Lamashtu

Lamashtu
(Deity)
Titles	The Demon Queen Mother of Monsters Demon Mother
Alignment	Chaotic evil
Portfolio	Madness Monsters Nightmares
Worshipers	Gnolls, medusae, harpies, goblins, some minotaurs, hidden human cults
Cleric Alignments	LG NG CG LN N CN LE NE CE
Domains	Chaos, Evil, Madness, Strength, Trickery
Favored Weapon	Falchion

Lamashtu (pronounced lah-MAHSH-too) is the mother and patroness of many misshapen and malformed creatures that crawl, slither, or flap on, above, or below the surface of Golarion.

History

Lamashtu was once a mighty demon lord. In ages past she was allied with Pazuzu, though the exact nature of their alliance is often disputed by scholars of demon lore. Some say they were lovers, others say siblings, or simply convenient allies. What is known for certain is that she lured the god Curchanus into her territory and beset him with swarms of demons and other monsters until he was weak enough for her to attack him. By defeating him, she ripped his godly domain over beasts from him, beginning an ancient vendetta with Curchanus's protege Desna. This imbued the demoness with a small amount of his divine power.

Pazuzu was enraged by this shift in power and as she returned from that battle he betrayed and attacked her. He wounded her terribly, but her newfound divinity allowed her to survive. They have been mortal enemies since. Lamashtu's vendetta against him is only equaled by Desna's own vendetta against her.

It is claimed by many monstrous humanoid races that she was their first progenitor and creator.

Relationships

Lamashtu, in a stance befitting her demonic origins, considers all other gods enemies. She is aware of Desna's hatred of her, but treats it as beneath her notice. Despite this widespread animosity, she focuses her attentions on growing her cults and expanding their reach, as well as the birthing of new and hideous monstrosities. She has an odd view of Shelyn, whom Lamashtu would love to capture and twist into her own monstrous vision of beauty. Needless to say, the faithful of Shelyn find this an abhorrent and terrifying concept.

Lamashtu is not actively at war with other demon lords, with the sole exception of Pazuzu. She does have rivalries with some and is said to have others as her lovers (such as Baphomet).

Appearance and Emmisaries

Pictures of Lamashtu portray her as a jackal-headed woman with a third vertical eye in the center of her forehead, heavily pregnant, with feathered wings, a snake's tail, and taloned feet. She is often depicted carrying her two deadly blades, Redlust and Chillheart. Her head may vary depending on the nature of her worshipers, gnolls preferring the jackal head, medusae a snake's, harpies a hawk's, and so on.

Servants

Yaenit

Lamashtu and her deranged faithful hold creatures of deformity, monstrosity, and virility in high regard. Thaumaturges and clerics in her service often call shemhazian demons and other Abyssal creatures into their service.

Bloodmaw

This hideous yet powerful and cunning yeth hound has one green eye and one red. He relishes the promise of carnage and a good hunt.

Yaenit

These slavering, monstrous hyena-demons resemble corrupted hound archons with gangly limbs and deformed hyena's heads; they love maiming and killing in Lamashtu's name.

The Yethazmari

Appearing as an enormous jackal, standing 14 foot tall at the shoulder, with smoking eye sockets, black leathery wings and a snake for a tail, the herald of Lamashtu brings terror and bloodshed. In its wake, spawn of horrific and brutal trysts rise up to cause madness anew.

Church of Lamashtu

Lamashtu's holy symbol

Lamashtu's church is scattered and lacks an overall hierarchy, yet it is rare for two priests to come into direct conflict, as they recognize each other's shared devotion and the hostility visited by those outside the religion. Many thaumaturges pay obeisances to Lamashtu as she is a demon lord as well as a goddess.

Worshipers and Clergy

Her followers seek out deformity in themselves and in others. She is typically worshiped by races such as gnolls (who claim they were created when Lamashtu took a hyena as her consort), goblins, and medusae.

The usual clothing of her human followers is that of a jackal mask (of leather or metal), a pair of swords or knives made to resemble Lamashtu's personal weapons, and a cloak of black feathers. Monstrous races wear much the same but typically forgo the mask.

Etainia, a cultist blessed by lamashtu

Lamashtu's favor manifests as violent dreams, the appearance of sudden deformities, or unexplained pregnancies that often result in the painful (and sometimes fatal) birth of a deformed child. Worshipers who displease her may give birth to a "perfect" child, such as a human or halfling. They may also find themselves infertile or unable to achieve sexual satisfaction.

Temples and Shrines

Lamashtu is not usually worshiped in a man-made building, but rather a ring of stones, pillars, trees, wooden blocks, a pit in the ground, or a flat rock. Entrances into underground places of worship represent the entrance to the goddess' underworld domain. They typically are found on the outskirts of civilization or in the true wilderness; many are stained with blood and littered with the remains of failed births and the victims of the successful ones.

Unholy Texts

Lamashtu's cults rarely place much interest or emphasis on texts, preferring to rely on divine revelation and madness. Nonetheless, the more coherent of her followers have jotted down some horrendous writings over the eons.

The Skull of Mashaag

The yellowed skull of a yaenit who died in the service of Lamashtu, this object has the ability to speak the goddess' will in several languages. Every few years, her worshipers meet to hear its teachings, and heroes from each tribe undergo a series of contests to determine which group is to keep it next.

The Four Hides of Lawm

This is a collection of three leather straps, each made from the skin of a humanoid. The fourth was lost long ago and is said to contain monstrous rites of power and fertility in Lamashtu's name.

Holidays

The cults of Lamashtu celebrate no known regular holidays, though births, deformities, and demonic visitations are often the cause of hedonistic and debauched celebrations among them.