Mezzikim (singular and plural) are not a distinct kind of devil, but rather the tortured souls of devils expelled from their bodies in Hell to bring torment to mortals of the Material Plane. Invisible and insubstantial, they effortless phase through solid objects and so cannot interact with the Material Plane, but can possess mortals to spread their pain.[1]
Description[]
Appearance[]
Mezzikim, once viewed in a way allowing one to see invisibility, appear as bestial-looking devils, complete with scales, claws and wings, although their lack of physicality makes this frightful appearance purely cosmetic.[1]
Personality[]
Mezzikim possess the average intelligence of most sapient beings, but their agony continues beyond their physical bodies. Their only interest is lessening this spiritual pain, which can only be done by making the mortals of the Material Plane suffer. Thus, mezzikim are thoroughly motivated to wreak havoc in mortal societies. They use their spell-like abilities to engender an atmosphere of fear, and are known to use their other powers to start epidemics, sow confusion, and kill their hosts. Typically they pick their victims quickly and at random, though as devils they are still lawful evil.[1]
Abilities[]
The primary ability of the mezzikim is their power to possess mortals, allowing them to take complete control of their bodies. While possessed, a mezzikim's host is slightly stronger, can levitate at will, and spit needles coated in poisonous bile at those nearby. Besides these special features, possessed bodies are little different from the unpossessed versions; mezzikim could act and attack normally, but gained none of the special abilities of the host, could speak, but without access to the host's memories. However, the very presence of a mezzikim is corruptive to the body, and the devil can at any time choose to cause disease on their host, with control over the potency and about a 1/4 chance that it will be contagious.[1]
Mezzikim possession takes roughly a minute to work, and failed attempts require the creature to wait a day before trying again It is not immediately clear to a victim of a mezzikim, upon a failed attempt at possession, that such a thing was attempted, but subjects do realize something strange just happened, a feeling that manifests as a sudden chill or a sense of foreboding. Once they do invade however, they are difficult to dislodge. The consciousness of the victim remains aware during possession, but unable to act aside from trying each day to force the mezzikim out with sheer willpower. Beating victims to unconsciousness may work, but has a high fatality rate, a superior method being the use of holy water (which harms only the devil) or the exorcise spell.[1]
Besides their possession-related abilities, mezzikim are rather limited in what they can do. They move fast on the ground and fly even faster, but can generally neither attack or be attacked due to their insubstantiality. They can use the spell-like abilities affect normal fires, audible glamer, cantrip and ventriloquism, each thrice a day, but lack the normal spell-like abilities and resistances of baatezu, which are linked to their physical forms back in the Nine Hells.[1]
Society[]
Mezzikim are solitary beings with no possessions or society of their own. Their very existence is a punishment exacted for an offence against a baatezu noble, the sentence being to spend time on the Material Plane as a spirit until their time is up. Though they usually operate individually, other baatezu and agents of Asmodeus can command them, and often use them for specific missions, such as possessing a particular mortal in order to gain information.[1]
Ecology[]
Mezzikim can originate from any lesser baatezu devil, but are most commonly the spirits of abishai, barbazu and hamatula. They are created via tortuous rituals lasting 666 nights, whereby their physical forms are restrained with magical circles and tormented so terribly that their souls are only too ready to flee their scarred and burned husks, propelled in their flight by the ritual magic to the Material Plane. The devilish spirits have no need to eat.[1]
Publication history[]
AD&D 2nd edition[]
Mezzikim only appeared in Guide to Hell (1999), p.63-64.