Ibrandlin (Monstrous Manual)

Climate/Terrain:	Any land or subterranean
Frequency:	Very rare
Organization:	Family/Pack (10% solitary)
Activity Cycle:	Any
Diet:	Carnivore
Intelligence:	Semi-(4)
Treasure:	Nil (except temple treasures, as guardian)
Alignment:	Lawful neutral
No. Appearing:	1-8
Armor Class:	3
Movement:	9
Hit Dice:	10
THAC0:	11
No. of Attacks:	5
Damage/Attack:	1-8 (�4 claws)/2-16 (bite)
Special Attacks:	Fire breath
Special Defenses:	Nil
Magic Resistance:	40%
Size:	G (40�+ long)
Morale:	Special
XP Value:	5,000

Ibrandlin, or .lurkers in darkness,. as they are formally called, are creatures created from fire lizards by human clerics of the god Ibrandul (see Ecology below). They appear as fire lizards with long, thick tails; in other words, they look like elongated, wingless red dragons. Ibrandlin have gray scaled bodies, with red-and brown-mottled backs and reddish undersides. Hatchlings are light gray all over, their scales darkening with age.

Combat: Ibrandlin attack with a lethal combination of raking claws and a vicious bite. Their serpentine bodies rear up on their tails to enable them to use all four claws, and they can simultaneously claw and breathe fire. Their fire breath is usable every fifth round, and appears as a cone 5� wide at the mouth, 10� wide at the end, and 15� long. The breath does 2-12 flame damage to all creatures it touches, half damage if a target�s save against breath weapon succeeds. An ibrandlin uses its bite attack for that round while breathing fire. If a being not immune to fire is right in front of the lurker�s maw when it breathes, that being suffers full flame damage.12 hit points, no save allowed, if a bite attack roll is successful. Lurkers are naturally immune to fire-based attacks.

Ibrandlin can climb, albeit slowly (MV 5), can pry open doors, and carry prey or objects. They lack the intelligence or precise control to wield magic items, but can duplicate an action they have just seen performed such as hurling a javelin of lightning or throwing a missile from a necklace of missiles. Consider any throwing motion an attack roll at a -3 penalty. If the attact misses, roll an additional 1d10 for deciding how far in feet the impact location is from its intended target.

Ibrandlin can pin creatures with a successful THAC0 roll. This replaces 3 claw attacks during the round, and means that a lurker has rolled its massive bulk atop a creature, though it uses its legs to displace most of its weight. Pinned creatures who lie quietly – verbal-only spellcasting possible – will be unharmed. Creatures who move or fight will find the ibrandlin�s full weight on them and effectively take crushing damage of 1-4 points each round. The trapped creatures can move slightly but incur a penalty of -3 on attacks and damage. A single lurker can pin and entrap up to five M-sized creatures.

To escape a lurker�s pin, a successful Strength Check and a successful Dexterity Check in the same round are both required, even if the lurker is dead; the Strength check allows the character to lift the ibrandlin�s bulk away, and the Dexterity check grants the chance to roll free out from under the monster. A held or paralyzed lurker�s flesh hardens: add a +10 penalty to the ability check rolls of a would-be escapee.

Habitat/Society: The god Ibrandul imparted secret breeding processes and transformation spells to his most faithful followers over the centuries, enabling them to create loyal temple guardians from captured fire lizards. Priests of Ibrandul are very excited: after hundreds of years, their artificially-created lurkers in darkness are beginning to breed true, producing other ibrandlin rather than hatchling fire lizards!

These creatures are trained from birth to revere and protect men and women wearing the vestments of Ibrandul – dark purple robes or tunics with four interlocked silver circles – and to guard a lair, usually a temple, against intruders.

Always found as guardians, lurkers are found wherever priests of Ibrandul place them. The lizards prefer subterranean lairs or dark interiors of buildings, and usually sleep 50% of the time. They can tolerate wide extremes of temperature, and they also react instantly to any situations when awakened. Hatchlings are always taken from the birthing area by priests for training.

Lurkers do not hoard treasure. They form family groups with all inhabitants of a temple, working as a team to guard the common items and splendors of their home lair. If it remains on the same plane, a lurker removed from the lair will always know the direction to its home lair and will slowly, doggedly travel back. Lurkers who lose their masters will aggressively defend their lair, even if it is in ruins. If new individuals arrive clad in the familiar vestments of Ibrandul, such lost lurkers will readily accept new masters. Lurkers are trained to understand both one word verbal commands and gestures: Attack!, Defend!, Eat, Don�t Eat, and Stand Guard (i.e. don.t let this creature move) are by far the most common.

Ecology: Ibrandlin ordinarily eat cows, lame horses, and other livestock that priests procure, and seem immune to diseases, poisons, rot grubs, and other parasites. They can be fed meat that would otherwise be buried or burned. They have no real enemies, although wyverns and dragons have been known to attack them. Their eggs are worth 5,500 gp, hatchlings 8,000 gp.both purchases carry the enmity of all priests of Ibrandul, who will try to seize them by all possible means.

Ibrandul, whom the PCs have probably never heard of, is the God of the Dry Depths, (called The Skulking God by non-worshippers) a god of caverns and dungeons and the Underdark. Worshippers in Calimshan and other areas of The Shining South claim that Ibrandul watches over humans who must venture into hostile underground areas, aiding and guiding those who serve him, when when they are in need.

This small, chiefly Chaotic Neutral sect is expanding, its power steadily growing since the Time of Troubles. Thalandar, the high priest of Ibrandul, is famous in Tashluta for his impassioned Who will lead you in the darkness? sermons. He is trying to establish Ibrandul�s worship as a powerful and respected faith in Waterdeep, located as it is over a vast and famous dungeon of underground rooms and powers. PCs will begin to hear his proselytizing message, second-or third-hand, in the taverns of the City: Ibrandul guides you in the dark ways, drives away some dwellers in the darkness who would do you harm, and from time to time reveals great treasures to those who venture into the depths.

Unknown to all the worshippers, Ibrandul was killed by the hand of Shar. She always jealously guarded her portfolio of darkness and her worshippers, and when Ibrandul was weakened tremednously during the Time of Troubles, Shar killed him for daring to subvert followers of the dark away from her worship. After the gods ascended to the heavens, Shar acquired the power and portfolio of Ibrandul.

She keeps watch over the sect of Ibrandul and grants the clerics their spells. She is pleased with their work and uses her power to help the ibrandlin breed true. She is currently influencing Thalandar to spread the word of Ibrandul to Waterdeep, appearing to him in dreams. Shar�s guise as Ibrandul is quite useful to her, allowing her to subvert the worship of her hated enemy Selune without drawing attention to her most faithful worshippers, the nightbringers. Waterdeep is one of the seats of Selune�s power, and Shar/Ibrandul enjoys the delicious irony of secretly eroding the power of the Lady of Silver. Whether they call her Shar, Sharess, or Ibrandul, she values her worshippers of the night. The ibrandlin are her gift, guardians of the night�s faithful.