Pyralisia, the Rain of Embers

CR: 18 XP: 153,600

NE Gargantuan magical beast (fire)

Init: +10 Senses: darkvision 60 ft., detect good, detect magic, low-light vision, see invisibility Perception: +39

Aura: shroud of flame (20 ft., DC 28)

AC: 33, touch 13, flat-footed 26 (+6 Dex, +1 dodge, +20 natural,, –4 size)

HP: 287 (23d10+161), regeneration 10 (cold or good)

Fort: +20 Ref: +19 Will: +14

Defensive Abilities: self-resurrection

DR: 15/good

Immune: fire

SR: 29

Weaknesses: vulnerability to cold

Speed: 30 ft., fly 90 ft. (good)

Melee: bite +28 (2d8+9 plus 4d6 fire and 4d6 electricity), 2 talons +28 (2d6+9/19–20 plus 4d6 fire)

Space: 20 ft. Reach: 20 ft. EVIL PHOENIXES While phoenixes almost always start out benevolent, they are not infallible. Whether through demonic taint, magical influence, or some other corruption, a phoenix can become a creature of destruction. These cruel individuals retain their strong appetites for knowledge, but hoard information instead of spreading it, and often assault universities and libraries in their pursuit of power and wisdom—not just to gain new information for themselves, but to set fire to those texts they’ve studied in order to prevent others from learning their secrets. Evil phoenixes typically have additional Hit Dice, and forfeit their healing spell-like abilities for spell-like abilities of equal level that deal damage or inflict detrimental effects upon creatures. Their regeneration and damage reduction effects are bypassed by good instead of evil, and they typically deal more energy damage with their natural attacks. In addition, all evil phoenixes gain the following special quality. Corrupted Flames (Su): In addition to the normal effects of a phoenix’s shroud of flame, an evil phoenix’s fire corrupts those it touches. Whenever a creature begins its turn within the area affected by the shroud of flame, it must succeed at a Will save (DC 25 for most evil phoenixes) or gain 1d4 temporary negative levels as per the enervation spell. Whether or not the save is successful, an affected creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based. Phoenix

Spell-Like Abilities: (CL 20th; concentration +27) Constant—detect good, detect magic, see invisibility At will—bestow curse (DC 21), chain lightning (DC 23), continual flame, greater dispel magic, wall of fire 3/day—fire storm (DC 25), mass inflict critical wounds (DC 25), quickened wall of fire 1/day—destruction (DC 24), meteor swarm (DC 26)

Str: 29 Dex: 23 Con: 24 Int: 23 Wis: 20 Cha: 24

Base Atk: +23 CMB: +36 CMD: 53

Feats: Blinding Critical, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Critical (talon), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Mobility, Power Attack, Quicken Spell- Like Ability (wall of fire), Vital Strike

Skills: Bluff +30, Fly +30, Intimidate +30, Knowledge (arcana) +29, Knowledge (nature) +29, Perception +39, Sense Motive +28, Stealth +20, Racial Modifiers +8 Perception

