Kami, Manussiha
Image © Ko Kyaw, accessed at his ArtStation here
[The manussiha is a Burmese architectural motif more than it is an actual monster; according to legend it was originally a statue built and blessed by Buddhist monks in order to scare off an invading army of rakshasas. I decided to make it a monster partially as a counterpoint to the Mum of Quetta; a leonine statue has very different connotations for different people.]
Kami, Manussiha CR 11 LN Outsider (extraplanar) This creature is a humanoid from the waist up, but below the waist splits into two leonine bodies. They wear regal garb and carry a spear.
The manussihas are spiritual creatures that protect royal palaces. Their primary concern is with supernatural threats, particularly with oni or rakshasas that would infiltrate a royal household to spread chaos or take power. Although a manussiha may step in for a mundane revolution or regicide, it does not always do so, and may even step in on the side of the revolutionaries for an exceptionally wicked or unreliable ruler. A manussiha protects the integrity of the palace itself and the health and safety of its staff and guests as much as it does any single royal family. In places where their legend is known, statues of manussihas are placed on walls or near doorways of many important buildings to serve a protective, if only psychological, function.
A manussiha springs into combat to defend its palace if necessary. A manussiha often opens combat with a roar, causing sonic damage and sending weak-hearted foes fleeing immediately. They typically use weapons such as spears, clubs or bows, but may simply fight with their clawed hands and grab and shred enemies with their talons. A single manussiha would rather retreat than fight to the death, in order to make sure that the palace is protected in the future, but a residence with multiple manussihas defending it might see some fighting to the death to cover their fellows’ escape.
