By Colin Chapman (col.chapman@virgin.net) for the Pari.
An unholy family, there are several bloodlines within the Rakshasa, including the necromantic Bhuta, and the diesease-bearing Pishaca. They live to spread unhappiness, gaining Amrita from suffering and dark, tormented dreams.
Few Rakshasa have ever achieved power in their own right, the majority being content to bask in the reflected glories of their masters, creating havoc and suffering whenever allowed.
Pari of small ambition and intellect, they remain cunning nonetheless, and in the absence of Daitya have been known to lead gangs of thugs or assassin cults such as the Thugee.
With the changing times, their roles have changed little indeed. They are the henchmen, the soldiers and guards. They are the tools of the Daitya, and they are proud.
Painfully thin and bony, or pot-bellied and obese, they care little for what they wear, and even less for hygiene or cleanliness. Only a few desperately try (and fail) to emulate their Daitya masters. Unlike the Daitya and Naga they never have extra arms or heads.
Their talons do Str + 1 damage.
Jangali Rakshasa are cunning and malicious, often engaging in wanton acts for the sheer delight of it, scrabbling to achieve what little power they can. At this age many seek out their local Daitya in order to pledge their subservience.
Bara Rakshasa are the trusted (as far as that word carries any weight among the Asura) lieutenants of the Daitya, having slightly tempered the excesses of their youth. They are respected by the youth, for having achieved position of some responsibility (usually over the corpses of several rivals).
While they traditionally infested cemeteries and leper colonies, their slow migration into the cities has gradually eroded this tendency. Only the few solitary Rakshasa still follow this old tradition, although some are attracted to mortuaries, hospitals or asylums.
Kiss of Lha-Mo (Pishaca only): The touch of a Pishaca can infect a target with a wasting disease. The Pishaca must touch the victim's bare skin, and spend one point of Amrita. Thereafter the victim must make a Stamina roll (difficulty 6, increasing by 1 for each failure) each day or gradually weaken, losing 1 Health level and suffering a -1 penalty (cumulative) per failure on all actions due to weakness. Fortunately, this disease is chimerical and any appropriate healing effect Maya can treat it. Otherwise, the victim may only rid themselves of the disease by 'disbelieving' it (gaining a point of Banality in the process).
Crimson Amrita: The Rakshasa are vampiric and can only survive on the blood of other beings. No other food provides nourishment, and they must drink at least a pint of blood a day or lose a Health level for each day they miss (that can only be replenished by 'catching up' on the blood they've missed).
Foreign Kithain: Gah! Beat them when you can. They cannot replace the Daitya.
Daitya: Our masters are everything we would wish to be. They are majestic, powerful, cunning and worthy of our service.
Naga: The Naga have fallen, and cower far from our master's shadows. If you come across one, capture it as a present for the master, or torture it.