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Veiled Master (Vidileth)

The powerful vidileths are the insidious veiled masters of the alghollthus. These manipulators of mind and body alike lead their species in the open, using their ability to change form to walk among and deceive humans and other sapient species. Many veiled masters are even more powerful than the typical specimen presented here and can use a wide range of arcane or occult spells and rituals. While veiled masters command significant combat prowess and impressive magical skills, the greatest danger they pose to others is their uncanny ability to infiltrate into societies much different than their own. The most paranoid of adventurers and conspiracy scholars worry that every major city has been infested by secret cabals of vidileths, while others dismiss this as hogwash and fearmongering. The truth is likely somewhere in between, but it doesn’t take many veiled masters pulling the strings behind the scenes to wreak havoc upon an entire nation!

Recall Knowledge - Aberration (Occultism): DC 37

Veiled MasterCreature 14

RareLELargeAberrationAquatic
Source Bestiary pg. 14
Perception +25; darkvision
Languages Aklo, Alghollthu, Aquan, Common, Undercommon; tongues
Skills Arcana +27, Athletics +24, Deception +28, Intimidation +26, Lore +29 (any one subcategory), Occultism +29, Society +27, Stealth +24
Str +6, Dex +6, Con +8, Int +7, Wis +5, Cha +6
Mucus Cloud (aura, disease) 30 feet. While underwater, a veiled master exudes a cloud of transparent slime. An air-breathing creature within 30 feet of a veiled master must succeed at a DC 36 Fortitude save each round or lose the ability to breathe air but gain the ability to breathe water for 24 hours.
AC 34, Fort +26, Ref +22, Will +24; +2 status to all saves vs. magic
HP 270; Immunities controlled, electricity, mental; Resistances cold 20
Speed 10 feet, swim 80 feet
Melee Single ActionSingle Action claw +30 (agile, magical, reach 20 feet), Damage 3d10+12 slashing plus slimeMelee Single ActionSingle Action fangs +28 (agile, magical, reach 10 feet, versatile S), Damage 3d8+12 piercing plus slime and consume memoriesMelee Single ActionSingle Action tentacle +28 (agile, electricity, magical, reach 20 feet), Damage 7d6 electricity plus thoughtlanceOccult Innate Spells DC 37; 9th project image (at will); 8th illusory scene (at will), suggestion (x3); 7th veil (at will); 6th dominate (x3); 5th dimension door (x3), hallucinatory terrain (at will), illusory object (at will); 3rd hypnotic pattern (at will), levitate (at will), mind reading (at will), secret page (at will); Constant (5th) tongues
Occult Rituals DC 37; 5th geas
Change Shape Free ActionFree Action (concentrate, occult, polymorph, transmutation) Once per round, a veiled master can take on the appearance of a humanoid of Large, Medium, or Small size or resume its true form. While in humanoid form, the veiled master’s Speed is 30 feet, and it loses its mucus cloud aura and swim Speed. If the humanoid form assumed lacks the aquatic trait, the veiled master loses its own aquatic trait as well. In humanoid form, the veiled master can use weapons, or it can make Strikes that work like its tentacle attack but use the reach of its current form. If the assumed form has fangs or claws, the veiled master can also make such Strikes, but these attacks lack the veiled master’s slime.Consume Memories (mental, occult) When a veiled master makes a fangs Strike against a creature, it can consume some of that creature’s memories. The target must succeed at a DC 37 Fortitude saving throw or become stupefied 1. A veiled master regains 5 Hit Points each time it successfully consumes memories. When a veiled master consumes memories, it learns some of the creature’s memories (subject to the GM’s discretion).Delayed Suggestion (enchantment, occult) When a veiled master successfully casts dominate on a creature, a suggestion spell triggers when the dominate spell ends. This suggestion usually causes the target to return to the veiled master, so the creature can cast dominate again, but a veiled master can set the suggestion to different orders if it wishes.Slime (curse, occult, virulent) Saving Throw Fortitude DC 36; Stage 1 no ill effect (1 round); Stage 2 the victim’s skin softens, inflicting drained 1 (1 round); Stage 3 the victim’s skin transforms into a clear, slimy membrane, inflicting drained 2 until the curse ends; every hour this membrane remains dry, the creature’s drained condition increases by 1 (permanent). A remove disease spell can counteract this curse, but immunity to disease offers no protection against it.Tentacle Flurry Two ActionsTwo Actions The veiled master thrashes about with its tentacles. Make a tentacle Strike against each creature within its reach. Roll only one attack roll, and roll the damage only once for all targets.Thoughtlance (curse, enchantment, occult) A creature touched by the veiled master’s tentacles, whether those tentacles deal damage or not, must attempt a DC 34 Will save, becoming slowed 1 on a failure or slowed 2 on a critical failure. Each time the affected creature ends its turn, its slowed value decreases by 1.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Ancient Influences

