Canopic Ape

Canopic Ape
No. Enc: 1d10 (1d10)
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120’ (40’)
Armor Class: 3
Hit Dice: 4
Attacks: Bite or intestine-whip
Damage: 1d4 or 2d6
Save: F4
Morale: 12
Hoard Class: XVIII
XP: 190

Canopic apes are undead created to act as tomb guardians. The mandrills, baboons, and chimps involved must have been hand-raised by the now deceased occupant of the tomb. They are then ritually disemboweled and burned, and the ashes placed within specially prepared canopic jars. The jars are artfully painted, and the lids are sculpted to resemble baboon heads and coated with gold leaf and lapis lazuli. Each intact jar is worth 100 gp to a collector of tomb loot once its occupying ape-spirit is slain.

When a tomb is guarded by canopic apes, anyone disturbing the jars or sarcophagus within the tomb will cause the apes to attack. The lids of the jars will be thrust aside as ape-shaped clouds of ash rise from within. Each jar contains a single such ash-ape.

In combat, undamaged apes will bite with ash fangs. Once they have been damaged, however, the canopic apes will pull fiery intestines composed of burning embers from their own bodies and use the entrails to whip foes.

The apes may only be damaged by magic weapons. Their ash bodies are immune to fire, laser, and plasma damage.

Canopic apes are undead, and may be turned as wraiths.