They are often found in settlements, infiltrating the local populations
Rakshasas were a dignified race of duplicitous outsiders that mostly dwelt on the Material Plane. They were reviled as devious sorcerers, political puppeteers and thought to be an embodiment of evil.
The true form of a rakshasa was almost never seen due to their ability to assume almost any humanoid figure, but their lavish taste ensured they were almost always wearing the finest garments and most precious jewelry.Their true forms were most commonly humanoids with the heads of tigers and luxurious fur to match their attire, although it was not unusual for them to possess the heads and features of carnivorous apes, crocodiles or mantises, with high ranking rakshasas being rumored to have multiple heads.
History
Popular parables purportedly depict the origins of the rakshasas by telling the story of a corrupt humansorcerer, often named Mahka Abihcara, who was obsessed with his own mortality and wanted to enjoy his material pleasures for eternity. He resolved to live so much that his essence would continue on past his death in a cycle of reincarnation and became a patron of the arts, a conqueror, and ultimately a cannibal, consuming the bodies of his foes to absorb their life forces.
Trivia and Useful Info
Different types of rakshasas have different abilities, but as a whole they are known as shapeshifters who use their abilities to imitate other beings or objects to further their infiltration and temptation of mortal societies. They also delude the knowledgable and insightful who fail to see through their schemes.
