Cecaelia
Cecaelia
(Creature)
Type
Monstrous humanoid
(aquatic)
(aquatic)
CR
5
Environment
Warm waters and coasts
Alignment
Source: Raiders of the Fever Sea, pg(s). 59—60
Cecaelias are proud, unpredictable sentient hybrids of humans and octopuses who dwell in Golarion's warm seas and oceans.1
Appearance
The humanoid torsos of cecaelias are diverse in nature, but they typically resemble nearby land-dwelling humanoids, a trait scholars believe is an adaptive trait over one or two generations similar to camouflage. Cecaelias stand 6 feet tall on land and weigh about 200 pounds.2
Abilities
In a manner similar to an octopus, a cecaelia can emit a cloud of dark ink while underwater. Their tentacles are also sensitive enough to act as sensory organs, albeit only when under intense focus.3
Ecology
Cecaelias live in the depths of seas and oceans near coastlines, sometimes claiming landmarks such as coral atolls as territory.14 They generally live to be 60 years old.2
On Golarion
Cecaelias are known to live in Xidao;4 the Shackles island of Besmara's Throne;5 in the Arcadian, Embaral, Obari, and Okaiyo oceans; and the Inner and Steaming seas.1
History
While they lack evidence for such claims, many cecaelias tell stories of their race ruling a nautical empire spanning the Embaral Ocean's depths, with an underwater city named Sihuw at its center. They claim that their current nomadic state is of their own choosing, having grown bored with ruling the seas.1
Society
Cecaelias live in roaming bands and tribes, often as coastal and reef hunters or scavengers who trade with land-dwellers. Others live as pirates or mercenaries.1 Some groups are led by a chieftain, though their volatile natures mean such leadership is sometimes short-lived.4
Most do not wear clothing or armor, though they often carry backpacks made of woven seaweed, and those who do wear armor prefer light-weight and flexible equipment.2 They domesticate rays for use as underwater pack animals.1
Relationships with land-dwellers
Trade is important to cecaelias, who are curious about their surroundings but wary of strangers. They willingly trade seafood and treasures they find underwater for goods not easily found underwater.6
To land dwellers, however, cecaelias often seem short-tempered, in part because they quickly dismiss many types of diplomacy as plots to deceive them.2 Land-dwellers also consider them to be hyperbolic exaggerators prone to lies and bravado (if sometimes endearingly so).1
Relationships with ocean-dwellers
Cecaelias count athamarus7 among their allies, but hate krakens despite their similar physiology, and consider krakens' squid-like bodies inferior and ugly compared to their octopoid forms.1
They view gillmen as competitors and pillagers,8 and count devilfish, grindylows, and iku-tursos among their enemies.1
Inhabitants
- See also: Category:Cecaelia
References
For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 . “Oceans of Golarion” in Raiders of the Fever Sea, 59–60. Paizo Inc., 2012
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 . “Monsters A to Z” in Bestiary 3, 49. Paizo Inc., 2011
- ↑ . Song of the Sea Witch, 14. Paizo Inc., 2011
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 . Song of the Sea Witch, 3. Paizo Inc., 2011
- ↑ . “Shackles Gazetteer” in Isles of the Shackles, 16. Paizo Inc., 2012
- ↑ . “Monsters A-Z” in Bestiary 3, 45. Paizo Inc., 2021
- ↑ Paizo referred to athamarus as locathahs until the publication of Rage of Elements.
- ↑ . “Chapter 2: Uncommon Races” in Inner Sea Races, 117. Paizo Inc., 2015