Falxugon

Falxugon
Plane	Material Plane
Alignment	Lawful Evil (3e)
Challenge	CR 7 (3e)
Type	Outsider (devil) (3e)
First appearance	Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells (2006)

Falxugons, sometimes called harvester devils or just harvesters are the infamous tempters of the baatezu, the insidious schemers who undermine individuals and societies alike through their devilish dealings. Convincing foolish mortals to sign away their souls is a harvester's specialty, and it is they who negotiate the bulk of Faustian pacts.

Description

When disguised, falxugons take on the appearance of a slightly portly human male or seductively proportioned woman. They also appear humanoid in their natural forms, and are usually garbed in luxurious, impeccably fashionable clothes, but these have several obvious signs of their nature. Their eyes glow red, their teeth are gleaming, pointed and canine, two tiny horns less than an inch high (comparable to those of a baby goat jut from their foreheads, and their legs end in large, formidable, cloven hooves.

The most noteworthy feature of falxugons are their crimson-scaled, prehensile tails (which their outfits are designed to accommodate). About two feet long and attached to the coccyx, these sometimes end in a sharp-looking prong, but are less dangerous than they appear. Rather, a falxugon's tail is reflective of its mood; they ripple with serpentine grace when one is content, jab erratically when one is agitated, and twitch impatiently when one is gloomy. Like any other physical indicator of one's mental state however, tail movement can be controlled to hide a harvester's true feelings.

Personality

Falxugons are silver-tongued fiends always on the prowl for mortals to ensnare. The most elite of their number are truly devilish rogues so sneaky and treacherous that they can lure priests into selling their souls and talk paladins into betraying their ideals (not that murder was off the table should words fail them in such a situation). Ironically given their task, falxugons are themselves among the devil types notoriously vulnerable to temptation, specifically in regards to the passions of lust.

Abilities

Harvester devils were most vulnerable to magic or good-aligned weapons. They had a number of spell-like abilities, including the power to cast disguise self and greater teleport at will, dispel magic and vampiric touch thrice per day, and mirror image once per day. Once per day they could also attempt to summon a handful of lemures or a few barbazus, although the former worked half the time while the latter only succeeded about a third.

Harvesters have a few special powers that aid them in their diabolical work. Firstly, they can supernaturally disguise their alignment, although this disguise can be seen through if the deception is inadequate and it will not protect them from effects that work off of alignment.

Secondly, most entities of the Material Plane struggle to hit them unless they strike first. They are continually protected through a bizarre clause in the Pact Primeval (the ancient document allowing devils to harvest mortal souls) by an effect similar to the sanctuary spell. Those that succeed despite the supernatural refuge are debilitated, such is the cosmic price for breaking the clause.

Thirdly, the daggers of harvester devils are soaked in a venomous ichor that can place a strange and powerful curse on those they strike with them. Should the curse take hold, the victim is overcome by feelings of fatigue and sloth that last until the target succumbs to the new, malevolent whispers in their mind and willingly strikes a good-aligned creature, knowing instinctively that it will bring soothing alleviation. The curse will not dissipate if the target holds back in their strike, but they can attack in such a way they know to be ineffective. The curse and its mental effects also subside after a day's time or if remove curse or heal are cast.

Combat

Falxugons, while fully capable of defending themselves in a fight, achieve victory through persuasion and trickery rather than upfront confrontation. Unless necessary to protect evidence of their activities from falling into problematic hands, they are perfectly willing to flee from attacking adventurers or virtuous interlopers, and indeed would much rather slip away while the invaders are delayed by minions, summons, obstacles and traps.

Society

Falxugons are native to the Nine Hells and found in profusion there, particularly in Maladomini, where devils capable of complex political maneuvering tend to rise quickly. But their home plane is not where the purpose of the harvester truly lies. They are dispatched in large numbers to the Material Plane, which they diligently trawl for souls to damn, and they can be found there in any environment, though most often in or near civilized areas.

Each day the harvesters scour the world for likely victims. They might be found in infernal strongholds, diabolic temples known and secret, the back rooms of corrupt businesses, at the side of cruel monarchs, lurking near crossroads at midnight or traveling the land in caravans. They can also be found in haunted places or the sewers of busy cities, and they occasionally set up shop in well-trafficked dungeons in the hopes of ensnaring greedy and reckless adventurers. In lawful evil cities they might even openly walk the streets, although they have little business ther given the difficulty of finding those not already dedicated to lawful evil there.

A falxugon's position in the infernal hierarchy was that of a lesser devil, but still greatly envied. The job of a harvester is highly coveted and though others can do it, none are more aggressive in its performance than they. The infernal torturer caste, even though technically of the same rank in some cases, learn to master their art in the hopes their particular brand of torment will see them marked out among their peers and elevated to harvester status. Falxugons themselves rarely operate in concert with one another, and might travel alone when meeting with a specific mark, but when traveling might come with an entourage of lower-ranked devils, such as barbazus and nupperibos.

Harvester devils do not just damn souls however. In fact, in extremely qualified circumstances, they also save them. They (along with erinyes devils, whom with they often share duties) are the legal representation provided to souls seeking to argue they have been unjustly sentenced to the Nine Hells. They also approach the still-living associates of those slain in the Hells (which the devils cannot damn but are under no obligation to release) and offer their release, albeit at the cost of the signer's own soul.

Of all the currencies, none have proven more effective than gold in the wholesale purchase of souls, and harvesters typically carry it portable forms, such as gold chains and jewelry encrusted with gems and often small, decadently beautiful art objects created by infernal goldsmiths. Their local headquarters may have a store worth four of five times what they carry on them, but this trove of treasures and secrets is protected by cultists, companions and clever traps of mechanical and diabolical nature.

Notable Falxugons

• Jebelam, the falxugon barkeep of the Pig and Poke, the one surviving tavern in the Avernan city of Darkspine. Though it seems deserted, she can appear at a moment's notice to serve unwary customers, and if she can't tempt them into signing a deal with her she at least files a report to the Dark Eight on their apparent capabilities.