Mennas

Version 0.31: This article is up to date for the latest stable release of Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup.

For a list of all holy monsters, see list of holy monsters.

Mennas A
HP	100-203
HD	19
XP	7881
Speed	15
AC	15
EV	26
Will	160
Attack1	30 (hit: plain)
Attack2	20 (hit: plain)
Resistances	rElec rPois+ rMiasma rN+++ rHoly
Vulnerabilities	None
Habitat	Land
Intelligence	Human
Uses	Weapons & armour Starting equipment Open doors
Holiness	Holy
Size	Medium
Type	angel, angel
Flags	Fighter Flying Speaks Unique Male

There was once a human priest named Mennas. He travelled far and wide preaching of Zin to any who would listen, going even so far as to travel into Orcish lands, preaching to orcs about laws and mercy. By all accounts the orcs were not happy with Mennas. They demanded he swear Beogh was the one true god, and when Mennas remained silent they cut out his tongue. Whether or not this angel is that same Mennas is something of a mystery, as he seems to have difficulty speaking.

Useful Info

Mennas, the Voice of Zin is an incredibly dangerous unique angel, the only one who normally appears in the main Dungeon not locked behind a wall. He is fast, extremely durable, and disables many player abilities with Silence, making him a notorious menace to spellcasters.

Location

• The Depths:3-5
• The Vaults:2-5
• The Crypt
• The Tomb
• Pandemonium

Spells

Spell set I
Slot1	Mass Confusion	Wizard flag
Slot2	Silence	Wizard flag
Slot3	Minor Healing (2d9+3)	Wizard flag

Tips & Tricks

• Mennas is a nasty foe. It's very difficult to escape from him: he has the speed of a hasted Human, and his Silence disables scrolls, god abilities, and spells entirely. He's also quite durable and annoyingly evasive. If you were already low HP, and Mennas shows up, it's a big problem. Don't underestimate him, even if you're in extended.
  • As a holy monster, he is even more deadly to undead, Demonspawn, and Death Form players.
  • If you see Mennas and don't think you can handle him, act immediately. You can initiate a scroll of teleport, and even if you're silenced afterwards, it will still activate. Using Haste before he's in melee range allows you to run to a nearby stairs.
  • Wands and other evocables still work during silence. A wand of quicksilver, if it hits, will end the Silence spell. A phial of floods prevents him from casting Silence for a short while. Using a phantom mirror can be risky, since the Mennas clone can end up casting Silence (although you can attack the clone to dispel it instantly).
  • Invisibility, by potion or ability, can be extremely useful, as long as you stay outside of Mennas' halo.
  • His willpower is usually too high for a wand of paralysis or the like to work. A scroll of vulnerability with a high Evocations wand can disable him, though note that the scroll will make you susceptible to his Mass Confusion.
  • Shafts, if you happen to find one (or be a Formicid) can let you escape an adjacent Mennas.
• If you do try to fight Mennas, plan accordingly. A mid-level "tank" character should be able to overcome Mennas with haste and might. Berserk gives both effects, but if it runs out, the silence puts you in even more danger than usual. Casters have a much harder time, for rather obvious reasons.
  • Mennas' guaranteed tower shield makes him significantly more durable in combat. If possible, use attacks that bypass shields, such as piercing, area-of-effect, or smite-targeted attacks.
  • Casters can use spells that have lasting effects, such as Summoning spells (Malign Gateway, Dragon's Call) or Polar Vortex.
  • If you have Passage of Golubria, cast it before engaging to set up an emergency exit. If you do, remember that the portals will last 10-19 turns, so reassess the fight after a few turns and escape if it's not going well.
• Remember that he can use Mass Confusion if not currently under silence. Good willpower is important to avoid being confused, then silenced, then YASDed.
• If you notice him without waking him up, remember that you can just walk away. Returning later with more experience and better equipment can make a huge difference (alternatively, just avoid him entirely -- you are under no obligation to kill every enemy you see).

Trivia

Mennas was a Catholic saint of the early Christian church. He lived in the 6th century, and was excommunicated twice (and pardoned both times).

History

• Prior to 0.28, Mennas could see invisible.
• Prior to 0.16, Mennas could not spawn in Pandemonium and knew Confusion instead of Mass Confusion.
• Prior to 0.15, worshipers of good gods would have a piety-based chance of turning Mennas neutral when they encountered him.
• Mennas was added in version 0.8.