Servants of the dark gods of the wastes, shas stalk the deepest deserts, skirting the edges of civilization. Villagers whisper that a sha nears when they spot faint red lights in the distance, believing those lights to be the creatures' menacing eyes. Many times, these sightings are only imagined, but shas do prowl near settlements and keep an eye on humankind. Shas' urge to hunt people who have ceased to remember and honor their patrons drives them to attack caravans, harass remote villages, and prowl isolated oases to slaughter humanoids. Shas possess a distinctly canine appearance, and are often mistaken at night for common jackals whose eyes are illuminated by firelight. Black fur, tinted with the dust and sand of the desert, covers a sha's body. The creature's spiral-ended eyes glow a dull red. Explorers report that seeing a sha's eyes glowing in the dark night is often the only indication of an impending attack. A sha's strong jaw, lined with razor-sharp teeth, allows the creature to drag down larger prey in a fashion similar to that of a wolf. Standing at chest height to most humans, shas weigh between 100 and 150 pounds. When alone, a sha spends its days trekking the vast wastelands of the desert, prowling among lost monuments of ancient times. While wandering the deserts, shas attack small convoys or groups of nomads along the desert fringes. Using their innate ability to conjure sandstorms, shas close in on the unsuspecting groups and try to bite as many different enemies as possible, then retreat before their foes can regroup. By doing this, the shas ensure that survivors return to civilization mad with disease and then spread the sickness to others or act on their insane urges. When packs of shas come together, they usually do so because a number of their kind happen upon each other in pursuit of a caravan or some other nomadic prey, then decide to continue hunting together once they feed. Packs quickly dissolve as prey grows scarce. SACRED SHA (CR 6) A sacred sha is a sha with both the advanced simple template and the fiendish simple template (see page 288). It also gains the ability to speak and knows one additional language. Closely tied to its patron's portfolio of storms, a sacred sha also deals an additional 1d6 points of electricity damage with its bite attack.