess other creatures while dispersed. Maeldrad use this ability to spy upon other Incasos, for gathering information, and for bypassing various security measures when possible. A Maeldrad can maintain an altered or gaseous state for as long as they desire.
    Vorpal Immunity (Ex): The skin of a Maeldrad is a finely knit mesh of scale that has the special property of rendering them immune to vorpal effects.
    Incasos Traits: Immune to poison, fire, cold, and petrification. Acid and electricity resistance 10. Receives a saving throw to avoid magic meant to imprison, hold, entrap, or banish, even when a saving throw is not normally allowed. Incasos can see normally in all forms of darkness, even that created by deeper darkness.
    Skills: Maeldrad receive a +10 racial bonus to all bluff, disguise, and sense motive skill checks.

Habitat/Society

Maeldrad are the leaders of the Incasos' intelligence network. Each Maeldrad has multiple Julahdon within their command. The Maeldrad's goals are to continue the blood-war between the other demonic races by the distributing misinformation through its networks to either side or by exposing the intelligence agents of the other demonic races.
    Maeldrad only occasionally receive orders from the Aergar Incasos who act as interventionists between the Maeldrad and The Voice. When these orders arrive, the Maeldrad act upon them as quickly as they can as if The Voice itself had personally requested it. The rest of the time, the Maeldrad and Aergar Incasos have relatively little communication between each other.
    When an opportunity to infiltrate the Prime Worlds appears, it is often the Maeldrad who order a Julahdon to investigate the matter, or who personally examine the situation. It is easy for a Maeldrad to do this with its host of spell casting powers and its abilities to imitate other, lesser Incasos. When a new outpost of Incasos is being built one can expect to find a Maeldrad assisting the Geltutoog who is also there to control things. One must wonder though if it is the vast intelligence and resources of the Maeldrad that keeps such an operation working, or the fearsome and incredible might of the Geltutoog, and be curious as to who is really in control. Most Incasos are utterly unaware that many of their actions have been the result of subtle Maeldrad maneuvering.
    Maeldrad rarely take company with Taturak and Infaeludor due to their violence-inducing auras, but frequently make use of these lesser Incasos to imbalance sensitive situations into violence or for other tasks which do not require grace, but destruction. Likewise, Maeldrad and Bashlikar rarely work in tandem. Occasionally a Bashlikar may be found guarding a Maeldrad as payback for some debt, but the Bashlikar think the Maeldrad are too cowardly because of how they use others to fight battle for them. Thus Bashlikar rarely ever attend to a Maeldrad's summons despite being slightly lower in rank. This occasionally leads to inner fighting between the Bashlikar and Maeldrad, though it is never so much a distraction from the Incasos real goals of seducing mortals to evil, promoting the blood-war, and thwarting the efforts of the Yugoloths.

Ecology

Maeldrad are at the top of their power. It is not possible for a Maeldrad to ascend beyond their station. Therefore, Maeldrad enjoy a certain amount of autonomy in their actions except for the occasional direct threat from a Geltutoog or a command from one of the True Incasos. If slain, a Maeldrad is risen from the Blight 2d20 days later, however, if it was found wanting in its service to the True Aergar Incasos it may be subjected to a couple hundred years of torture before being reborn or being demoted to the form of a Julahdon.

Variants and Resources

Maeldrad are excellent villains for an ongoing campaign. Their use of minions and ability to blend into the social fabric wherever they venture make them difficult to catch. Given a focus for their intent and a villainous personality, a Maeldrad and its minions can provide challenges for a middle to high level adventuring party for many sessions.