A marilith is fictional creature in many official Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...

campaign settings. Mariliths are presented as powerful, six-armed demons

Demon (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, demons are the most widespread race of fiends. The demons are chaotic evil by nature, and are native to the Abyss...

 with the lower body of snake.

Publication history

Mariliths are based on Hindu mythology

Hindu mythology

Hindu religious literature is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas. As such, it is a subset of Nepali and Indian culture...

, where gods and demons frequently have multiple heads and arms.
In their first appearance, as part of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, mariliths were known as type V demons. From second edition onwards they are listed as mariliths.

Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)

The type V demon appeared under the demon entry in the Eldritch Wizardry

Eldritch Wizardry

Eldritch Wizardry is a supplementary rulebook by Gary Gygax and Brian Blume, written for the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, which included a number of significant additions to the core game.-Contents:...

supplement (1976).

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)

The type V demon (marilith) appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977).

Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)

This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the type V demon, which is known as the hissing demon, first appearing in the Immortal Rules

Dungeons & Dragons Immortals Rules

Dungeons & Dragons Immortals Rules is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1986 as an expansion to the Basic Set.-Publication history:...

set, in the DM's Guide to Immortals (1986). The hissing lesser fiend appeared in the Wrath of the Immortals set, in "Book One: Codex of the Immortals" (1992).

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)

In this edition, demons became known as tanar'ri, and this creature officially became known as the marilith, a "true tanar'ri", appearing first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume Outer Planes Appendix (1991), and then reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).

The marilith true tanar'ri also appeared for the Planescape

Planescape

Planescape is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by Zeb Cook. The Planescape setting was published in 1994...

 campaign setting

Campaign setting

A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...

 in the first Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1994).

Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)

The marilith (tanar'ri) appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000); in this edition, the name demon is resumed, and tanar'ri are now considered a sub-type of demon.

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)

The marilith appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003).

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)

The marilith appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008), again under the demon entry.

Typical physical characteristics

Mariliths have humanoid female upper bodies with six arms. Depending on the particular edition and illustrator, their head and torso may look almost human or be covered in reptilian scales. Their lower bodies are those of giant snakes, typically green or brown.

Mariliths are typically barely clothed, with little if any torso covering, though they may wear jewellery. They are almost always shown with a variety of swords and other melee weapons held in their six arms.

Society

Although they are strategists, mariliths eagerly join any melee combat given the chance. They attack with six weapons, a snapping tail which grabs, can cast illusionary and charm magics, and can gate in other tanar'ri.

Mariliths are the general

General

A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....

s and coordinators of the Blood War

Blood War

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the Blood War is an eternal conflict between the fiends of the Lower planes. The Tanar'ri are the demonic forces of the Abyss, an evil plane of chaos. Representing the equally evil but lawful realm of Baator are the Baatezu, the dominant caste of...

 (though given the chaotic nature of tanar'ri, it is not usually possible to coordinate their activities, mariliths are charged with it, nonetheless). In the hierarchy of tanar'ri, mariliths rank only below balors

Balor (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, a balor is one of the most powerful types of tanar'ri demons. Of all the inhabitants of the Abyss, balors are second in power only to the demon lords, klurichirs, and myrmyxicus...

.

Known mariliths

• Alamanda
• Aishapra, the Marilith Dervish
• Baltoi: The Sleeping Beast from Van Richten's Guide to Fiends

• Byakala: an advanced marilith with the Smoking Eye template, found in The Shackled City
  Shackled City
  The Shackled City Adventure Path is a role-playing game campaign designed for Dungeons & Dragons, originally appearing as a series of modules in Dungeon Adventures, later published in a hardcover edition collecting all previous installments plus an additional chapter written especially for the...
  
  .

• The Cathezar:Half-Chain Devil/Half-Marilith, originally a servant of Demogorgon
  Demogorgon (Dungeons & Dragons)
  In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Demogorgon is a powerful demon prince. He is known as the Prince of Demons, a self-proclaimed title he holds by virtue of his power and influence; which in turn, is a title acknowledged by both mortals and his fellow demons...
  
  /Aameul; depending on events, she may be either dead or serve Ammet the balor now.

