Zalikum

**AC:** 16 **HP:** 103 **Speed:** [object Object] **STR:** 19 **DEX:** 17 **CON:** 21 **INT:** 8 **WIS:** 10 **CHA:** 15 Waves of heat shimmer around a gigantic vulturelike creature made of sand. The sand crackles with dark energy, and the creature’s eyes burn with malign intelligence._ An enormous vulture forged from sand and malignant power, a zalikum is created by mages who capture souls of the damned and infuse them into the superheated sands of the desert. **Abyssal Ties.** The souls infusing a zalikum are from the Abyss. A zalikum’s creator can gather these souls from the Abyss themselves, but, more often, the creator makes a deal with a demon in exchange for the souls. Unfortunately for the creator, the demon usually hands over souls that aren’t the easiest to control, leading many creators to die at the talons of their zalikums. Such destruction frees the demon from its bonds, releasing it and the zalikum into the world. **Innumerable Lives.** The souls infusing the sand of the zalikum can reform it after it has been destroyed. This process consumes some of the power of the souls, forcing the zalikum to devour more souls to fuel further rebirths. **Construct Nature.** A zalikum doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.