Humbaba, guardian of the Cedar Forest
Art by Kim Holm https://denungeherrholm.smugmug.com/
licensed under a Creative Commons attribution 4.0 International License
The Humbaba is the legendary guardian of the sacred Cedar Forest, placed there by the gods to prevent the wanton destruction of the woodland. In real world myth, that forest may have been either in Lebanon or the Iranian Highlands. It is said, in some versions of the tale, that the gods Wer and Adad appointed Humbaba as guardian, and that Enlil himself granted Humbaba his "Seven Auras" or "Seven Terrors". I have chosen to render the effect of that aura as the Frightened condition, rather than the stun suggested by some tales.
Humbaba is described in many ways, but his form is generally understood to be humanoid. This version is clawed and fanged, with a venomous serpent for a tail, a leonine face complete with mane, and horns like those of a ram. His skin appears tough and scaled, but that skin may
actually be bark. It is said that Humbaba's voice is the roar of the deluge,
his utterances fire, his breath death. I have chosen to interpret that as three different ways of using his Breath Weapon.
As the guardian of the forest, he is also its sovereign, and partakes of the favor of the storm gods who appointed him . . . but he is also uniquely vulnerable to their wrath. If you should enter the sacred Cedar Forest, wherever in your world it may be, do not cut the wood, and you will have no trouble with him.
In Loria, he abides at the center of the elven wood called Tir Eren, to the northwest of Iltan and Edin, and was placed there by the god Ugir.
