Reviewing Monsters: Genshin Impact, Part 15: Nod-Krai

I've been slacking on playing Genshin Impact, although it is still probably the only mobile game that I play around to explore and muck around while in transit or as a 'fiddle game' in calls. Which is a bit ironic because I do feel like they've finally gotten the hang of handling the story mode and tying it into a lot of the myth arcs that has been built up across the various versions. In another world, in a better world with no microtransactions and no pressure to constantly pump out regular content, games like these would be multiple expansions that you keep adding to a base game or something. Oh well. 

In this year, the story goes to the semi-autonomous area of Nod-Krai, based on the Baltic Sea regions -- instead of what was initially promised and foreshadowed -- Snezhnaya, nation of one of the primary antagonists of the story, the Russian-inspired Fatui. But Nod-Krai is extremely interesting as a Fatui-controlled region with a surprisingly touching and well-done (if a bit overlong) handling of the local 'Moon Goddess'. 

Not here to talk about the story, though, but the monsters, as usual! I think it took the whole year of Nod-Krai quests for me to sit down and talk about all the monsters. Unlike Natlan, the region just doesn't have a particularly strong monster focus and the game's leaning more towards story and exploration this time around. 

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Oprichniki

With a Fatui-controlled region, of course we get a bunch of brand-new Fatui enemies since evrey one we've had before are all technically elite troops sent out to other nations outside of Snezhnaya and gather information or resources for the Tsartisa. In Nod-krai, the weaker troops are called the Oprichniki, borrowing their names from real-world 16th-century Russian state policy force. Which is more or less what they do, enforcing the peace and Snezhnayan interests in this region they are occupying. Pretty neat uniforms, and they come in various versions with different wacky gadgets. Because one of the softer themes in Nod-Krai is the advancement of technology, which translates to magical steampunk? 

We've got the Bombardier that runs around throwing adorable Zelda-esque cartoon bombs, the Grenadiers that carry big chunky grenade launchers, Support Troopers with shields, Line Troopers that carry chunky bayonets, Medics that carry 'healing staff' (which even the game lampshades as being not very useful) and Vanguards that carry... giant wrenches? To clear obstacles, whatever they may be. 

Like the tribal warriors from Natlan, I really don't have much to say about these weaker humanoid enemies which are really just remixes of each other. Cute weapons, though. 

Oprichniki Elite

A fair bit cooler are the elites, with the Thunderblitz Gvardiya being my favourite. That's a really cool modified uniform, and she walks around with two giant gatling guns with ammo reels being fed into it. That's cool. The elite Oprichniki are nobles or particularly talented commoners that proved themselves in the academy. All the Oprichniki also wear masks, by the way, fitting with the general mask theme of the Fatui. 

We've got the Fireblade Shock Trooper who also has a pretty cool outfit, helped mainly by that giant spear-ending-in-a-sword. Cool scarf, too. The Hailstorm Cannoneer reminds me of the bigger, bulkier Hydro/Cryo Fatui troopers in older versions, although a lot less exaggerated. They bring around giant shield-like emplacements that can transform into cannons to attack. 

Landcruisers

The other type of common enemy is the Landcruisers, which are mix-and-match robots. They're neat, I suppose, but I really don't have much to say about them. They either have a cute gatling gun as the top half, or a spinning buzzsaw. And they either have tank treads at the bottom, or two waddling chicken legs. Respectively, they are the Force Recon Scout, Force Recon Storm, Close Combat Storm and Close Combat Scout. 

The lore notes that these autonomous Landcruisers are named such because they apply the principles of naval combat to land battles. I don't think naval battles involve mechs with buzzsaws, but okay, sure. These smaller ones all are noted to have varying lesser roles, like scouts, storming enemy positions, or going through difficult terrain. 

Elite Landcruisers

The Elite Landcruisers are upgraded a fair bit more, although I like that the gatling guns and buzzsaws are taken almost directly from the weaker versions. The chassis has been replaced with a more armoured design that looks like an angry face, and two of them have gotten little propulsor jets to fly around. Respectively, these are the Force Recon Ground Effect, Cutting-Edge Fire-Support Ground Effect, Cutting-Edge All-Purpose Scout and Cutting-Edge All-Purpose Storm.

I mean, more or less what I said above applies to all of them. They sure are mechas with a lot of impressive weaponry strapped onto them! 

The Wild Hunt

Finally, we get into a non-Fatui monster. The Wild Hunt is one of the primary natural antagonists that the people of Nod-Krai have been struggling with. Based on a recurring monster type that appears in a lot of European myths, the Wild Hunt is the form that the dark energies of the Abyss specifically take in Nod-Krai, appearing as shambling humanoids with parts of their upper bodies replaced with purple, cracked energy and their heads manifesting as will-o-wisps. We've seen the Abyss appear and mimic bodies and personalities (particularly in Natlan, but also several times in older regions) but the phenomenon is particularly egregious in Nod-Krai.

Most of those that are consumed and lost to the Abyss turn into ghouls known as Wilderness Exiles, which are the ones that look like regular humans. But sometimes they go super-big, with their upper body hulking out and growing multiple abyssal spikes. I like that their face is just half of a shattered mask and a mass of feathers. These Wilderness Hunters are reanimated from 'champions of a lost ancient kingdoms', whereas the Exiles wear clothes of contemporary Nod-Krai Lightkeeper soldiers. 

We actually find out the origin story behind the Wild Hunt, tied to the ancient kingdom of Khaen'riah and their role in the ancient Cataclysm, but I do like that there's a lot of in-universe speculation about the nature of the Wild Hunt and why the Abyss is particularly active and vicious in the region of Nod-Krai. 

