Lammasu

Lammasu look like golden-brown lions with eagle wings and bearded, shaggy-haired human heads; females have women's heads with long hair. Their faces are noble, gentle and compassionate. They speak their own tongue and common and have limited telepathy.

Lammasu almost always intervene when good beings are in danger, fighting in whatever way best protects them. At will a lammasu can turn invisible or use dimension door, and it radiates a 10-foot protection from evil (-2 to evil attacks, +2 to saves against them). It casts priest spells as a 7th-level caster (four 1st, three 2nd, two 3rd and one 4th level) and also has cure critical wounds (6d8+6) and cure serious wounds (4d8+2); 10% can speak a holy word. Failing all else, two claws deal 1d6 each, doubled on a diving attack.

Lawful and organized, lammasu live in lion-like prides in abandoned but still-consecrated temples in warm lands, serving as their self-appointed guardians. Only one pride claims any 25-mile area so evil can be met swiftly, though they travel to every climate. One in four is female, as fierce as any male, and lairs hold young equal to 25% of the adults.

On the first full-moon night each month, pride leaders hold a moonlit council, typically 6d6 lammasu led by 2d4 greater lammasu, to review the war on evil. Their goodness makes the temple glow with pure light until dawn, perhaps the safest spot in the world that night.

Good visitors are welcomed, neutrals watched but treated courteously unless they cause trouble, and evil beings ordered out and attacked if they stay. During trouble a nearby pride has a 10% cumulative chance per turn of hearing a telepathic plea and coming. Lammasu especially hate lamias and manticores, and fools who confuse lammasu with manticores do not endear themselves.

Lammasu keep the wastes from being overrun by evil, and their aid to frontier towns is priceless.

Slightly larger, one or two greater lammasu may dwell among six or more lesser lammasu. At will they can teleport without error, become invisible, dimension door and journey to the Ethereal and Astral Planes. Their protection from evil spans 20 feet (-4 to evil attacks, +4 to saves), and they have the same healing powers. As 12th-level priests they cast one 5th-level spell, two of 4th, three of 3rd, four of 2nd and five of 1st, and half can speak a holy word. They have empathy and telepathy, speak their own language and common, and share their smaller cousins' humility and gentleness.