The veiled masters influenced the ancient Azlanti, and it was they who invoked the apocalypse of Earthfall to destroy Azlant when humanity grew too prideful. That this act also called down the magical Starstone, an artifact capable of transforming mortals into gods, was an ironic turn of events considering the alghollthus’ intolerance for faith.

All Monsters in "Alghollthu"

NameLevel
Alghollthu Master (Aboleth)7
Faceless Stalker (Ugothol)4
Skum (Ulat-Kini)2
Veiled Master (Vidileth)14

Alghollthu

Source Bestiary pg. 12
In bygone millennia, aquatic monsters known as alghollthus used their occult powers to conquer and rule vast parts of the world. Their empires contained countless mortal slaves treated as little more than cattle. Alghollthus shaped their slaves and other creatures using mental manipulation and physically transformative magic. Aberrant horrors from faceless stalkers to mimics can be traced back to this meddling. The rulers of the alghollthu race, the so-called veiled masters, further shaped entire societies by assuming the forms of those they controlled. From the heights of power to the shadows of poverty, the veiled masters manipulated these societies according to their own dark designs, enslaving, killing, or horrifically transforming those who discovered their plans or acted against them.

In time, the alghollthus grew frustrated with their increasingly upstart slave societies and sought to wipe the slate clean—both starting anew and punishing those who had become too willful and rebellious. They used incredible magical power to call forth a cataclysm, hoping to destroy the rebellious societies they’d manipulated. Yet they miscalculated the strength of faith and will to survive of their pawns and slaves, and in time the world and its empires recovered and grew strong once again—this time without alghollthu influence.

Today, the alghollthus have retreated from their mass-scale manipulation of the surface world, and they have mostly remained within the deep aquatic realms where they still rule without question. Yet they have not abandoned their plots entirely, and the reemergence of servitor races like ugothols points to a frightening possibility—that the alghollthus have turned their hateful eyes to the surface once again.

Sidebar - Locations Alghollthu Domains

The ruling castes of the alghollthu species dwell in oceanic depths or underground waterways, while their servitors like ulat-kinis and ugothols can often be found in coastal regions and marshes.

Sidebar - Treasure and Rewards Alghollthu Treasure

Although most alghollthus lack the greed that tempts most mortals, they do gather wealth and magical tools to use in their schemes. A given aboleth or veiled master might also wear magical jewelry and other objects. Faceless stalkers and other humanoid servants of alghollthus use weapons and armor, such as the faceless stalker’s sword or ulat-kini’s trident, as well as other tools. These servitor races can be as acquisitive as other humanoids.

Sidebar - Related Creatures Other Alghollthus

While the veiled masters are the rulers of alghollthu society, they are not the most powerful of their kind. Greater, more mysterious creatures that function as organic thought networks, immense aquatic engines of war, or specialized extractors of forgotten secrets dwell among their sunken cities. Meanwhile, the world above remains infested with creatures that were originally created by the alghollthus but have long since drifted away from their aquatic progenitors to become their own sinister monstrosities.