“I see you, little merchling.”
I have spoken the above words in a spooky demon voice many times over the past couple of years to a room full of people. What, who, and why?
The people are my tabletop role-playing group. The why is because I am their dungeon master (technically game master since we’re playing GURPS, but I prefer the term dungeon master), and the spooky demon voice belongs to an antagonist who’s been set on a contract to destroy one of them.
And the what? Well, the what is pretty cool. The what is a demonic monster of my own creation, inspired by the real-life Jericho flower, an insidious beast I’ve named the Klaal’Zuul.
You may be wondering what a Jericho flower is. Also known as a resurrection plant, this real-life wonder of nature is a desert-dwelling plant hailing from the middle east with a unique ability.
The Jericho flower can bring itself back from the grave.
When deprived of water and soil, the plant shrivels into a desiccated husk, as one would expect. However, once exposed to water again, the Jericho flower will return to lushness and blossom back into its full glory within a matter of hours.
This happens even if the plant has been lying desiccated and dormant for years. Resurrection plants have been known to lie “dead” for decades and still come back.
So what does all this have to do with the Klaal’Zuul and my RPG group? Well, the Klaal’Zuul happens to have the same ability. The demon can die, and remain a lifeless corpse for hundreds or thousands of years. Once exposed to its primary source of nutrients, mortal souls, it rises from the grave fully powered and ready to seek its vengeance. The same power allows it rapidly regenerate its body when adequately fed.
The Klaal’Zuul are bounty hunters by nature, and often accept contracts to hunt down targets on the mortal realm. Hiring one is a daunting prospect but virtually guarantees success. No matter how powerful the target, the Klaal’Zuul is next to impossible to stop. Destroy it, and it can almost always be resurrected to continue the pursuit. Even when bested, the monster keeps coming until it fulfills its goal.
And the demon doesn’t hunt alone. Digesting souls produces a by-product that the Klaal’Zuul can inject into the brain of a recently deceased victim, animating the corpse as a mindless thrall. These unusual zombies are not the most coordinated servants but inherit the tenacity of their master.
One of the most terrifying aspects of the demon, however, is the scent that warns of its impending arrival. A bizarre stench that smells like a combination of blood, garlic, and lavender.
My players have learned to dread that scent. It usually means something terrible is about to happen.
However, all hope isn’t lost. Over the last few sessions, they’ve managed to acquire some of the components needed to destroy a Klaal’Zuul permanently, and the beast may finally meet its permanent demise soon.
While I’m thrilled with how the Klaal’Zuul arc has gone in our campaign and proud of the way the players have adapted and stepped up to the challenge, part of me is sad. I poured a lot of creativity into designing this creature, and to see it come to the end of its cycle in the story is bittersweet.
I mentioned to my players a few times that I’ve considered doing some stories based on the adventures in our campaign, and they’ve encouraged me to follow through with that. So maybe someday my readers elsewhere in the world will get to meet this terrifying demonic force. Until then, here’s to a good run on a fun campaign.
