Handmaiden Demon [Lesser Tanar'ri]

In its own form a handmaiden demon is a man-sized heap of slime with eight strong tentacles and one unblinking red eye, a little like a roper or a rot demon. It can also become a lovely young woman, human or elf and usually drow; a huge black spider; or a small cloud of foul vapor.

In every form, it can be harmed only by cold iron or by weapons enchanted to +2 or more. It ignores electricity, poison, gases and nonmagical fire, and takes half damage from magical fire or cold. It favors its natural shape at home and the woman or spider shapes when abroad on the Prime or neutral planes.

Natural form: AC 10, eight tentacle lashes per round at 1d4 each, plus 4 for Strength. Spider form: AC 4, moves freely through webs, and bites once a round for 1d8; the venom kills unless the victim saves vs. poison. Humanoid form: AC 10, but often wearing drow chain or plate and using drow javelins, hand crossbows or short swords, keeping its 18/51 Strength for +2 to hit and +4 damage.

Gaseous form: a reeking cloud 10 feet tall and 5 feet wide, as stinking cloud. It cannot attack physically or use spell-like powers, but its psionics still work. Physical damage cannot touch it; only magical cold, magical fire or magic missile can. Gust of wind deals 6d6, and wind walk destroys it outright, with no save or magic resistance.

Besides the usual tanar'ri powers it uses web, stone shape, spider climb and charm person at will as a 6th-level caster. Its telepathy covers the sciences domination, mind link and probe, plus the devotions ESP, contact, attraction, invisibility, psionic impersonation and phobia amplification. It judges whether its goddess is better served by subtle deceit, hiding its true shape behind beauty and charm, or by open force, revealing it.

The spider goddess rules a whole layer of the Abyss, an endless maze of black webs, and handmaidens are her servants there and her agents across the Outer Planes. No other tanar'ri are so bound to one power. They ignore the endless war between demons and devils and leave her layer only on command, most often for the Prime.

Other demons dislike them, yet most demon lords of the Abyss grant them free passage; even the two-headed prince of demons or Zhar'vesh avoids provoking the goddess, and meddling with her servants draws her eye fast. A traveler who meets one is usually beneath its notice, unless he is the errand. Handmaidens cooperate well and put their mistress first, rare among chaotic fiends. Some suspect a charm keeps them loyal, but terror of her punishments seems likelier.

Rumor says the goddess crafts each handmaiden herself. In truth they are chosen from the countless least tanar'ri and elevated through hideous rites and torture. Some guess she simply picked suitable demons and reshaped them, but few care to visit the Abyss to check. Those who serve well may grow far more powerful than the norm.