Fisher of Hidden Depths

There is also a new 'natural' Abyssal monster so we're not just fighting Rifthounds all the time, and it's called the Fisher of Hidden Depths. They're big Abyssal ostriches, but with really jagged anime spikes as wings and whatnot. The description notes that this might be tied to a philosopher who described humans as 'featherless bipeds' to distinguish mankind from animals, and that these Fishers of Hidden Depths appear to be a mockery of that simplified definition of humans. 

I don't have much to say about these guys, they're cool Abyssal monsters but also feel a bit too... simple? They are 'just' ostriches and doesn't quite scream 'Abyssal' the way the Rifthounds and Tenebrous Mimiflora do. I like the variety, but they just seem a bit 'too' mundane. 

Frostnight Scion

We'll cover all seven of these guys together. The Frostnight Scions are released in staggered order across the various Nod-Krai updates, but we eventually get all seven elements -- Electro (Gleaming Charge), Dendro (Tangled Vines), Pyro (Blazing Brilliance), Cryo (Ice Crystal), Hydro (Surging Currents), Anemo (Veiled Cloudchaser) and Geo (Gilded Sunshard). 

The Frostnight Scions are all described as elegant elemental life-forms with immense elemental affinity, creating this vaguely deer-like body layout. They've got massive, almost halo-like bone growths around their head, and a lot of spikes and horns all over. The Electro, Dendro and Hydro variants have long tails that end up in weapon-like growths, while the other four have wings or wing-like appendages that float around their spine. All of them can enter a brief 'super mode' that can be removed by attacking them with their own elements. Which... I'm not sure what the logic is behind that, but okay.

These Scions are... not particularly interesting to me visually. Impressive, for sure, but they do blend together a lot and feel a bit less interesting compared to how fun the Sumeru corrupted beasts or the Saurians in Natlan were. The lore is interesting enough, with how these Scions should have existed and predated the arrival of the elements into Teyvat (a core part of the lore explored in these versions) but have still ended up 'tainting their purity' by absorbing the elements. They do look impressive, but they also paradoxically feel a lot less 'elemental' than something like the Hypostases by dint of just looking like rather basic anime horse monsters. There is some lore noting that they used to exist before the world's elemental system is established, and could have left but chose to remain out of an ancient pact to guard the tribes that once worshipped the Moons. All right. 

Radiant Antelope

A lot more interesting are the 'Radiant Beasts', a group of creatures that are mutated -- or probably evolved -- by growing in a location where the Ancient Moon's power is so powerful, allowing them to harness the energies of the Moon and granting them power to wield the elements. The Radiant Antelope is an over-the-top antelope with the power to harness lightning, with lots of spikes and spines across its body and an impressive set of horns. They go around onto cliffs to attract bolts of lightning to temper their bodies. 

You do see regular antelopes and deer running around Nod-Krai, so it's quite neat to see the comparison between a regular version and a moon-transformed Radiant version. 

Radiant Lunapod

The Radiant Lunapod is a version mutated from a squid, and it scuttles around on the beaches with its tentacles. Its 'head' is not just armoured, however, and it's very clear from the animations that the two 'shield-spikes' are held in place, levitating around a thinner drill-like rocky portion attached to the Lunapod's head. The Lunapod is a mutated version of a local squid-in-a-snail-shell creature called the 'Atapetra Conch', which are ambient creatures that glorp around Nod-Krai's beaches alongside the surprising return of the crabs from Fontaine. I actually kind of wished that some of these radiants beasts would draw on some of the harmless wildlife from older regions! 

Radiant Bladehorn

The Radiant Bladehorn is probably my favourite, since it changes so much from the base 'Blunthorn Rhino' and becomes something quite impressive, with its armour plates looking a lot more exaggerated and having a gigantic forward-facing horn. I've seen this form be compared to the Elasmotherium, which... fair enough, that's a cool comparison. The Bladehorn's associated element is Anemo, which isn't something you'd immediately associate with a monstrous rhinoceros. 

Radiant Glacial Wolf

Added a couple versions later is the Radiant Glacial Wolf, mutated from local wolves and are turned into monstrous, bulky werewolves with ice-rune gauntlets. Werewolves are neat, even if they don't exactly have the usual lore associated with werewolves. There is a nice bit of lore significance as well since it's revealed that the ice wolf weekly boss from Mondstadt, Lupus Boreas, actually hails from Nod-Krai and likely started off his life as one of these Radiant Glacial Wolves. 

Domain Keeper

The 'Domain Keepers' debuted in a new area in Mondstadt, the 'Temple of Space' that our character can travel to. As the game slowly moves from mundane politics and elemental monsters to more celestial beings, the Temple of Space is an interesting showcase of the more heavenly aspects of Teyvat. The Temple of Space is abandoned by its goddess; but it was initially meant to be a repository of all the best cultures and innovations that humanity has to offer, and those that were deemed 'worthy' enough would be granted immortality in this new heavens. Except when you bring a bunch of artists, authors and philosophers and give them infinite time, well... they're going to keep creating. 

The Shade/God/Angel of Space has disappeared, and her minions, these lesser angels, are left confused to try and keep the status quo, and end up oppressing these ascended artists and authors; a far better take on the 'enforced stagnant eternity' story than what we got in Inazuma. 

These Domain Keepers are 'shadow construct' born from the overflows of the mighty primordial beings, and are essentially lesser angels (the 'real' angels manifest as regular anime people).  The Domain Keepers are identified as 'eyes', and I like their design. They're mostly dormant as these orbs, but then activate a single limb that extends in a sword, and its end sprouts a feathery angel wing. Some variants sprout darker 'fallen angel' wings instead. I like that their design is playing a bit of a riff on the 'biblically accurate', non-humanoid angels.

Throughout the world quest, some quest-unique variations of the Domain Keepers appear -- some with two angel wings, some with two 'devil' wings, some with extra rings or whatever -- but are otherwise basically the same thing. 