SQ: corrupted flames (DC 28) Pyralisia, often called “the Rain of Embers, ” was considered one the strongest and most benevolent phoenixes of Avistan in the early years of the Age of Lost Omens. She rose to prominence during the First Mendevian Crusade by leading the charge against a marilith general and her legion of minions. During the Second Crusade, Pyralisia oversaw the erection of several of the wardstones that kept the Worldwound’s demonic hordes contained near the crusader citadel of Drezen. But when an Abyssal rift opened near the wardstone line before the final menhirs were in place, the entire crusade stood on the brink of failure. Without hesitation, Pyralisia threw her body into the yawning chasm, blocking the demons’ escape and using her body to absorb the torrents of tainted fire bursting forth. Pyralisia’s heroic act was not enough, however, and the dark energy pouring from the rift slew her quickly. When she resurrected from her ashes, the Abyssal flames bonded with Pyralisia and corrupted her, instilling her body with dark, negative energy and trapping the Rain of Embers in a body utterly consumed by evil. Now, Pyralisia prowls the Worldwound, hunting crusaders and demons alike in her vengeful anger. Phoenixes contend that if she could be killed, Pyralisia’s self-resurrection would cleanse her of this malignancy and restore her true goodness. But so far, few have faced Pyralisia and lived to tell the tale. Those phoenixes that have tried to defeat her found themselves outmatched by the new power of Pyralisia’s black fire, their own flames as useless against her as against any other of their kind. The phoenix Garidor—Pyralisia’s mate prior to her corruption—anxiously watches the roads leading into Mendev, seeking powerful crusaders or adventurers to aid him in destroying his beloved before her perversion becomes permanent. Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Mythical Monsters Revisited Sphinx I’VE ONLY EVER MET THREE SPHINXES IN MY TRAVELS, AND WHILE NONE OF THEM TRIED TO DEVOUR ME WHOLE, ONE DID TRAP ME FOR A WHOLE MONTH WORKING ON SOME PROBLEM INVOLVING THE BIOELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF A CERTAIN BREED OF LIZARD. IT WAS ALL THEORETICAL—SHE’D NEVER SEEN ONE OF THE LIZARDS BEFORE, AND HAD NO INTEREST IN GOING AND FINDING ONE. SO I WAS TO SERVE AS THE EXPERT. FOR A MONTH. THEN ONE DAY HER EYE HAPPENED TO FIX ON AN OLD SCHEMATIC FOR A SCREW-FED WATER PUMP. I ASSURED HER I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT PUMPS, AND SHE FINALLY LET ME GO! MY PACK MULE, SADLY, WAS NOT AS FORTUNATE. —DYSO VADRASETHI, JOURNEYS ON A FLOATING DISC Sphinx T he creatures that other races collectively refer to as sphinxes are actually four very different races of magical beasts, all of which are intelligent creatures with the bodies of lions, the wings of birds of prey, and the heads of some other species. Though separate and often resentful of the other types, these strange and single- gendered species exist in a strange form of symbiosis, requiring one another to mate and propagate their line. The most common and intelligent breeds of sphinxes are the gynosphinxes and the androsphinxes— designations the sphinxes themselves find rude and demeaning, yet which nevertheless remain useful labels for other non-sphinx creatures. Both of these creatures are easily distinguished from their lesser brethren by their heads, which resemble those of female and male humans, respectively. Androsphinxes are the most powerful of sphinxes, and take this role seriously, seeing themselves as paragons of nobility committed to upholding justice and truth, so that the rest of the world may follow their shining example. Though gruff and curmudgeonly, making no effort to hide their disdain for those of lesser ability or tarnished morality, they prefer to give plenty of warning before attacking those who enter their territories, and may even be convinced to ensure safe passage for travelers in exchange for valuable information. They have a particular fondness for philosophy, ethics, and other high-minded, intellectual topics of debate. Gynosphinxes, though slightly less powerful than their male counterparts—and decidedly less committed to the path of justice and righteousness—are equally impressive creatures, with intellects that dwarf those of most human scholars (and even those of the androsphinxes). Gynosphinxes are beautiful even by human standards, with perfect heads above breasts covered in tawny fur, which quickly give way to slender leonine bodies. While androsphinxes love philosophy, gynosphinxes are more concerned with logic and inference, particularly when it comes to puzzles and riddles. A fiercely territorial gynosphinx may allow travelers to survive a visit to her domain—or even barter her own precious stores of information—in exchange for insight into a particular conundrum or subject of interest. Such obsessions are the cornerstone of gynosphinxes’ personalities, and the fervor with which a gynosphinx pursues a particular puzzle is often completely out of proportion to its utility or significance. The ram-headed criosphinx is no more evil than the temperamental gynosphinx, yet its lesser intelligence— still equal to a bright humanoid’s—makes it an object of general scorn or paternalistic condescension to its human-headed counterparts. Always male, criosphinxes are similarly lessened in their fellows’ eyes by their excessive lust, both for gynosphinxes (when available) and for material wealth. Rather than hoarding knowledge or solving intellectual problems, a criosphinx obsessively accumulates wealth, relinquishing its treasure only when doing so might bring it some new puzzle capable of overcoming a gynosphinx’s disdain long enough to allow mating. When engaged in conversation, criosphinxes prefer to talk of worldly matters, or simply accept copious amounts of fawning praise. Finally, the hieracosphinx is a falcon-headed terror, universally despised by its kindred. Brutish and wrathful, the exclusively male hieracosphinxes have all the territorial urges of their fellows with none of the mitigating qualities, and actively go out of their way to avenge the persecution they face from other types of sphinxes by savaging anyone who crosses their paths, rarely bothering to speak. All sphinxes are powerful fighters, and except for the hieracosphinx, generally forgo aerial combat in favor of fighting on the ground. The good and neutral breeds generally prefer to avoid fighting entirely, and if they can frighten off intruders through intimidation, so much the better. A sphinx who has a duty to fulfill, however, will frequently fight to the death to discharge it. Sphinxes of all breeds are known in stories and legends as guardians of great treasures, secrets, and sacred places, and there’s much truth to these claims, though each of the races guards such things for its own reasons—whether altruism, greed, entertainment, or fear of a more powerful master. As a result, many places hiding treasures or secrets that don’t have an actual sphinx guarding them use sphinxes in their decorations. Keeping a sphinx on guard duty is often expensive, either in treasure or in inventiveness—a gynosphinx without something mentally challenging to work on rapidly becomes bored, and bored sphinxes are dangerous. Despite sphinxes’ relative rarity, especially outside of their chosen deserts and arid hills, stories of their exploits are common enough that most folk who encounter one know at least the basics of how to act around them: polite, pleasant, and perceptive.

Languages: Auran, Celestial, Common, Ignan