Mascot Monday: The Maw of Justice

 The past several years have been a little rough in some parts of Wampus Country.  You'll hear the wizards admit, when in their cups, that Chaos seems to be on the rise here and there; and reports roll in periodically from far and wide that some Old Thing has woken up, or the land has shifted more than it usually does.  Chaos, indeed.

It's in times like these that we frontier gentlefolk would do well to remember that although we are beset upon by gribbly bits of the Outer Dark from time to time, there are also supernatural forces of Order and Law out there which - while not exactly nice people - do stand astride the river of entropic collapse and shout "hey, what gives?"  Today we cover one such scion of Law.  

Magh-Rouf, the Maw of Justice

An ancient and terrible spirit, Magh-Rouf despises disorder, chaos, and crime, and manifests in Wampus Country (and no doubt other worlds) to combat those forces of entropy.  Magh-Rouf is that implacable force which restores order by swallowing whole those creatures of chaos and cruelty that dare wander from their prescribed demesnes.  The avatar of Magh-Rouf appears as a canine-headed man of grim demeanor, cloaked in a dun longcoat.  Magh-Rouf directs his retinue and devotees to act unceasingly against demons and devils of all sorts, but he reserves his special hatred for rakshasas - creatures of Law twisted to deviltry.

Those Who Follow Magh-Rouf

On occasion, Magh-Rouf inspires devotion in those who see him in visions, or spy his invisible paw manipulating fortune in the cause of true justice.  The followers of Magh-Rouf - often wizards, fallen priests of other faiths, or even directly-invested fancy modern warlock-types - will meander the realm, seeking crimes to investigate.  Some favor the garb of their lord - long coats in neutral colors, typically emblazoned with protective sigils on the inside lining.  Spellcasters who align themselves with Magh-Rouf - always of Lawful alignment, of course - will be granted access (via dreams and signs) to several common spells of a protective or abjurative nature as they prove their devotion.  They may also be granted the ability to speak with canines, gifted a speaking canine familiar, or, eventually, to shapeshift into a dog themselves.   Any humanoid who has been a praiseworthy servant of Magh-Rouf for six months may choose to count as a dog for all magical purposes. Most Magh-Roufians know the formula to craft a delectable hallucinogenic tidbit which acts as a remove fear spell upon those canines who consume one.

Lothar's Ferocious Dog (level 2 spell)

This conjuration/summoning spell, created by Magh-Rouf devotee Lothar Ramelle, summons forth one or more angry, drooling dogs of substantial size (as guard dogs of max hp).  The dogs appear within five feet of the caster, and will happily follow his verbal commands according to their Intelligence and Wisdom of 13, remaining until destroyed, dismissed, or until one round per caster level have passed.  The dogs can track as a ranger of a level equal to the number of dogs summoned.  The number of dogs summoned is calculated thusly according to the known mantras of Magh-Rouf; one dog, plus:

Magh-Rouf Rewards Loyalty: +1  per character level the caster has been a devotee of Magh-Rouf

Magh-Rouf Knows His Own: +1 if the character is them self a dog, or in a canid form currently

Magh-Rouf Loves The Dog-Coin: +1 if the caster carries upon them the symbol of Magh-Rouf (a platinum coin stamped or etched with the face of a dog)

Magh-Rouf Hates The Devil-Cats: double the number of dogs summoned if there is an enemy rakshasa within 120 feet.

Spell Commentary: This incantation seems underpowered for a one-off, until you realize that a sixth-level dogfolk devotee of Magh-Rouf can quickly throw eighteen german shepherds at a rakshasa.  That's got to be worth something, right?

The ancient spirit Magh-Rouf has little patience for disorder.

An ecstatic of Magh-Rouf, his familiar, and his long-suffering adventuring party.