A whirling cloud of fine desert sand piles up upon itself, forming into the shape of a humanoid figure.
Stealthy and unpredictable, the sandman is a terror to all travelers in the desert, whether they be traders, messengers, or adventurers. When at rest, sandmen resemble ordinary piles of sand, blending in perfectly with barren surroundings or ancient tombs. They rely on their soporific powers in most situations, putting their enemies to sleep and killing their unconscious opponents or dragging them back to their summoner. Although they themselves are elementals, sandmen don't typically associate with other elementals, seeing their unquestioning obedience as weak. Sandmen pride themselves as free thinkers, and when given a task by a summoner, often interpret the task as they see fit. Because of their arrogance, usually only the most confident or most desperate mages bother with sandmen. It is not uncommon for sandmen to voluntarily stay on the Material Plane, fiendishly playing with its inhabitants as they wreak silent havoc. A sandman takes the form of a rough humanoid about 6 feet tall. Its shape is never quite certain, and its animate muscles constantly shift and flex as it pummels its targets. Sandmen can manipulate their bodies in many ways, but prefer to keep their legs and feet in the form of dusty clouds of sand, so as to easily maneuver about in their preferred environments. Some of these creatures pride themselves on their ability to control their shapes. Just as a mortal artist might sculpt incredible works of art from stone with a chisel, so do these artist sandmen sculpt their own bodies into works of art. Some enjoy using this ability to reshape their appearance to mimic that of their conjurer or their enemies, allowing them an additional level of theatrics by either assuming a beautiful form or by allowing their form to melt away in a hideous manner. Given the combination of their quick imaginations and their natural penchant for cruelty, most sandmen tend to opt for the latter method of tormenting their foes.
Sandmen are silicate creatures from the Elemental Plane of Earth. Their purpose on the Material Plane is unknown, but spellcasters often summon them when they want to protect someone or something. Though sandmen have evil tendencies many willingly serve summoners of other alignments. Sandmen have an immense dislike for humans (reasons unknown) and attack them on sight-human spellcasters take heed when employing their services! A sandman attacks its opponent by pummeling it with its fists, though it prefers to avoid combat if possible. Given the chance, a sandman attempts to put an opponent to sleep rather than kill it. A sleeping creature is left to its own devices; a sandman does not further attack a creature it puts to sleep. Sleeping creatures are often carried to the sandman's master where they are enslaved or worse.