In a mythos known for cruel, capricious and malevolent beings, there is one that has always stood horns and shoulders above the rest of the oni of Japan’s folklore. The obvious nomination goes to the Japanese Ogre, sometimes referred to as Ogre Mage (or Magi) by Westerners. I have always played (DM’d?) Ogre Magi as very intelligent and wicked; the tales of their wickedness would seem to elevate them to a sort of “demi-demon” status. Going by OD&D standards (they were introduced in GH), they are mighty and formidable opponents. Shrek they are not. An NPC from long, long ago has arisen from the dead; I introduce to you Zxodarhg, the Japanese Ogre Mage. (Zxo for short) Zxo is ambitious, even when compared to the rest of his kind, if equal he even has. His depravity knows no limits and his scheming no boundaries. He is very old, even by the standards of his long-lived kind, and knows every deceit, ruse, use of guile and subterfuge there is. He is immune to Lightning; being struck by any form of lightning does one of two things to Zxo. It will Cure one d6 worth of damage if he has sustained any; if not, he will store one d8 worth of extra damage for the next target he strikes. He is very adept at morphing and has lived amongst humans undetected for decades. Zxo’s particular area of expertise and study has been in the absorption of energies, both physical and magical. Decades ago he fashioned a pair of amulets that would absorb energy directed at or inflicted upon the wearer. It is rumored that the amulet will absorb one-third or one-sixth of every blow but that it does have an upper level of absorption. Exceeding that limit will cause a catastrophic failure of the amulet, releasing all of the stored energy into an 80’ radius instantaneously. It is believed that he caused just that to happen with one of the originals when he was cornered by a particularly fierce band of adventurers, killing them all. Zxo fashioned his amulets from a particularly rare mineral called a “starstone” when fashioned into a gem. Starstones are exceedingly rare and very dangerous for gemcutters; not a few have lost limbs and lives when the crystalline lattice of the starstone they were attempting to cut fractured, releasing the strange negative energy that they contain. He has spent the last several decades searching for more of the mineral. There is not a lot of concrete evidence about Zxo; he has long been a subject of rumor and conjecture. It is known that he slew the elven master gemcutter Lorree and made off with her very specialized tools of the trade. It is known that he stole Kelnor the Blue’s crystal ball; it has been rumored that he also possesses the Hand of Derrin. The Hand is a very powerful artifact, said to be the actual hand of Oderrin, the last Lord of the Trolls and Ogres.
Haha . . excellent Tim. What a tremendous D&D monster!! The SOB's can fly and become invisible amongst their other great abilities. :shock: :lol: [Players beware]
