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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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Akashti (Sobbing Nindoru)

Akashtis are manipulative fiends who prey on those in mourning; they assume the form of a recently deceased loved one so they can infiltrate homes, then murder and consume the souls of grieving families. Sometimes called a “copycorpse,” an akashti in its true form appears as a skin-covered skeleton with sharp talons on its fingers and tears of blood dripping from its lidless eyes. Its skull appears open like a bowl, and inside nest handfuls of crimson butterflies. When an akashti hides within its manifested body, close investigation can sometimes reveal the truth when the scalp of the supposed beloved one returned to life seems to subtly ripple and bulge as the butterflies within writhe. Akashtis embody the complex cycle of grief.

Recall Knowledge - Fiend (Religion): DC 32
Unspecific Lore: DC 30
Specific Lore: DC 27

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

AkashtiCreature 10

Legacy Content

Rare CE Medium Fiend Nindoru 
Source Pathfinder #198: No Breath to Cry pg. 82
Perception +19; darkvision
Languages Aklo, Common, Necril
Skills Deception +23, Diplomacy +21, Occultism +17, Society +19, Stealth +21
Str +5, Dex +5, Con +3, Int +3, Wis +3, Cha +7
AC 29; Fort +17, Ref +21, Will +19
HP 175; Resistances negative 10; Weaknesses silver 10
Soul Shred Creatures killed by an akashti are difficult to bring back to life or animate as undead. The akashti automatically attempts to counteract any attempt to resurrect or animate as undead any creature that it has killed (counteract modifier +19, counteract level 5). If the akashti who slew the creature is slain, the creature can be brought back from death or become undead normally.
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] claw +21 [+17/+13] (agile, finesse, magical), Damage 2d6+11 slashing plus 1d6 mentalOccult Innate Spells DC 29, attack +21; 5th crushing despair, illusory creature; 4th glibness, phantom pain, talking corpse; 2nd item facade; Cantrips (5th) daze, ghost sound, message
Manifest Body (concentrate, conjuration, occult) Frequency once per day; Effect The akashti manifests a hollow humanoid body around its slender skeletal frame over the course of 10 minutes of concentration. If this time is spent within 10 feet of a humanoid body that has been dead for less than a week, the akashti's manifested body looks identical to that of the dead humanoid when they lived and functions as a disguise of that creature. If the akashti can consume a portion of the body it's duplicating, it gains a +4 circumstance bonus to Deception checks to Impersonate the creature. While wearing a manifested body, the akashti loses its claw Strike, and its voice sounds like that of the dead creature; it doesn't possess any of the dead creature's memories or skills and must rely on deception to continue the charade in the face of scrutiny. An akashti's manifested body decays swiftly if it doesn't take 10 minutes once per day to maintain the manifestation of the false flesh. The body has 10 Hit Points and the same defenses as the akashti. When the body is destroyed, the akashti emerges unharmed and the fleshy shell left behind scatters into a cloud of red butterflies that swiftly fade into red mist.Stunning Despair [two-actions] (auditory, enchantment, incapacitation, mental, occult) The akashti unleashes overwhelming sobs of despair. Creatures within 30 feet must attempt a DC 29 Will save or become stunned 1 (stunned 3 on a critical failure). The akashti can't use Stunning Despair again for 1d4 rounds.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Deathly Invaders

Sometimes, akashtis ambush and murder targets not to bask in the grief of their loved ones, but instead to assume their form and infiltrate an organization from within to corrupt established bonds of camaraderie. Inevitably, though, these akashtis grow bored with deception and lead their new allies into a trap for slaughter.

All Monsters in "Nindoru"

NameLevel
Akashti (Sobbing Nindoru)10
Argyrzei (Headless Nindoru)13
Guhdggi (Wandering Nindoru)5
Ijda (Forgetful Nindoru)6
Kagekuma (Lurking Nindoru)8
Meokdan (Hungry Nindoru)2
Shisagishin (Crooked Nindoru)12
Sojiruh (Shrieking Nindoru)4

Nindoru

Source Pathfinder #197: Let the Leaves Fall pg. 84
When an evil mortal soul that has been reincarnated multiple times is wrenched from the cycle of souls and corrupted, it can undergo a horrific transformation into a fiend known as a nindoru. A force for entropy and the breaking of cycles, nindorus are hideous creatures whose bodies often appear distorted, who wield weapons that have been shattered yet still function, and whose true face is often hidden from view. They display traits one might expect to see in an undead creature, such as decaying flesh or exposed bones, yet a nindoru is very much still alive.

Each nindoru epitomizes the fracture of a specific cycle, be it one from the natural world or from societal traditions. To the nindoru, nothing is more delicious than the consumption of a creature who has reincarnated multiple times, with those who are theoretically about to ascend to true enlightenment presenting the tastiest meal. Those slain by a nindoru are themselves torn from the cycle—the lucky ones move on to the Boneyard for judgment, but many are instead corrupted to form more of these horrific fiends.

Followers of Sangpotshi find nindoru to be particularly abhorrent and count them among the greatest threats imaginable. Most commonly found in regions of the world where the reincarnation cycle is strongest, nindorus are, like rakshasas and oni, associated most strongly with the Material Plane.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Nindoru Butterflies

One of the strangest shared traits of the various types of nindoru are the blood-red butterflies that seem to follow them around, nest on their bodies, or periodically emerge from their wounds. These unnerving insects are physical manifestations of the nindorus' thoughts and symbolize the countless past lives they once lived but turned their backs on. Nindoru butterflies never last long once they flutter more than a few feet from their source, fading away into smoke that quickly dissipates into the air.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Nindoru Demigods

The most powerful nindorus are demigods, although their cults are quite rare. Prone to reincarnation after death, nindoru demigods like Kugaptee are more properly known as “nindoru ascetics.”

Sidebar - Advice and Rules Nindoru Trait

Nindorus are chaotic evil fiends that rise from corruptions to the cycle of reincarnating souls and live on the Material Plane. Although they often have elements in their appearance that make them seem undead, they're actually living beings. Most nindorus have darkvision, are immune to death effects, have weakness to silver, and possess the power to manifest objects or creatures from their thoughts.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Nindoru Traitors

While most nindorus are purely chaotic evil in nature, legends tell of exceptionally rare nindorus who manage to escape their own nature and ascend, reincarnating after death into kami or other more benevolent spirits and shedding the nindoru trait as they do so. Of course, these “traitors” are regarded as the most delicious meals imaginable by the nindorus left behind.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Other Nindorus

Many other types of nindorus exist beyond the four presented on these pages. Others include the corpse- copying akashtis (sobbing nindorus), infiltrators of society known as kagekumas (lurking nindorus), the dead defiling shisagishins (crooked nindorus), and the powerful and brutal argyrzeis (headless nindorus).

Sidebar - Advice and Rules Reincarnated Souls

In some cases, you’ll know if a creature a nindoru attacks has a reincarnated soul. Ancestries like samsarans are always reincarnated souls, and a PC’s backstory or even their background can often indicate the presence of a previous life. All of the PCs in Season of Ghosts qualify as reincarnated souls, as they’ve relived their lives over and over for decades. If you ever need to determine if a creature’s soul is reincarnated for the purpose of adjudicating a nindoru’s ability, attempt a DC 11 flat check—on a success, it has a reincarnated soul.