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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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Xulgath Bilebearer

While many xulgaths impose their will by strength or sheer numbers, some resort to more nefarious—and grotesque—means to take care of matters. The bilebearer takes its name from its eponymous bile, a putrid substance that oozes from gill-like folds in its colorful, bulging neck. Bilebearers coat their weapons with the viscous substance or secrete a concentrated dose that suffuses the air around them and disables foes.

A bilebearer’s neck bulges with folds of scaled flesh that extend almost to the creature’s shoulders, containing its namesake bile productions glands inside. These folds expand and contract with each breath, and each fold has a vertical line of muscled pores that gradually exudes the thick substance, providing a perpetual supply for coating weapons. Bilebearers’ necks also contain inflatable bladders, which they can quickly pressurize to expel a blast of vaporized bile in a noxious, overwhelming cloud.

Bilebearers serve their clutches by kidnapping or slaying specific enemies. They frequently accompany their kin, particularly xulgath skulkers, to raid rival clutches or intercept foes. A bilebearer’s mode of attack typically involves sneaking in, overwhelming any guards with a noxious blast of bile, and then turning their attention to the primary target. The xulgath either shreds the rapidly weakening victim on the spot or drags them away for future violence.

Recall Knowledge - Humanoid (Society): DC 16
Unspecific Lore: DC 14
Specific Lore: DC 11

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Changes from being Elite are marked in red below.
NOTE: The +2 damage bonus to non-strike offensive abilities (+4 if the ability is limited, such as spells) is NOT factored in.

Elite Xulgath BilebearerCreature 3

Legacy Content

CE Medium Humanoid Xulgath 
Source Pathfinder #151: The Show Must Go On pg. 87
Perception +8; darkvision
Languages Draconic, Undercommon
Skills Acrobatics +10, Athletics +8, Deception +7, Stealth +10, Thievery +10
Str +2, Dex +4, Con +2, Int +1, Wis +0, Cha -1
Items dagger (2)
AC 20; Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +6
HP 45
Stench (aura, olfactory) 30 feet. A creature that enters the area must attempt a DC 18 Fortitude save. On a failure, the creature is sickened 1, and on a critical failure, the creature also takes a –5-foot status penalty to its Speeds for 1 round. While within the aura, the creature takes a –2 circumstance penalty to saves to recover from the sickened condition. A creature that succeeds at its save is temporarily immune to all xulgaths’ stenches for 1 minute. A xulgath bilebearer can activate or deactivate its stench aura as a free action.
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] dagger +14 [+10/+6] (agile, finesse, versatile S), Damage 1d4+2+4 piercing plus xulgath bileMelee [one-action] jaws +12 [+7/+2], Damage 2d4+2+4 piercing plus xulgath bileMelee [one-action] claw +12 [+8/+4] (agile), Damage 1d6+2+4 slashing plus GrabRanged [one-action] dagger +14 [+10/+6] (agile, finesse, thrown 10 feet, versatile s), Damage 1d4+2+4 piercing plus xulgath bilePutrid Blast [two-actions] (olfactory, poison) Frequency once per minute; Effect All adjacent creatures must attempt a DC 20 Fortitude save. On a failure, the creature is slowed 1 (slowed 2 on a critical failure) until the end of its next turn and takes a –2 circumstance penalty to Fortitude saves against xulgath bile for 1 minute.Xulgath Bile (poison) Saving Throw Fortitude DC 18; Maximum Duration 1 hour; Stage 1 fatigued (1 minute); Stage 2 fatigued and unconscious (1 minute).

Sidebar - Additional Lore Bilebearer Hunters

While they are primarily assassins and kidnappers, bilebearers may also accompany their kin on hunts for more mundane prey. On such hunts, bilebearers surround a large prey animal and disable it with their secretions. Xulgaths’ preferred cooking method—charring to near inedibility—neutralizes any residual poison in prey’s flesh.

All Monsters in "Xulgath"

NameLevel
Xulgath Bilebearer2
Xulgath Deepmouth12
Xulgath Gutrager10
Xulgath Leader3
Xulgath Ravening4
Xulgath Skulker2
Xulgath Spinesnapper5
Xulgath Stoneliege8
Xulgath Thoughtmaw15
Xulgath Warrior1

Xulgath

Source Bestiary pg. 336
Reptilian humanoids who live in the uppermost reaches of the Darklands, xulgaths (known as troglodytes to many surface-dwelling folk) often attack intruders in their territory on sight. They live in simple familial communities, battling rival groups and other aggressive Darklands inhabitants in order to survive. They occasionally raid surface settlements, usually at the behest of cruel, bloodthirsty leaders who are often themselves in the thrall of more powerful creatures like nagas or demons. A typical xulgath has dull gray, dark gray, or ashen scales, with a long tail and bony protrusions that run the length of its spine. A typical xulgath is 5 feet tall and weighs 150 pounds.

Although today the xulgaths are brutal and scattered, they were one of the first intelligent humanoids to rise in the primeval world, once ruling over a mighty empire that stretched throughout the Darklands. Today, all that remains of this era are ruins of massive stone ziggurats and crumbling cities found within some of the larger caverns. Some groups of xulgaths continue to live among these ruins, venerating their ancestors’ accomplishments, while others consider these areas taboo and leave them to become infested with Darklands vermin. Sages don’t agree on why the ancient xulgath civilization fell. Some suspect it was the result of a loss of several wars waged against serpentfolk, while others suggest that the corruptive influence of demon worship rotted their culture from within.

Certainly, many xulgath settlements continue to worship demons to this day, paying homage and offering live sacrifices to terrible creatures from the Abyss. Occasionally, a xulgath shaman can call forth and bind a lesser demon to help serve the group, but a shaman who delves too deep into occultism might summon a more powerful fiend that either tears the xulgaths to pieces or enslaves them.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Other Xulgath Religions

Zevgavizeb is the most popular deity among xulgaths—particularly in the largest and most successful clutches—but other demon lords and deities are worshipped as well. Among Golarion's major gods, Pharasma, Rovagug, and even Erastil are known to answer the prayers of xulgath devotees.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Xulgath Society

Xulgaths respect strength, and the leader of a community is usually the strongest of all of them. The leader’s dominance is rarely questioned until a potentially stronger xulgath believes it’s time for a change in rulership. The two xulgaths then face off in a fight to the death, with the victor claiming rule.

Sidebar - Treasure and Rewards Xulgath Treasure

Xulgaths are relatively primitive, using tools and weapons of stone and other materials scavenged from the surface. These can replicate most simple and a few martial melee weapons, as well as simple thrown ranged weapons. An advanced tribe of xulgaths might be able to craft low-level magical talismans, such as a potency crystal or a returning clasp.