Highland Manscorpion

A human torso rides an eight-legged, bony-plated arachnid body with a long stinging tail; their hands bear just a thumb and two stout fingers. Once dark-skinned and hairless, they were cursed by a vengeful god to burn in daylight, and long ages below ground have turned their skin translucent, organs showing. Make-up hides the sight and shields them from the sun, and outdoors they wear grimacing masks with dark lenses for their tender eyes.

Claws reach only enemies ahead, but the tail can lash a foe on any side. Venom strength rises with Hit Dice. At 6-8 HD a failed save vs. poison puts the victim to sleep for 2d8 rounds; at 9-10 HD a failed save deals 3d8 damage; at 11 HD or more the victim saves at -2 or dies instantly.

They have 60-foot infravision. Worn armor rated AC 7 or poorer gives them only 1 point of improvement. They cannot swim, and water washes off their make-up in 1d4 rounds.

Caught bare in direct sunlight, one takes 1d6+2 damage each round until dragged below ground or fully painted, drops to Dexterity and Morale 3, moves at half speed and automatically loses initiative. A full turn of such exposure makes it burst into flame and die. Reflected light, including moonlight and mirrors, deals 1d3 per round to an unpainted manscorpion and halves its Dexterity and Morale. One with 50-99% coverage suffers in direct sun as though in reflected light.

They arrived as guests of their homeland's first people, the winged bull-folk, then betrayed them, drove them out and took over their culture. They are cultured, orderly and efficient, but cruel, greedy and treacherous, and even surface dwellers keep underground lairs to retreat to. Rival rulers of their dominions scheme endlessly against one another, and all hate other life and seek to enslave it, the bull-folk above all.

Two dark gods are their patrons: a corrupter of civilizations who wants all surface life destroyed, and a lady of darkness who dreams of a world ruled by the undead.

They eat almost any meat, carrion included, and no ordinary creature preys on them.