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BOSSES:

Knuckle Duckle

We've got a fair bit of 'world bosses' this time around. We'll start off with Knuckle Duckle, which is created by one of the main characters in Nod-Krai, resident child prodigy and scrap metal inventor Aino. A lot of the puzzles in Nod-Krai's early areas involve these robots, but one of them is a huge 'battle simulator' that has the head of a duck, summons a bunch of little hover-ducks, and has a hammer and a chainsaw for hands... and a giant boxing glove in its stomach.  

It's not my favourite design, but it does have a unique vibe that separates it from Genshin's many other robotic monsters. Aino has a very child-like sense of aesthetics, and this does have the vibe of being a 'toy duck that punches'. Not much to really say here, it's cute.

Super-Heavy Landrover: Mechanized Fortress

A version of the Super-Heavy Landrover without weapons cameo'd in an early world quest for Nod-Krai, before appearing afterwards as a world boss. The Super-Heavy Landrover: Mechanized Fortress is essentially a much, much bigger versions of the Landcruisers, with four legs, much larger versions of the cannons and buzzsaws they wield, and a body that's massive and meant to be a platform to carry items or personnel. As the story goes, this was originally designed for civilian use, to transport heavy items or as construction, but the Fatui version that we fight has heavy weapons mounted on it. It looks visually neat, but again, not the most exciting monster. 

Radiant Moonfly

The Radiant Moonfly is probably my favourite of the world bosses in that it doesn't feel derivative of something already in the overworld. By its name and classification, it falls under the same group of 'radiant beasts' like the antelope or lunapod, but the Moonfly is a strange creature that doesn't exactly correspond to any creature except maybe the Crystalfly. It's not just a giant butterfly either, as it's encountered with its wings completely retracted, being a bipedal, arm-less humanoid with a strange feathered head before the crystal-butterfly wings erupt out as the combat continues. the result is a rather interesting design that looks quite unique. 

There's sadly not much lore, though, only mentions that the Moonfly's shape isn't something that should be normally maintained -- and only through the power of the Moon that the Moonfly is able to maintain its unnatural form. 

Radiant Moongecko

Likewise, the Radiant Moongecko initially appears nestled within a massive layer of segmented constructs -- which are the orange geo constructs identical to its tail. It's an interesting combination of the gimmick of a gecko being able to detach its tail, as well as the idea of Geo constructs growing and expanding within the game. Indeed, the Moongecko will constantly summon more and more of these constructs and scuttle around it as it moves around the boss fight. 

We do actually see the regular geckos in the overworld that aren't 'radiant', and they are very tiny. This one is quite a cool variation of it, and the idea of the Geo power being essentially elemental-organic parts that behave as precisely as mechanical components is a neat one. Lore notes that they once lived in the surface world, but were driven underground. Some primal instinct still remains, however, and they feed on rock and soil suffused with lunar radiance on nights of the full moon.

Frostnight Herra

The Frostnight Herra is essentially the 'boss' version of the Frostnight Scion, with more elaborate wings and tail and halos. They're basically just pegasi with Final Fantasy style fancy greebles. I find the design to be quite pleasant looking, just like I do with the Scions... but otherwise not much else. 

The Frostnight Herra (and Scions) were born in ages past before all the elemental system and the Moons' fall happened. Without going too much into the lore, this does mean that they are 'sacred beasts lost to this world', working off a different combat system than what we are used to, and this is manifested into gameplay as the ability to be completely immune to the element used to damage them the most during the first phase of the battle.

Lord of the Hidden Depths: Whisperer of Nightmares

We've got a Abyssal monster, the Lord of the Hidden Depths: Whisperer of Nightmares. It's a mass of Abyssal energy that takes the form of a quadrupedal beast -- which seems to be somewhat mimicking the horse-like forms of the Scion/Herra? The front legs are more clawed, and I like the mass of rock-like claw collar around the Whisperer of Nightmares' head. The neck and head is a giant eye-orb that reminds me of the Thunderbird or the plant Abyss enemies. In combat it leaps around like a frenetic panther, lashing around with its tail and sometimes summoning Fishers to help it. 

The Whisperer is forced to take this form because it must 'obey the rules' of the world it's trying to invade. Otherwise, they can merely linger on the edges of reality and whisper madness into the world. The creature mostly attacks with its whip/scythe-like tails, but otherwise it is just a weird-looking quasi-dinosaurian Abyss monster. I do like that we have more variety in the Abyss creatures beyond just Wolfhounds, though! 

The Open-Eyed

The boss in the Temple of Space area are two lesser angels Nihilita and Melanta -- named after nihility and melancholy, two aspects of humanity that the Shade of Space cannot comprehend. One of them sticks around as a boss you can farm, while the other is killed during the storyline to free the trapped people. 

'The Open-Eyed' does have a pretty cool design. On the base side, it looks like just a weird humanoid angel with maybe a cyclopic, robotic eye. But just like its Domain Keeper minions, it's only got one big wing on its left side, while it has only got lesser 'skirt' wings on the right side. Instead, the Open-Eyed's right arm and its 'legs' are all made up of black cubes -- black cubes that are associated with the Cataclysm and the Unknown God that uses these dimension cubes to fight. This marks the Open-Eyed as a specific minion of the Shade of Space, making the aesthetic choice quite fitting. This also allows the Open-Eyed to fill in a trope of a 'half-angel, half-devil' enemy without going the obvious and using purple Abyss-shadow energy for the nth time, but to give us something different aesthetically. 

The Open-Eyed is noted to be essentially programmed with ultimate obedience and loyalty to the will of the one above... but is now in a strange 'eternal punishment', because the behaviour of its master, the Ruler of Space, is inconsistent with the stated rules of Celestia. This does translate to the Open-Eyed kind of ranting while you fight it, although not as much as some of the other humanoid bosses!

