Girtablullû, the Scorpion Devils that Guard the Sun
Art by Kim Holm https://denungeherrholm.smugmug.com/
licensed under a Creative Commons attribution 4.0 International License
In Mesopotamian myth, the Girtablullû were fiendish offspring of the primordial dragon goddess Tiamat. Conquered by the gods, they were set as guardians to the underworld, specifically the gates that the sun emerged from each day, and the gates it re-entered by at night.
In Loria, they are spawn of Suh, conquered by Ugir, but set to guard the gates through which Dutu travels. In fact, pairs of these creatures (for they are always found in pairs, one male and one female) guard many sensitive entrances to the darkness under the world for the gods. Some also guard gateways to other worlds, or to the heavens. Huge creatures with the lower bodies of scorpions, they are wily and dangerous, better spoken to than fought. But *never* lie to them. They take it poorly.
