Monster of the Maze

Written by Chrundle_the_Great

The Monster of the Maze was a fearsome warrior who terrified and fed on the many factions of the Caves of Chaos. He wielded two magic items, Hylrahla and the Boots of Tartarus, and defended his own lair in the cave network. He was ultimately dueled and killed by the illrigger Azrael, who attuned to his magical boots and their curse.

Description

He was an abnormally large minotaur with heavily-scarred skin and broken horns.
Only visible to servants of the Nine Hells, hundreds of infernal seals pocked his flesh.

Personality

Already distrustful of outsiders, the Monster was driven mad by his accursed boots. He was extremely territorial and didn't hesitate to charge headfirst into battle.

Possessions

He wielded two unique items: the axe Hylrahla and the Boots of Tartarus.
The axe, which was crafted by the people of Gwaylar Vale, a testament to gnomish ingenuity and dwarven weaponcraft, allowed the Monster to bolster his minions in battle. Also, it could shift between three sizes, but his preference was for a huge greataxe.
The boots granted the Monster protection from fire and the power to step into the Ethereal Plane once a day. However, the boots also carried a hefty curse. They wrapped his legs with fiery chains and could not be removed. Also, whenever he died in battle, the Monster was sent to a labrynthian demiplane, where more and more devils hunted him. He had escaped the maze many times and bore the hellish seals to prove it.

History

The massive warrior was feared by many who lived in the Caves of Chaos. They left him sacrifices, which he feasted on in his own corner of the cave network.
Trying to rescue allies from his clutches, Kapital tread into the Monster's blood-soaked lair. He stalked them, striking terrible wounds before slipping into the ethereal. Finally, the Monster stood his ground, furious, at the very end of his lair.
Upon his death, he dragged Azrael into his demiplane, but the illrigger was able to evade the minotaur and the forty chain devils hunting him by melding into the shadows. Before felling the Monster for good, Azrael cut the Boots of Tartarus from his body, claiming a powerful magic item and its curse.

Species

Minotaur

Circumstances of Death

Executed by Azrael

Place of Death

Demiplane adjacent to the Nine Hells