Il Dottore

The 'weekly boss' -- and ultimate final villain for the Nod-Krai arc -- is the second Harbinger, Il Dottore. Dottore is one of the earliest named villains in the series, who has menaced so many characters and allies throughout the history of the game. It was a great narrative and storyline moment to finally meet him in combat, particularly since he goes around being a gigantic douchebag in Nod-Krai. He also attempts to ascend into godhood. I could write quite a bit about how I feel about Il Dottore ever since he showed up in the prequel comics, and his huge role in Sumeru, the buildup across the next two regions, and finally in Nod-Krai. 

...but there really isn't a whole ton to say about the boss fight. It's just a dude floating around with a lot of anime greebles flying behind him, and he summons a lot of huge explosive cosmic attacks. Very cool to see, very cool to fight. The context behind his powers is... not the best build-up for an arc villain, but sure. It ultimately is just a bunch of big anime explosions and dimensional stuff that doesn't really impress me; I honestly am disappointed that we barely get any of his 'manipulates a bunch of floating murder-syringes' that his more humanoid form uses in some quest-specific battles and cutscenes. Instead, he makes big light explosions and laser beams and dimensional clones. It ties, I suppose, to how he gets this power, and how he's trying to be a 'new world' with some kinda-digital electric lines or whatever, but I really feel like we could've had something cool with a mad scientist boss, and he just gets reduced to a generic unthemed 'god in human form' enemy. 

It is kind of disappointing, especially compared to the 'ice cocoon into fire moth' Signora and the very puppet-themed Scaramouche fight, and even Arlecchino had some spider and angel themes to her attacks. Dottore is just everything I complained about some of the bosses that just launch big flashy energy blasts, but attached to a character they actually had decent theming and buildup around. Shame, that.  

Reviewing 5E D&D Monsters - Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, Pt 2 (Demons)

Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes gives us almost two dozen new fiends spread across the factions of Demons, Devils and Yugoloths, and even more than that if you consider the demon lords and archdevils that were given statblocks in the book. Being perhaps the biggest sourcebook about the Blood War in 5th Edition -- and the unlikelihood that we're ever going to get a proper 'demonomicon' style sourcebook in 5E -- it's the biggest fiend lore addition we get to the 5th Edition cosmology. 

And while Monsters of the Multiverse does a similar thing to the 2024 Monster Manual in splitting apart the 'demon' and 'devil' monster groups and arranged everyone alphabetically, I find it much easier to talk about the fiends in one go. So just like how it was in my original Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes review, the demons will have one article, and then the devils and yugoloths get another article, before we go on with the rest of the book. 

As per my what I've been saying in previous posts in my revival of the D&D 5th Edition monster reviews, I am not going to talk about named entities here. The Demon Lords almost made it in because some of them have pretty neat designs (well, mostly Demogorgon, Juiblex and Zuggtmoy) but as a whole, it makes the production of these articles much easier. As I found out during the process of writing and editing, I just don't really care that much to have such a huge chunk of the monster review be me regurgitating the history of the character (which wikis and sourcebooks do much better) as compared to talking about the fantasy biology and abilities of more 'common' creatures. 

This part contains all the variations of the Tanar'ri Demons introduced, which are the Chaotic Evil ones that want to spread wanton destruction and everything. I covered much more about the Demons in D&D here. 

• Click here for the previous part. 
• Click here for the next part.
• Click here for the index.

[Originally published June 2020; Revised on May 2026]

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Demons - Alkilith 

• 5.5E/5E: Medium Fiend - Demon; Chaotic Evil; CR 11

The Alkilith is an obscure demon that originally debuted in bonus material for 2nd Edition's Planescape setting, and briefly showed up in 3E's Fiend Folio as a heavily retooled version of itself. And when selecting from the dozens of demons available from D&D's history, Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes decided, rightfully so, that this rather obscure gate-fungus demon is what they needed. And I really like it! It is such a stark contrast to all of the monstrous animal-people that D&D has been using for their demons. 

The Alkilith, at first glance, doesn't look like a demon. It doesn't even look like a proper monster, being instead a foul fungal growth that only manifests on 'apertures'. This could be doorways, windows and anything that looks like a portal. From the artwork of both 2E and 5E, the mossy material really does look nasty but ultimately innocuous, save for the random, mismatched glowing red demon eyes. Which, I assume, the Alkilith can just close. 

Whenever Alkiliths take root (or whatever the correct terminology is for demonic tanar'ri moss), however, they weaken the fabric of reality, and turn that gateway into a demonic portal for other demons to come through. The concept of 'demon gates' is a pretty simple one that has proven to be quite effective, particularly in video games. Hi, Oblivion! But the Alkilith gives the option of making that demon gate into its own, sentient demon. Which, in a way, makes complete sense that some of these fiends are adapted into actually functioning as portals. 

A lot of great description about the Alkilith, too. Quoth Mordenkainen: "The appearance of an Alkilith in the world heralds a great wrongness and imminent catastrophe." This transformation takes a bit of time (anywhere from 6 to 36 days), as the Alkilith needs to anchor itself and attune the gateway to the Abyss, but if we are being honest... who, really, is going to look at some fast-growing moss and think 'oh, a demon portal' instead of calling the cleaner's?  

Combat-wise, despite having a very respectable 11 Challenge Rating, the Alkilith wants to do its job stealthily. I imagine that in a campaign, the Alkilith would have either already turned itself into a portal in the midst of disgorging out demons, or probably trying to create a portal in a location that the adventurers would realistically visit several times (which would be a nice bit of buildup as they maybe notice the moss, but fail their investigation checks... or if they catch the demon early). In addition to typical ooze-y abilities like spider climb and amorphous form, Alkiliths have resistance against magic and the ability to 'ferment confusion', causing a nasty buzzing in the heads of anyone around it and get some disadvantage. Cleverly, I feel like this is something that could be attributed to like, a moss with poisonous spores or something. The jump from just a weird moss and a portal to the Abyss is deliciously wild.

