Type: Outsider (Devil)
Environment: Almost any, usually the plane of battle
Attack: Claws and bite
Special Qualities: Stealth, spell-like abilities
Organization: Solitary, pair, or pride (6-10)
I once had the great fortune of going on safari in Lammania. (I won a door prize at some pretentious pseudo-intellectual gathering in Sharn once upon a time.) I must say that the trip was excellent. While there I saw some of the most amazing expanses of pure wilderness and witnessed incredible spectacles of animal behavior. Vast herds of beasts roamed huge areas of savannah, and never far from them, lying low among the grass, were tawny wild lions.
The bezekira and lion-like evil outsiders who attack ferociously and use their powerful jaws and sharp claws to ruthlessly rend prey and enemies alike. These beasts usually dwell on Shavarath, the plane of endless battle, but often prowl Eberron as well. Inexperienced adventuring parties have been completely wiped out by these maned menaces.
The bezekira, commonly known as a hellcat, is a devil. These creatures are extremely difficult to detect and often sneak up on even the most observant victims. A keen-eyed rogue or a true seeing spell won’t help you find these devils. They have an infernal ability to hide in plain sight. Combine this stealth with an innate malevolence and you indeed have a terrifying opponent. A first step toward fighting them successfully is to keep a good-aligned weapon handy to help you get past their damage reduction. Avoid using fire attacks and spells as they are resistant to fire, and be prepared to overcome their spell resistance.
One time, on an awful sojourn through Shavarath, my party was heading through a misty chasm when an ambush of jariliths leapt down from the rocks, blocking our exit. I began casting a defensive spell immediately and then met eyes with one of the beasts. I’m telling you the thing made an evil skull-like smile. At the moment the creature began to charge, I hit him hard with my hold spell, and my ranger companion put an arrow into the thing’s neck. Then a fearful presence came flowing down the rocks of the chasm walls from above us. We ran past the stunned jarilith and attempted escape through the far end of the chasm. I glanced behind as we fled and saw the jariliths beset from all sides by seemingly invisible forces. A pride of hellcats was tearing into frenzied combat with its hated enemies.