Living idols were animated, semi-intelligent statues of stone, presumably created to serve as foci of ancient religions in Zakhara.[1]
As of 1367 DR,[note 1] they were sometimes worshiped by small cults, who empowered the idols with sacrifices appropriate to the type of living idol. All living idols were considered opposed to Zakhara's predominant culture of Enlightenment.[1]
Combat
Physically powerful, living idols could both take and deal a lot of damage by attacking with a stony appendage. They were immune to mundane and lowly enchanted weapons as well as many spells, while they are especially vulnerable against magic attacking stone. They possessed the ability to charm nearby creatures, and each variety had a different major magical power.[1]
Animal idol
These most common of living idols were shaped like an animal, usually some kind of vermin (e.g., rat or scorpion). Given sacrifices of small valuables, these idols granted protection from the type of pest they depict to the worshipping community. Its major power supposedly also benefited its cultists, but was not known to outsiders.[1]
The Assad Head, found within the Assad Bazaar of Huzuz, was rumored to be an animal idol.[2][3]
Death idol
These most feared and hated of living idols usually looked like some hideous monster or undead. They demanded human or demihuman as sacrifices from their followers, and protected them from aging in return. They also granted a powerful necromantic spell to the cult leader each week. Successful cults often attracted intelligent undead as members and leaders.[1]
Elemental idol
These idols came in the shape of a man without a face. There were four different types of these promotors of chaos, air, earth, fire and water elemental idols, each demanding a different kind of sacrifice in return for protection against the ravages from their element. They were not evil, however, and only used their charm abilities against hostile persons. Their major power was the conjuration of a related elemental. Elemental mages viewed them as particular threats.[1]
Healing idol
These benign idols were usually shaped either like the figure of a young girl or an aged man. As with their elemental counterparts, they only used their charm ability against hostiles. Their cults aimed for healing and positive development of their communities, and the idols provided protection from evil in the area surrounding them in exchange for sacrifices of beautiful objects or simply devoted words and prayers. Their major power were healing (for the female figures) or weather control (for male ones).[1]
Appendix
Notes
- ↑ Canon material does not provide dating for the Al-Qadim campaign setting. For the purposes of this wiki only, the current date for Al-Qadim products is assumed to be 1367 DR.
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 Wolfgang Baur, Steve Kurtz (1992). Monstrous Compendium Al-Qadim Appendix. (TSR, Inc). ISBN l-56076-370-1.
- ↑ Tim Beach, Tom Prusa and Steve Kurtz (1993). “Gem of Zakhara”. City of Delights (TSR, Inc), p. 77. ISBN 1-56076-589-5.
- ↑ Tim Beach, Tom Prusa and Steve Kurtz (1993). “Golden Huzuz”. City of Delights (TSR, Inc), p. 83. ISBN 1-56076-589-5.