We also get some nods to the 3.5E version of the Alkilith, as 5E's Alkilith agrees with 3.5E's origin that the Alkliliths are spawned off of the body of the ooze demon lord Juiblex. Juiblex was also statted out in Tome of Foes! 3.5E, which doesn't really like 'ambient' monsters, turns its take on the Alkilith into a pollution ooze demon. Which is, by the way, a very cool concept of its own, but it's not anywhere as weird as a moss gateway to hell. Interestingly, Tome of Foes notes that Alkiliths must find escape routes out of the Abyss into the Material Plane, because 'most cultists consider them too risky to summon'. I highly disagree, the whole point of these nihilistic fantasy cults is that they have absolutely no reservations at going over the line in their worship of their demons! 

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Demons - Armanite 

• 5.5E/5E: Large Fiend - Demon; Chaotic Evil; CR 7

Debuting in 2E, and featured in the demon-themed books for 3.5E and 4E, the Armanite feels like a pretty simple concept. The regular batch of D&D demons are really a colourful and eclectic bunch compared to more 'serious' demon lineups in games like Doom or Diablo. Which is why I appreciate the options for more dour designs compared to the more colourful Hezrous, Yochlols and Chasmes. (This was why 4E had the 'flayed man' Evistro as the common minion demon instead of the Dretch). 

Armanites in 5E are basically just demonic centaurs, which... isn't the most interesting design, but the artwork does deliver on the aesthetic. It's not an aesthetic that I am particularly fond of, but it does work for a member of a gnashing demonic horde. Some nice details there, like the armour and the horns on the Armanite's head and shoulders. This builds into the fact that Armanites is a walking arsenal of natural weapons, from the whip-like tail, horned heads and taloned fingers. They also have some innate magic, being able to summon lances of lightning. I've heard the Armanite described as 'minotaur-centaurs', which... I can see that. Being classified as large, they are probably larger than a typical non-monstrous centaur. 

The CR 7 Armanite form the role of 'heavy cavalry' among the demonic hordes, and in the blasted field of the Abyss, great herds of these Armanites charge across the fields to do combat with anything and everything. If they can't find foes, they will fight each other. They are meant to be simple, brutish savage minions, and that's okay. I don't really have a ton to say about that otherwise, but they make a nice alternate option for a lesser demon to menace lower-leveled parties and I do like options. 

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Demons - Bulezau 

• 5.5E/5E: Medium Fiend - Demon; Chaotic Evil; CR 3

The Bulezau is also a very 'classic mythology' looking demon, being obviously based on the real-world iconographies of goat-man demon Baphomet (unlike D&D's take on the demon, who is more of a minotaur-man). And at CR 3, the Bulezau is, again, quite suited to pad out the lower ranks of the demons while having that classical demonic feel. 

Just being a creepy goat-man isn't quite interesting, though, as cool as that squatting art of the Bulezau is. They are given the additional gimmick of a disease demon as well. They have a 'rotting presence' due to their disfiguring ailments, inflicting damage to anyone around them. Their barbed tail is also laced with a flesh-rotting poison that reduces your hit point maximum. As the description notes, 'crusted eyes, maggots wriggling in open sores and a reek of rotten meat'. 

That disease bit is just a small portion of what the Bulezaus are, though. They are not just manifestations of disease, but also that of animalistic rage. They are demons, after all, and lower-ranked ones at that. Bulezaus lurk in canyons and crags, and are happy to serve as footsoldiers in the Abyss's wars. They crave violence, they want to kill, and if not corralled into battle, they gather into scrabbing, wrestling mobs. Which probably is going to spread all those pestilent, purulent diseases.

This is basically the same characterization that the Armanite has, sure, but I do think that Tome of Foes does really want to pad out the lower ranks of the demons. Demons being more 'chaotic evil' and less rigidly defined by society means that there really should be a lot more weaker, weirder demons running around. And having some nice, single-digit CR options with a more traditional look is a nice little cast expansion for the D&D demons. 

(To note, in the 5E Monster Manual, not counting 'fodders' like Dretches and Manes, we have tiny spy Imp, shadow-monster Shadow Demon, gorilla-man Barlgura, toad-man Hezrou, mosquito-man Chasme and bird-man Vrock... none of which really looks properly demonic until we hit the CR 9 Glabrezu). 

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Demons - Dybbuk 

• 5.5E/5E: Medium Fiend - Demon; Chaotic Evil; CR 4

Oh! One of my favourite demons from this book is the Dybbuk. Borrowing its name from a possessing spirit from Jewish mythology, the Dybbuk is reinterpreted in Dungeons & Dragons as a demon that possesses corpses. The 5th Edition artwork only shows the reanimated corpse, but both the description and older 3E material show the Dybbuk in its true form -- a ghostly jellyfish. But not just a mere jellyfish, but one whose features are contorted into a scowling face. That right there makes it so much more charming and disturbing as a monster. 

A Dybbuk's entire deal is its 'violate corpse' ability, puppeteering the corpse from within and using it to 'engage in a range of sordid activities'. Which the statblock and flavour text give several examples of, inspired by classic horror movies -- vomiting gouts of blood, excreting piles of squirming maggots, twisting its head all the way around, or contorting their limb to scuttle on the ground. Typical Exorcist stuff. I am not really sure what the main point of this is, other than typical chaos and spreading of fear, the Dybbuks are just dicks, I suppose!

When they initially enter the Material Plane, or if their 'host' corpse is destroyed, the Dybbuk is forced to travel in their natural jellyfish form, which is incorporeal and ghostly. Dybbuks don't like to travel in this form, and they look for nearby corpses to take over. The Dybbuk has several natural spells (Fear, Dimension Door, Phantasmal Force) which in the original Tome of Foes printing it can only use in its natural form; but the Monsters of the Multiverse reprint rephrases this so that the Dybbuk can utilize these spells from within the corpse.