• Gorzaug: Minion of Takhisis
  Takhisis
  Takhisis is a fictional character from the Dragonlance universe. She is the main goddess of evil and head of the Dark Pantheon.- Titles and forms :...
  
  , treated "as a Type V demon for combat purposes", but without gating-in ability.

• Jaranda

• Kaliva: a vassal of the marilith demon lord
  Demon lord (Dungeons & Dragons)
  In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, demon lords are demons who have gained great power and established a position of preeminence among demonkind. Each demon lord has a unique appearance and set of abilities. Most control at least one layer of the Abyss...
  
   Shaktari, born as a human and raised by an evil duke. She spurned the advances of a wizard, who shapechanged her into a rutterkin
  Rutterkin
  Rutterkin are fictional demons in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.Rutterkin are deformed demons created by the union of manes. Disdained by other demons, they serve as infantry in the armies of the Abyss...
  
   and banished her to the Abyss. Eventually her intelligence and fighting skills enabled her to become a marilith.

• Kalistes: One of Bane
  Bane (god)
  Bane , is the god of hatred, fear, and tyranny and one of the main evil gods in the fictional Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, Forgotten Realms....
  
  's underling in the computer game Pools of Darkness
  Pools of Darkness
  Pools of Darkness is the fourth in a four-part series of Forgotten Realms Dungeons & Dragons Gold Box adventure computer games, published by Strategic Simulations, Inc.. The game was released in 1991...
  
  . In the game she commands a large army consisting of drow and spiders, and possesses the Ring of Reversal which steals the sun. She hides in an infernal demiplane called Kalistes's Palace. She does not cast spells, but attacks six times in a round with all hands, each wielding a +4 weapon.

• Lillianth

• Morag: A non-evil marilith who was bound to serve Lolth, she now travels with the Justicar and his friends.

• Riza

• Shaktari: known as the Queen of Poison, Shaktari is a giant marilith who rules Vudra, the 531st layer of the Abyss. She has flaming eyes and black skin. She was once banished to the Wells of Darkness, but escaped. As of third edition, Shaktari claims rulership of all mariliths.

• Shesinellek
• Stentka Taran: Beshaba
  Beshaba
  Beshaba, also called The Maid of the Misfortune, is a fictional deity of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game...
  
  's general..

• Taramanda

• Unhath and Reluhantis: servants of Graz'zt
  Graz'zt
  Graz'zt is a demon lord in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, and one of the most powerful demons in the Abyss. Graz'zt, one of the earliest and most famous demons created for Dungeons and Dragons, was named as one of the greatest villains in D&D history by the final print issue of...
  
   who rule his realm in his absence, listed in Book of Vile Darkness
  Book of Vile Darkness
  Book of Vile Darkness is an optional supplemental sourcebook for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The book was written by Monte Cook and published by Wizards of the Coast in October 2002. Described as a "detailed look at the nature of evil," it was the first Dungeons &...
  
  . Unhath and Reluhantis are 6th level sorcerers.

• Viractuth: the demon lord Rhyxali's second in command, Viractuth is a 5th level marilith sorcerer. She organizes the knowledge gathered by Rhyxali's shadow demons and lives in a huge library filled with tomes only she can read.

• Yxunomei: middle boss - Found in the game Icewind Dale
  Icewind Dale
  Icewind Dale is a computer role-playing game developed for Windows by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay Entertainment. Released on June 30, 2000, it takes place in the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms campaign setting, and is based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition...
  
  in the deep bowels of Dragon's Eye.

D&D mariliths in other media

• The marilith appears in the D&D Miniatures: Blood War set #55 (2006). Its stats correspond fully to the creature since the stat card features the Marilith being able to attack 6 times in a round.

In other games

• Marilith appears (as the "Fiend of Fire") under the same name and form, in Final Fantasy I, Final Fantasy IX
  Final Fantasy IX
  is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series like the 'Active Time Event', 'Mognet' and a unique equipment and skill system.Final Fantasy IXs...
  
   and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years.

External links

• Known mariliths at the d20 NPC Wiki - A list of Marilith characters from official media.