Hello. I am a Dungeon Master. I usually put way too much context here so I'ma skip it. The campaign I am currently hosting has a minor villain (more of a sidequest) who is a medusa, though only recently changed. With a well earned messiah complex and a voracious need for attention, she descends into madness as her life begins to crumble around her as she is turned into a medusa (I love insanity arcs). Party left her alive (its complicated and requires way too much context), and I wanted to consider how this may impact the plot, because this is based on Out of the Abyss and thus Demon Lords everywhere (and I added... just a *few* more of them). According to the Monster Manual and forgotten realms fandom, medusae are created by "vain mortals could strike bargains with powerful fiends such as archdevils and demon lords, offering everything in exchange for the gift of long-lasting beauty, power, and the admiration of others. Upon the expiration of the splendorous years bargained for, the price was collected and the mortals were turned into medusae." (forgotten realms fandom). But who more specifically? And why? If its just a bargain of exchanging soul for beauty, what's the need for transforming them into monsters other than to deter potential future customers? I thought for a bit the medusa transformation, which comes with insanity, would end up with their soul going to the lower planes. However that doesn't benefit a Demon Lord unless it specifically goes to that Demon Lord. And it says already in the bargain "offering everything in exchange", which probably includes their soul. And if being a medusae makes them live forever until killed, then that delays the delivery of their soul until some random group of adventurers show up. Perhaps a specific Demon Lord creates them because that Demon Lord enjoys it or something (Demon Lords are chaotic evil, they do what they want), but forgotten realms fandom's list of (lesser known) demon lords contains no mention of medusae. And thus I have come here to ask the wise folk of dndbeyond: "Who is behind the bargains that create medusae and why do they do it?"
I'd guess you know the real life story of Medusa. She was a mortal woman who angered a goddess by saying she was more beautiful then the goddess, That is the basis for medusa in D&D: vain, arrogrant mortals.
They would be made out of spite by many goddesses. Sune and Seleune in the Realms, for example.
And similar "dark beauty" demon lords like Graz'zt, or Malcanthet. For demons the play is simple enough. Find a vain mortal that wants to hold on to their bueaty and promose to hrlp them. Get the mortal to do all sorts of evil deeds.......and reward them with the curse of being a medusa.
For the demon side....think of it like the demon is "cooking" the soul. The soul of a woman who trued evil and dis unspeakable acts, then was turned into a medusa, and had to live as a medusa for years "tastes" better then just a normal soul.
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Hello. I am a Dungeon Master. I usually put way too much context here so I'ma skip it.
The campaign I am currently hosting has a minor villain (more of a sidequest) who is a medusa, though only recently changed. With a well earned messiah complex and a voracious need for attention, she descends into madness as her life begins to crumble around her as she is turned into a medusa (I love insanity arcs). Party left her alive (its complicated and requires way too much context), and I wanted to consider how this may impact the plot, because this is based on Out of the Abyss and thus Demon Lords everywhere (and I added... just a *few* more of them).
According to the Monster Manual and forgotten realms fandom, medusae are created by "vain mortals could strike bargains with powerful fiends such as archdevils and demon lords, offering everything in exchange for the gift of long-lasting beauty, power, and the admiration of others. Upon the expiration of the splendorous years bargained for, the price was collected and the mortals were turned into medusae." (forgotten realms fandom). But who more specifically? And why? If its just a bargain of exchanging soul for beauty, what's the need for transforming them into monsters other than to deter potential future customers?
I thought for a bit the medusa transformation, which comes with insanity, would end up with their soul going to the lower planes. However that doesn't benefit a Demon Lord unless it specifically goes to that Demon Lord. And it says already in the bargain "offering everything in exchange", which probably includes their soul. And if being a medusae makes them live forever until killed, then that delays the delivery of their soul until some random group of adventurers show up.
Perhaps a specific Demon Lord creates them because that Demon Lord enjoys it or something (Demon Lords are chaotic evil, they do what they want), but forgotten realms fandom's list of (lesser known) demon lords contains no mention of medusae.
And thus I have come here to ask the wise folk of dndbeyond:
"Who is behind the bargains that create medusae and why do they do it?"
Thank you in advance.
I'd guess you know the real life story of Medusa. She was a mortal woman who angered a goddess by saying she was more beautiful then the goddess, That is the basis for medusa in D&D: vain, arrogrant mortals.
They would be made out of spite by many goddesses. Sune and Seleune in the Realms, for example.
And similar "dark beauty" demon lords like Graz'zt, or Malcanthet. For demons the play is simple enough. Find a vain mortal that wants to hold on to their bueaty and promose to hrlp them. Get the mortal to do all sorts of evil deeds.......and reward them with the curse of being a medusa.
For the demon side....think of it like the demon is "cooking" the soul. The soul of a woman who trued evil and dis unspeakable acts, then was turned into a medusa, and had to live as a medusa for years "tastes" better then just a normal soul.