That bit does make the Dybbuk a bit more interesting since the zombie corpse has a combative purpose, being a 'shield' to protect its true form. Again, it's okay, I suppose, for Dybbuks to be just possessing corpses for the shits and giggles, but considering that as written, it's not going around killing people, or creating more Dybbuks somehow, or extracting souls, it feels a bit weird to want to understand what Dybbuks are meant to accomplish other than just being a creepy encounter. 

One last thing to note that isn't represented in 5th Edition but was in the Dybbuk's original 3E debut is that Dybbuks are from a different sub-race of demons called the 'Loumara' (as opposed to 'Baatezu', which comprises of almost all the other demons). Loumaras are supposed to be more ghostly, spirit-like demons that are born out of 'dreams of dead gods' in the Abyss. They never really caught on because the others didn't really feel 'demonic', but I am happy that 5th Edition rescued the most memorable of them all, the Dybbuk. 

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Demons - Maurezhi 

• 5.5E/5E: Medium Fiend - Demon; Chaotic Evil; CR 7

I went on record when I did this review in 2020 that I found the Maurezhi to be one of the least interesting fiends in Tome of Foes. My opinions still hasn't changed, especially since I completely forgot it existed until I opened up my document to work on this article. The Maurezhi sits in a weird spot where it is classified as a demon, but its gimmick revolves around the undead. No, a specific type of undead, the ghouls. Which explains why the Maurezhi's artwork in all its incarnations is just... a ghoul. 5E gives it some really nice detailing, with the pot-belly and the bloodstained claws, but I really wished that they had done something to differentiate the Maurezhi from just a particularly emaciated ghoul. 

It doesn't help, either, that Ghouls already have a 'boss' with a fancier name, being the Ghast. And furthermore, Devourers also exist as this link between undead and demons, and being far more memorable in its gimmick and appearance. Which leaves the poor Maurezhi a bit lacking of identity as a 'demonic ghoul'. 

Maurezhis were created by an exarch of Orcus called Doresain, the King of Ghouls. Doresain turned a bunch of elves into the demonic Maurezhi, giving them super-ghoul powers. Unlike regular ghouls, a Maurezhi's bites and magic resistance works against its fellow elves... an effect that is severely diluted because Ghasts also already have that effect. Maurezhis can also raise fallen ghouls and ghasts, which... also doesn't feel all that special. 

Perhaps the only really cool thing that the Maurezhi can do that isn't just taken from the Ghoul/Ghast statblock is its ability to 'assume form'. The Maurezhi can assume the form of a humanoid that it has eaten, which is creepy and cool... but the disguise only lasts less than a week, at which point the disguise rots and 'sloughs off' like dead skin. That's something, I suppose? It's a nice middle-of-the-road demon for a more undead or Orcus themed session or campaign; but otherwise I'm just not particularly enthused with this one. The Dybbuk or the Devourer really are far, far more interesting if you want to do a 'demon that interacts with the undead' vibe. 

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Demons - Molydeus 

• 5.5E/5E: Huge Fiend - Demon; Chaotic Evil; CR 21

The Molydeus is a super-powerful demon that debuted in Planescape in 2E, and stands at a whopping CR 21. The very first lines in its Tome of Foes entry is a huge boast, declaring that the Molydeus is 'the most ruthless and dangerous of demons, more feared than the dreaded Balor'. That's strong fighting words! We are doing some power-scaling right here! The Molydeus, by the way, is also notable for being one of the few monsters who didn't receive an artwork in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, only getting proper artwork in Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse. It's... it's not a good start for the Molydeus's 5th Edition career. 

The 12-feet Molydeus is a huge being, standing around the average height of most giants, and has the body layout somewhat similar to a Werewolf. Its humanoid skin is red, but its wolf head and tail are gray. Most importantly, it has got a demonic serpent sprouting from its back. I'm... I'm honestly not the biggest fan of this design visually. A giant wolf-man doesn't really scream 'ultimate demon' to me, and while I understand the thematic significance of the snake looking like it doesn't belong, it still doesn't belong and clashes against the aesthetic of the Molydeus. 

Molydei (that's the plural used in the book) are second only to the Demon Lords, guarding their most precious possessions, enforcing the loyalty of the troops, and bringing death to their masters' enemies. They speak with the authority of their masters... quite literally, because that snake head functions as essentially a monitor and a phone for the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord watches the Molydeus through the snake head, and can even speak through the snake head to tell its wishes.

Demon Lords transform their most loyal, fiercest and cunning minions to the rank of Molydeus through a series of excruciating torments, which ends up being both a blessing and a curse. The might that a Molydeus has is, again, greater than even the mighty Balors. However, they are forever bound to servitude and at the mercies of their Demon Lord, essentially enforcing the fact that this is the cap of their demonic career, enforcing that there is 'no room for treachery' for the Molydeus. Which to me just spells drama! Demons being chaotic evil rage-monsters, on principle would not like to be so constantly observed, let alone have their own ambitions to become Demon Lords themselves dashed. There could be a drama here going on to turn the Molydeus against its master. It is noted that Demon Lords often dispatch Molydei to watch over their Amulet, which would allow them to resurrect in the Abyss even if their form is destroyed.

The Molydeus itself is a pretty simple statblock, but with really high stats. It has legendary resistances, as well as a batch of spells (which includes Polymorph, Lightning Bolt and Imprisonment), and a demonic weapon that is gifted from the Demon Lord. This weapon (the form of the weapon depends on the master) is bound to the Molydeus's soul, and will dissolve into slime if the Molydeus is slain. The weapon gives some bonuses to decapitation, which is such a random and rare trait in 5th Edition. Oh, and the snake head, connected to the Demon Lord, will transform whatever creature it manages to kill into a Manes... which is a fate worse than death, quite literally, since you can't be resurrected or transformed back. 

