The lamassu is a lingering echo of the fallen Malborn Empire. It is an enigma that outlived the age that birthed it. Its body, once resplendent, is now dulled by time: a colossal bull with matted fur that might once have shone like gold, now tarnished and flecked with ash. Its feathered wings droop slightly at the edges. The face, carved in the image of malborne nobility, carries the weight of centuries.

Sentinel of Lost Glory#

The lamassu dwells in the shattered remains of malborne sanctuaries, its presence warding off grave robbers. The creature speaks rarely, and when it does, it speaks in riddles. Its mind is a fortress of psionic might; able to twist thoughts, reshape perceptions, and collapse reality with but a silent command.

Unknown Origin#

What the lamassu is remains a mystery. Was it once one of the malborne who ascended to a new form through some secret rite of magic? Or was it shaped by the last of the empire’s high mages, to act as a guardian of the empire’s treasures? It cannot, or will not, say.

The Shedu Within#

Yet deep inside the lamassu stirs a second soul. This is a seething, caged intelligence that hates what the malborne became. Some say it is a fragment of the god they murdered. Others claim it is the echo of malborne guilt given monstrous form. If the lamassu is ever slain, this buried mind awakens, bursting forth as a Shedu (found in this appendix). This is a beast of wrath and celestial vengeance.