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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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Kishi

Kishi are duplicitous and murderous fey who dwell on the edges of Golarion’s darkest jungles. At first glance, kishi appear to be attractive humans, usually of a local ethnicity, but their full heads of thick hair conceal a second face, that of a snarling hyena. When a kishi lures their prey into a vulnerable situation, their head swivels around, revealing this fearsome visage. In this form, a kishi’s powerful jaws are almost impossible to pry loose and can crush a victim’s bones in a matter of moments. Kishi are highly varied in their physical features, and their height and weight are as variable as the people whose communities they infiltrate.

Like most fey, a kishi’s motives are inscrutable, though to its victims, the kishi’s goal seems simple—to revel in the expression of shock, betrayal, and terror on a victim’s face. Although kishi can cast charm to make unwitting companions complacent, most of these sinister creatures prefer to trick their prey using guile, gifts, and their dashing good looks. Kishi are the ultimate sociopaths, deriving pleasure from the thrill of the hunt as well as the delicious reward at the end. The more uptight, prudish, or haughty a target, the better, for nothing satisfies kishi as much as earning (and destroying) the trust of someone who rarely grants it.

When kishi get their new friends or lovers alone, they choose the most dramatic moments to reveal their true, monstrous forms and clamp their jaws down on their victim. Kishi have no desire to share their true nature with the entire village, so they typically aim for the throats of their victims, who, cut off from air, are unable to cry out for help. Kishi consume every part of their victims’ bodies, leaving no trace of the crime—even lapping up any spilled blood and cleaning the murder scene as much as they are able.

Recall Knowledge - Fey (Nature): DC 24
Unspecific Lore: DC 22
Specific Lore: DC 19

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

KishiCreature 8

Legacy Content

NE Medium Fey 
Source Pathfinder #146: Cult of Cinders pg. 88, Bestiary 3 pg. 149; There is a more recent version of this monster. Click here to view.
Perception +14; low-light vision
Languages Common, Sylvan
Skills Athletics +20, Deception +20, Diplomacy +19, Society +15, Stealth +18
Str +6, Dex +4, Con +1, Int +1, Wis +2, Cha +5
AC 25; Fort +13, Ref +18, Will +17
HP 138; Resistances piercing 10; Weaknesses cold iron 10
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] jaws +20 [+15/+10], Damage 2d10+9 piercing plus GrabMelee [one-action] claw +20 [+16/+12] (agile), Damage 2d8+9 slashingArcane Innate Spells DC 27; 1st charm (at will)
Constrict [one-action] 1d10+9 piercing, DC 26 (grabbed by jaws only)Head Spin [free-action] The kishi switches between showing its attractive human face and its snarling hyena face. A kishi can use its innate spell and its Deception and Diplomacy skills only when its human face is showing, and it can use its jaws Strike only when its hyena face is showing.Sudden Charge [two-actions] The kishi Strides twice. If it ends its movement within melee reach of at least one enemy, it can make a melee Strike against that enemy.Vice-Like Jaws A creature grabbed in the kishi’s jaws can’t speak, including providing verbal components for spells. In addition, the creature takes a –2 circumstance penalty to Escape.