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Vinlach

The vinlach represents the overwhelming fear of birds—the sharp beaks, the razored talons, the incessantly fluttering wings, the alien all-seeing eyes, and the haunting shrill cry of the raptor when it spots defenseless prey. They appear as a tangled mass of flapping whippoorwill wings, constantly kicking up dander and dust, with a “head” composed of dozens of shrieking whippoorwill heads, all merged together in a twittering knot of meat and bone, eyes peering in all directions at once. The amalgamation stalks about on four long, stork-like legs tipped with murderous talons, and while their body of wings wouldn’t seem to suggest it, they can use them to fly through the air with unnerving grace. Despite their bestial nature, vinlachs are quite intelligent and delight in tormenting sapient creatures, particularly those who have strong beliefs or faiths.

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Weak VinlachCreature 7

Uncommon Medium Fiend Sahkil Unholy 
Source Pathfinder #224: Bastion of Blasphemies pg. 246
Weak Changes are marked. The -2 damage penalty to non-strike offensive abilities (-4 if the ability is limited, such as spells) is NOT factored in.
Recall Knowledge DC 25 (includes +2 from Uncommon) • Fiend (Religion)
Perception +14; darkvision
Languages Chthonian, Common, Diabolic, Empyrean, Requian; telepathy 100 feet
Skills Acrobatics +14, Intimidation +15, Religion +16, Stealth +16
Str +4, Dex +6, Con +3, Int +3, Wis +4, Cha +3
Easy to Call A sahkil's level is considered 2 lower for the purpose of being conjured by the binding circle ritual (and potentially other rituals, at the GM's discretion), but it's always free to attack or leave instead of negotiate unless the primary caster's check is a critical success.

AC 26 all-around vision; Fort +11, Ref +18, Will +14
HP 90; Immunities fear; Weaknesses holy 5
Soul-Wrenching Warbling (auditory, aura, emotion, fear, mental) The vinlach's warbling voices are a mockery of the rhythmic sound of a flight of whippoorwills whistling away, sending chills into the hearts of those who hear them. A living creature that begins its turn within 30 feet of a vinlach must succeed at a DC 21 Will save or gain weakness 5 to spirit damage until the start of its next turn, as its soul aches to flee its body and retreat along the River of Souls to find peace from the unnerving cacophony.
Speed 30 feet, fly 40 feet
Melee [one-action] talon +18 [+14/+10] (agile, finesse), Damage 2d8-2+7 slashing plus 1d6 spiritDivine Innate Spells DC 24, attack +16 (-4 dmg); 4th crisis of faith (×3), suggestion; 3rd fear, grim tendrils; 2nd see the unseen; Cantrips (4th) divine lance, message
Rend [one-action] talonSoul Shriek [two-actions] (divine, mental) The vinlach's dozens of mouths suddenly shriek in terrifying unison, yet the sound created is not one that can be heard by ears—rather, it's heard by a living creature's soul, as the supernatural sound attempts to rip free the very animus of life. All creatures in a 40-foot cone take 9d6 spirit damage and must attempt a DC 24 Will save with the following results. The vinlach can't Soul Shriek again for 1d4 rounds.
Critical Success The creature takes no damage.
Success The creature takes half damage.
Failure The creature takes full damage. If the creature can cast divine spells or has the holy trait, it’s also stupefied 1 for 1 minute.
Critical Failure The creature takes double damage. If the creature can cast divine spells or has the holy trait, it’s also stupefied 1 for 24 hours.
Skip Between [one-action] The sahkil moves from the Universe to the Ethereal Plane or vice-versa. While in the Ethereal Plane, they're unable to affect anything in the Universe, and they cannot be seen by beings or abilities in the Universe, unless these have an ability that can gaze into the Ethereal Plane. While on the Material Plane the inverse is true for anything on the Ethereal Plane. A summoned sahkil can't use Skip Between.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Psychopomp Blasphemers

While all sahkils descended from an initial group of blasphemous psychopomps who betrayed their calling and rebelled against Pharasma, the eerie vinlachs take this corruption one step further in their desecration of Pharasma’s sacred animal—the whippoorwill. They take particular delight in haunting fallen churches of Pharasma or serving priests who have turned their back on the Lady of Graves for more sinister patrons.

All Monsters in "Sahkil"

NameLevel
Anophilex11
Chakanaj14
Esipil1
Ijhyeojin14
Kimenhul20
Nenchuuj19
Nucol4
Pakalchi9
Penqual15
Tumblak18
Vinlach8
Wihsaak6
Ximtal17

Sahkil

Source Monster Core 2 pg. 274
Ages ago, when this cycle of the multiverse was in its adolescence, a coterie of psychopomps who felt bored and restrained in their role of ushering souls to their ultimate resting place rebelled against their station. It was this violation of the cycle of souls that transformed these former psychopomps into the first sahkils.

These fiends have drastically changed from their dedicated psychopomp predecessors. Ambivalent to the prescribed order of the multiverse and hateful toward all mortals, sahkils delight in spreading fear and unease to all, clogging up the metaphysical cycle with anxiety-ridden mortals too scared to achieve their potential. They're creatures of spite and torment, fear and disgust. They exploit both the most common and rarest fears for their own perverse satisfaction, utilizing whichever is most effective for their current victim. They want nothing more than to frighten mortals into a distraught and wretched state that makes them question the very reasons for their existence and will utilize all the tools at their disposal in pursuing this goal.

Most sahkils lurk on the Ethereal Plane, but they frequently invade the Universe to torment mortal targets and spread terror. They use their innate ability to slip between the veils of the Ethereal Plane and the Universe effortlessly, often stalking their prey for days or weeks before enacting their devious plots.

Sidebar - Advice and Rules Check with Players

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 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 - 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’re already feared, so it could be that they’re simply fulfilling what they believe is their ultimate purpose.

Sidebar - Related Creatures Planar Relations

Sahkils collaborate with divs to corrupt mortals. Velstracs, who appreciate their depredations, sometimes work with these fiends to enact terrible horrors. Nihilistic and disaffected, daemons tolerate sahkils but 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 personal acts of torment rather than launching widespread, ambitious depredations upon unsuspecting mortals.

Sidebar - Related Creatures War Against Hope

Sahkils and coatls are eternal enemies. Each creature vies for the souls 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. Coatls 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 domain known as Xibalba. The Land of Dread is a realm of nightmares made manifest. At the center of this demiplane is a tiered structure known as the Black Pyramid, where the sahkil tormentors rule their brethren and sow fear throughout the mortal realm.

Shelyn's Corner

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