Iku-Turso

This grotesque, emerald-scaled creature resembles a crossbreed of an eel, a viperfish, and a clawed humanoid.

Iku-Turso (CR 8)

Medium Aberration (Aquatic)
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Initiative: +7
Senses: Blindsense 30 feet, Darkvision 60 feet; Perception +12

Speed: 20 feet, Swim 60 feet
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 21, touch 14, flat-footed 17 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +7 natural)
Hit Points: 102 (12d8+48)
Saving Throws: Fort +8, Ref +9, Will +11
Immunity: disease
Weaknesses: light blindness

Offense

Melee: bite +16 (1d8+7 plus disease), 2 claws +16 (1d6+7)
Reach: 5 feet

Special Attacks: light lure

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
24 (+7)	16 (+3)	19 (+4)	7 (-2)	12 (+1)	17 (+3)

Base Attack Bonus: +9
CMB +16
CMD 30 (can't be tripped)

Feats: Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes

Skills: Perception +12, Stealth +14, Survival +12, Swim +15

Languages: Aklo, Aquan, Undercommon

Special Qualities: Amphibious

Special Abilities

Disease (Su)

An iku-turso's bite inflicts a strange, supernatural disease called tursas. This disease causes the victim's skin to grow painfully scaly, causes strange hallucinations, and eventually transforms the victim into an iku-turso. Tursas: Bite-injury; save Fort DC 20; onset 1 minute; frequency 1/day; effect 1d3 Wis damage and 1d6 Cha drain; cure 2 consecutive saves. As long as a victim suffers any ability damage from tursas, it gains the ability to breathe water. A creature reduced to 0 Charisma by this disease transforms into a fully grown and healthy iku-turso-it immediately forgets its previous life and abilities and seeks out the nearest iku-turso community to join it. A wish or miracle can reverse this transformation. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Light Lure (Su)

As a standard action, an iku-turso can call forth a few small points of light, functioning like a dancing lights spell (CL equals the iku-turso's HD) except as described here. Creatures within 100 feet of one of these lights must make a DC 19 Will save upon sighting them or be compelled to approach them by the safest and most direct path. A creature that successfully saves is immune to the same iku-turso's light lure for 24 hours. If a subject of this effect has to move through hazardous terrain to reach the lights, that subject receives another saving throw to end the effect before entering the hazardous terrain. This effect ends once the character reaches the light or takes any form of damage. This is a visual mind-affecting charm effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Ecology

Environment: Cold or Temperate Aquatic or Underground
Organization: solitary, pair, or cell (3-8)
Treasure: standard


Iku-tursos are hideous denizens of the deep sea. There, they venerate sinister gods of plague and contagion and torment victims plucked from ship and shore in special air-filled torture chambers.

Disease is sacred to the iku-tursos, and those who suffer from sickness are considered blessed. An iku-turso often chooses to leave obviously diseased victims to their fates rather than attempt to capture them.