I do really find the Molydeus's visual design to be a bit too goofy to really take as seriously as they intended it to be, but I appreciate the writeup and the potential drama between a competent (or even loyal) servant and its micromanaging boss. 

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Demons - Nabassu 

• 5.5E/5E: Medium Fiend - Demon; Chaotic Evil; CR 15

Visually, the Nabassu doesn't really look particularly distinct. A typical 'demonic' body layout, being a jet-black reptilian-skinned humanoid with horns and bat-wings? We've got a bunch of those on the Devil side of the playground. I do like the flavour a fair bit, though! The Nabassu are insatiable hungry demons, and they are driven by that and that alone. If they see a creature that they think they can kill, they will attack and consume it. Standing at a rather powerful CR 15, this means most things. Including other demons, and even other Nabassu. 

Interestingly, this is a bridge too far for the chaotic evil demons, who banish the Nabassu even among demonic hordes in the Abyss. It's not the principle of demon-killing per se, which is a daily occurrence even in the Abyss where demons can't reform. But the act of devouring those souls is a bridge too far. Or, well, I suppose most demons would treat the prospect of their own souls being devoured as the danger instead of other demons. 

Thus, Nabassu live in the fringes of the Abyss, feeding on whatever weak demon or fiend wander into their area. Interestingly, Tome of Foes note that particularly powerful Nabassu will search out the demon lords' amulets, which are the very plot devices guarded by our buddy the Molydeus above. A demon-vs-demon storyline might feature a Nabassu as a wild card, then, perhaps having the information and/or a grudge against a demon lord. 

The way that Tome of Foes suggests using the Nabassu is through an 'infiltrator' hook. Whenever a magic portal or a summoner is trying to get a demon, Nabassus try their best to track this down and get summoned instead, bursting out of the portal to embark on a feast of souls. I've seen the Nabassu used as such, where the adventurers, the cult they are fighting, and the Hezrou lesser demon summoned by the demon had to team up to fight a Nabassu that burst out of the portal. Tome of Foes also suggests that a summoner can keep feeding souls to the Nabassu to keep it satiated, although you know this devious creature is going to betray its summoner the first chance that he gets. 

In addition to devouring souls, Nabassus have a pretty interesting ability where they have an aura that darkens the immediate vicinity around it. It's 'eating' the light, I think, is the intended effect. It also has a 'soul-stealing gaze', where its gaze will drain life from an enemy, and if they are slain this way, gets transformed into a Ghoul -- an undead of ravenous hunger itself. Actually, everything about the Nabassu makes it a far, far more interesting 'Ghoul Lord' than the Maurezhi, doesn't it? 

The idea of a demon that is the 'demon to the demons' is an interesting one, and mechanically I actually like the Nabassu. I really wished the design was a bit more impressive for such an otherwise interesting concept. Perhaps an emphasis on the 'hunger' part would work a lot better! 

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Demons - Rutterkin 

• 5.5E/5E: Medium Fiend - Demon; Chaotic Evil; CR 2 (Rutterkin)
• 5E: Medium Fiend - Demon; Chaotic Evil; CR 1/4 (Abyssal Wretch)

Another 'fodder' demon is the Rutterkin, which is a type of 'warped demon', roaming the Abyss in mobs that constantly search for prey to devour. Rutterkins are a step up from Dretches, but still look quite wretched. I actually like the Rutterkin more as the 'common' lowest-ranked-that-is-not-a-Manes Demon, both visually and conceptually, and the 'warped human almost-zoimbie' fits a lot better compared to the Dretch looking like a nightmare muppet. 

The artwork for the Rutterkin has differed a lot from edition to edition, and all of them are valid because all Rutterkins should look a bit different. I have to appreciate the 5E artwork, though. Visible entrails and ribcage, deformed head, the arm and leg on the right side shrunk down and deformed, but a pillar-like blistering left leg, and a right arm that has mutated into a tentacle with a gnashing pair of jaws at the end, surrounded by the remnants of the Rutterkin's fingers. Grody!

Rutterkins actually work as protectors of the Abyss, gathering and surging towards any intruder and unleashing a wave of crippling fear that can stop their victims in their tracks. The Rutterkin will then attempt to bite them and inflict a 'Warping Plague' upon them. This poison inflicts the corrupting influence of the Abyss onto their victim, and they will, if they expire from the poison, be transfigured irreversibly into a monstrous fleshy blob. 

They don't become a Rutterkin, though. They become either an 'Abyssal Wretch', which does not get an artwork but is described as a 'mass' that follow the Rutterkin around, or, in the Monsters of the Multiverse book, just into a Manes. Multiverse just does away with the 'Abyssal Wretch' statblock entirely to simplify matters, but I really like the idea of the Rutterkin warping you into a much more Resident-Evil-flesh-blob lesser demon instead of 'just' a Manes. 

It is pretty neat, though, and the Rutterkin serves for a much cooler 'footsoldier' minion for a demon incursion scene with its ability to not just merely kill all the commoners and civilians, but warp them, body and soul, into something wrong. 

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Demons - Sibriex 

• 5.5E/5E: Huge Fiend - Demon; Chaotic Evil; CR 18

Oh, yes. Speaking of body horror, we've got the monstrous elder demon known as the Sibriex. The Sibriex has always had a lot of gloriously gory artwork, and while D&D as a whole has moved away from a lot of the gorier designs, I am surprised the Sibriex made it into 5th Edition, and if anything, with a lot more blood, pus and viscera in its design compared to its previous incarnations. I am always a fan of the giant multi-bulbed brain, the beady eyes and the unhinged mouth of 3E's Sibriex, but the 5E one with so much viscera dripping down its body, and the mass of spiky tumour-structure beneath its mouth... pretty nasty body horror here. 

