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Penqual

Although penquals are independent beings, each resembles a tight crowd of featureless humanoids pressed together in a mob. Penquals are most at home in large population centers, where they can don clothing to blend in. When large crowds, such as those found at festivals, are scarce, a penqual hunts at night, where a mass of revelers might draw attention but not suspicion.

Recall Knowledge - Fiend (Religion): DC 36
Unspecific Lore: DC 34
Specific Lore: DC 31

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

PenqualCreature 15

Legacy Content

Uncommon NE Huge Fiend Sahkil Swarm 
Source Pathfinder #162: Ruins of the Radiant Siege pg. 84
Perception +27; darkvision
Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal, Requian; telepathy 100 feet
Skills Acrobatics +26, Athletics +26, Deception +31, Dream Lore +27, Intimidation +31, Performance +27, Society +27
Str +5, Dex +5, Con +8, Int +6, Wis +6, Cha +8
Easy to Call The sahkil is considered 2 levels lower for the purposes of being summoned by rituals (such as planar binding), but is always free to attack or leave instead of negotiate unless the primary caster's check is a critical success.
AC 37; Fort +29, Ref +24, Will +27; +1 status to all saves vs. magic
HP 205; Immunities death effects, fear, swarm mind; Resistances physical 10; Weaknesses area damage 10, splash damage 10
Crowded Mob The penqual is a swarm of Medium figures that can squeeze supernaturally close to other creatures. Though its component creatures are larger than those of a typical swarm, a penqual can nevertheless share the spaces of other creatures.
Speed 40 feet
Divine Innate Spells DC 36; 4th fear (at will), nightmare (at will); Constant (8th) mask of terror (see Crush of Hundreds)
Crush of Hundreds A creature frightened by the sahkil's mask of terror feels the press of a suffocating crowd. The creature is slowed 1 and takes a –10-foot penalty to all Speeds for as long as it is frightened.Frantic Grasp [one-action] (evil, magical) Each enemy in the penqual's space takes 4d12 slashing damage (DC 36 basic Reflex save).Mob Rush [two-actions] The penqual Strides twice, ignoring difficult terrain, and then uses Frantic Grasp. If it moves at least 20 feet away from its starting position, the DC of Frantic Grasp increases by 2.Skip Between [one-action] (conjuration, divine, teleportation) The sahkil can move itself between the Ethereal Plane and the Material Plane, as ethereal jaunt, except that this ability has an unlimited duration and can be Dismissed.

All Monsters in "Sahkil"

NameLevel
Chakanaj14
Esipil1
Kimenhul20
Nenchuuj19
Nucol4
Pakalchi9
Penqual15
Tumblak18
Wihsaak6
Ximtal17

Sahkil

Source Pathfinder #162: Ruins of the Radiant Siege pg. 84
Dreadful creatures that stoke mortal fears, sahkils lurk on the Ethereal Plane where they slip into nightmares or dark places of the world to torment the living

Sidebar - Locations At Home in Cities

Both penquals and nenchuujes are at home in large cities, but for different reasons. Penquals like slipping in among throngs of people, where they can inflict their terrors upon the lost or disoriented. Nenchuujes stalk magic academies, universities, or other places where spellcasters learn their craft, preying upon spellcasters' imposter syndrome.

Sidebar - Advice and Rules Check with Friends

Sahkils are creatures of fear and terror. Roleplaying encounters with sahkils could be troubling to some players, and delving deep into the kinds of traumas sahkils relish in unleashing could have unintentional effects on your game and your friends. Before introducing sahkils into your game, talk with your players to learn about any particular phobias or limits to determine what content you bring to the table, and consider that on your own behalf as well. Some specific elements to be aware of are the ximtal's abilities around sensory deprivation and social isolation, as well as the kimenhul's trauma-related abilities and themes.

Sidebar - Related Creatures Couatls and Sahkils

Legends in Arcadia say that couatls and sahkils both rose to prominence as the first mortals walked on Golarion. Each saw unique potential in the mortals; couatls saw hope and the potential to rise to achieve great feats, while sahkils saw the potential for fear. Fearful mortals would never accomplish anything, becoming useless piles of flesh whose souls would languish. These withered souls would be unable to properly travel the River of Souls, disrupting the delicate balance of the afterlife. To this day, couatls work to inspire mortals and push them toward greater tasks while striving to keep the sahkils' terror at bay

Sidebar - Additional Lore Embodiments of Fear

All sahkils have horrifying appearances, and each type specializes in exacerbating a specific fear in mortals. Penquals embody not only a fear of crowds, but also of confined spaces and of being lost within a sea of unfamiliar faces. Nenchuujes embody both the fear of magic's horrifying side effects as well as the fear that one's own magic might be twisted to an unexpected or tragic end.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Feeding on Fear

Sahkils are immortal planar beings and don't require material sustenance, but they do seem to gain some semblance of nourishment from the fear they spread. Whether this is psychological or biological remains to be seen, but their obsession with frightening other creatures is clear. Sahkils recognize that they are already feared, so it may be that they are simply fulfilling what they believe is their ultimate purpose.

Sidebar - Related Creatures Planar Relations

Sahkils collaborate with divs (page 68) to corrupt and corrode mortals. Velstracs, who appreciate sahkils' depredations, sometimes work with these fiends to enact terrible horror on their victims. Nihilistic and disaffected, daemons tolerate sahkils but tend to view them as useless provocateurs.

Sidebar - Related Creatures Sahkil Tormentors

The most powerful among sahkils are the sahkil tormentors. These deific beings rule over sahkils as a whole, and many personally direct the actions of their lesser cousins. Others fall into ambivalent routines, focusing more on their own personal acts of torment rather than launching widespread, ambitious depredations upon unsuspecting mortals.

Sidebar - Related Creatures War Against Hope

Sahkils and couatls are eternal enemies. The creatures each vie for the hearts of mortals, but from different sides of a single ideological coin. Sahkils wish to instill only fear into mortal hearts, trying to reduce them into useless piles of flesh who accomplish little. Couatls work to light the fires of hope, inspiring mortals to rise up and achieve their potential.

Sidebar - Locations Xibalba

Within the ghostly realm of the Ethereal Plane, sahkils inhabit a terrifying realm known as Xibalba. The Land of Dread is a realm of nightmares made manifest. At the center of this demiplane is a tiered pyramid known as the Black Pyramid, where the sahkil tormentors rule their brethren and sow fear through the mortal realm.