Undead Ningyo

The repulsively fused features of a dried fish and desiccated humanoid combine in these monstrous remains. The crackle of tiny grinding bones and the hiss of parched scales whisper with every motion as the snarling miniature mummy drags its shriveled corpse forward.

Undead Ningyo (CR 1)

Small Undead (Aquatic)
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Initiative: +1
Senses: Perception +2

Speed: 10 feet, Swim 20 feet
Space: 5 feet

Defense

Armor Class: 14, touch 12, flat-footed 13 (+1 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size)
Hit Points: 15 (2d8+6)
Saving Throws: Fort +3, Ref +1, Will +5
Immunity: undead traits

Offense

Melee: 2 claws +3 (1d3+1), bite +3 (1d4+1)
Reach: 5 feet

Special Attacks: group grapplers, startle

Statistics

Str	Dex	Con	Int	Wis	Cha
12 (+1)	13 (+1)	-	5 (-3)	15 (+2)	16 (+3)

Base Attack Bonus: +1
CMB +1
CMD 12

Feats: Step Up

Skills: Stealth +9, Swim +10

Languages:

Special Qualities: nocturnal undeath, poison flesh

Special Abilities

Startle (Su)

Any creature of 5 Hit Dice or fewer that is attacked by an undead ningyo in a surprise round must make a DC 14 Will save or be frightened for 1d4 rounds. If the subject succeeds on a Will save, it is shaken for 1 round. Whether or not the save is successful, the affected creature is immune to the same undead ningyo's startle attack for 24 hours. Creatures with 6 or more HD are immune to this effect. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Ecology

Environment: Any
Organization: solitary, pair, or exhibit (3-15)
Treasure: none


The bane of fishermen and divers, ningyos lurk in tropical waters, gorging themselves on fish and attacking anything they can sink their tiny fangs into. Nasty little things, these primitive, miniature mer-monsters are bogeymen of the sea, often attacking seagoers, ships, and fishing tackle out of both blind ravenousness and blunt stupidity. With little more organization or society than a school of sharks, these cannibalistic half-simian, half-fish terrors swarm by night and can easily drag those caught on moonlit waters down to drown amid a sea of tiny claws and needling teeth. Yet for all their animal ferocity, ningyos are most notorious for their unquiet deaths. Said by natives to be too mean and stupid to die, a slain ningyo always returns to life by night, obliviously adopting old habits or dragging itself forth from the water to find its killer.

By day, though, undead ningyos turn back into normal corpses, sometimes washing up on shore as gruesome and fascinating-but potentially deadly-curiosities. While the knowledgeable burn the eerie corpses they find along the coast, more than one foolhardy beachcomber has collected such an oddity, only to later awake in terror, the tiny withered claws and broken teeth of his weird curio savaging him in the dark. Ningyos measure approximately 2 to 2-1/2 feet long from head to tail, and weigh 6 to 9 pounds.

Ningyos on Golarion

Ningyos have harassed and terrorized those dwelling along warm coasts for ages, proving most common along the west coast of Garund and the eastern shores of Arcadia. Well informed by the native folklore of those areas, most locals easily avoid and deal with the nasty mer-creatures. Visitors and invaders of such areas, though, are rarely so well informed.

The Fetching Fishwife: This saltencrusted beach house-turned-inn teeters on a rocky beach a short ride north of Eleder. Popular with visitors and those seeking to escape the city's roughand-tumble confusion, the Fishwife offers fine rooms, good food, and a collection of eclectic decor- from bestial trophies and wall mountings to native artistry. It also bears a curse. Four guests and two owners have met gruesome deaths in the inn, and the most recent landlord quietly fled Sargava, leaving the keys to the house and a tiny, withered claw to his estranged brother. Kimbal Pall, the current owner, now runs the tavern, having no idea he holds a piece of an undead ningyo lurking in his collection.

Treasure at Bloodcove: The treacherous inlets southwest of Bloodcove have long been a favorite stop for Shackles pirates, those with both booty to bury and plots to pillage the Kaava Lands' coastal tribes. Recently, a masked shaman has been sighted wandering between these coves, attended by a large, murderous swarm of ningyos. Although the witch doctor seems to only feed the nasty sea monsters fish heads and bird carcasses, they obey her every command, driving off the curious as they endlessly scour the sea floor, as if for some unknown treasure.