Ingundi

Its rarely seen true form is a slight, bipedal lizard five to six feet tall, like a small lizard man with a balancing tail but a broader mouth of tearing teeth and thin, weak arms tipped with long, vicious claws. It is light green above and pale yellow below, with small yellow eyes and large black pupils, and wears nothing. Lacking speech, it communicates telepathically.

Powerful ESP and a refined change self let it pose as something harmless, anything from a large dog to a bear in size, twice daily for 1d10+10 rounds each time. Hunting humans or demihumans, it becomes an attractive member of the victim's race and opposite sex, plucking details from the victim's mind to form someone desired but out of reach. Mind blank and similar magic block the ESP, and with thinking prey it risks appearing as someone who could not plausibly be there.

It flirts (or performs a courtship display for animals) entirely by telepathy, so bystanders hear only half a conversation. Meanwhile it casts a strong telepathic charm person or charm monster; the victim saves vs. spell at -2, and if the ESP cannot read him, the charm cannot work. A charmed victim is led somewhere private and coaxed out of all armor. The ingundi then attacks with automatic surprise and +4 to hit. After that first round the charm breaks, the bonus ends, and the victim can fight back. If anything goes wrong, like a failed charm or an interruption, it runs, fighting only when cornered.

It lairs in a hollow dead tree or among exposed roots. Adults seek each other out solely for a yearly midwinter mating, and the female hides her single egg and forgets it. It hatches twelve weeks later with full powers, but the young hunts only small animals until fully grown at six months. Usual prey is forest game it can mimic, such as deer, but it does not fear humans and will hunt them if they are closest. One kill feeds it for several days. It has no culture of any kind.

It is a superb predator with no natural enemies. Its ESP warns of stalkers, and it then becomes something the hunter would never target, or even a similar animal of the opposite sex, turning the tables. It offers nothing of use to people or beasts. Some charm giant iguanas and ride them, steering them telepathically with total obedience. Ingundi probably lie behind many tales of evil things that prey on the wicked, a handy explanation when someone vanishes without a trace.