Sha

This canine creature possesses erect, squared-off ears, a forked tail, and a downward-turned snout. Black fur covers its body, and its emotionless eyes glow red.

Sha (CR 4)

Medium Magical Beast
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Initiative: +4
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Low-Light Vision, sandstorm sight; Perception +7

Speed: 40 feet
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 17, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+4 Dex, +3 natural)
Hit Points: 45 (6d10+12)
Saving Throws: Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +4

Offense

Melee: bite +9 (1d8+4 plus disease and Trip)
Reach: 5 feet

Special Attacks: disease, sandstorm

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
16 (+3)	19 (+4)	14 (+2)	5 (-3)	15 (+2)	10 (+0)

Base Attack Bonus: +6
CMB +9
CMD 23 (27 vs. Trip)

Feats: Combat Reflexes, Following Step, Step Up

Skills: Acrobatics +8, Perception +7, Stealth +10

Languages: Ancient Osiriani (can't speak)

Special Abilities

Disease (Su)

A sha transmits a potent disease with its bite. The most common form of disease carried by a sha drives its victims insane, reducing them to babbling fools or raving lunatics. Set's Touch: Bite-injury; save Fort DC 15; onset 1d3 days; frequency 1 day; effect 1d4 Wis damage and 1d4 Cha damage; cure 2 consecutive saves.

Sandstorm (Su)

Once per day as a full-round action, a sha can create a sandstorm (Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 431). The sandstorm has a radius of 100 feet centered on the sha, and lasts for 1 minute per Hit Die the sha possesses (6 minutes for a typical sha).

Sandstorm Sight (Su)

A sha can see clearly in a naturally occurring sandstorm or one created by it or another sha using its sandstorm ability.

Ecology

Environment: Warm Deserts
Organization: solitary, pair, or pack (3-8)
Treasure: none


Once more prominent in Ancient Osirion, shas are favored creatures of the god Set, and faded scrolls detailing the past of Osirion refer to more powerful versions of these creatures the people called Set beasts. Considered heralds of the dark god Set, shas stalk the deepest deserts, only skirting the edge of civilization. Villagers whisper that a sha nears when they spot faint red lights in the distance, believing those lights to be the menacing eyes of the sha. Many times, simple worry drives these sightings, but shas live in the deep deserts and they certainly keep an eye on humankind. An urge to hunt the people who forgot their patron drives shas to attack caravans, harass remote villages, and prowl isolated oases to slaughter humanoids.

Black fur, tinted with the dust and sand of the desert, covers a sha's body. The creature's eyes glow a dull red. Explorers report that seeing a sha's eyes glowing in the dark night is often the only indication of an impending attack. A sha's strong jaw, lined with razor-sharp teeth, allows the creature to drag down larger prey in a fashion similar to a wolf. Standing at chest height to most humans, shas weigh between 100 and 150 pounds. Shas possess a distinct canine appearance, and they are often mistaken at night for common jackals whose eyes are illuminated by firelight. This misidentification was prevalent in Ancient Osirion as well, leading some to wrongfully associate the creatures with Anubis. These days, scholars and those who still worship the old gods of Osirion are among the few people who correctly identify these beasts and their deific association.

Ecology

Legends state that shas were once simple canine animals long ago. The Osirian deity Set admired their reliability as trackers, hunters, killers, and masters of the deep deserts, and so blessed these early creatures with supernatural powers and sapience to create the first shas. Possessing the gifts of keen perception and eyes that would never tire, shas served Set as protectors of his cults and weapons to be sent against rivals. They also have the ability to understand the tongue of ancient Osirion, though they lack the physical capability to speak the language. This way, the creatures can understand and carry out commands, but lack any way to disagree or communicate displeasure at their directives. Set gave his loyal beasts the ability to conjure supernatural sandstorms, tying them closer to his portfolio as god of storms. This power allows the creatures to obfuscate their approach and drive off dangerous enemies, yet the creatures' ability to see through their own sandstorms allows shas to pick off their quarry unhindered. Set also imbued his beasts with the ability to transmit horrific plagues upon those they bite, weakening their victims' minds and driving the victims deep into madness.

When Set first imbued the shas with divine might, his creations were much more powerful and cunning. With the passage of millennia and the gradual decline of Set's worship, his blessings have faded, resulting in the shas that now prowl the deserts. On rare occasions, a convergence of old sha bloodlines results in a particularly formidable, devious, and cruel sha known as a Set beast, which Osirionologists believe is the original form once taken by Set's favored creatures. Malice and strength are not the only qualities passed from generation to generation; shas still seem to remember the source of their power, for they attack those who openly display holy symbols of other gods before savaging those who show faith in one of the gods of ancient Osirion.

Habitat & Society

Most shas lead a solitary existence, though some end up finding a lone partner to hunt with or a small pack to join. When alone, a sha spends its days trekking the vast wastelands of the desert, prowling among lost monuments that were once proud accomplishments of ancient Osirion. Those exploring such sites must keep alert, because shas plan ambushes and silently stalk their prey, often waiting until their victims emerge from darkened ruins before striking. While wandering the deserts, shas also attack small convoys or groups of nomads along the desert fringes. Using their innate ability to conjure sandstorms, shas close in on the unsuspecting groups and try to injure as many different enemies as possible, then retreat before their foes can regroup. By doing this, the shas ensure that survivors return to civilization mad with disease and then spread the sickness to others or act on their insane urges.

When packs of shas come together, they usually do so because a number of their kind happened upon each other in pursuit of a caravan or some other nomadic prey, then decided to continue hunting together once they fed. If a group forms, it follows a strict hierarchy that revolves around the strongest sha taking the lead. If more than one sha feels it has the right to lead, the pack forms a circle and the two shas fight until one submits to the other. Such competition never takes place if a Set beast is present; the pack members acquiesce to this greater creature and follow its commands unerringly, lest they invite its wrath.

Set beasts travel the breadth of what once constituted Ancient Osirion, as lone wanderers or packs that never stray far from the ancestral borders of that old empire. The largest enclaves roam the deserts of modern Osirion and Thuvia, generally avoiding civilization until the urge to hunt overtakes them. A handful of sizeable packs even hunt in the open wilds of Katapesh, seeking trade convoys to ambush. Deeper into the Brazen Peaks, a pack of shas has recently been harassing settlements of Pahmet dwarves between Oe-Tet and Erekrus, going so far as to stalk the dwarves as they travel between towns. Groups of shas dot the eastern edges of Rahadoum, where their infectious bites have strained the resources of many settlements that lack divine healing. For protection from these creatures, a handful of remote settlements and nomadic wanderers in Osirion once again embraced their ancient religions and began paying token homage to Set, hoping their meager efforts would stave off any further attacks from shas and Set beasts.

Set Beasts (CR 6)

The people of Osirion and northern Garund watch out for shas, but more threatening than those creatures are their ancient and powerful kin known as Set beasts. These Set beasts are even more closely tied to their patron, and Osirionologists claim that Set beasts were among the first of their kind created by the god himself.

A Set beast is a sha with both the advanced simple template and the fiendish simple template (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 294). In addition to this, the Set beast gains the ability to speak and knows one additional language beyond Ancient Osiriani (typically Common or Infernal). More closely tied to Set's portfolio of storms, Set beasts also deal an additional 1d6 points of electricity damage with their bite attacks.