Larva of the Outer Gods

From PathfinderWiki
Larva of the Outer Gods
(Creature)

Type
Aberration
CR
15
Environment
Any
Alignment
Source: Black Stars Beckon, pg(s). 88

Larvae of the Outer Gods are the least members of Azathoth's court, shed from its body like a body sheds skin cells. They play their outré music to which their master dances.1

Appearance

Larvae are terrifying amalgamations of chitinous scales, bloated flesh, unblinking eyes and writhing tentacles, constantly shifting in form. They average ten feet in diameter and weigh 1,600 pounds. They carry strange-looking instruments and use them to play music to Azathoth.1

Ecology

Larvae of the Outer Gods are born as minuscule motes of matter sloughed off by Azathoth, caught in the gravitational gyrations of the Daemon Sultan, soaking up cosmic radiation and the songs of their kin. Eventually, they grow and coalesce into larvae of the Outer Gods. Larvae, once they are old enough to move, are compelled to begin to orbit and dance around Azathoth. Once they reach maturity, they no longer have to stay at Azathoth's court.1

Larvae's instruments are utterly mundane in both function and composition. However, in the hands of the larvae, they do not merely create sounds but warp the fabric of space, creating waves in reality. This allows the larvae to play music in the vacuum or to deaf creatures. This dominion over space enables the larvae to summon planar allies, block dimensional travel, teleport unfathomable distances and transform those that hear their song into chaos beasts.1

Larvae of the Outer Gods can eat but primarily subsist on cosmic radiation. Exposure to cosmic winds allow them to grow bigger and more powerful, eventually maturing into demigods and refining their songs at the side of Azathoth. Rumour has it that some eventually reach the next stage of their life cycle, absorbing countless other larvae to become planet-sized gods.1

Society

Many larvae of the Outer Gods, once old enough to leave Azathoth's court, have the inclination to explore the Dark Tapestry and worlds beyond. They drift on unseen currents, or follow songs only they can hear.1

Larvae of the Outer Gods are not malicious but often ruinous to mortals. They do not understand the concept of mortality or why a being would want a static, unchanging body. Worlds visited by larvae often see them as horrifying agents of chaos and destruction.1

Larvae of the Outer Gods are particularly fascinated by talented mortal bards, particularly those touched by chaos or the Dark Tapestry, and chase them across time and space much to their chagrin. These incidents almost always end with either the larva destroyed or the bard succumbing to its song. Some believe that these bards are transformed into larvae to search for more potential members for Azathoth's court.1

Larvae are not opposed to being summoned to aid mortal spellcasters but also care little for what effect their songs have on mortal flesh. Their summoners are as likely to fall victim to them as their quarries, and even those who take care to protect themselves will find larvae too unfocused to make good allies.1

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Benjamin Bruck, et al. “Bestiary” in Black Stars Beckon, 88–89. Paizo Inc., 2017