Miska the Wolf-Spider

During the ancient war between Law and Chaos, Miska was an invincible general. He was leading the hordes of Chaos to victory until the heroic vaati pierced him with the Rod of Seven Parts at the battle of Pesh and subsequently imprisoned him to protect the multiverse.

Miska is an enormous, armored spider. He has three heads. The central head is human and stunningly handsome; two sleek and terrible wolf heads flank the human one. He has four massive human arms covered with long, stiff hairs.

The fur on the wolf heads is rust red, as are the hairs on Miska's arms. His human head has long, flowing hair as black as a moonless night. His spider body is blue-black, like a knife blade discolored by a flame, and marked with bands of gray, silver and blue. His arms are as white as bleached ivory.

Combat: Miska's wolf heads can deliver cruel bites. When bitten, an opponent must save vs. poison or immediately fall into a stupor. The victim can attempt a Constitution check every 2d8 hours to awaken, but the venom is corrosive and inflicts an additional point of damage every 30 minutes.

If the saving throw succeeds, the victim suffers a -3 penalty to Dexterity for 2d10 rounds. Additional bites do not increase the penalty, but they extend its duration. The victim also develops a festering sore and immediately loses one hit point and an additional hit point every 30 minutes. A neutralize poison spell ends the damage, but does not heal it. Multiple bites cause multiple sores, but a single neutralize poison spell can treat all a victim's sores. Victims cannot benefit from magical healing until the venom is neutralized.

Miska cannot attack the same opponent with both heads in a single round unless the foe is huge or gargantuan. However, the rest of his melee attacks-from his multiple arms-are not restricted in how they attack; anywhere from one to four foes can be engaged.

Miska attacks with his four arms, which are as strong as a hill giant's (after he is restored with the Rod, his Strength increases to 24, equal to that of a storm giant). He is armed with a scimitar of speed +3 (which allows him to attack twice a round with that arm, always striking first), a scimitar +5 that disintegrates lawful opponents (a successful saving throw vs. spell negates the effect), and two morning stars +3. As noted, Miska can direct these attacks as he likes.

Miska has the standard tanar'ri spell-like abilities. His infravision has a 120-foot range, and his gate ability allows him to summon 1d4 raklupises three times a day with a 100% chance of success. He can cause fear (as a wand of fear) at will. Three times a day he can cast mirror image, slow, chaos, and shape change. Once an hour, Miska can converse with the Queen of Chaos, receiving advice and instructions for up to 10 minutes. Miska regenerates 5 points of damage each round. All spell-like abilities function at 14th level.

Miska has an effective Charisma score of 18. If he is shape changed into a humanoid form he has a Charisma of 20 toward humanoids who are unaware of his true nature; those aware react with horror and fear, but are not subject to Miska's unnatural charms. Miska can imitate almost any noise or voice, provided he has heard it before. He is sly enough to use this ability to mislead enemies.

Miska has all the silk-producing abilities that raklupises have.

Miska cannot be trapped in webs of any kind. Sensory hairs on his arms and snouts allow him to detect invisible creatures within 90 feet. The ability is always active and is not foiled by non-detection spells or items that block divination spells. Miska never suffers melee or movement penalties for darkness.

While the Rod of Seven Parts exists, Miska cannot be permanently slain (see the Ecology section). Ironically, the power of the Rod and the link between it and Miska act to prevent the Wolf-Spider's demise. His regeneration power will eventually restore him, even if he is reduced to dust. If he is temporarily slain, his weapons disappear, re-forming when he recovers.

Blunt weapons tend to bounce off Miska's body, and he suffers only half damage from type B weapons. Slashing weapons affect him normally, but characters attacking him in melee with such weapons run the risk of getting splashed with his foul blood. If a type S weapon inflicts more than 5 points of damage in a single blow, the attacker must save vs. poison or die. Adjustments for magical armor and Dexterity defensive bonuses apply to the save. Piercing weapons are even more dangerous to use against Miska. Any melee hit with a type P weapon releases a stream of revolting ichor, inflicting 1d6 points of damage on the attacker. The attacker must save vs. poison as above or die instantly, and the weapon must save vs. disintegration or be destroyed. Even the Rod is subject to this effect. Rather than being destroyed, the Rod will shatter into its component segments and travel to another plane. Miska is immune to any weapon of less than +3 enchantment, even iron and silver weapons.

Habitat/Society: Miska is confined in a fortress somewhere in the depths of Pandemonium. The citadel is shrouded in a cocoon of pure Law, built by the Wind Dukes of Aaqa after Miska's defeat at the battle of Pesh. For centuries his location was unknown to all, but in the many years of his imprisonment, the Queen of Chaos managed to locate him in Pandemonium. Now he spends his days communing with the Queen of Chaos and yearning to resume the war against Law. He has a special desire to revenge himself on the vaati which crippled him.

All spyder-fiends defer to Miska when he is present. Willing or no, they must obey his order, and they cannot attack him. The raklupises revere Miska much as a god and strive constantly to free him from his prison so he can lead them in war again.

Ecology: Miska exists in his prison without food or water. Although he receives all the sustenance he needs, he is ravenously hungry and eager to hunt.

A portion of Miska's essence is bound up in the Rod of Seven Parts. While his essence is fragmented, he cannot be permanently slain, even by a wish, but he is reduced to half hit points and suffers from diminished physical strength and intellect. If his lost essence is restored, Miska's hit points double, to a maximum of 100. His Intelligence rises to exceptional (15), and he becomes as strong as a storm giant ( + 12 damage bonus instead of his previous +7).

The portion of Miska's essence contained in the Rod can be transferred back to him if he can but grasp the fully assembled Rod with two hands or if the Rod's power of resurrection is used on him. Miska can handle the Rod without suffering any ill effects; his own essence protects him from the Law in the Rod. When Miska draws his essence out of the Rod the clash of Law and Chaos propels the Rod from Miska with the force of a siege engine. The Rod remains unstable even after Miska is restored, as it still is tainted by Chaos.

Once restored, Miska can be slain just as any other tanar'ri can, but his foes must contend with his increased strength and powers. Also, with his own essence restored, the cocoon of Law can no longer bind him, and he is free to pursue the plans of conquest that he has fostered since the battle of Pesh.