Arasithul - The Icy Embrace
The Arasithul is the five-armed, very rare, intelligent, telepathic starfish-shaped Ivashu that dwells in colder climates and alpine elevations. It weakens its prey by psionically creating chilling mists and then pummeling them senseless with long, flexible, rubbery arms. The unconscious prey is injected with venom, which paralyzes them and slows their metabolism, putting them into a form of conscious hibernation resembling death, which can last for weeks to months. Victims are encased in ice, and the Arasithul feeds off their dying fear and suffering at their leisure. Before entering their hibernation stage, they excrete a digestive enzyme that slowly liquefies their victims from the inside out and consumes it for energy and tissue replacement. These Ivashu are not intentionally sadistic or cruel but have no empathy for their victims. They bear a superficial resemblance to the much larger Ogarna, or Golden Emissary, but are swifter and much more aggressive.
During warmer seasons, the Arasithul digs deep underground burrows and hibernates. Its prey is normally any medium-sized animals that stray into its path or ambushes, including garguns and humans. Arasithul often dominate other less intelligent Ivashu to act as guardians while feeding or hibernating. Arasithul are nocturnal and preferring to move at night. They dislike direct sunlight and are particularly susceptible to attacks using fire, which will either enrage them or cause them to flee.
The liquid contents of Arasithul's venom sack can be harvested and, if diluted with alcohol, used as a bitter taseting Potion of Cold Resistance.
Habitat: Any cold caves and colder alpine elevations
Length: 4 feet
Height: 2 feet
Weight: 180 pounds
Diet: see text
Lifespan: 50 years
Group: 1 to 4
Pathfinder 2E Monster Stat Blocks on Foundry VTT.
Love this creature, The Icy Embrace, very creative. I rewrote the description, I do not care much of psionics, a hold over from my AD&D PsiTSD. See description below.
The Arasithul is a very rare five-armed, starfish shaped Ivashu. The creature is intelligent and communicates telepathically via physical touch through through its tentacles. The creature’s range is limited to colder climates and Alpine elevations. Its prey is normally any medium-sized animals that stray into its path, including Gargun and humans. An ambush predator, it surprises its prey by excreting a cloud of liquid nitrogen stored in glands around its central body. The nitrogen creates an instant fog displacing the air causing minor suffocation and disorientation. The creature then uses its arms to grab the disoriented prey and pull it towards its maw, whereupon it bites the target injecting a powerful digestive enzyme that paralyzes the victim and causes it to slowly liquify from the inside out. The creature will defend itself by flailing attackers with its long flexible rubbery arms. Paralyzed prey is slowly eaten over period of a few days, using a sucker like tube that extends form its mouth. The Arasithul particularly enjoys the 'taste' of its victim’s fear and suffering during the ingestion period; the Ivashu is not intentionally sadistic or cruel, it simply has no empathy. The Arasithul bears a superficial resemblance to the much larger Ogarna or Golden Emissary, but are swifter and more aggressive.
During the warm season, the Arasithul seeks out a deep cave or burrow or migrates to an Alpine elevation, there it will bury in the cave or under the Alpine snow to hibernate. Arasithul often dominate other less intelligent Ivashu to act as guardians while it is feeding or hibernating, it particularly likes Vlasta as guards and saves the eyes of its prey for its pet’s to feast on.
The flesh around the Arasithul's nitrogen glands can be harvested and pickled in alcohol. The flesh can later be consumed whereupon it acts like Potion of Cold Resistance. The glands taste disgusting and cause stomach upset and the flux for several days after eating.
Arasithul are nocturnal and preferring to move at night. They dislike direct sunlight and are particularly susceptible to attacks using fire, which they will seek to run away from.
Changes to the stats:
Actions:
Trigger = No Change
Effect = No Change
Grapple / Bite = The Arasithul will attempt to grapple its prey, if successful it will automatically bite its prey. Once bitten the creature must takes 1d6 damage and must make a Save vs Poison or become paralyzed. Paralyzed creatures take 1d10 per day until cured. Treatment for the paralysis is to warm the victim’s blood, by placing them on a bed of hot stones wrapped in blankets or furs, place them sweat lodge or sauna or immerse them in a very hot bath, these remedies must continue for several hours. The character will then remain fatigued for 1d4 days in addition to any hit point loss.
Freezing Fog:
The creature expels liquid nitrogen into the air from the glands around its core creating a cloud of dense freezing freezing filling up a 60’ x 20’ sphere. Those within 10' of the release must make a Save vs Constitution or fall unconscious due to the shock of the rapid temperature change.
Those in the caught further away in the cloud are disoriented and suffer having their sight obscured from the fog and partial suffocation, all actions are at disadvantage until they leave the cloud or it is dispersed, spells that require concentration are not possible while in the cloud.
The fog freezes the ground making it slippery, treat as difficult terrain for 2d10 rounds.
The effects of the fog dissipate 4d6+6 rounds.
Thanks for the feedback and suggestions. They are much appreciated. I have included some but am keen to keep a light psionics aspect. Ironically, Psionics play a part in my game as a holdover from AD&D, and I note the Harnmaster system uses them for monsters and NPCs. As a scientist/chemist, I very much like your explanation for the cold, but I will keep the psionic aspect. I have included the creature's ability to dissolve the body at a specific time just before going into hibernation. I have my reasons for keeping this vague, which I can’t go into, but they should become clear in a future session.
Great to hear from you Attacus, glad you liked my suggestions.