Manes
i manes 
| |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | 3 |
| Attacks |
Claw 1d3, claw 1d3, bite 1d4 |
| Base level | 1 |
| Base experience | 8 |
| Speed | 3 |
| Base AC | 7 |
| Base MR | 0 |
| Alignment | -7 (chaotic) |
| Frequency (by normal means) | Very rare, appears in large groups |
| Genocidable | Yes |
| Weight | 100 |
| Nutritional value | 100 |
| Size | Small |
| Resistances | Sleep, poison |
| Resistances conveyed |
None
|
The manes, i, is a minor demon which travels in large packs. Manes are very weak and slow, although they possess more attacks than their ostensibly more difficult relative, the lemure.
Contents
Name
The word manes is Latin and in English is pronounced MAY-neez or perhaps MAH-nays. In English the word has no singular, and so NetHack just uses manes for the singular as well. In Latin the word had a singular, manis,[1] but this was apparently not used to refer to spirits of the dead (the NetHack sense), only to other meanings of the word. Presumably Romans used other words to refer to a single spirit. Compare lemure.
Strategy
It is an exceptionally unfortunate character who has trouble defeating manes; however, swarms of them can overwhelm weaker characters. Getting into a corridor or doorway where they can attack only one at a time is an effective tactic.
Mythology
In Roman mythology, manes are the spirits of the dead. Wikipedia has more details.
Encyclopedia entry
The gnats of the dungeon, these swarming monsters are rarely seen alone.