The Sibriex is a horrifying thing. In addition to being a giant disembodied bulbous, malformed head, it's also held onto the ground with ancient chains. 5E describes them as 'thought to be as old as the Abyss itself', but they stop short at actually explaining the context behind why the Sibriex is chained up and feels so alien even to other demons. See, most of the demons in D&D are part of the Tanar'ri, the dominant race that inhabits the Abyss. The Sibriex, meanwhile, are Obyrith demons -- they are what came before. Whatever the reason, the Obyrith became a dying race and the Tanar'ri took over their part of the Lower Planes... but some, like the Sibriex, remained. Humbled, reduced, chained, but not weakened. 

Sibriexes are noted to haunt remote parts of the Abyss, and are described to 'breed new horrors and apprehend forbidden lore'. Their vile blood, bile and other bodily fluids cascade down the Sibriex's wound-filled body, and this creates a contaminating aura that causes poison to affect anything and everything around it. It probably doesn't matter since the Sibriex are most commonly found in the Abyss, where nothing nice grows anyway, but if they are ever transported into the Material Plane, it probably wouldn't be good for the local environment. 

Sibriexes, being ancient than most of the world, has spent eons amassing information from across the planes, hoarding knowledge that are so useful and obscure that even demon lords would seek them out. Many are cautious in dealing with Sibriexes, however, as they are likely to either be stingy about parceling out their information, or they try to outright manipulate demon lords in the guise of acting as an advisor. 

In combat, Sibriexes can fight in several ways. It has spellcasting abilities (mostly those that affect the mind), the ability to squirt poisonous bile, and manipulation of those chains. However, the Sibriex's marquee ability is 'Warp Creature', where they target multiple creatures around it and 'warp' their flesh. As per the base statblock, those affected by the Sibriex's influence slowly gain exhaustion, and after several ticks of this ability, they transform into an Abyssal Wretch (or a Manes in Multiverse). 

That's the boring way to run a 5th Edition Sibriex. The cooler version is to respect the flavour of the Sibriex as 'Demon Grafters'. Being in-tune with the Abyss, Sibriexes can create new demons from other creatures, and are identified as being associated and being able to create Rutterkins. Demons petition Sibriexes for physical gifts, and they are able, if they are inclined to, graft body parts to give a demon's greater strength, vision, stamina or other abilities. In exchange for a service or treasure, of course. 

And it is this flesh-warping ability that the Sibriex uses against your players, and exhaustion is so lame and uninteresting tied to this lore. Both Tome of Foes and Multiverse has a d20 table of 'flesh warping' effects, which are unfortunately temporary as the Sibriex's 'Warp Creature' effect ends. This range from beneficial abilities like clawed fingers (which count as daggers), legs becoming long and springy (increasing speed), tentacle fingers (longer reach!) eyes turning black (giving you darkvision), growing another head, a whip-like tail, or growing functional wings (could be from your back... or your ears turn into wings). And some are just cosmetic, like changing the colour of hair/eyes/skin, or giving you tusks. 

But some of the other effects on the Sibriex's table are just hilarious to imagine. 'The target's eyes push out of its head at the end of stalks.' 'The target's arms and legs switch places, preventing movement unless it crawls'. 'The target's ears tear free from its head and scurry away. The target is deafened.' Honestly, I could easily make up a full 100 options, both for beneficial and detrimental, body horror effects for the Sibriex. 

There's a lot that I find cool about the Sibriex. The flesh-warping is one thing. The visuals are another. But the idea of something so ancient that it predates even the demons in the Abyss, that have such deep, long-reaching information... but you have to deal with... well, with that? You also know they're not just there in their remote retreats doing nothing. They're probably plotting, experimenting, doing something unpleasant. There's just something so well-executed about how wrong the Sibriexes feel, and that's a great thing in my books.

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Demons - Wastrilith 

• 5.5E/5E: Large Fiend - Demon; Chaotic Evil; CR 13

I remembered distinctly that the 3rd Edition's Fiend Folio featured an illustration with three or four serpentine aquatic demons. That's a bit much, isn't it? Not that more variations isn't welcome, but I really shouldn't invalidate aquatic demon plots. Whether your adventurers are helping a Merfolk society deal with demonic invaders, or if they are in what passes for oceans in the Abyss, the 'Water Lords' known as the Wastrilith are there, waiting. 

Design-wise, the Wastrilith's body layout is relatively simple, following that 'Yuan-ti Abomination' body layout of having a snake's (well, eel's) body with a humanoid torso and arms. The Wastrilith gets to be a lot more colourful, though, with a fish head, hooks for arms, and a whole mass of random leaf-like fins that sprout all over his body. I particularly like the detailing of that colourful flow of scales running down the Wastrilith's flank. 

Wastriliths are, surprise surprise, very powerful combatants in aquatic environments. They are able to create an undertow that makes it hard for non-finned creatures to swim through, and they are able to launch spouts of pressurized water in addition to its brute strength. But the Wastrilith's primary gimmick is the ability to corrupt water. Even when the Wastrilith travels on land, its influence will befoul water and taint it, causing it to adapt to the Wastrilith's commands.

But the most devious ability of this corrupted water is that anyone that drinks this water risks their very souls, being described as either withering until they die; or becoming a thrall of the Wastrilith. Rather oddly, in-game only the first 'poisonous' effect is represented, and instead of the cooler mind-control ability, the stat block notes that the corrupted water will heal demons that drink from it. Still a cool ability, but why can't the corrupted water do all three effects? It should do all three effects. 

Not the most memorable demon, if we're being honest, but it does what it needs to do, and the idea of a storyline involving the corruption of water sources and turning them into a 'fountain of health' for demons is a neat one. I also like the potential storyline of the Wastrilith managing to corrupt an entire riverside or seaside town, turning everyone there into thralls insidiously because they drank some corrupted water.